Maury Wills
Had he not been tucked away in the minor leagues for eight seasons, Maury Wills would probably be a Hall of Famer. Drafted by Brooklyn, Wills passed to the Reds and Tigers before making his way back to the Dodgers in 1958. At the age of 27, he was finally given an opportunity to play full-time in the major leagues, and he responded by hitting .295 and leading the National League with 50 stolen bases. It was the first of six straight stolen base titles for Wills, who almost single-handedly re-introduced the steal as an offensive weapon. Wills worked hard to become a good shortstop, and eventually earned two Gold Gloves. A switch-hitter, Wills batted at or near .290 in his years with the Dodgers, but had a career season in 1962. That year he hit .299, collected 208 hits, and stoled a major league record 104 bases. He was thrown out just 13 times and his baserunning exploits earned him the NL MVP Award. With the Dodgers, Wills played in four World Series, and batted .367 in the 1965 Fall Classic. He was dealt to the Pirates and Expos before returning to Los Angeles for four more years at the end of his career. He had collected more than 2,100 hits, 1,000 runs and stoled 586 bases despite his late start in the big leagues.
Played For
Los Angeles Dodgers (1959-1966)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1967-1968)
Montreal Expos (1969)
Los Angeles Dodgers (1969-1972)
Managed
Seattle Mariners (1980-1981)
All-Time Rankings
Maury Wills ranks #24 among the Top 50 all-time at SS. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1962
In spite of his diminutive size, Wills got stronger as the '62 campaign wore on. His batting average increased in each of the first four months of the season, and he batted .368 with 27 stolen bases in September. He was named NL Most Valuable Player, barely edging Willie Mays, whose Giants won the pennant over the Dodgers in a special playoff.
Where He Played
Shortstop
Born
Maurice Morning Wills was born on October 2, 1932, in Washington, DC.
Batted: Both
Threw: Right
Primary Position: SS
Primary Team: LAN
Major League Debut
June 6, 1959
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1959
Willie McCovey
Billy Williams
Maury Wills
Tommy Davis
Jim Kaat
Tim McCarver
Jim Perry
Mike Cuellar
Zoilo Versalles
Family Tree
Maury's son, Bump, played six seasons in the majors, from 1977-1982. He inherited his father's foot speed, and swiped as many as 52 bases in a season.
Similar Players
None
Related Players
Gene Alley, Lou Brock, Ty Cobb, Rickey Henderson, Tim Raines, Ron LeFlore, Bump Wills
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1978 |
BBWAA |
115 |
30.3% |
1979 |
BBWAA |
166 |
38.4% |
1980 |
BBWAA |
146 |
37.9% |
1981 |
BBWAA |
163 |
40.6% |
1982 |
BBWAA |
91 |
21.9% |
1983 |
BBWAA |
77 |
20.6% |
1984 |
BBWAA |
104 |
25.8% |
1985 |
BBWAA |
93 |
23.5% |
1986 |
BBWAA |
124 |
29.2% |
1987 |
BBWAA |
113 |
27.4% |
1988 |
BBWAA |
127 |
29.7% |
1989 |
BBWAA |
95 |
21.3% |
1990 |
BBWAA |
95 |
21.4% |
1991 |
BBWAA |
61 |
13.8% |
1992 |
BBWAA |
110 |
25.6% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1959 World Series
1963 World Series
1965 World Series
1966 World Series
Awards and Honors
1961 NL Gold Glove
1962 ML AS MVP
1962 NL Gold Glove
1962 NL MVP
Batting Feats
- May 30, 1962: Switch HR same game...
- September 23, 1962: 97th SB...
Hitting Streaks
24 games (1968)
20 games (1965)
19 games (1962)
All-Star Selections
1961 NL
1962 NL
1963 NL
1965 NL
1966 NL
Learn More about Maury Wills
Search Amazon.com for Books about Maury Wills ⇒
Search for Maury Wills at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
