Dating back to the Dodgers’ time in Brooklyn, several iconic players have come through the organization. One such player is Maury Wills, who played 12 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers and won an MVP Award in 1962.
Wills signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951 and made his debut in 1959 after the team moved to Los Angeles. While his career was primarily spent in two stints the Dodgers, Wills also played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos.
He finished a career .281/.331/.332 hitter during his tenure in Los Angeles, with 1,732 hits and 490 stolen bases. He ranks first on the Dodgers’ all-time stolen base leaders list.
Overall in his career, Wills batted .281/.330/.331 with 2,134 hits and 586 stolen bases. According to Jon Weisman of Dodgers Insider, the five-time All-star and two-time Gold Glove winner is going to be honored in January:
Dodger legend Maury Wills will receive the Player Lifetime Achievement Award at the 13th annual “In the Spirit of the Game” Sports and Entertainment Spectacular, benefiting the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 16.
Wills won World Series titles with the Dodgers in 1959, 1963 and 1965. He finished his 1962 MVP season batting .299/.347/.373 with 104 stolen bases, which was a Major League record at the time. He stole more than 50 bases in a season five times in his career.
The 83 year old is an active figure within the organization, regularly traveling to Camelback Ranch to help players with bunting during Spring Training, and attending multiple home games.
