Hall of Famer Willie Mays, the true definition of a five-tool player, one of the pioneers of the game as we know it today and one of the greatest players to ever live, passed away peacefully and surrounded by his love ones Tuesday afternoon, the San Francisco Giants announced. He was 93.
“My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones,” said Michael Mays in a statement released by the 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.”
Commissioner Rob Manfred released the following statement:
“All of Major League Baseball is in mourning today as we are gathered at the very ballpark where a career and a legacy like no other began. Willie Mays took his all-around brilliance from the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League to the historic Giants franchise. From coast to coast in New York and San Francisco, Willie inspired generations of players and fans as the game grew and truly earned its place as our National Pastime.
“Just as his career was ascending, Willie served his country in the U.S. Army in 1952 and 1953. As the 1954 NL MVP, he led the Giants to victory in the World Series, in which he made one of the most memorable plays ever with ‘The Catch’ in the deep center field of the Polo Grounds. All told, Willie was a two-time MVP, a 24-time All-Star, a 12-time Gold Glover, a selection as one of the game’s Greatest Living Players in 2015, and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom later that year.
“And yet his incredible achievements and statistics do not begin to describe the awe that came with watching Willie Mays dominate the game in every way imaginable. We will never forget this true Giant on and off the field. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Willie’s family, his friends across our game, Giants fans everywhere, and his countless admirers across the world.
“Thursday’s game at historic Rickwood Field was designed to be a celebration of Willie Mays and his peers. 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.”
From Tony Clark, executive director of the MLB Players Association:
The Players Association joins the rest of the baseball world in mourning the loss of Willie Mays, a national treasure and one of the iconic players in the game’s history.
From his professional debut with the Birmingham Black Barons at age 17 through his 24 All-Star Games to his Hall of Fame induction in 1979, Willie’s skill on the field and impact off it elevated him to a stature that was larger than life.
Beyond the 660 home runs, the 3,293 hits and countless accolades, the Say Hey Kid played the game with an earnestness, a joy and a perpetual smile that resonated with fans everywhere.
He will be remembered for his integrity, his commitment to excellence and a level of greatness that spanned generations. We extend our sympathies to Willie’s family and his countless fans and friends throughout the game.
Nicknamed the “Say Hey Kid,” for the joy he played the game with, Mays was born and raised in Westfield, Alabama. He began his professional baseball career as a prodigy with the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues while still attending high school in 1948. Mays was to be honored later this week on Thursday at the upcoming MLB game at Rickwood Field, home of the Black Barons, which is the oldest baseball park in the United States, but unfortunately had already put out a statement that he would not be able to attend the festivities.
In 1950, Mays signed with the New York Giants, who later relocated to the Bay area, San Francisco and finished that season in the minor leagues. He made his much-anticipated MLB debut and began his decorated big-league career in 1951. That season, Mays took home National League Rookie of the Year honors after hitting .274 with 20 home runs in 121 games as a 20-year-old.
“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.”
Mays was forced to put his major career on the backburner because was drafted by the Army to serve in the Korean War following the 1951 campaign and he appeared in only 34 games in 1952 before reporting to duty. He missed the rest of ’52 and all of 1953 while serving. When he returned in 1954, Mays earned the first of two NL MVP awards and the first of 24 All-Star Game nods. He led the league with an incredible .345 average that season.
During a 17-year stretch, 1954-71, Mays experienced and took the fans on a magic carpet putting together the lion’s share of one of the greatest careers in baseball history. He incorporated average, power and speed, hitting .307/.387/.572 and averaged 35 home runs and 18 stolen bases per season. Mays was named NL MVP in 1954 and 1965 and won 12 Gold Gloves, which is tied with Roberto Clemente for the most by an outfielder. He was the Mid-Summer Classic MVP in 1963 and 1968.
Mays helped the Giants, who moved from New York to San Francisco in 1958, defeat Cleveland in the 1954 World Series. In the eighth inning of Game 1, Mays made one of the most iconic and legendary catches in baseball history, an over-the-shoulder snag to rob extra bases away from Vic Wertz.
It was 483 feet to dead center field at the Polo Grounds and Mays made that catch only a few steps away from the wall. The score was knotted at two at the time and Cleveland was in business at the time with runners at first and second with no outs. If Mays could not come up with the catch, at least one run would have scored and likely two. It was a game-saver. The Giants eventually went on to win the game 5-2 in 10 innings.
At age 41, Mays was dealt to the New York Mets for righty Charlie Williams and $50,000 on May 11, 1972. Mays spent the rest of 1972 as well as 1973 with the Mets to wrap up his career.
“Willie Mays was one of the greatest to ever play the game,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said in a joint statement with his wife, Alex. “Willie ended his Hall of Fame career in Queens and was a key piece to the 1973 NL championship team. Mays played with a style and grace like no one else. Alex and I were thrilled to honor a previous promise from Joan Payson to retire his iconic #24 as a member of the Mets in 2022. On behalf of our entire organization, we send our thoughts and prayers to Willie’s family and friends.”
Mays retired as a career .301/.384/.557 hitter and is near the top of so many record books. Here are some of the most notable: 3,292 hits (13th all-time), 660 home runs (6th all-time), 1,909 (12th all-time), 6,080 total bases (4th all-time), 2,068 runs scored (7th all-time), 156.2 WAR (5th all-time).
To the surprise of no one, Mays was voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, in Cooperstown in 1979, his first year of eligibility. He received 94.7% of the vote, at the time the most ever for a player who was on the ballot for the first time.
After his playing days were over, Mays worked with the Mets as a hitting coach until 1979. He also took a position as a special assistant at a casino in Atlantic City. After being told by commissioner Bowie Kuhn he could not be employed a major league team and a casino, Mays walked away and terminated his contract with Mets. Kuhn banned him from the game he loved after that. For the record, the casino did not participate in sports betting, which was taboo and illegal at the time and Mays could not place any bets as part of his role.
After a six-year wait, in 1985, new commissioner Peter Ueberroth reinstated Mays as well as Mickey Mantle, who was suspended for a similar reason. Mays rejoined the Giants in a front office role as special assistant to the team president and general manager in 1986. He signed a lifetime contract with the team.
A statue erected of Mays sits outside Oracle Park in San Francisco, honoring his critical role in drumming up public interest for the new ballpark in the 1990s. Mays is in a elite group being one of only 14 players to have a number retired by two teams: No. 24 by both the Giants and Mets. His foundation, the Say Hey Foundation, Key mission is to support youth baseball.
It is fitting that in 2017, MLB renamed the World Series MVP Award the Willie Mays World Series MVP Award. Mays played 21 career World Series games with the Giants (1950, 1951, 1954, 1962), and Mets (1972).
