Vol. II,
Issue #5 - December 2014
**
Willie Mays Aikens' Story (Safe
at Home)
**
(Mr. Aikens when he played in the Major Leagues was
considered to be one of the best sluggers
of his time. In this interview and review of his book, which is
his biography, he tells us his story as
a player during a time when drugs began to get out of control
for some of the players at this time.)
(Notes from the Wolfman:
I initially found Mr. Aikens on
linkedin. As I normally do when I see different players I wrote
to him and he wrote back telling me about his book which I
hadn't heard from. It took me a few months to have Mr. Aikens
send me a review copy of his book and his answers to my
questions which I sent to him via email. But he promised
me that he would do these things and now I am able to share with
our members his story. As I have said before not all ex-ML ball
players are open to be interviewed but I found my
correspondences with Mr. Aikens to be open and friendly. I think
he has some interesting stories to share here with our members
which will give you more insights about the game and what type
of experiences these talented individuals have as has been
shared with the other ex-players we have heard from in the past.
This story should be a nice complement with what you hear also
from Tony Brizzolara this issue also. )
Wolfman:
It is a great honor
this month that we have this chance to interview Willie Mays
Aikens who was one of the top sluggers in MLB during his playing
days. Now he is a hitting coach in the KC Royals minor league
system. Mr. Aikens I wish to welcome you to the Ultimate Strat
Baseball Newsletter.
Willie
Mays Aikens:
Thanks for having me
Wolfman for this interview.
Wolfman:
Did you know when you
were very young, you would be a MLB player? Did you play
baseball in little league or high school? What was your
position you played then?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
My dream was to
pursuit baseball all the way to the top. I didn't know I
would become a MLB player, I just wanted to do it. I played
little league, pony league, American Legion, high school
baseball and on to college. I played different positions
when I was young (third base, pitcher and catcher), but in
high school and college I was a catcher.
Wolfman:
When you were growing
up in South Caroline did you have any baseball teams you
routed for? Plus were there any baseball players who were
your heros at this early age?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
My team was the San
Francisco Giants. My favorite players were Willie Mays and
Willie McCovey. I also copied Reggie Jackson (his hitting
style) when he would hit a homerun.
Wolfman:
I see in high school
you played in three sports, baseball, football and
basketball? Was baseball your favorite? Was sports an
important part of your early life back then?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
Baseball was my
favorite sport, but a football scholarship is what got me
into college. Playing sports as a kid gave me something to
do year round. I stayed busy playing sports, so sports kept
me out of trouble. (Thus I had) no time to goof off.
Wolfman:
Then you received a
scholarship to go to College, again for your athletic
ability. How do you do in College on the baseball team and
was 1B your position? What type of average did you hit here?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
I received Rookie of
the Year at South Carolina State University. I hit 472 and
our team did great. I was a catcher in college. Never played
first-base until I became a pro.
Wolfman:
I see from wikipedia
that your college dropped baseball after your freshmen year
and then you played for a semi-pro summer team in Baltimore.
Then, after this, the California Angels drafted you as their
number #2 pick in the 1975 draft. How well did you do in
semi-pro? How did you feel when the Angles drafted you?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
I did quite well
playing in Baltimore for a team call the Johnny's. Reggie
Jackson and Ron Swoboda played for this same team. I was
featured in Sport Illustrated that same year with the
magazine comparing me to Reggie Jackson. My college dropped
the baseball program while I was playing in that summer
league. Walter Youse scouted me one day while my team was
playing Morgan State in Washington, DC. Walter is the one
who gave me advice about what I should do. He drafted me the
next year in the January draft. I was thrilled to death when
the Angels drafted me. My dream had become a reality.
