Baseball legend Willie Mays dies aged 93

One of the greatest players in baseball history, Willie Mays, has passed away. 

Mays, spent the vast majority of his career as a member of the Giants franchise, playing in both New York and San Francisco. It was the Giants who first announced Mays’ passing via a statement from Mays’ son, Michael.

Michael Mays’ statement was quick to praise Giants fans who had supported his father during an over 20-year career, calling them his, “life's blood.”

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

The official Major League Baseball X account (formerly Twitter) released a statement saying they were, “heartbroken,” by the news.

The MLB also wrote that Mays was, “one of the most exciting all-around players in the history of our sport”.

Giants chairman Greg Johnson said, “Willie Mays' combination of tremendous talent, keen intellect, showmanship, and boundless joy set him apart. A 24-time All-Star, the Say Hey Kid is the ultimate Forever Giant,” in a statement following Mays’ passing.

Mays began his career playing for the Birmingham Black Barons in the Negro Leagues, before being signed to the New York Giants in 1951, per Baseball Reference.

Apart from a short stint with the New York Mets to end his career, Mays was involved in the Giants organization for over 20 years, racking up an incredible stat line of 24 All-Star teams, won two National League MVP awards, and had 12 Gold Gloves, per ESPN.

Few sports can be broken down more effectively than baseball to explain someone’s greatness, and Mays’ stats show just what a truly special player he was. ESPN writes, “He ranks sixth all time in home runs (660), seventh in runs scored (2,068), 12th in RBIs (1,909) and 13th in hits (3,293).” Remarkable.

Another San Francisco Giants legend, and Mays’ godson, Barry Bonds took to Instagram to share a touching tribute to Mays, writing, “I have no words to describe what you mean to me- you helped shape me to be who I am today. Thank you for being my Godfather and always being there.”

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!