The Fort Worth Cats announced today that the organization is going to retire Maury Wills' No. 6 Cats jersey during a pre-game ceremony before the Fort Worth-Shreveport game, Saturday, June 18 at LaGrave Field. This marks the third jersey retired in the history of the Cats. In 2003, the Cats retired Bobby Bragan's No. 10 jersey. The team retired Duke Snider's No. 4 Cats jersey in 2004.
Wills, the first African-American to play for Fort Worth, was the starting shortstop for the Cats in 1955. He ended up batting .202 in 123 games. Wills finished the season with seven home runs and 39 RBI in 326 at bats. He led the Cats with 12 stolen bases.
"I'm deeply honored that the Cats have decided to retire my jersey," said Maury Wills. "I've enjoyed my association with the Cats since owner Carl Bell brought them back into existence. I was thrilled when they asked me to throw out the ceremonial first pitch back in May of 2002 when LaGrave Field opened. The people of Fort Worth have been great to me each time I've been back there.
"It's amazing the changes we have been through as a society over the past 50 years. I'm a prime example of what can happen if you keep a positive attitude. Life is wonderful. If you keep an open mind anything can happen."
The 1955 Cats' roster included five players that would go on to manage in the majors. Maury Wills, Dick Williams, Sparky Anderson, Danny Ozark and Norm Sherry all spent time managing in the big leagues.
"I remember the Cats' 1955 season as if it were last year," said Cats owner Carl Bell. "I was in sixth grade when Maury played for the Cats. That year, Maury became the first African-American player to play for the Cats. He became my hero with his courage and commitment, even if he didn't have his greatest season that year.
"He is a credit to and a true ambassador for the game of baseball. And he changed the game with his great play and base-running skills. It is an honor and true thrill for us to have Maury as a vice president of our present day Cats organization, but the greatest thing to me personally is to be able to count Maury Wills as a friend. He's the best."
Wills spent more than eight years in the minors before the Dodgers brought him up for good in 1959. His 50 stolen bases in 1960 were more than any National League player had stolen in a season since Max Carey's 51 in 1923. When Wills stole 104 bases in 1962, he broke the major league record of 96 that Ty Cobb had set in 1915.
The former Fort Worth Cat was named the National League MVP in 1962. He went on to lead the National League in stolen bases in six straight seasons (1960-65) and ended his career with a total of 585 steals. Maury was a key ingredient on the Dodgers for 14 years and helped lead the team to World Series titles in 1959, 1963 and 1965.
Wills became the majors' second African-American manager when Seattle hired him to replace Darrell Johnson in 1980.
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