American hero and baseball giant Willie Mays dies at age 93

By Mekhi Abbott
AFRO Sports Intern
mabbott@afro.com

Willie Mays Jr., widely regarded as the best center fielder ever and one of the greatest baseball players of all time, died June 18 at the age of 93 due to heart failure.

Mays was truly one of baseball’s most recognizable names and faces, synonymous with “America’s pastime,” and was one of the athletes that aided in making Major League Baseball (MLB) a bigger brand. People of all ages and races wanted to watch the superstar dazzle on the pitch and achieve athletic heights that many players who succeeded him couldn’t even reach.

“Willie Mays was a part of the vanguard of Black baseball players out of the Negro Leagues who were able to play in the majors and their impact, his in particular, was stunning,” said ESPN panelist and Washington Post columnist Kevin Blackistone. 

Mays was born in Westfield, Ala., on May 6, 1931. He was one of 10 siblings. Mays was introduced to baseball at a young age through his father Willie Howard “Cat” Mays Sr. 

Mays and his father were teammates on Mays Sr.’s Birmingham Industrial League team. Through this team, Mays met Piper Davis, which led to him playing with both the Chattanooga Choo-Choos and the Black Barons of the Negro League for three years while in high school. In 1948, the Black Barons made it to the Negro League World Series. After graduating high school at 19, Mays was signed to the New York Giants organization for $4,000.

After dominating in the minor leagues, Mays was quickly promoted to the big league. In 1951, Mays was the recipient of the National League Rookie of the Year award. Three years later, Mays won the World Series and his first National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. During that World Series championship run, Mays made one of the greatest catches in baseball history, affectionately referred to as “The Catch.” The Polo Grounds stadium that the game was played at had very unorthodox dimensions, with right and left field being extremely shallow but center field being very large and far. The ball traveled 425 feet and Mays caught it over his head in a full sprint. In 2024, that would be a homerun in every single major league ballpark in the United States and Toronto.

Mays played a huge role in the expansion of the MLB and baseball in general. After he had played his first six MLB seasons in New York, the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers both relocated to California. With the move to San Francisco, Mays assisted in making the sport more visible and popular across the country, wowing fans from coast to coast and becoming a true national hero. 

“He set a path for many people. Without Mays there aren’t players like Rickey Henderson, Ken Griffey Jr. and so many others. Not only was he a grinder on the field but he was an even better person off the field,” said Nick Payero, pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds organization.

During his baseball career, Mays was a 24-time All Star, two-time MVP, 12-time Golden Glove Award winner and a recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award in 1971. Mays played with the Giants for over 20 years (with a brief gap due to military service) before returning to The Big Apple to play his final two seasons with the New York Mets. 

Mays is also considered the most complete baseball player of all time as he was one of the first true examples of a five-tool player. Mays hit for both average and power, while also being an elite defender, base runner and having a strong arm. 

“To serve in the Korean War, come back and he’s still spectacular at everything he does . If you were to define the five-tool baseball player, it would be a picture of Willie Mays and all of his accomplishments,” said Blackistone.

Mays led the league in home runs four times and also led the MLB in stolen bases for four consecutive seasons. He finished his 1954 MVP campaign with the highest batting average in the MLB. He also holds the record for most home runs hit in a game with four, which he holds alongside nine other MLB players. 

Mays is a member of Major League Baseball’s All-Time Team and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979. In 2015, President Barack Obama presented Mays with the Presidential Medal of Freedom due to his impact on American culture as a whole. Upon hearing the news that Mays had passed away, Obama took to X to share his condolences. 

“He was also a wonderfully warm and generous person – and an inspiration to an entire generation. I’m lucky to have spent time with him over the years, and Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to his family,” said the former president.

Mays is also remembered for being an active member of his community. He wasn’t the most vocal when it came to publicly speaking about topics on race and politics. However, Mays lived in the predominantly-Black borough of the Bronx, N.Y., for most of his MLB career, and prior to being married, he would go out and play stickball with all of the children a reported two-to-three times a week. He also played a role in housing discrimination being outlawed in San Francisco.

Mays’ legacy is continued by his son Michael Mays.

The post American hero and baseball giant Willie Mays dies at age 93 appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

This post was originally published on this site