From a Dodgers fan, my heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to the family of Willie Mays and to all of his friends and fans. I may be a fan of the hated rivals of the Giants, but today I mourn with the Giants fans at the loss of a baseball legend.
Thanks joe Okey. That means a lot. I'm a Giants fan and my grandson is a Dodger fan. We we're talking about Mookies hand injury and I told him that I love baseball and I don't want great players like Mookie to get hurt just because he's a Dodger. I want to see the best players get to play and Mookies one if the best
Though he had a long and great life and career. It's still sad as hell. All those guys that I loved during the 60's as a little kid in Basketball and Baseball are all gone, except for Koufax and Rick Barry. Killebrew,Aaron,Mays, Seaver, West, Wilt,Baylor, Vin, Chick, Mantle. The 3 most coveted Baseball cards in 66' 67 era, were Mantle, Mays, and Koufax. When I finally got the Willie Mays card. It was like finding Gold on the Street. I got it at night and ran across town to my Buddy's but it was getting late and I was getting scared, so waited till the next day.
@@vernpascal1531 Why do people die in the first place? I was raised by an atheist, but I reasoned that pain has a purpose: it tells you to get your hand off the flame. Pain around the world means that something is wrong with the entire planet. Long story short, I prayed my first prayer at the age of 17, "Is there Jesus? I would like to meet Him!" I have been friends with God ever since. That is the point of life: God wanted kids! If people reject Him, He let's them go. Yet, death is the final warning that we must deal with pain or it will deal with us - eternally! Christ endured great pain on the Cross so that we may know Him. Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
I grew up in the Bay Area, a Giants fan. Our family has home movies of Willie giving my brother an autograph. I'm now 72 years old and yet I've been crying for three days..Willie was the flower of my youth.
Rest in Peace Willie! I caddied (carried his bag) for 18 holes when I was 16 and he was 40 at La Rinconada Country Club in Los Gatos. He gave me $5. I’m almost 70 now and that’s my memory of Willie!
Willie was my first baseball hero. That must have been AWESOME!! I worked as a caddy when I was a kid and got to caddy for Buddy Hackett( a bit of a dick) & some retired NFL football players when they played an NFL alumni tournament at the club I worked at. I remember they all had fingers going in crazy directions from being broken so many times. This was about 45 years ago. My best friend caddied there too and he once got to caddy for Joe DiMaggio. This was in NJ and I was a huge Yankee fan. OMG I was so jealous.
Yankee fan here. In my opinion, Willie Mays is the greatest player whose achievements don’t require some additional context. For me, he’s the greatest of all time. RIP legend, and thank you 🙏
I was born on May 6 1989, a week late, but my mom was really happy because I shared a birthday with her hero, the Say Hey Kid, Willie Mays. She passed away many years ago, I like to imagine that she's getting to meet him, something she always wanted to do but never got to. Rest in Peace sir, you were one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
My dad, who is 63, still tells a story of Mays back in the 60’s in the Bay Area. My dad and uncle,kids at the time, along with my grandpa were leaving Candlestick park after a giants game and spotted a light pink Chrysler Imperial on the freeway. They couldn’t help but notice the license plate read “Say Hey” so they urged my grandfather to speed up and try and catch up to this pink car in hopes it could be Willie. As they caught up they rolled down the windows and my dad and uncle motioned for the drivers attention waving and hollering as my grandfather honked,and sure enough Mays looked over gave a big smile and waved, then proceeded along the highway. They said it was the greatest day in their childhood as he was their hero growing up. It showed the kind of great human being he was. RIP Willie
I never heard anyone say anything bad about Willie. Ever. There will never be another like him, he did so much for the game and will never be forgotten.
Good Evening: A few decades ago, discovered that if he didn't have a game that day, he would play stickball with neighborhood kids. Stickball. That will always remain by far the most amazing thing about the man. RIP.
Willie Mays made me a baseball fan as a kid watching from South Florida. I’d follow the Giants ever since, even when they traded him to the Mets. I’m still a Giants fan to this day, lucky to have been able to watch him play. RIP Willie #24.
76 year old here. I was born in Ohio small town just outside of Akron. My favorite team Cleveland Indians my favorite baseball player Willie Mays. Never ever got to see much of Willie play on a regular basis but looked forward every year to the All Star game just to watch Willie play. He never ever let the fans down because he played the game so hard. There's always the question was he the best ever my answer has always been he's the best all around player to ever play the game. Well done Willie life well lived and loved.
