Willie Mays Selling Something With His Latest Book

• Allen, I didnt goof in the Times story. The runner who Mays held on third was Doby, who began at second. It thought that was apparent from context. If not, well, maybe I wasn't specific enough but a runner from second can be held at third by a good throw, no? Also, I've got to go with Hirsch on this. Distinguishing between biography and autobiography is certainly not hair-splitting; they're two entirely different enterprises, made distinct by who has control over the text. What Mays's assistant is calling the book doesnt in any way affect what it is. Cheers Bruce Weber

• Jim, Are you really going to split hairs on the difference between biography and autography, particularly when Mays's assistant in San Francisco, Renee Anderson, is calling this book his memoirs? Those are her words. I don't recall saying that Kahn's work constituted a biography, but I do regard it as somewhat misleading not to mention that for two books Willie spent a considerable amount of time with Kahn. Willie also spent quite a bit of time with Arnold Hano for both the Sport magazine bio and the expanded version published three years later, or if not, Hano's memory on this is very bad. I certainly do not question the amount of research that you did. Best, Allen

• Allen, You write that my biography on Willie Mays is not the first biography on Mays in which he has cooperated -- as I state -- and you want me to address it. You are obviously confused about the difference between a biography and an autobiography. Mays is responsible for three autobiographies (all ghostwritten). Those are Mays's life stories -- about Mays, told by Mays. Arnold Hano wrote two fine books about Mays in the 1960s. As Hano would tell you -- and to his dismay -- Willie did not cooperate in his efforts. Hano would also tell you that his books were in no way "biographies." Roger Kahn has never written a biography of Mays. He's included several nice profiles of Mays in books that are collections of stories. As I wrote -- accurately -- in my Author's Note, Willie Mays, The Life, the Legend is the first biography of Mays in which he has cooperated. The book also includes a vast amount of research, all spelled out in the Author's Note (130 interviews, 4,000 plus newspaper and magazine stories, personal letters, scouting reports, employment records, etc, etc.). It is enough to make clear to any reader -- even those confused about the difference between an autobiography and a biography -- that no such book on Mays has ever been written. I hope this addresses your question, and I look forward to reading it on your blog. Rgds, James S. Hirsch

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