On January 23, 1979, Willie Mays — the ultimate five-tool player and one of the greatest athletes in baseball history — was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. But in a result that still stuns fans decades later, Mays fell short of a unanimous vote. In today’s episode of Sports History Daily, we revisit the career of the “Say Hey Kid,” relive his most iconic moments, break down the Hall of Fame vote, and ask the obvious question: how was Willie Mays not unanimous?
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Every day has a story — and in sports, those stories are everywhere.Sports History Daily takes you on a journey through the moments that shaped the games we love. From record-breaking performances to forgotten milestones, each episode explores what happened, why it mattered, and how it changed the course of sports history.Perfect for sports fans and curious minds alike, it’s a daily dose of learning, storytelling, and discovery — one game, one play, one legend at a time.