Hearing the late great Lon Simmons calling Willie’s 600th homer run has me weeping. Driving home today before May’s passing was announced I was singing along to John Fogerty’s Centerfield. 🎼 So say, “Hey Willie, tell Ty Cobb and Joe DiMaggio” Don’t say it ain’t so you, know the time is now🎼
Willie Mays was my Dad's hero when he was a kid. His Superman. Today is a sad day for all the Giants, players, and fans. Viva Gigantes! Viva Willie Mays! Godspeed to the Say Hey Kid.
My Uncle Marv Grissom had the honor of playing with him, he was a pitcher and part of the 1954 World Series when it was the NY Giants. He often talked about Willie and his extraordinary style of play. Rest Easy Willie and Uncle Marv
Oh my God, just found out this great man passed away. I am in tears. Mr May's was the greatest player in any sports history. Love ya Willie, you will always be our Giant forever.
Been a lifelong Giants and Willie fan. .grew up pretending to be Willie when playing baseball with the neighborhood kids...the 60's were so great times for a ton of us kids!!! Thanks Willie for the memories, and the class act you always were!!! RIP #24, my baseball hero!!! ⚾️
"A baseball legend. An American icon. Willie Mays, the “Say Hey Kid,” was a true Giant of his time. Born in Westfield, Alabama in 1931, Mays began displaying his athletic prowess at an early age. Before he even graduated high school, he was playing center field for the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues. In 1951, Mays emerged as a rising star for the then New York Giants. He won Rookie of the Year honors just four years after baseball’s color barrier had been broken. For the next 23 seasons, his achievements would cement his title as one of the greatest players to have ever played the game. In New York, he dazzled crowds at the Polo Grounds and led the team to a World Series Championship. [footage of “The Catch” during Game 1 of the 1954 World Series:] “There's a long drive... way back at center field... way back, back, it is a... Oh my! Caught by Mays!” His charisma and joyfulness were infectious. He was often seen playing stickball with kids in the neighborhood. When the Giants moved west in 1958, he brought his exciting brand of baseball to a new audience, in San Francisco. Making impossible catches, speeding around the bases, launching home runs - Willie’s showmanship and style were undeniable. ”Here’s a pitch to Willie - swung on, hit deep to left - that one is way back, way back, way back, tell it goodbye - number 600 for Willie Mays, and the bye bye baby bonanza!” He was one of the best home run hitters of all time, with an incredible 660 career homers, even though he missed nearly 2 full seasons serving in the army during the Korean War. He played in 24 All-Star games - tied for the most in National League history. He won 12 gold gloves, and 2 Most Valuable Player awards. But his accomplishments off the field were also impactful. He remained a presence in the Giants clubhouse after his playing days, mentoring hundreds of young players. Forever a kid at heart, he also committed himself to supporting underserved youth throughout the rest of his life. Willie’s impact echoes throughout the baseball community - from the tree-lined promenade of Willie Mays Plaza, to the halls of Cooperstown. And in 2015, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom to honor his remarkable contributions to our country and its national past-time. As baseball endures, so do Willie’s values of consistency, dedication, and courage. With an indelible mark on our hearts, he leaves us with a lasting reminder: to work hard, and find joy in this great game, and this extraordinary life. Say Hey, Willie Mays. The best there ever was." 🧡🖤
While other kids were being put to bed with old fables and nursery rhymes, it was the heroics of The Say Hey Kid that my Pops would close my day with. From incredible catches, magical slides or towering shots deep into the bleachers, tales of Willie doing the near impossible, all with a smile, that crafted my first true idol and superhero. Rest well, Willie Mays. You will never, ever be forgotten.
One of my heroes as a kid growing up. He would often show up to the game at Candlestick and sign autographs for hours before the game. I would marvel at the ground he could cover in centerfield, and nobody played that position better than he did. His arm was strong and accurate, and if you thought you could tag and score on a deep fly to center, you'd best think again. A kind man, generous and a memory incomparable, his memory was uncanny. He never smoked or drank alcohol. He was fun to watch, always put on a show. that cap flying off his head as he stole bases was great showmanship. And that swing. That wonderful powerful broad stance swing. He was the complete package and his records reflect that. Mays, Bobby, Marichal, Perry, Dietz, Davenport, Tito, McCovey, Alou.....1967 greats. I was lucky as a kid to have witnessed the last of the golden age of baseball. RIP Willie Howard "Say Hey" Mays. Man you were special.
