The salaries are outrageous and back in the day we played, the game was played with more enthusiasm. Bloomingburg, ny nicknames are a sign of belonging and studies have shown that madeup monikers help a young persons self esteem. Jun 02, 2005 all this has given me entree to just about anybody whos anybody in the world of sports including willie mays aikens. Sometimes people are confronted with challenges that they really struggle with. Aikens for sharing his book with us this biography written by gregory jordan and released in 2012 as he is the first exmajor leaguer to do so. He spent almost all of his 22season major league baseball mlb career playing for the new yorksan francisco giants. Frank tanana, nolan ryan, willie mays aikens, carney lansfor. Willie aikens is living the miracle of recovery tsn. Mays, the roadmap for willie s life of service was set from the very beginning. New willie mays book gives much insight to his life and times. May 01, 2012 willie mays aikens starred for kansas city in the 1980 world series but his career was derailed by drug abuse.
Dear readers, this month it is a great honor to once again have a chance to visit with willie mays aikens, who was a hitting star mostly known for the time he spent with the kc royals when they were in the world series back in the 1980s as they are becoming the team of this decade once again. Safe at home was featured in the north adams transcript. Willie aikens trades and transactions by baseball almanac. Willie mays aikens mlb signed autographed index card. It was just a few days after the royals had lost to san francisco in. Willie mays aikens born october 14, 1954 is a former major league baseball first baseman. Jul 26, 2020 willie mays aikens born october 14, 1954 is a former major league baseball first baseman. Hes admitted to living a past life where he smoked crack nearly every day and slept with prostitutes.
Late in the year, aikens got one more chance in a usbased league. Following the regular season, he participated in the florida instructional league. Feb 02, 2011 the royals hired a former player as a minor league coach yesterday. Willie mays aikens royals 1980 ws signed first day cover envelope wour coa. Mays mortuary founded in 1922 by his grandfather, provided a pristine example of compassion, empathy, and barrier breaking that would.
Carney lansford, ken landreaux, and willie mays aikens, while dickie thon. Willie mays society for american baseball research. Feb 28, 2014 at least thats what i came away thinking after finishing safe at home, gregory jordans riveting biography of former kansas city royal and toronto blue jay willie mays aikens. He spent almost all of his 22season major league baseball mlb career playing for the new yorksan francisco giants 19511952, 19541972 before finishing his career with the new york mets 19721973. The pitching rubber toed by witt that day was the same one trod upon by.
Willie mays aikens signing new book in seneca october 7, 20 chad dorsett former major league baseball player and seneca native, willie mays aikens is coming home to sign copies of his new book. He has written a book, its called willie mays aikens and he will be signing copies of the book on wednesday from 57pm read more. Willie s parents, the owners and operators of the historic w. Jccc alcoholism and drug addiction awareness information on. Peterson and the former susan kekich remain together to this day. One day they asked former major leaguer willie mays aikens his favorite sportscasters. Win shares and loss shares for the 15 first basemen part. Jan 04, 2012 that guy has some willie mays in him, the same way you used to say this singer or that had some elvis in him. No one will ever know the athlete willie aikens couldve been, what was already slipping away on that midoctober night in 1980 when, after he hit his fourth homer of the world series against the phillies in game 4, he left the ballpark and celebrated by snorting a few lines of cocaine. Except this minor league coach is willie mays aikens, who spent nearly 14 years in federal prison. Thank god to be able to celebrate another faters day.
A new report is critical of professional athletes who promote foods, which are not healthy. Happy valentines day fluffy cat, happy valentines day, husky, corgi, animals. Most days, his first conscious thoughts are of sex, booze and the pipe. Author gregory jordan does an expert job putting the reader inside aikenss shoes and thoughts from an impoverished childhood, to his days in college and the. I would like the royals are most likely to be the favorites to win the world series in 2016. The book chronicles how a decent man handles trying times. Muamba says signing with hometown argos an essential decision. Get your order fast and stress free with free curbside pickup. This 264page book offers a noholdsbarred account of aikens spiral into drug addiction that reduced the onetime world series hero into a seemingly. All five players along with teammates willie mccovey and billy williams had. Willie mays aikens, former first baseman for the kansas city royals, made baseball history when he became the first player to hit a pair of twohomer games in the.
For a player who really wasnt very good, willie mays aikens made a hell of an impression, on me and on the game of baseball. Manny acta at the time of this signing he was the seattle mariners third base coach, this. I was in the house when he had the greatest day of his career, hitting two home runs in a world series game against the phillies. Oct 10, 2004 willie aikens walks to a law enforcement vehicle after his arrest on march 1, 1994, for federal drug and firearms charges. The story of wiilie mays aikens the story of willie mays aikens and mandatory minimums a power hitter and superstar for the kansas city royals in the early 1980s, aiken s career was derailed by a debilitating addiction to drugs. Some poor decisions lead to some difficult times for aikens. Baseball legend willie mays aikens, who served 16 years in prison for drug offenses, will speak at 1 p.
