January 20th, 2023 at 8:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka It was one of those important things in life that you don’t realize at the time. I mean, how could you, you were only six years old.
The ‘you’ is me, and the important thing was sitting in the Left Field Pavilion at Dodger Stadium with my father and brothers watching (then) future Hall of Fame Giants outfielder Willie Mays bat against (then) future Hall of Fame Dodgers lefthander Sandy Koufax – on several occasions.
Oh, sure, I remember what would later be known as the greatest matchups in baseball history (and it still are), if for no other reason than hearing Dodger Stadium the loudest (to this day) I have ever heard it in my entire life. But as a six-year-old, the most important things to me at the time were those amazing foot-long Dodger Dogs and those frozen Carnation Malts … oh, those frozen Carnation Malts!
It wasn’t until years later, not too many, maybe eight or ten, that I came to learn and understand the importance of what I had witnessed as a young boy. I had witnessed the single greatest baseball position player of all time (sorry, Babe) bat against the single greatest pitcher of all time (sorry, Cy).
(Baseball Reference)
(Baseball Reference)
I also came to learn that although fierce competitors and adversaries on the field, Mays and Koufax were actually very good friends off the field, and had nothing but the utmost respect for one another.
Check this out:
“I couldn’t hit him. Sandy would strike me out two or three times a game and I knew every pitch he was gonna throw.” – Willie Mays on Sandy Koufax
“Probably the best ballplayer I’ve ever seen when you take everything into consideration. Seemed like Willie never made a mistake.” – Sandy Koufax on Willie Mays
(Twitter)
Respect at it’s very finest.
Mays will be 92 on May 6, and Koufax celebrated his 87th birthday on December 30.
Thanks for the great memories, guys.
…and for all those frozen Carnation Malts!
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Nice article. I had the experience and thrill of seeing it from the East Coast.
Saw Mantle in Yankee Stadium.
But saw Drysdale, Sutton, W Davis Wills F Robinson, Gibson, Seaver, Carlton, Brock, Cepeda, Flood,Clemente, Stargell,.
Truly a great game.
I love stories about the ball players from the Golden age. While I think it is impossible to compare ball players across different generations, there is no doubt that Mays was one of the best ever as an all around player – a legit 5 tool talent.
I am reminded of a quote from Leo Durocher: “There will never be a ballplayer as good as Willie Mays, but (Pete) Reiser was every bit as good, and he might have been better,” Durocher wrote in his autobiography. “Pete Reiser might have been the best ballplayer I ever saw. He had more power than Willie. He could throw as good as Willie. Mays was fast, but Reiser was faster. Name whoever you want to, and Pete Reiser was faster. Willie Mays had everything. Pete Reiser had everything but luck.”
In 1941 (Reiser’s age 22 season) he slashed .343/.406/.558/.964 with 39 doubles, 17 triples, and 14 home runs. Then, he started running into concrete walls. What could have been we can only guess.