Maury Wills, the shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers, was selected as the National League MVP on November 23, 1962. With 165 game experience, the five-time All-Star hit.299/.347/.373, with 13 doubles, 10 triples, six home runs, and 48 RBI.
Wills finished ahead of players like Willie Mays (202 points) and Dodgers colleague Tommy Davis (175) with eight of his twenty first-place votes and a total of 209 points.
With 104 stolen bases and 759 plate appearances, Wills led all of Major League Baseball in triples. In addition, he was awarded a Gold Glove Award and was selected for the second straight All-Star Game.
In addition, Wills recorded a career-high 6.0 WAR in 1962, despite having an OPS+ of 99 that was just below the league average.
Over the course of two distinct stints, Wills spent 12 seasons with the Dodgers, batting.281/.331/.332 with 150 doubles, 56 triples, 17 home runs, 374 RBI, and 490 stolen bases. Wills leads the Dodgers franchise in runs scored (876), hits (1,732), stolen bases (first), and total at-bats (6,156).
Wills played his final four seasons with the Dodgers in 1969 after spending two years with the Pittsburgh Pirates and one with the Montreal Expos.
As a member of four World Series-winning Dodger teams (1959, 1963, 1965, and 1966), Wills contributed to the team’s victories in the first three of those series.
Joining Steve Garvey, Don Newcombe, and Fernando Valenzuela as the “Legends of Dodger Baseball,” Wills joined the group in May 2022. Since then, Kirk Gibson has also joined the group.
The Dodgers’ jersey featured a Maury Wills patch.For the duration of the 2022 season, the Dodgers wore a patch on their uniform in memory of Wills, who passed away at the age of 89. Manager Dave Roberts noted at the time, “He just loved the game of baseball, loved working, and loved the relationship with players.”
“We had a great deal of time together. a great deal of time spent together. He truly taught me the value of my trade and what it means to be a major league player. I believe that Maury is mostly responsible for my enthusiasm, passion, and love for players because he simply liked to teach.