Former Dodgers great Maury Wills, the player most responsible for revolutionizing the stolen base in Major League Baseball, will be honored with the Player Lifetime Achievement Award at the 13th annual “In the Spirit of the Game” Sports and Entertainment Spectacular, benefiting the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation, on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Wills, 82, showed the nation what speed can do on the bases in the big leagues as he led the league in stolen bases six consecutive seasons from 1960-65, including a then-Major League record 104 in 1962. That season, he won National League MVP honors and earned a Gold Glove, as he batted .299 with 130 runs, 208 hits, six homers and 48 RBI in 165 games.
The seven-time All-Star’s exciting play in the field, at bat and on the bases propelled the Dodgers to four World Series (1959, 1963, 1965 and 1966) and three World Championships.
Wills joined the Dodgers at the age of 18 in 1951 and worked his way up through the farm system, finally reaching the Majors in June 1959. He played 14 seasons in the Majors with the Dodgers, Pirates and Expos and had a career batting average of .281 with 586 stolen bases.
Wills continues his work with the Dodgers to this day, as an instructor for their Major League and minor league players. During Spring Training, Wills serves as a baserunning and bunting coach with the big league club.
Dodgers President Stan Kasten will present Wills with the award.
The Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation’s “In the Spirit of the Game” is one of the most popular baseball events in the country each year.
Reader Comments(0)