Baseball Legend Willie Mays Dead At 93
On Tuesday, June 18, Major League Baseball (MLB) lost one of its greatest players with the passing of Willie Mays at the age of 93. The cultural icon, known both literally and figuratively as a Giant, leaves behind an indelible legacy.
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.
“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.”
During the 1954 World Series, Mays solidified his legacy with “The Catch” during Game One, a play now regarded as “one of the most famous plays in baseball history.” Despite some calling it luck, Mays later confirmed, “It wasn’t no lucky catch.”
Barry Bonds, Mays’ godson and another Giants legend, recalled their relationship’s impact on his approach to the game.
“I am beyond devastated and overcome with emotion,” wrote Bonds in a heartfelt Instagram post. “I have no words to describe what you mean to me – you helped shape me to be who I am today. Thank you for being my Godfather and always being there. Give my dad a hug for me.”
Known as the “Say Hey Kid,” Mays ranks 6th all-time in home runs with 660. He was the second player to reach 600 career home runs, a two-time NL MVP, a 24-time All-Star, and a 12-time Gold Glove winner, among many other accolades.
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 via X. “He was also a wonderfully warm and generous person – and an inspiration to an entire generation.”
Recently, MLB 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 league, particularly on May 24th, recognized as Willie Mays Day in San Francisco.
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