Willie Mays, whose incomparable collection of skills made him the greatest center fielder who ever lived, died Tuesday afternoon in the Bay Area. He was 93 years old.
“My father passed away peacefully and among his loved ones,” Michael Mays said in a statement released by the San Francisco Giants. “I want to thank you all from the bottom of my broken heart for the unwavering love you have shown him over the years. You have been the blood of his life.”
“Say Hey Kid” left an indelible mark on the sport, with his name a constant in baseball's hallowed record book and his defensive prowess, epitomized by “The Catch” in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, unsurpassed. .
In total, in a career that spanned more than 20 years (1951-73), most of them with his beloved Giants, he made 24 All-Star teams, won two National League MVP awards and had 12 Gold Gloves. He ranks sixth all-time in home runs (660), seventh in runs scored (2,068), 12th in runs batted in (1,909) and 13th in hits (3,293).
“Today we lost a true legend,” Giants president Greg Johnson said in a statement. “In the pantheon of baseball greats, Willie Mays' combination of tremendous talent, keen intellect, showmanship and boundless joy sets him apart. A 24-time All-Star, Say Hey Kid is the ultimate timeless giant.
“He had a profound influence not only on the game of baseball, but also on the fabric of America. He was an inspiration and a hero who will always be remembered and deeply missed.”
Giants legend Barry Bonds, who is Mays' godson and sits just five spots above him in the all-time home run rankings, said Mays “helped shape me into who I am today” in a message shared on social networks.
Mays' death comes two days before the Giants play the St. Louis Cardinals at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, in a game honoring Mays and the Negro Leagues as a whole. On Monday it was announced that Mays would not be able to attend.
Mays, who was born on May 6, 1931, and grew up in Alabama, began his professional career at age 17 in 1948 with the Birmingham Black Barons, helping the team reach the Negro League World Series that season.
MLB has been working with the city of Birmingham and the nonprofit group Friends of Rickwood to renovate the 10,800-seat stadium, which at 114 years old is the oldest professional stadium in the United States.
“Thursday's game at historic Rickwood Field was designed to be a celebration of Willie Mays and his teammates,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “With sadness in our hearts, it will now also serve as a national memorial to an American who will always remain on the short list of the most impactful people our great game has ever known.”
The Giants were playing the Cubs in Chicago on Tuesday night; The crowd of 36,292 at Wrigley Field greeted Mays during a moment of silence when his death was announced on the left-field video board in the sixth inning.
Giants manager Bob Melvin said he learned of Mays' death just before the start of the game. Then most of their players became aware once the contest started.
“It's a great regret not only to the Bay Area and New York, where it started, but also to the baseball world,” Melvin said. “This is one of the true icons of the game.”
Melvin, 62, of Palo Alto, California, said he grew up watching Mays play at Candlestick Park.
“I loved baseball because of Willie Mays,” Melvin said. “It meant a lot.”
Melvin said the Giants would have loved it if he could have watched Thursday's matchup at Rickwood Field.
“If possible, I would add more to going there,” he said.
Giants starter Logan Webb said he learned of Mays' death during the Cubs' announcement, as he took the mound to pitch the sixth inning.
“It was tough at first. I took my hat off and I was looking at the scoreboard and thinking about it,” Webb said. “I looked at the referee and said, 'I think you need to stop the clock.' I needed to take a moment to think about it and be proud of the shirt I was wearing, the hat I was wearing, knowing that Willie did the same thing.”
Webb said the team will play Thursday's game in honor of Mays. Right fielder Mike Yastrzemski also reflected on his interactions with Mays, recalling how the Hall of Famer insisted that he should play center field when he was first called up.
“He said he couldn't see much of the game, but he could see it,” Yastrzemski said. “It was great”.
Mays excelled in baseball, football and basketball as a high school student. But his love for baseball surpassed all sports. As he was still at school while playing for the Black Barons, he played with the club only on weekends; He traveled with Birmingham when school was out.
The New York Giants caught wind of Mays and bought out his contract in Birmingham in 1950. Mays had no trouble acclimating, hitting .353 in 81 games with Trenton that season. In 1951, Mays broke out with the Triple-A Minneapolis Millers; He hit .477 in 35 games before the Giants called him up in May.
There will never be another like Willie Mays 🧡 pic.twitter.com/I95JW1buJF
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 19, 2024
At age 20, Mays was the 10th black player in major league history. After going hitless in his first three games, Mays' first hit of his Giants career was a home run off Hall of Famer Warren Spahn in the first inning of the Giants' 4-1 loss to the Braves on May 28, 1951. Mays was also present when the Giants' Bobby Thomson hit his National League pennant-winning home run against the Dodgers on October 3, 1951, known as “The Shot Heard 'Round the World.” “.
The Korean War interrupted Mays' career in 1952. He played 34 games for the Giants (hitting .236) before being drafted into the U.S. Army. Mays was assigned to Fort Eustis in Virginia and kept his skills sharp. playing games regularly. Mays also missed the entire 1953 season due to military service; He did not return to the Giants until the spring of 1954.
But being fired from professional baseball didn't affect him. Mays won the first of two National League MVP awards that season, leading the league in hitting at .345 and hitting 41 home runs along with 110 RBIs. Mays won him another National League MVP in 1965.
“I fell in love with baseball because of Willie, plain and simple,” said Giants president and CEO Larry Baer. “My childhood was defined by going to Candlestick with my dad, watching Willie patrol center field with grace and the latest in athleticism. For the past 30 years, working with Willie and seeing firsthand his zest for life and passion unbridled to give to young players and children, it has been one of the joys of my life.
During Game 1 of the 1954 World Series against Cleveland at the Polo Grounds, Mays made one of the most famous plays in baseball history. With the score tied at 2 and two runners on base, Cleveland's Vic Wertz hit a 2-1 pitch to deep center in the top of the eighth inning. Mays ran toward the wall with his back to Wertz. He caught a basket as he ran, turned and fired the ball down the field. Mays' catch and quick relief throw prevented both runners from scoring; The Giants won the game 5-2 in 10 innings.
Today, the play is known simply as “The Catch.”
“It wasn't a fluke,” Mays noted years later.
On May 11, 1972, Mays was traded from the Giants to the New York Mets for pitcher Charlie Williams and $50,000. After the 1973 season, when Mays helped the Mets win the National League pennant, Mays retired. In 1979, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In a statement from the MLB Players Association, executive director Tony Clark said Mays “played the game with a seriousness, joy and perpetual smile that resonated with fans everywhere.”
“He will be remembered for his integrity, his commitment to excellence and a level of greatness that spanned generations,” Clark said.
In his 22-year career, Mays led the National League in home runs four times, and when he retired, his 660 home runs ranked third in major league history; He now ranks sixth behind Bonds, Hank Aaron, Ruth, Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols. He also finished his career with 3,283 hits (12th all-time) and 1,903 RBIs (12th all-time).
“His incredible accomplishments and statistics do not begin to describe the amazement I felt watching Willie Mays dominate the game in every way imaginable,” Manfred said in his statement. “We will never forget this true giant on and off the field. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Willie's family, his friends throughout our game, Giants fans everywhere, and his countless admirers around the world.”
With the exception of 1951, when he wore number 14, Mays wore number 24 throughout his career. Mays' legacy still resonates in San Francisco. The Giants' ballpark is located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza and features a statue of Mays. The city of San Francisco also celebrates Willie Mays Day every May 24.
ESPN's Jesse Rogers and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
