HAMPTON, Va. — Earlier this week, the baseball world lost one of the best ever in the game in hall of famer Willie Mays who died at the age of 93 on Tuesday. The "Say Hey Kid" had a strong connection here in Hampton Roads.
In the den of his house in Hampton, James "Poo" Johnson, best known as a youth developer at the Boys and Girls Club in Newport News for 30 years where he was director. He had photos of his past on display. One taken with boxing great Muhammad Ali. Another with former major leaguer Alex Rodriguez as well as former Giants great Barry Bonds.
All had one thing in common...Mays was also in each one.
The two had first met in 1952. As a teenager his uncle Joe Anthony, who played in the Negro Leagues, was friends with Mays. The former Giants legend at the time was in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and was based at Fort Eustis in Newport News for two years.
"My uncle took me up there to meet Willie", he said. "I heard he had just made Rookie of the Year, and the rest is history".
The now 88 year old Johnson became fast friends with Mays and thought of him as a big brother. He also taught him the game of baseball.
"I was captain of my high school team" recalls Johnson. "The bus would leave and go to all parts of the state and North Carolina and never did he tell me do I want to go. He'd tell me get on the bus".
He wants it to be known that we haven't just lost an all time great in baseball best known for "The Catch" in game one of the 1954 World Series against Cleveland in the Polo Grounds.
Mays was much more than that.
"I would call him an ambassador", he said. "I would call him like a prophet. Willie was pure".
And will be missed.