Baseball lost one of its best on Tuesday when Willie Mays passed away at the age of 93. The greatest five-tool player of all time, Mays, leaves behind an extraordinary legacy that will live on forever.
“My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones. 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,” said Willie Mays’ son, Michael, in a statement released by the Giants.
Mays was a speed merchant on the basepath and a demon in the outfield. For his career at the plate, he ranks near the top of almost every major category. There are very few players in the history of the sport that could be argued to be better than Mays, and you could make a stronger argument that there were none.
Willie Mays accomplished it all. pic.twitter.com/IQROGhqVvD
— MLB (@MLB) June 19, 2024
The Say Hey Kid played in the Negro Leagues when he was only 17 years old for the Birmingham Black Barons and was set to be honored during the Giants and Cardinals game this Thursday at the Black Barons ballpark, Rickwood Field.
Rickwood is the oldest professional field that still exists, and there was speculation that Mays would attend the game. It was announced the day before his passing that he would be watching from home.
“My heart will be with all of you who are honoring the Negro League ballplayers, who should always be remembered, including all my teammates on the Black Barons. I wanted to thank Major League Baseball, the Giants, the Cardinals, and all the fans who’ll be at Rickwood or watching the game. It’ll be a special day, and I hope the kids will enjoy it and be inspired by it,” said Mays in his final statement released to the public.
Honoring the baseball legend would have been a sight to see regardless of circumstances, but with his passing, the game at Rickwood will now be a monumental event that every baseball fan has to tune in for.
I am too young to have seen Willie Mays play live, but he is the type of player that even younger baseball fans feel like they experienced. Mays’ body of work is amongst the most recognizable of any athlete, regardless of sport, and will continue to be for generations to come.
His play in the 1954 World Series, “The Catch,” will always be one of the most iconic sports highlights in history.
Willie Mays served his country in the U.S. Army from 1952-53. pic.twitter.com/pzDaNSloru
— MLB (@MLB) June 19, 2024
“I’m just grateful and thankful that I was able to spend the time I had with him because he is a true giant on and off the field,” said Ken Griffey Jr. “He is the godfather of centerfielders. When he came into a clubhouse, he made everyone feel welcome. It didn’t matter what color you were or where you came from. If you were in that clubhouse and you wanted to have some time with him, he would talk to you, and he would talk more about life and how he grew up and what he had to overcome, and he did it with dignity, class, and a smile.”
Top Image Caption:
President Barack Obama talks with baseball great Willie Mays aboard Air Force One en route to the MLB All-Star Game in St. Louis, July 14, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.”