Lanier ran into trouble with Willie Mays in 1965. Due to the unpredictable winds at Candlestick Park, Mays used to position the infielders on how to play the ball. When Lanier ignored his signal a couple times during a game, Mays asked manager Herman Franks to bench him a few games. However, by the end of the season, Mays had made Lanier the infield captain for the Giants, in charge of taking a trip to the mound if a pitcher needed a break.