Willie Mays, one of the greatest baseball players of all time, has died at the age of 93.
The San Francisco Giants announced on Tuesday, June 18, that the Hall of Famer had passed away “peacefully this afternoon.”
The team shared the news via X in a post that included a photo of Willie, nicknamed “The Say Hey Kid,” dressed in his Giants uniform alongside the tribute, “Forever Giant.”
No cause of death has been confirmed.
In conjunction with the Giants’ announcement, Willie’s son Michael Mays, included a statement on behalf of the athlete’s family.
“My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones,” Michael, whom Willie shared with his wife, Mae Louise Allen, who died in 2013, said. “I want to thank you 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.”
Willie played professional baseball for four decades, launching his career in the late 1940s and closing it with the New York Mets in 1972.
During that time, he spent 21 years with the New York Giants, who later became the San Francisco Giants.
Willie was renowned as being an all-around ballplayer who could “hit, run, field and throw with equal aplomb,” as summarized by The New York Times. He was a 24-time All-Star and retired with 660 career home runs.
Major League Baseball commissioner, Rob Manfred, also released a statement on Tuesday.
“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,” the statement read. “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.”
Willie won two NL MVP awards and was named the best player in the National League nine times, according to Wins Above Replacement (WAR) baseball statistics.
In 2015, Willie was honored by former president Barack Obama at the White House with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award. He was also the focus of a 2022 HBO documentary titled, Say Hey, Willie Mays!
The sports star remained entrenched in the Giants community throughout his later years, frequently visiting San Francisco’s Oracle Park, the Giants’ home ballpark, where a bronze statue was erected in his honor in March 2000.
He is survived by his son, Michael, and godson, Barry Bonds.
