Today is the 30th anniversary of the American League's adoption of the designated hitter rule. NPR's Tom Goldman reports on how the rule has changed the game of baseball.
Tom Goldman is NPR's sports correspondent. His reports can be heard throughout NPR's news programming, including Morning Edition and All Things Considered, and on NPR.org.
Known as the "Say Hey Kid," Mays' career spanned more than two decades, from the 1950s to 1970s. He spent nearly all of those years with the Giants – first in New York and then in San Francisco.
Willie Mays is widely considered to be the greatest baseball player of all time. The 'Say Hey Kid' had incomparable skills and an infectious smile. He dazzled on the field and off.
During his nine-year Hall of Fame career with the Cleveland Browns, Jim Brown averaged more than a hundred yards rushing in every regular season game. He's the only player in NFL history to do that.