Main League Baseball and San Francisco Giants legend Willie Mays died Tuesday at age 93.
The “Say Hey Child” carried out with a showman’s aptitude, making basket catches in heart subject, taking daring probabilities on the bottom paths, successful 4 residence run crowns, 12 Gold Glove Awards and laughing with a gleeful high-pitched voice.
Mays spent 21 of his 23 major-league seasons with the Giants group in New York and San Francisco. He batted .301 with 660 residence runs, 339 stolen bases and three,293 hits and gained two Nationwide League MVP awards.
Mays left an indelible mark on baseball, sparking many members of the MLB neighborhood to pay tribute to him at Tuesday evening’s video games and on social media.
He leaves us with an enduring reminder: to work exhausting and discover pleasure on this nice recreation, and this extraordinary life. Say Hey, Willie Mays. One of the best there ever was. 💐 pic.twitter.com/9QnpsDZM9B
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 19, 2024
I’ll always remember today once I walked in and heard, “that’s that boy who wears his hat like this.”
RIP Willie Mays. You modified the sport perpetually and impressed youngsters like me to chase our dream. Thanks for all the pieces that you simply did on and off the sphere. At all times in our hearts… pic.twitter.com/Xv2ZHbKFvt
— CC Sabathia (@CC_Sabathia) June 19, 2024
“I bought to inform him he was the best participant I ever noticed”
Keith Hernandez recollects his conferences with Willie Mays pic.twitter.com/j6BEI063fk
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 19, 2024
An in-game tribute to Willie Mays on the MiLB at Rickwood recreation. 🧡🖤 pic.twitter.com/roKgNF3gQd
— MLB (@MLB) June 19, 2024
Top-of-the-line to ever play the sport and even a greater individual. Ideas and prayers are with Willie’s household and family members. https://t.co/kiyCbfBqOi
— Derek Jeter (@derekjeter) June 19, 2024
Willie Mays #24 was a legend amongst legends. I’m blessed to have spent just a few weeks round Willie and I can inform you this, baseball lived deep inside his coronary heart and he may trash discuss with one of the best of them! Thanks Willie 🙏🏾🕊️ #restinparadise
— JIMMY ROLLINS (@JimmyRollins11) June 19, 2024
Say Hey, you had been actually my idol, Willie.
You may be missed— Paul O’Neill (@PaulONeillYES) June 19, 2024
The @Cubs held a second of silence at Wrigley Area for the passing of Willie Mays. pic.twitter.com/tlYm6sAARl
— Marquee Sports activities Community (@WatchMarquee) June 19, 2024
We’re heartbroken to study of the passing of Corridor of Famer Willie Mays, probably the most thrilling all-around gamers within the historical past of our sport.
Mays was a two-time MVP, 24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove Award winner, and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In… pic.twitter.com/kOqxNnetg7
— MLB (@MLB) June 19, 2024
We deeply mourn the lack of the nice Willie Mays. Not solely was he an exceptional participant, however he was additionally an incredible human being. Right here’s to you, Willie. Say Hey to Yogi for us. pic.twitter.com/H79GgpYMb8
— Yogi Berra Museum (@YogiBerraMuseum) June 19, 2024
Assertion from Govt Director Tony Clark on the passing of Willie Mays pic.twitter.com/71vJaWhAPq
— MLBPA (@MLBPA) June 19, 2024
I am devastated to listen to in regards to the passing of the legendary Corridor of Famer Willie Mays, one of many primary causes I fell in love with baseball. Cookie and I are praying for his household, pals, and followers throughout this tough time. 🙏🏾
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 19, 2024
He was a 24-time All-Star, a 12-time Gold Glover, a 2-time MVP, World Collection champion, and a Corridor of Famer.
The good Willie Mays has handed away. It was a privilege to know him. We had been each honored by @MLB in 2010 with the Beacon Award, given to civil rights pioneers.
He was… pic.twitter.com/wdTTNUiEmt
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) June 19, 2024
Willie Mays wasn’t only a singular athlete, blessed with an unmatched mixture of grace, talent and energy. He was additionally a splendidly heat and beneficiant individual – and an inspiration to a whole technology. I’m fortunate to have hung out with him over time, and Michelle and I… pic.twitter.com/tpO3O9B9yc
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 19, 2024
Quotes and anecdotes round MLB:
Ken Griffey Jr.: “My coronary heart is on the ground,” the Corridor of Famer informed MLB Community. “I’m simply grateful and grateful that I used to be in a position to spend the time I had with (Mays) as a result of he’s a real large, on and off the sphere.”
Aaron Decide: The New York Yankees star outfielder and a California native mirrored on assembly Mays.
