February 12th, 2014 at 6:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka Dodger legend Maury Wills is at Dodgers spring training camp at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. So what’s the big deal about that, you ask? It just so happens to be Wills’ 64th spring training camp and any way you slice it, that is a big deal.
Dodger legend Maury Wills works with pitcher Sam Demel on bunting drills.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
Maurice Morning Wills was born on October 2, 1932 in Washington DC where he attended Cardozo High School. An extremely gifted athlete, Wills played baseball, football and basketball in spite of his 5-11 height. While at Cardoza, Wills was a member of the 1948 football team that was undefeated and unscored upon. Just how good of an athlete was Maury Wills? He was so good that during his 1949-50 school year he was named to the All City team as a quarterback in football, as a pitcher in baseball and as a basketball player. In fact, in a baseball game on May 8, 1950, Wills threw a one-hitter while striking out seventeen.
Wills’ exceptional athleticism didn’t go unnoticed. He was signed out of high school as a non-drafted free agent by the Brooklyn Dodgers as a shortstop in 1950. Unfortunately for Wills, there was a guy named Pee Wee Reese and another named Don Zimmer who kept young Maury in the Dodgers minor league system for nine years.
Wills made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 6, 1959 when Zimmer suffered an injury. As every Dodger fan knows Wills couldn’t have scripted a better time to make his MLB debut as the Dodgers went on the defeat the Chicago White Sox in the 1959 World Series. Wills was so good that he quickly won the everyday shortstop job and would go on to enjoy two more World Series championships with the Dodgers in 1963 and 1965.
But even with all of his successes with the Dodgers, Wills says that some of his fondest memories are of his spring training days at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida – both as a minor leaguer and as a major leaguer.
“When the Dodgers were still in Brooklyn we’d get a lot of Dodger fans at our spring training games at Dodgertown (in Vero Beach),” recalls Wills. “But after the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles there would be more fans from the visiting teams at our games at Dodgertown than Dodger fans, which always made things interesting. Most Dodger fans became Mets or Yankee fans when the Dodgers left Brooklyn.”
During his 14-year MLB career Wills was a seven-time All-Star (including the All-Star Game MVP in 1962) and a two-time Gold Glove winner. But without question, Wills is best known for his base running and base stealing skills which helped him win the 1962 NL MVP title. During that historic season Wills stole 104 bases breaking Ty Cobb’s record of 96 stolen bases set in 1915. And even though Maury’s record has since been broken by Vince Coleman (110), Lou Brock (118) and Ricky Henderson (130), it was Wills who changed baseball forever by bringing an entirely new facet to the game – speed.
After retiring from the game in 1972, Wills became a baseball analyst for NBC from 1973 through 1977. He also managed in the Mexican Pacific Winter League for four seasons, during which time he led the Naranjeros de Hermosillo to the 1970-1971 league championship. After his success in Mexico, Wills was offered a one-year deal to manage the San Francisco Giants, which he declined. In 1980 Wills accepted the job as manager of the Seattle Mariners, which did not go well at all and he was let go after only one season.
After leaving the Mariners, Wills fell on hard times and struggled with drug and alcohol abuse and just when things appeared hopeless, the (Peter O’Malley) Dodgers offered to help Wills with his personal demons which he graciously accepted. He has been sober ever since and went to work for the franchise as a member of the Dodgers Legends Bureau – a position which he still holds today.
In additional to his work with the Legends Bureau, Wills attends spring training each year to teach the fundamentals of bunting, base running and base stealing to Dodgers prospects, rookies and veterans. And though you won’t find the 81-year-old Wills out on the base paths running and sliding, he is always willing to share his experience and expertise with those smart enough to ask.
Wills signs an autograph for a fan during spring training at Camelback Ranch.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
How does Wills explain his success and longevity?
“God has blessed me.”
Posted in 
Nice article Ron. Glad Maury was/is a Dodger.
Thanks to Peter O’Malley for bringing Maury back into the Dodger fold and to Maury for his continued dedication to the Dodgers/fans and to baseball in general.
That 1962 performance was one of my absolute all time favorites.
I had forgotten he played briefly with the Montreal Expos in 1969 before returning to the Dodgers later that year.
Every now and then I see Maury’s Expo baseball card and say to myself “That’s just wrong.” – 😆
Better than being with the Pirates, eh!
1969 was the first year for the Expos, so he was a member of the first MLB team to play outside of the US. HCIT.
Howie Reed, Ron Fairly and Manny Mota were also members of that team.
One of my most exciting times at ST was the first year in Glendale. The fence on the walking path into the complex was open and I saw some players. So I just slowly walked in and stood there for almost an hour watching Maury show the players how to bunt – he was (and is) so animated and funny.
They now close that fence (:
Off-topic but the new rope lines are a lot less offensive and a lot more aesthetic than the ugly yellow anchor ropes and the prison barricades that they put up last year because of the ‘Koufax affect’ – but there are a lot more of them throughout the complex… but it’s still WAY better than the White Sox side.
You caused them to close the fence!!!!! What did you do?????
You are a brave man, Harold – I thought about it but I sure as hell wasn’t going to say anything in that regard. I’m running for cover right now!
You forget I’m three time zones away from Linda.
You can NEVER escape the wrath of a woman – not ever.
Yes, agree with what Bluenose mentioned. I remember a conversation with Ron Cey on “Bloggers night” a few years back about how great the O’Malleys were at keeping former greats “in the family.” But at the same time, with the Dodger teams of the 90’s being somewhat “non-descript” and not necessarily being kept in the fold after their Dodgers days were over, these types of good-old-days players could eventually be lost and a new generation of players won’t have that history to help spur them on. I mean will a new player be in awe of Raul Mondesi or even Mike “remember-that-knocking-Scully-had-some-people-wanting-to-go-Salem-witch-trial-on-you” Piazza? Sure, maybe in 20 years Clayton Kershaw will pull a Sandy Koufax but it is somewhat sad to know that many future springs may not have those greats to take tips from. Nice write-up, by the way.
Ken
A GREAT perspective, Ken.
In today’s high-tech, social media, Xbox/PlayStation world, it’s easy to see how the players of today can overlook those who came before them and basically set the table for them.
There are several great quotes for former Dodger greats printed on the walls in the Dodgers clubhouse at Camelback Ranch. The one that caught my attention and I liked the most was one from Pee Wee Reese (a personal all-time favorite of mine) that is spot-on with what you are saying. It reads:
Many of us who decided to stick with the team when the Dodgers left Brooklyn were blessed to have the team continue it’s successful winning ways after they arrived in LA and one of the biggest reasons was Maury Wills.