Wolfman:
So you spent two
years in the minors - and you were able to hit long ball at
this level? How did playing in the minors compared to being
in the majors? Did you meet any well known players while
playing in the minors?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
Baseball is baseball
regardless of playing in either league. The difference is
that most minor leaguers haven't proven themselves yet,
whereas the Major Leaguers have. You are playing against the
best of the best in the Major Leagues, while down in the
minor leagues, you are not. Everything in the Major Leagues
is first class. You travel on airlines, stay in the best
hotels, have the best meals, meet first class women and or
course the money is much better. This is not the case in the
minor leagues. I played against Willie Wilson in A ball,
Pedro Guerruro in AAA ball, Moose Haas in A and other big
name players.
Wolfman:
I see that in 1977
when you were first called up you had difficulty hitting
Major League pitching and then were sent back to the minors
- do you remember this time? Were you too young to come to
the majors?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
I was not too young
to be in the Major Leagues. I remember this time very well.
The Angels called me up to the Big Leagues and put me on the
bench. I became a pinch hitter, whereas in the minor
leagues, I was playing everyday. This was a major adjustment
that I never made. Most young players called to the Big
Leagues today are given a chance to play everyday. I
struggled as a hitter because I wasn't playing regularly.
The Angels decided I needed to have more playing time, so
they shipped me back to the minor leagues.
Wolfman:
I see after another
great season in the minors in 1978 with again hitting quite
a few HRs, you were called up again by the Angeles in 1979
and stayed in the majors through 1985. How did feel about
having a good season for the Angeles in 1979 and replacing
for a time Rod Carew at 1B?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
I made the team out
of spring training in 1979, but I wasn't immediately playing
once again. The Angels had just signed Rod Carew as a free
agent and he played the same position as myself. That didn't
stop me from going out and performing well. However as I
said, I didn't play the first month of the season as I did
just a little pinch hitting. Then, Rod Carew broke his hand
and Jim Fregosi gave me the job at first base. I performed
really well while Rod Carew was healing, so when Rod came
back I continued to play as the designated hitter. I
established myself that year as a Big Leaguer which is why
the KC Royals traded for me that same year.
Wolfman:
Then the Angels
traded you to the KC Royals in 1980 which might have been a
blessing as the Royals went to the World Series - what
was it like to be on a World Series team and play with the
legendary George Brett as well as having a great season that
year to support your team?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
I had the thrill of
my life in 1980. What else could a player look forward to
except playing in the World Series. And to be in the World
Series, this was a tremendous blessing for me. George Brett
was a great hitter and a great person and teammate. I played
with two of the greatest hitters of all time, Rod Carew and
George Brett. What a way to start your Major League career.
|
These two pictures are from Willie's book, "Safe
at Home". The one on the top is from
1982 when Willie hits a 3-run homer against Oakland in
September in the 5th inning
with George Brett on base and later in the 7th inning of
this game, Willie hits a grand
slam. The bottom photo is taken on October 18th, 1980
during the World Series when
Willie hits his second home for this game, the 2nd game
he hits 2 home runs in. |
Wolfman:
Also you had the
honor till 2009, to be the only player to hit two home runs
in a single World Series twice in the same series till Chase
Utley did it in this year. Can you talk about this special
moment?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
Playing in the World
Series in 1980 and hitting those 4 homeruns is the highlight
of my big league career. The first game was played on my
birthday and I hit two homeruns. No other baseball player
has homed in the World Series on his birthday. I am the
first and only. I am known for the 1980 World Series and
during every October now, my name is mentioned.
Wolfman:
Now your career began
to have some difficulties around your use of cocaine and at
the end of 1983, you were suspended from baseball till the
beginning of the 1984 season. This challenge seems to have
followed you into the 1990's. Is there anything you wish to
share with our members about this time or later? I am not
here to make any judgments, as each of us as a human being
have our own challenges in one form or another at one time
or another.
Willie
Mays Aikens:
From 1981 to 1983,
those were some bad years in my life as far as using
cocaine. My attitude (towards playing baseball for the
Royals start to go) bad when Dick Howser started to platoon
me and I didn't accept his decision. After I pleaded guilty
to a misdemeanor then the Royals traded me and baseball
suspended me. I never was able to catch up and perform well
once again. I became a platoon player with the Blue Jays.
