(DailyVantage.com) – Baseball legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays has passed away at the age of 93.
The baseball icon’s death was announced by the San Francisco Giants.
“Today we have lost a true legend,” Greg Johnson, chairman of the Giants, wrote. He also commended Mays for having a profound impact on both baseball and the fabric of America itself.
Larry Baer, the Giants’ CEO, also shared that Mays inspired his love for the sport of baseball, relating that he as a young boy accompanied by his father, would watch the baseball legend play on the field. Baer also recalled working with Mays for three decades, saying that it “has been one of the joys of my life.”
“All of Major League Baseball is in mourning today,” Rob Manfred, the MLB’s commissioner, said in a statement. Manfred described Mays as “one of the most impactful” baseball players in the world, and someone responsible for inspiring “generations of players and fans.”
Michael Mays, Willie’s son, also confirmed the news of his father’s death, saying that Willie passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones.
Barry Bonds, another American baseball icon, who was Mays’ godson and shared a special bond with the late legend, posted a short heartfelt tribute to Mays on social media. Bonds said that he was devastated by Mays’ death, and thanked his godfather for always being there for him and helping to shape him into the person he is today.
Mays began his professional baseball career in the NAL (Negro American League) in 1948, playing for the Birmingham Black Barons, and managed to make it into the National League in 1951, where he played for the Giants. He took a hiatus in 1952 to 1953, to serve in the U.S. Army. Mays went back to playing pro baseball in 1954, leading the Giants to a World Series victory, snapping up the MVP for the National League that same year. Mays retired in 1973. In 2015, Mays was named one of baseball’s Greatest Living Players and was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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