Legendary Hall of Famer, and Negro League icon Willie Mays, has passed away at the age of 93.
The baseball icon beloved by fans, considered one of the sports’ greatest players and the first African American team captain in MLB history, died peacefully on Tuesday afternoon (June 18).
“My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones,” his son Michael Mays said, per San Francisco Chronicle. “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.”
The MLB mourned his passing with a tribute post to the “24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glover, 2-time MVP, World Series champion, Hall of Famer.”
24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glover, 2-time MVP, World Series champion, Hall of Famer.
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 19, 2024
MLB Network mourns the passing of one of our game’s most iconic figures, Willie Mays. pic.twitter.com/gQLCnbm2lN
The legendary slugger, nicknamed “The Say Hey Kid,” for the enthusiasm with which he greeted teammates, began his career in the Negro Leagues. He played with the Black Barons, helping them reach the final Negro Leagues World Series in 1948.
"We called [Satchel Paige] old, that was the biggest mistake we made."
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 18, 2024
Negro League veteran Ferdinand Rutledge shares Rickwood Field stories – including facing Paige – as him and @roywoodjr watch the @BiscuitBaseball take on the @BhamBarons at the historic park.
📺 MLB Network pic.twitter.com/uIm4aNkidW
Mays experienced a culture shock after joining the Giants three years after Jackie Robinson broke the sports’ color barrier. The pioneer spent 21 years with the Giants and is forever immortalized in a 9-foot-tall bronze statue in front of San Francisco’s Oracle Park at 24 Willie Mays Plaza.
The Giants Mourn Willie Mays
“Today we have lost a true legend,” Giants chairman Greg Johnson said. “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.”
Mays was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2015. “It’s because of giants like Willie that someone like me could even think about running for president,” Obama said at the ceremony.
Following his passing, Obama and others paid tribute to the pioneer.
Willie Mays wasn’t just a singular athlete, blessed with an unmatched combination of grace, skill and power. He was also a wonderfully warm and generous person – and an inspiration to an entire generation. I’m lucky to have spent time with him over the years, and Michelle and I… pic.twitter.com/tpO3O9B9yc
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 19, 2024
Charles Barkley reflects on the death of Willie Mays: “We have no idea what these guys have been through…To try to be great at a sport, and then deal with all the racial strife that these guys had to deal with, that's what makes them heroes.” pic.twitter.com/IRBublMaJG
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) June 19, 2024
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. pic.twitter.com/Qk4NySCFZQ
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 19, 2024
