Willie Mays, one of many biggest baseball gamers to ever step foot on a baseball diamond, died at 93, Main League Baseball introduced Tuesday night.
Mays had been residing in an assisted residing facility within the Palo Alto, CA space, in response to the Giants.
“The Say Hey Child” was 24x MLB All-Star, 12x Gold Glove winner, Rookie of the 12 months, and 2x NL MVP who patrolled the huge Polo Grounds heart area for the New York Giants earlier than the workforce relocated to San Francisco within the late-50s.
Mays was with the Giants group between 1951-1952 and 1954-1974 (he served within the U.S. army and missed most of two seasons) … earlier than becoming a member of the NY Mets to finish his profession.
Willie retired on the finish of the 1973 season … ending with 660 residence runs, 3,293 hits, and a .302 batting common.
Mays was inducted into the Corridor of Fame in 1979 (his first time on the poll) with almost 95% of the vote. The Giants and Mets have retired his 24 jersey.
“We’re heartbroken to be taught of the passing of Corridor of Famer Willie Mays, probably the most thrilling all-around gamers within the historical past of our sport. Mays was a two-time MVP, 24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove Award winner, and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Main League Baseball wrote on X.
“In commemoration of ‘The Catch’ as maybe probably the most well-known play within the historical past of the Fall Basic, the World Sequence MVP Award was named in his honor in 2017. Mays was 93 years outdated.”
After all, “The Catch” — from sport 1 of the 1954 World Sequence — is among the most well-known performs in American sports activities historical past … and completely encapsulated Mays as a participant. There was nothing he could not do. He was the definition of a 5 software participant.
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Lengthy after his unmatched enjoying profession, Mays, Barry Bonds‘ godfather, served as probably the most distinguished ambassadors of the sport of baseball.
Maybe the SF Giants put it finest, writing … “There’ll by no means be one other fairly like Willie Mays.”
Relaxation in peace, Willie.