Willie Mays Death – Willie Mays, the legendary Hall of Fame center fielder widely regarded as the greatest all-around baseball player in history, passed away on Tuesday, as announced by the San Francisco Giants. He was 93 years old. Affectionately known as “The Say Hey Kid,” Mays enjoyed a remarkable professional baseball career that spanned an impressive four decades. His journey began in the late 1940s with the Negro Leagues and concluded in 1972 with the New York Mets. In between, he spent an incredible 21 years with the New York Giants, who later relocated to San Francisco.
Mays’ passion for baseball was ignited at an early age. Born on May 6, 1931, in Westfield, Alabama, he was named Willie, not William. Both of his parents possessed athletic talent, but it was his father, Cat Mays, a semi-pro player on various local Black teams, who introduced him to the sport. Years before, Cat had taught his son the fundamentals and often had him by his side in the dugout at the age of 10.
Even during his high school years, Mays displayed exceptional skills across multiple sports. His professional baseball journey commenced in 1948 when he played for the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro League, even before completing his high school education. After graduating in 1950, he signed with the Giants and swiftly earned his call-up to the major leagues in May 1951, after just a year of minor league experience.
Mays’ prowess on the field was unparalleled, excelling in all aspects of the game. He possessed remarkable speed, throwing accuracy, fielding ability, and was equally adept at hitting for both average and power. Throughout his career, he maintained an impressive triple-slash line of .301/.384/.557, amassing an astounding 660 home runs, 525 doubles, and 338 stolen bases. He led the National League in stolen bases on four occasions and also topped the league in home runs four times. Remarkably, over his 24 seasons in the majors, he grounded into a mere 45 double plays.
In May, Mays’ career statistics received a boost of 10 hits when the Negro League stats were officially integrated into MLB’s historical record. However, his home run total remained unchanged due to the unavailability of box scores from those games.
While Mays’ transformation into the extraordinary all-around player we remember today didn’t occur overnight, it didn’t take long in the grand
