NEWSLETTER
The San Francisco Giants have shared the devastating news that one of the greatest players in Major League Baseball’s history, Willie Mays, has passed away. He was 93.
After appearing with the Birmingham Black Barons in the Negro Leagues, Mays made his Major League Baseball debut for the New York Giants in 1951 and was named the National League Rookie of the Year. He went on to play 21 years for the Giants franchise, including making the move across the country to San Francisco. He finished his legendary career with parts of two seasons with the New York Mets as a 41 and 41-year-old.
“The Say Hey Kid” authored one of the greatest catches in the history of the game during Game One of the 1954 World Series.
Simply iconic
— MLB Vault (@MLBVault) September 29, 2020
Willie Mays made The Catch OTD in 1954. #Postseason pic.twitter.com/MUTfw7qkyr
His list of on-field achievements is epic: 24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove Award winner, 2-time MVP, one batting title and the 1954 World Series championship. He led the league in home runs four times and led the league in stolen bases four times as well. Mays hit 660 career home runs, stole 339 bases and drove in 1,909 runs over his illustrious career.
Mays’ 156.2 WAR (according to Baseball Reference) ranks fifth in the history of the game. He had a career OPS+ of 155! He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979.
In 2015, President Barack Obama honored Mays with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In September 2017, Major League Baseball renamed the World Series MVP Award the Willie Mays World Series MVP Award.
