But from the description here, it seems like Mays is giving more than the cliched “you have to will yourself to jump higher” advice.  “Closing fingers”, “downward slope”, “crouch more” all sound, to me, no different from what actual coaches and instructors would advice.

The Giants’ coaches may have been telling Rowand the same things, but when it’s Willie Freakin’ Mays telling you, you listen!

I think you’re overstating the distance between Mays and Rowand.  Rowand is not some bush leaguer who’s being given an extended tryout during spring training.  He’s an established major leaguer who’s a good enough fielder to have wrangled a gold glove (though I’ll admit typical skepticism about gold gloves). 

Rowand may not be Willie Mays, but he’s maybe only three steps from Mays- established regular to established star to superstar to all-time great- rather than fifteen.  And it’s not as though anyone is pretending that he’s is going to turn into Mays just by getting a few friendly pieces of advice.  This is more about sanding off a few rough corners from Rowand’s game in the hopes that it will make him a smoother player.

Roger Moore is right.  All major league ballplayers are elite level athletes, not the kid in the “parlor” seeking jazz lessons from Miles Davis.  It’s the littlest things that separate a Willie Mays from an Aaron Rowand and if Rowand can take advantage of some of Mays’ wisdom, it’s not the same as Mays giving his tips to a random man off the street.