Monday Morning Match is a simple post – maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea – intended to spark some motivation inside each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.
Now Batting…#24
Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays will be turning 89 later this week. Mays was born May 6th, 1931 in Westfield, Alabama and went on to become one of the all-time greatest baseball players ever.
According to Wikipedia, Mays’ professional baseball career began in 1947, while he was still in high school; he played briefly with the Chattanooga Choo-Choos in Tennessee during the summer. Later that year, Mays joined the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League. Mays made his Major League debut in 1951 with the New York Giants and then beginning in 1958, when the Giants relocated, Mays played for the San Francisco Giants until 1972 when he was traded to the New York Mets, where he would end his career a year later. Mays was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979 and his #24 jersey has been retired by the Giants since he left in ’72.
Mays ended his career with 660 home runs and over 3200 hits. He was one of the original “5 Tool Players” because he had speed, arm strength, he could field his position, he could hit for power, and he could hit for average.
Swing For the Fences This Week
Known by many as “The Say Hey Kid,” Mays was given the nickname by a fellow player because when Mays arrived in the minors, he didn’t know the other player’s names.
“You see a guy, you say, ‘Hey, man. Say hey, man,'”
“Ted [Williams] was the ‘Splinter’. Joe [DiMaggio] was ‘Joltin’ Joe’. Stan [Musial] was ‘The Man’. I guess I hit a few home runs, and they said, ‘There goes the ‘Say Hey Kid.”
Who will you say “hey” to this week? Can you catch up with some clients you haven’t spoken to in a while? Can you connect with some people in your sphere of influence that you’ve been meaning to reach out to? How about a family member or friend that you would love to catch up with?
You don’t need to overthink it. You’re not selling anything…you’re just reaching out to “Say Hey!”
24 “Hits” This Wednesday in Honor of Willie
Join me on Wednesday in celebrating this great baseball player’s birthday by sending out 24 simple texts to some of the contacts on your phone. Maybe focus on some of the people who you know are sports fans. You never know the impact you just might have on someone’s day just because you popped up on their screen to “say hey!”
What are you waiting for? Get out there this week and focus on building relationships, solving problems, and having fun. You’ll be a”MAYS“ed at what happens.