Two years later I was out of baseball. I didn't use any
drugs from 1984 until 1987. After I didn't make it back to
the big leagues I started back to using drugs again, which
was the worse decision I could have made.
Wolfman:
Finally you played in
the Mexican League for six years, how did this league
compare to professional baseball in America? As right now,
Major League Baseball has many Hispanic players not only
from Mexico but other Hispanic countries as well who are
very talented and helping their teams.
Willie
Mays Aikens:
Playing in the
Mexican League was not playing in the Major Leagues. I guess
the Mexican League was a high AAA League. I was only there
because I didn't have any other place to go. After my first
year in winter ball in 1986, a team from Japan sent
representatives to Mexico to negotiate a contract with me. I
negotiated a contract for $300,000.00, but I had a criminal
record, so I couldn't get a working visa to work in Japan.
That devastated me.
Wolfman:
As stated earlier you
were known as a power hitter. What does it take to be one?
Is this just a special skill you had, or is it about
physical strength too?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
I think it is both
conditions built in one. The physical strength was a special
skill I had as a power hitter. Some players have speed as a
special skill or good hands and range on defense as a
special skill. Mine was physical strength.
Wolfman:
It seems each MLB
player has their own routine they follow to prepare for the
next baseball game - is there something special you did to
get yourself ready for each game?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
My first year in
professional baseball I reported to spring training 20
pounds over the weight the Angels assigned to me. The Angels
assigned one coach to me during spring training and his job
was to help me lose that weight. I developed a routine that
spring and I kept it the rest of my baseball career. I would
jog every single day before each game at least one mile.
Jogging became a part of the game for me and I truly believe
that this helped me to survive my drug usage while playing
baseball.
Wolfman:
Did you enjoy being a
MLB player? Is this a difficult job to do? What did you
enjoy the most about it, what did you enjoy the least?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
Of course I enjoyed
being a MLB player. Hitting a baseball is the most difficult
thing to do in any sport, so being able to be a pretty good
hitter was a blessing. I enjoyed playing the sport just like
a kind enjoy playing sports. A grown man playing a kid's
game. I enjoyed the women, the first class lifestyle, the
best hotels and just being in the public eye as a celebrity
was tremendous. There wasn't anything I didn't enjoy about
being a MLB player.
Wolfman:
As you think back to
all the games you played, what was your most remarkable game
you ever played where you either played very well or made
some kind of unbelievable play to save victory for your
team.
Willie
Mays Aikens:
I will always go back
to the 1980 World Series. Being the first player in World
Series history to have multiples homer games.
Wolfman:
During your MLB
playing days - were there any of the more well known players
(like Mr. Brett) who you had a chance to know? If so, which
players did you know and what were they like?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
I got a chance to
play with Rod Carew, Don Baylor, Bobby Grich, Nolan Ryan,
Frank Tanana, Hal McRae, Amos Otis, Frank White, Willie
Wilson and many more. I probably hung out more with Willie
Wilson than I did with any of the other guys.
Wolfman:
How did you get your
current job as a hitting coach for a team in the KC Royal's
minor league system? Do you enjoy being a coach and helping
the young players learn keys to improve their hitting?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
After I got out of
prison in 2008, I got in contact with George Brett. He
invited to speak at his son's middle school. He liked my
testimony and he told me I needed to be back in baseball. He
took me to Kauffman Stadium to meet Dayton Moore, the
General Manager. I talked to Dayton and told him I wanted to
get back into baseball. He didn't make me any promises, but
two years later the Royals hired me. I did go to the
instructional league and I spoke to the players before they
hired me. I do enjoy being a coach and mentor to these
players. I get a chance to share my testimony and teach them
a few techniques about hitting.