“I’ve a household pal that’s fairly shut together with his household,” Decide mentioned. “I bought an opportunity to fulfill him. He confirmed me a few issues about throwing the baseball from the outfield, which I nonetheless keep in mind. I’ve a few cool issues which can be signed in my childhood room nonetheless.”
Decide added: “Horrible, horrible information (of his loss of life). I used to be a giant Willie Mays fan. What he meant to the sport, California, the entire Giants followers on the market, particularly me rising up, you needed to play like Willie and make these catches that he did.
“The numbers he put up on the sphere and what he did are spectacular, however him as an individual and human being was even larger. It was larger than baseball. He was one thing particular. The baseball world is certainly gonna be lacking an ideal one.”
Mike Yastrzemski: “The issues that he did, we’ll by no means see once more,” the Giants outfielder mentioned of Mays’ profession. “He was such a proficient participant and he performed the sport as purely as anyone may. To have the ability to watch that on movie — I’m glad there was movie for it — as a result of it’s one thing that’s going to be watched and studied for the remainder of time.”
GO DEEPER
Giants react to the loss of life of Willie Mays: ‘The issues he did we’ll by no means see once more’
Sergio Romo: “Day-after-day he was very keen to provide his time, to provide his experience, to provide his recommendation,” Romo, a three-time World Collection champion with the Giants, informed NBC Sports activities Bay Space about Mays visiting the membership. “He made you are feeling seen.”
Bruce Bochy: This recreation permits you to meet some super gamers and other people, and I bought to spend so much of time with Willie throughout my tenure (in San Francisco) and it’s a tragic day,” the previous Giants supervisor and present Texas Rangers supervisor mentioned. “What a legend he’s.”
Billy Owens: The Oakland A’s assistant normal supervisor and a Bay Space native paid tribute to Mays in a textual content message to The Athletic’s Melissa Lockard.
“Say Hey was EVERYTHING…….Proper there with Muhammad Ali because the Biggest,” Owens mentioned. “The Excellence was Documented. The Type can by no means be duplicated. His energy, velocity and style perpetually distinctive. The catch nonetheless captured the creativeness nearly a century later. Willie was New York(Polo Grounds) and San Francisco(Candlestick Park). I’ll watch Rickwood Area(Birmingham) this week and picture Willie doing basket catches in Middle Area and hitting homers into the Stratosphere. RIP Say Hey Willie Mays.”
Steven Kwan: The Cleveland Guardians outfielder and a Bay Space native mentioned, “(Mays) was the face of the Giants. It was him and Barry Bonds and they’d at all times be collectively. You’d see them speaking. You wished you could possibly be a fly on the wall for these conversations.”
Stephen Vogt: Cleveland Guardians supervisor Stephen Vogt’s grandfather lived in Oklahoma, and there have been no MLB groups close by. He selected the New York Giants as his crew, largely as a result of he hated the Yankees and Dodgers. He liked watching Mays, and he’d prattle on and on in regards to the heart fielder to his son, Randy.
The Giants relocated to San Francisco in 1958 when Randy was three years previous. The Giants turned his crew, and Mays was Randy’s hero. The household visited Candlestick Park yearly.
Stephen grew up a Giants fan, too. The Vogts had season tickets within the higher deck down the left-field line. Stephen signed with San Francisco for the 2019 season. That spring, he met Mays. The 2 chatted within the clubhouse and took an image collectively. Randy framed that picture, which sits on a shelf in his workplace.
“One of many individuals who was a god to you,” Vogt mentioned of Mays. “It was simply this unfathomable determine. You by no means actually noticed him on TV, (simply) highlights. It was actually cool to fulfill him after which get an opportunity to talk with him.”
Harold Reynolds: “Willie was like a father to all of us,” the previous Seattle Mariners second baseman informed MLB Community. “He was from that technology that was passing it on. … He had recommendation for you on each side of your life.”
Craig Counsell: “I’m saddened by the information about Willie Mays,” the Chicago Cubs supervisor mentioned. “This is among the Mt. Rushmore of baseball gamers for my part. A legend in our recreation. I bought to fulfill him a pair instances. He was the type of individual, together with Hank Aaron, that made you nervous due to how nice they had been. It was unhappy information to listen to in the course of the recreation at this time.”
Cody Bellinger: “I noticed the information (of Mays’ loss of life) within the seventh inning and was fairly saddened by it. Sporting the quantity 24 is particular. He’s among the best gamers in our recreation. Simply seeing him round just a few instances on the sphere was a real blessing. An unbelievable man and finest needs to his household proper now.”
Bellinger wears No. 24 with the Cubs, the identical jersey quantity Mays wore with the Giants and the New York Mets.
The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner, Melissa Lockard, Zack Meisel and Sahadev Sharma contributed to this story.
Required studying
(Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Pictures)