Jan 30, 2012 weve had a number of guests on the royalman report, but none have had as tumultuous a journey as willie mays aikens. The willie aikens trades and transactions seen below include all known instances where willie. Safe at home, hardcover by jordan, gregory, isbn 1600786960, isbn 9781600786969, brand new, free shipping in the us an intimate portrait of a tortured player, this biography culls interviews, letters, and the personal account of baseball legend willie mays aikens. Willie mays aikens safe at home book signed copy hardcover. The book safe at home willie mays aikens written by gregory jordan with mr. Aikens worked with gregory jordan to author the biography willie mays. Every day, every game of the world series, i used drugs, aikens said. Former royals player, convictturnedcoach willie may aikens. It takes every epic game and juncture of mays life and career and gives it tremendous. On this day, he was picked to start at cleveland in the second game of a doubleheader. After aikens gave locke directions, he told her that he was listed in the phone book and asked her to call him sometime.
At 25 years sober, willie may aikens is a different man from the one who stepped up. You may not remember aikens, but in the early 1980s he was one of. Now 54, hes trying to repair a life that once held so much promise. A budding mlb superstar in his early 20s, his career would succumb to a 20year prison sentence for crack cocaine charges. An intimate portrait of a tortured player, this biography culls interviews, letters, and the personal account of baseball legend willie mays aikens.
Gregory jordan is a writer from the baltimore area whose work has appeared in a number of. Aikens was a star in the 1980 world series, hitting two homers in games 1. Jccc alcoholism and drug addiction awareness information. Well, after repeated letters to gaile aaron and i must say that she never responded to my questions or. Willie aikens shares his story on the royalman report. I had to deal with drug addiction and that mess, and i guess the book is kind of a guide. The book does a good job describing the world as willie aikens saw it. With the steelers, our chaplain back in the day pioneering sports minister hollis haff had no access to. Not only an exploration of baseball and culture in the 1980s, this book also delves into the united states justice and penal systemsan intimate portrait of a tortured player, this biography culls interviews, letters, and the personal account of baseball legend willie mays aikens. I will be signing and selling my book safe at home, baseball cards, pictures of me and baseballs this friday, october 25th and. Willie aikens was born on thursday, october 14, 1954, in seneca, south carolina. Living hbcu baseball history with the legends donnie shell of. Win shares and loss shares for the 15 first basemen part 1.
Safe at home wallach learned how to play third base from hall of famer. Mays, willie 1931, baseball biography, books barnes. In 1994, aikens was sentenced to 20 years in prison on four counts of crack cocaine distribution and one count of use of a firearm during drug trafficking. Drafted by the california angels in the 1st round 2nd of the 1975 mlb january draftregular phase from south carolina state university orangeburg, sc. A world series hero in 1980, willie mays aikens lost nearly 15 years of his life to prison and crack cocaine. Aikens signed with the california angles 1975, where he rose to major. A world series hero in 1980, willie mays aikens lost nearly 15 years of his life to prison and. In, aikens was sentenced to twenty years in prison on four counts of.
Hes now rated the 6th most hated athlete behind michael vick, tiger woods, bengals wide receivers terrell owens and. I played against billy and he played the game hard. At least thats what i came away thinking after finishing safe at home, gregory jordans riveting biography of former kansas city royal and toronto blue jay willie mays aikens. Drafted by the california angels in the 1st round 2nd of the 1975 mlb january draftregular phase from south carolina state university orangeburg, sc high school. Willie mays aikens starred for kansas city in the 1980 world series but his career was derailed by drug abuse. Take a walk through the wild and wacky world of sports. Born willie mays aikens, he was actually named after an uncle willie. The game is more analytical now with all the technology.
He ended up signing with the dallas cowboys as a free agent in 1974. The jays released aikens a month into the 1985 season, and re signed him to a minor league contract. Aug 16, 20 greg jordan august 16, 20 utility, pleasure and goodness what one writer learned about classical friendship and redemption from willie mays aikens, george brett, and the e street band. In 1994, aikens was sentenced to 20 years in prison on four counts of crack cocaine distribution and one cou. Best or worst sports nicknames may 17, 2020 cheesy bruin 0. Selected by california angels in the 1st round 2nd pick overall of the freeagent draft january 9, 1975. He turned his life around and today serves as hitting instructor for the royals. Aikens was 22 years old when he broke into the big leagues on may 17, 1977, with the california angels. I remember bathroom signs saying blacks only or whites only, water. Willie mays aikens safe at home book signed copy pastpros. Gregory jordan is a writer from the baltimore area whose work has appeared in a number of publications, including the new york times.
937 1502 345 101 368 715 450 1736 1314 1585 807 1772 1068 1331 91 57 570 904 1204 1526 1108 390 259 564 1051 1184 935