Wolfman:
Now let's talk about
the book you had published called "Safe at Home" which talks
about your life and baseball career. Why did you decide to
write this book and what is this book about?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
I wrote the book with
Gregory Jordan to share some of the trials and tribulations
of my life. Most people forgot about Willie Aikens and they
didn't know what had happen to me (after I resigned from
baseball). With this book they can read my story. Wolfman,
you have read the book, so you know what the book is about.
Wolfman:
Mr. Aikens are you
familiar with any of the various baseball games (table game
and computer based) that are available today that allow a
person to simulate playing baseball as a big league manager
using the professional baseball teams from the past
including the 1979 Angels and 1980 Royals which you played
on? As all the members of our newsletter play a game called
"Strat-o-matic Baseball" which first came out in 1961. There
are some ex-MLB players who have played this game that we
know of. It is extremely realistic and basically gives a
game player the same choices as a real life manager. Have
you ever heard of Strat-o-matic before?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
I have never heard of
such a game.
Wolfman:
Mr. Aikens, is there
anything else you wish to share with our members, that you
think would be important for them to know that we didn't ask
of you in our prior questions?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
No guestions were
asked about my spiritual life. My spiritual life is the one
thing that keeps me grounded. Without my spiritual life I
would be nothing. Having the little voice inside of me being
a factor in my everyday life has been the difference between
me doing stupid things or making good choices today. Put God
first and walking in "His" ways has brought many blessings
to my life.
Wolfman:
If a person wishes to contact you to ask you some questions
would this be possible and if so how
could they do it? What is your website that our
members can visit to read more about your career and
yourself or where can our members obtain a copy of your
book?
Willie
Mays Aikens:
My website is:
www.willieaikens24.com. You can also contact me by email
at:
aikenswillie24@yahoo.com , I am on facebook and twitter
as well. You can purchase a copy of my book through all of
these ways.
Wolfman:
Mr. Aikens thank you
so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to
share with our members. Good luck with your book and also
continue success helping the young KC Royals players as this
team, once again, came very close to winning another
championship this year.
Willie
Mays Aikens:
Thanks Wolfman. Tell
everybody hello and to take care.
The Book
"Safe at Home" (Willie Mays Aikens)
written by Gregory Jordan with Mr. Aikens
help
-- reviewed by
Wolfman Shapiro
First of all
we would like to thank Mr. Aikens for sharing his book with us
(this biography written by Gregory Jordan and released in 2012)
as he is the first ex-Major Leaguer to do so. I think Mr.
Aikens is very courageous to allow his story to be told and to
openly share about his drug use during his playing days as he
became one of the first players to be imprisoned as Major League
Baseball started to police this issue of either taking drugs or
drug enhancing products starting in the 1990s.
So what I
would like to do is give an overview of what his book contains
and support a bit more some of the answers he gave during his
interview. I have always found it very interesting to listen to
what an ex-player shares and has to say about his playing days
and what they were like. Also it is always interesting to hear
about some of the other players they knew and who were their
team-mates, players that we know by name and were the stars of
their days.
"Safe at
Home" is basically a biography about Willie Aikens. The book
begins sharing about his upbringing in Seneca, South Carolina
and how he had a natural gift as a hitter and slugger who saw
great success in high school and college baseball (while it
lasted). His talent was noticed by his coaches and by
professional scouts. When baseball was dropped at his
college in his sophmore year, his baseball coach helped him to
catch on with a semi-pro summer league out of Baltimore,
Maryland (the Johnnies) which is where Walter Youse, a scout for
the California Angels saw him and then the Angels drafted him in
1975. So the early part of the book talks about his life in
South Carolina and developing as a very talented baseball player
although he also was a good football and basketball player as
well.
