Sports Editorial, June 18.- The San Francisco Giants announced this Tuesday the death of Willie Mays, a member of the Major League Hall of Fame and historic player of the franchise.
“It is with great sadness that we announce that Willie Mays, legend of the San Francisco Giants and member of the Hall of Fame, passed away peacefully this afternoon at the age of 93,” indicates a statement issued by the Giants through their account on the social network “X”.
In the announcement, Michael Mays, son of the legendary former player, indicated that his father passed away peacefully and among his loved ones. Likewise, he thanked his father for his love, “from the bottom of my broken heart I thank everyone for the unbreakable love they have shown him over the years. They have been his life blood.”
MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred also issued a note, in which he recognized Mays’ greatness.
“All of Major League Baseball is in mourning. His incredible achievements and statistics do not begin to describe the admiration that came with watching Willie Mays dominate the game in every aspect imaginable. We will never forget this true Giant on and off the field,” said Manfred.
“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Willie’s family, his friends in our sport, Giants fans everywhere and his countless admirers around the world,” the commissioner added.
The perfect player
Mays showed his talent for 23 seasons in the Major Leagues, where his combination of tools, including speed, power and hitting for average, in addition to his great defense and strong arm, led him to be classified as the “perfect player in baseball.” ”, an assignment to which he did justice.
During his career, Mays completed a .301 offensive line, with 660 home runs, 1,909 RBIs and 339 stolen bases, while he wore the jackets of the Giants, the New York Mets and the Birmingham Black Barons, in the Negro Leagues, statistics that have been recognized by the MLB.
“Willie Mays took his brilliant talent from the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League to the historic Giants franchise. From coast to coast, in New York and San Francisco, Willie inspired generations of players and fans as baseball grew and truly earned its place as our national pastime,” Manfred added.
Mays, who won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1951, demonstrated the ways in which he could contribute to his team’s success, accumulating the sixth most home runs in the history of the Major Leagues (660), while He collected 12 Gold Gloves for his defense in center field.
Likewise, Mays, godfather of Barry Bonds – the absolute leader of home runs in the Major Leagues -, won the Most Valuable Player award in the 1954 (.345-41-110) and 1965 (.317-52-112) campaigns.
“The Trapped”
Mays marked his presence in the 1954 World Series, when in the eighth inning of the first game against the Cleveland Indians (current Guardians), he caught Vic Wertz’s hit over his shoulder to keep the game tied in the 1954 World Series. Polo Grounds in New York.
“Everyone said, ‘Well, it was a tough game. I said no, it was an easy catch,” Mays later said of the play.
Remembering this defensive play, on September 29, 2017, the MLB named Mays to the World Series Most Valuable Player award.
In addition to his successful baseball career, “The Say Hey Kid,” as Mays was known, also served in the United States Army from 1952 to 1953.
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2024-06-19 04:25:18
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