Wednesday, 20 November 2024

Baseball Legend Willie Mays Passes Away At 93

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Baseball legend Willie Mays, often considered the greatest center fielder of all time, has passed away.

He was 93.

“It is with great sadness that we announce that San Francisco Giants Legend and Hall of Famer Willie Mays passed away peacefully this afternoon at the age of 93,” the San Francisco Giants announced.

“My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones,” Michael Mays said, according to ESPN.

“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,” he added.

“24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glover, 2-time MVP, World Series champion, Hall of Famer. MLB Network mourns the passing of one of our game’s most iconic figures, Willie Mays,” MLB Network wrote.

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Per ESPN:

The “Say Hey Kid” left an indelible mark on the sport, with his name a constant throughout baseball's hallowed record book and his defensive prowess — epitomized by “The Catch” in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series — second to none.

All told, in a career that spanned 20-plus years (1951-73) — most of them with his beloved Giants — he made 24 All-Star teams, won two NL MVP awards and had 12 Gold Gloves. He ranks sixth all time in home runs (660), seventh in runs scored (2,068), 12th in RBIs (1,909) and 13th in hits (3,293).

“Today we have lost a true legend”, said Giants Chairman Greg Johnson in a statement. “In the pantheon of baseball greats, Willie Mays' combination of tremendous talent, keen intellect, showmanship, and boundless joy set him apart. A 24-time All-Star, the Say Hey Kid is the ultimate Forever Giant.

“He had a profound influence not only on the game of baseball, but on the fabric of America. He was an inspiration and a hero who will be forever remembered and deeply missed.”

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From the New York Post:

He was traded to the Mets in May 1972 at the age of 41 and finished his career in Flushing, retiring following the Mets’ seven-game loss to the Athletics in the 1973 World Series.

The Mets, fulfilling a promise made to Mays by then owner Joan Whitney Payson, retired his No. 24 — which had been worn by Rickey Henderson and Robinson Cano, among others — at a ceremony in August 2022. The Giants had retired his number 50 years earlier and Mays became the 15th player in major league history to have his number retired by multiple teams.

Despite a lasting image of a sadly diminished Mays falling down in center field while trying to track a fly ball at the Oakland Coliseum in Game 2 of that World Series, he left baseball as a two-time NL MVP and the author of 3,283 hits and 660 home runs, twice hitting as many as 50 in a season. At his retirement his was the third-highest home run total in major league history, behind only Babe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron, his contemporary who would go on to hit 755 home runs.

The winner of 12 consecutive Gold Gloves, Mays, who popularized the basket catch and was renowned for running out from under his cap as he flew around the base paths, was named to a record-tying 24 NL All-Star teams — there were two All-Star games each season from 1960-62 — joining Aaron and Stan Musial.

“They invented the All-Star Game for Willie Mays,” said Ted Williams.

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