In 1976 he played in the minors for the El Paso Diablos and hits
30 HRs with 117 RBIs, so the Angels brought him up in 1977 but
he didn't hit very well and was mostly used just as a pinch
hitter or DH (No homers). In 1978 for the Salt Lake City Gulls
he hits .326 with 29 HRs and 110 RBIs so he got called up for
the Angels in 1979. However, the Angels have Rod Carew at first
base so until Carew was injured in '79 for June and July, Willie
mostly was used as a DH but then he gets to start when Carew is
out. He does well this year with 21 HRs and 81 RBIs and helps
the Angels edge out the Royals to win the American League West
conference but he hurts his knee sliding on September 18th in
Kansas City which effects his play on the field going forward.
Anyway the Angels decided during the off season to trade Willie
to the Royals, where he will start and this is the main team he
plays a key role for in the 1980 MLB season to help the Royals
go to the World Series and makes a bit of a name for himself.
During the
stay with the Royals, it is here where he makes some of his best
friends in baseball including till today with such players that
any baseball student knows like Willie Wilson, John Mayberry and
Amos Otis. Also in 1980, Willie helped teammate George Brett by
hitting behind him to hit .390 this year and was second on the
team with 20 HRs and 98 RBIs - the Royals swept the Yankees in
the American Championship Series to go to the World Series but
lost to the Phillies in six games this year. Willie became the
first slugger in Baseball History, during this series, to hit
two home runs in two different games (Chase Utley would do this
later however). Due to Willie's bad knee he was not a very good
fielding 1st basemen however.
It was
during his time with the Royals that Willie started to heavily
use cocaine which made Willie feel happy but he admits in the
book, that this is what eventually led to his short lived career
in the majors. He discussed that there were other of his
teammates on the Royals that were joining him with these
so-called secret parties to use this drug. It is my
opinion that Willie wanted this book to be written to help
upcoming young players to learn from his example how such drugs
can destroy your career and to stay away from them. His
stats for the Royals declined a bit in 1981 and 1982 which could
be linked to being high when he play. In 1983 he hit however
over .300 with 23 homeruns but it was during this year that he
and several of his teammates were questioned by the U.S.
Attorney about cocaine use. He pleaded guilty to purchasing
cocaine which is why I believe Kansas City then traded him to
Toronto during the post season and he wasn't allowed to play
baseball till May of 1984 due to this situation. In
Toronto he didn't perform well at all in 1984 or 1985, so he was
sent down to the minors and then from 1986 till he retired
(through 1992), he played in the Mexican League.
In 1994,
during his retirement, he believes was targeted by Major League
Baseball at this time as they was really starting to crack down
upon players (current or ex) who had used cocaine, and since he
had publicly admitted in 1983 he was, then he was singled out
and arrested and placed in jail until 2008 (his sentence was
suppose to be in through 2012 but they changed the severity of
cocaine use in 2008 so he was released). During this 14 year
period, he was able to review his life, see the mistakes he had
made and with help from his family (mother, the two women he had
children with), a special woman who helped inmates using the
bible plus good friends he knew from baseball, he was able to
meet the intense challenge in prison with other difficult
individuals and when he came out of prison he felt like a new
man totally divorced from cocaine use.
Eventually
he was invited by the Kansas City Royal organization to become a
hitting coach for their young players in the minors, which we
could say, that many of these players who he helped at this
level is eventually what brought Kansas City back to the World
Series in this current season. That these young players were
mentored by Willie. The book ends on a positive note as
Willie's life returns to normal, as he is able to share his
personal relationship with the two families he started and his
children plus that he is able to still work in Baseball, which I
think you can see from his interview is still a great love and
passion for him in his life.
Now Willie
is basically just a simple person, but he also is very religious
and believes God has given him this second chance. So I think
the book is a testament to essence of the type of person Willie
is and that he wants to help others and share what life has
taught him. As the book shows, Willie didn't have an easy life
and even when he entered baseball as a young man, there still
were some prejudices toward black players. But what I
marveled at throughout this book was Willie's honesty to discuss
his life and what the life of a baseball player is like.
