I sent this letter to the two major New York papers early this morning. It explains ITSELF.
Editor,
Congrats to Albert Pujols for passing former New Yorker Willie Mays on baseball's all-time home run list. While I respect what Pujols has done, I am once again sad to see Mays slip down on that list because he very well could be in the top 3, or higher, instead of sliding down to number 6 now. Many are unaware, but Willie lost almost 2 full years of his career, as he was reaching his prime, serving in our armed forces. He could very well have been the first player to pass Babe Ruth's 714 instead of Hank Aaron. As it was, Willie finished with 660 round-trippers and not one of those ahead of him on the list can make that claim.
This is not to take anything away from Aaron, Ruth or Pujols but only to say I wish an asterisk could be put by Willie's 660, reading something like " * served his country for two years, missed over 230 games in his prime." Only to emphasize one more reason why Mays is The Greatest All-Around Player in Baseball History.
Chet Jelinski
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