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Baseball legend Willie Mays The New York Times Described as the sport’s “living embodiment of the perfect athlete,” he died on Tuesday at the age of 93.
The San Francisco Giants have made a sad announcement. X“It is with deep 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,” the statement read.
Mays, a center fielder often cited as the greatest player in baseball history, had been living in an assisted living facility in Palo Alto, California.
His stats are impressive: After beginning his career in the Negro Leagues 76 years ago and playing for the Giants and Mets, he hit 660 home runs, collected 3,293 hits, recorded 7,112 putouts, won 12 Gold Glove Awards and posted a career batting average of .301.
Those home runs moved him to sixth on the all-time list of home run hitters.
Of course, he will forever be remembered for “The Catch,” the incredible catch I made in the 1954 World Series.
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Mays’ charisma made him a pop culture touchstone, from the comic strip “Peanuts” to the classic film “Manhattan” and onto the pop charts; the Treneers’ 1954 rendition of “Say Hey (The Willie Mays Song)” immortalizes his influence.
His crossover appeal has put him on the same level as fellow legend Jackie Robinson, and his influence as an icon led to President Barack Obama awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.
Mays was born in Westfield, Alabama on May 6, 1931. He made his major league debut on May 25, 1951, at the age of 20. He continued to be an intriguing player, but retired more than 22 years later in 1973 due to physical problems.
When Mays accepted the Bally’s endorsement deal, he was on the payroll of a gambling operation and was therefore unable to continue working for a major league team, but this rule was overturned and Mays signed a lifetime contract as a consultant with the Giants.
Mays was widowed by his second wife in 2013. He has a son from his first marriage.