Plus we also get a chance to meet some of those well known Royal
players from the past including a good look at what type of
person George Brett is, who always supported Willie.
I would
strongly recommend this book if you are interested in knowing
the inside details about the history of the game of Major League
Baseball and that you enjoying learning about the perspective of
a respected and talent player who was part of a group of elite
individuals who was able to make it to the Major Leagues which
is no easy feat. Also I think it was very considerate that
the Kansas City Royals welcomed Willie back into their fold and
knew Willie has this gift to help the young players with their
hitting. I also thought the author of the book, Gregory
Jordan did a great job to share Willie's life and pick out the
key moment to define what type of person Willie Mays Aikens is.
Again here
is the autograph on this book to our Members from Willie:
To Wolfman Shapiro and the members of the Ultimate Strat
Baseball Newsletter.
Best of luck to the team at Ultimate Strat Baseball Newsletter.
I pray Gold will continue to bless your whole group ...
Willie Mays Aikens #24 -- 09-23-2014
As Mr.
Aikens shares, if you wish to get a copy of this book for
yourself I know its available on Amazon or you can visit his
website which will give you more details. Again his
website is:
www.willieaikens24.com. You can also contact me by email at:
aikenswillie24@yahoo.com , or he is on facebook and twitter
as well. You can purchase a copy of my book through all of these
ways.
Also Willie was very friendly during my email correspondences
with him so if you have any questions or would like to speak to
him, I know he will answer you or just buy this book through him
and he will send you an autographed copy.
|
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Contained inside this exciting issue of Ultimate Strat
Baseball Newsletter:
(to view the various interviews, articles, columns and special sections click on
the links {underlined}
and this will take you to the appropriate
webpage)
♦
RETURN TO NEWSLETTER MAIN PAGE
♦
INTERVIEW
with TONY BRIZZOLARA,
ex-Atlanta Brave Pitcher and Expert SOM GM.
Special Report:
Brizzolara's 2013 NTL Pirates vs. Wolfman's 2012 CBA Wolfmen
(click
here)
♦
INTERVIEW
with MATT BEAGLE,
SOM Baseball Strategy Video Blogger & BaseballHQ.
♦
INTERVIEW with DANIEL
OKRENT,
the creator of Rotisserie
League Baseball.
♦
COMMISSIONER's CORNER with MARC WASSERMAN
--
commissioner of the Cyber Baseball Association (CBA) continues
his column about what it is like to be a League Commissioner.
In this
article,
his is upon his duties for the CBA after the league champion is
crowned and that this becomes a very busy time for him to get
all the stats for the league caught up. Wass continues in this
12th part of his column to give us a very good luck at what
happens behind the scenes in a league by the overseeing
committee.
♦
SOM
BASEBALL WORLD NEWS,
the release by the game company of the Fielding Ratings for the
upcoming 2015 cards, on-line resources to study the best young
prospects for 2015, a few key files
you may wish to download ...
♦
RECOMMEND
ON-LINE SOM RESOURCES
-- On-line Strat-o-matic and Baseball related websites
that offer amazing information, special tools and products to improve
your game play
that we strongly recommend. In most cases, we have had personal contact with
these sources who agree with the principle to work together and help promote each other.
♦
BOOKS TO
DIE FOR and Become a BASEBALL GURU
-- This page
is
specifically about special books we are finding that either will
expand your insights about the game of Baseball, help you in the
creation of your current league teams or with your replays and
learn more about the Strat-o-matic
Baseball Game and Game Company's
history. We
have a special arrangement with Acta Sports, who is a publisher
of a number of great baseball books (including Bill James
Handbooks) to offer for our members
a 10% discount. We will continue to add more books to this page in the future
as we uncover other gems our members should know about.
Contact Us for Questions or Submissions:
Wolfman Shapiro
Founder/Editor, the
Ultimate Strat Baseball Newsletter
email:
wolfman@ultimatestratbaseball.com
facebook:
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