Willie Mays, arguably the greatest player in baseball history, died June 18. He was 93. The cultural icon, known both literally and figuratively as a Giant, leaves behind an indelible legacy.
“My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones,” said his son, Michael Mays, 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 his life’s blood.”
Mays began his professional baseball career at age 17
in the Negro Leagues, playing for the Birmingham Black Barons while still in high school. He played with the club on weekends and traveled with the team during school breaks. In 1948, he helped lead his team to the Negro League World Series.Despite excelling in other sports
like football and basketball, Mays’ heart was always with baseball. At age 20, he became the 10th Black player in MLB history when the New York Giants purchased his contract from the Barons in 1950. He spent most of his career with the Giants, both in New York and San Francisco, except for a stint with the New York Mets after being traded for pitcher Charlie Williams and $50,000 in May 1972.Mays went hitless in his first three major league games, but his first career hit was a home run off Hall of Famer Warren Spahn in 1951, proving his potential.
During the 1954 World Series, Mays solidified his legacy with “The Catch” during the first game, a play now regarded as “one of the most famous plays in baseball history.” Despite some calling it luck, Mays clarified that “it wasn’t no lucky catch.”
Known as the “Say Hey Kid,” Mays ranks sixth all-time in home runs with 660. He was the second player to reach 600 career home runs, a two-time National League Most Valuable Player, a 24-time All-Star, and a 12-time Gold Glove.
After retiring in 1973, Mays was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979. In 2015, President Barack Obama awarded him the Medal of Freedom.
“Willie Mays wasn’t just a singular athlete, blessed with an unmatched combination of grace, skill, and power,” wrote the former president on X. “He was also a wonderfully warm and generous person – and an inspiration to an entire generation.”
Recently, Major League Baseball began working with the city of Birmingham and the Friends of Rickwood nonprofit group to renovate Rickwood Field, where Mays started his career. At 114 years old, it is the oldest professional ballpark in the nation.
Mays’ death comes just two days before the Giants play the St. Louis Cardinals at Rickwood Field in a game meant to honor both Mays and the Negro Leagues.
“Thursday’s game at historic Rickwood Field was designed to be a celebration of Willie Mays and his peers,” said MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. “With sadness in our hearts, it will now also serve as a national remembrance of an American who will forever remain on the short list of the most impactful individuals our great game has ever known.”
Throughout his career, Mays wore No. 24, except in 1951 when he wore No. 41. His legacy is still celebrated across the National League, particularly on May 24, recognized as Willie Mays Day in San Francisco.
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