Willie Mays: Baseball’s Greatest Dies At 93

Willie Mays, the iconic Hall of Famer often hailed as the greatest player in baseball history, died June 18 at age 93. Mays began his career with the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues. His Major League in a career spanned from 1951 to 1972 with the Giants, where he won a World Series in 1954, was a 24-time All-Star, and was a two-time National League MVP. Among many other accomplishments, his 660 home runs and 12 Gold Gloves highlight his legendary status.

Major League Baseball, the city of Birmingham, and the Friends of Rickwood nonprofit group have collaborated to renovate Rickwood Field, the oldest professional ballpark in the United States, to honor Mays and the Negro Leagues.

“My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones,” Mays’ son, Michael Mays, announced. “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.”

Mays was not only a baseball legend but also a cherished figure in San Francisco. His 9-foot bronze statue stands proudly at Oracle Park’s 24 Willie Mays Plaza.

In 2015, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama, who acknowledged Mays’ impact on sports and society. “It’s because of giants like Willie that someone like me could even think about running for president,” Obama remarked.

He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, cementing his place as one of the sport’s all-time greats. His wide smile, boyish joy, and fondness for yelling ‘hey’ to get the attention of his teammates, earned him the moniker of the “Say Hey Kid.”