LOS ANGELES - Maury Wills, whose long tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers began the year after the team moved to Southern California in the late 1950s and included three World Series championships, has died.

It was announced Tuesday that Wills passed away September 19th at his home in Sedona, AZ, the team said. He was 89.

Wills, a five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove-winning shortstop, was a prolific base-stealer credited with helping to bring the craft back to baseball as an offensive strategy.

After stealing 50 bases in 1960 in his first year with the Dodgers, in 1962 he became the first player in the modern age to reach 100 steals in a season, finishing with 104 to break Ty Cobb’s record that had stood for 47 years, earning him the NL MVP Award. He is 20th on baseball’s all-time steals list.

Story Date: September 24, 2022