(McGee) could fly. I think he was faster than (Mickey) Mantle. I thought he (Mantle) was the fastest in my time. (Willie) Mays was fast too. Mickey Rivers, he was fast. Dave Collins, Rickey Henderson, they were fast. Willie McGee was the fastest.--Whitey HerzogI like to brag about the teams I played with in St. Louis, because of the fire they played with. Willie could have played with those teams. I would have loved to have him out there with (Curt) Flood and (Lou) Brock.--Bob GibsonLast week we were in Tahoe, skiing. If you think Willie look funny hitting, trust me, you got to see him get up on some skis.--Vince ColemanI'd like to think he made us better players. In the long run, it made us better people. I can hope that in the not-too-distant future, Willie is again in a Cardinals uniform (as a coach) helping the Cardinals win a World Series.--John MorrisIn 1996 through '99, he was the most dangerous player off the bench in the league.--Tony LaRussaPersonally, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, it will be an honor for the rest of my life to be known in baseball as the player traded for Willie McGee.--Bob SykesHis love affair with this city is something special. Most of the guys who played on the team at the time he came up, in the 1980s, had a close relationship with the city. But with his humility, everyone has to love Willie.--Ozzie SmithFan MemoriesWhen I was first exposed to baseball in 1985 (sadly enough when in my 20's), Willie McGee was the first player I got excited about. It was fun to watch him: run, jump, hit. He had that magical swing that made it look like he could never hit the ball, but boy could he!I'm now a diehard baseball and Cardinals fan. We have now had season tickets for several years. Many players have been fun to watch, and yes exciting, but still none anymore than Willie McGee. His humble approach and truly sincere smile makes you want to like him and see him play again. What a great role model for other athletes.I was disappointed that Willie's number has not been retired by the Cardinals. What a truly deserving to such a great asset to our city and its fans. He was an excellent and dedicated ball player who expected nothing more from the Cardinals than to allow him to play.While I have purchased many autographed items, my wish in my lifetime is to be able to meet Willie McGee and thank him for the great memories!--Jerrie WeithBelleville, ILMy wife loves him more than me!--Dave ParkerI was privileged enough to be the one to pick up Mr. McGee at the airport for the Bob Gibson Classic in August 2004. I really didn't get the chance to express to him how much of a fan I was. I was just so in awe of being able to pick him up. He was very tired when he showed up, but still was very polite...it was so awesome to be able to drive him to his hotel and be able to talk like we had been friends forever. I felt like I could sit with him and talk for hours. I saw him play many times (sitting in the stands and yelling, "Go now!"). I cant say enough how awesome it was to be able to pick Mr. McGee up at the airport, even though I didn't get an autograph (we were told by the Bob Gibson Classic that we couldn't ask for one, and I really didn't feel like it was the appropriate setting for it) this memory will be something that I tell my grandchildren about. If Mr. McGee ever comes back to Omaha, or if he wants to ever come visit me and talk more about life and all the crazy experiences (like that would ever happen), I would be more than happy to pick him up from the airport again. I have volunteered for many community things, and by far this was one of the best volunteer opportunities I have ever experienced.--Michael G. ByingtonSSgt, United States Air ForceBellevue, NEMy name is John Hart and I am a huge Willie McGee fan. I'm from St.Louis, now living in Phoenix and I remember when he was picked up by the Cardinals. In 1982, I went to 42 home games during the regular season and to the playoffs against the Braves then to games 2 and 7 of the World Series against the Brewers. The Cards' had lots of great players on that team but I was an outfielder at the time and he was my favorite player. I followed his career when he left and was very happy when he was able to finish his career in St. Louis. When I saw he was going to be down in Florida for spring training it really made me happy. I hope he gets a chance to coach at the major league level some time. He still looks good in the red and white too.--John HartThis evening (Jan 3, 2004), my wife, older son and I were at a local driving range in the SF Bay Area hitting golf balls. As it was 39 degrees, there weren't many people out at 7:30 pm for this activity. As we were hitting, a man walked by us to setup to hit his bucket. As he walked by, I knew it was Willie McGee. I kept watching him as he was crushing his shots. When we were done, I couldn't help but ask him if he was indeed Willie McGee. In his true classy way, he acknowledged that he was Willie McGee. He immediately stopped what he was doing to shake all of our hands. I asked what he was up to and we chatted briefly about his coaching efforts. I asked what he would recommend for young players to gain strength as we had just returned from a baseball camp in Arizona with our younger son. He went on to spend at least 10 minutes with us explaining what he felt would help any young player including demonstrations of each exercise. Mind you, this was in 39 degree weather on a Saturday evening. We graciously apologized for interrupting his golf time and he responded by saying: "no problem, it was nice meeting all of you". He will always be a class act whether on the baseball field or anything else he chooses to do in life. What our kids need more than anything is someone like Willie that will take the time to share his experiences without feeling as if he is being bothered.--Scott Mangini and familyMy two cousins and I attended a game at Busch Stadium years ago with my uncle and some others in my family. After the game, we headed to the parking garage and took a wrong turn, ending up in the players' parking area. My cousin dropped a piece of paper, which ended up near the tire of one of the vehicles. The attendant said, "Get away from there! That's Willie McGee's truck!" My cousin bent down to get the piece of paper all smudged with gunk.Happily, he said, "Willie McGee's car grease!" and off we went.Some 15 years later, he still has that piece of paper.What other player could inspire this kind of loyalty?--Brian HenryLawrenceville, NJI am the no. 1 fan of Willie McGee. I have over 800 items that have his name and/or picture on them. He is the most underrated player of all time. He never bragged about himself and he is a very humble man. I met Mr. McGee at a card show and had the opportunity to talk to him in private. He was great with the people. One little boy said, "Mr. Willie, how does it feel to be a big league ballplayer?" Willie replied, "It's the greatest feeling in the world to put on that uniform everyday." I believe that is just the way he felt. I wish we had more people in this world like Willie McGee.--George Kirk