Recently, two icons, “the Logo” and “the Say Hey Kid,” AKA Jerry West and Willie Mays, passed away. Their passing brought back memories of personal stories I had with each of them.
The year was 1952. Athletes, as well as other male citizens, were drafted into the U.S. Army. It was the time of the Korean War. If you had a special skill, you might be lucky enough to be pigeonholed to use that skill as opposed to killing adversaries.
Generals like winning wars and baseball games. I spent my Army time playing for Fort Dix, New Jersey. At the same time, Willie Mays played for Fort Eustis in Virginia. I remember sleeping in the piped luggage rack of a bus on the way to a scheduled game: Fort Dix versus Fort Eustis. I played third base, and Ted Matecki, a local Trenton boy and Brooklyn Dodger farmhand, was on the mound for Fort Dix. The first time up, Ted Matecki struck out Willie Mays. The excitement of the Fort Dix team was so exuberant you might have thought Fort Dix had won the World Series. Mays had just completed his rookie season and won the World Series with the NY Giants, so he was already a big deal. How did Mays do the next three times up? Two frozen rope doubles off the wall and a decisive home run into the stands. That’s when you learn to treat victory and defeat as the same two imposters.
My other memorable story was about NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West, also known as “Mr. Clutch” for his remarkable ability to win games with game-ending shots.
I was working for Prince as an International Tennis Clinician when I spent time with Jerry. It was on the west coast, and I was making a presentation on fitness to an illustrious group of tennis teaching pros. I shared original and unusual information and knowledge that was displayed on a picturesque chart designed by performance training pioneer Bob Gajda and me. Jerry West was in the audience and responded, “Marty, if I had these exercises when I was playing in the NBA, I would have played for 10 more years.” The exercises he was talking about are used worldwide today.
As an aside, Bob Gajda was an accomplished Hall of Fame bodybuilder who held the titles of Mr. America, Mr. USA, and Mr. Universe and was a first-degree black belt in judo. He introduced his unique training method to a diverse clientele of professional athletes from many sports, including tennis. He died in 2022, and I felt privileged to have worked with him.
These were memorable interactions I had with two famous legends, who coincidentally died within days of each other.