As a lifelong SF Giants fan...this is sad but yet makes us baseball fans proud of Mr. Mays accomplishments in life and baseball during tough times. RIP Willie and thank you.
I'll cry for years but will always remember his love of baseball. He was the reason I started watching the game. Fly high forever Willie, you'll be missed like no one else.
Damn, Jon. I’ve had tears since I heard, but now you got me crying crying. RIP #24 Thanks for the excitement. Bay Area born and bred and so glad I got to watch the greatest player to ever play on many occasions live. FOREVER GIANT.
He became my favorite player of all time in 1963 when I went to my first Giant's game when I was 6 years old. You never forget your first game anyway but to be able to watch Willie too (among a lot of other great Giants at the time). He made me a baseball fan until this day. Really great person too. He will be missed.
Had the honor to watch Willie, Mickey, and the Duke as a kid growing up in New York. But even as a rabid Dodger fan, I knew Willie was the best of the lot. R.I.P. Willie
My childhood hero. The best. I was lucky enough to see him play in San Francisco. I grew up nearby and learned how to play baseball by watching Willie. RIP Say Hey Kid. Tears are all I have to give you now.
My son was born while I was in the 4th inning of my life. He texted me last night and said some of his earliest memories were of me telling him stories about Willie. He said he thought it was cool that I told him about seeing him play at the stick. He went on to say Willie was my hero but become his hero to. Willie was the best of us.
😢 good…. *goodbye Willie!* 1931-2024 U were one of a kind of a great player that we, the folks at the Bay Area are blessed with. Right now you’re an angel in the outfield, goodbye friend. Until we meet again.
i used to live in San Francisco, but what a true legend is The Say Hey Kid, Willie Mays. He lived a great life, a legacy that will forever be etched in stone. Goodbye, Willie. We will miss you dearly.
Real sad day today. I’m not personally a Giants fan but every baseball can appreciate what he did for the game. Make sure to say hey to Bobby Bonds up there. Rest in peace Willie 🕊️
My brother and I were born in the 90s and we always tried replicating the “Willie mays catch”. One of the few players we knew that played before the 80s. RIP the great Willie Mays
Oh man, oh man --- I'm not even a Giants fan and I got the ole waterworks goin' watching this --- some athletes transcend their sport and become ICONS --- Willie was one!
I wish I could've seen Mays play but he retired before I was born. My dad says he was the best ballplayer he'd ever seen as a kid and my old man saw the likes off Mantle, DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and Stan Musial,. He said, "the way you feel about Barry Bonds, that;'s the way I feel about Willie Mays."
I was truly fortunate fo have been born in 1957 and grow up in fhe 1960s in San Fernando, California. Although, I was a devoted Los Angeles Dodgers fan, I had tbe deepest respect and admiration for Willie Mays! I'll never forget how Mays went over to help walk L.A. Dodger Catcher John Roseboro off the field at Candlestick Park, with such an anguished look on his face, after Roseboro was struck on the head with a baseball bat by the Giants' Pitcher Juan Marichal. It was a true act of empathy and compassion. REST IN ETERNAL PEACE ~ WILLIE HOWARD "WILLIE" MAYS JR.
I was a little kid in the midwest USA in the early 1960s. When all the other kids were Cubs or Cards fans, and of course, a few that had to pull for Mantle and the Yankees, I had Willie and the Giants on my mind. Used to figure Willie's batting average every day. And anytime the Giants were on TV was a big occasion. What great times to be young. RIP Willie. Sincere Condolences to his family and friends. And let us remember the ever-young Willie who made the game so much fun. ❤👍🇺🇸
When the Giants won the series in 2006, they, unlike the Dodgers, respected their roots in New York. San Fran sent Willie, with the World Series trophy and and a couple of their then current players, to the Polo Grounds projects in NYC, where they went to the elementary schools to show off the trophy and tell the kids how Willie once played where those kids now live. It was a great gesture by the Giants organization, and another example of Willie’s ambassadorship. Simply, the best ever
I don't live in America but to see headlines about the passing of sports legends like Bill Walton and Jerry West in basketball, now Willies Mays in baseball truly saddens the sports fan in me. These names are truly legendary in their respective sport. Their legacy lives on.
Always loved the fact that you can never say anything bad about this great man! Talk about helping further the game of Baseball. Always understood it's the little things that count. Notice how Mays always smacked his throwing fist on his catching glove to let outfielders know he got the incoming ball. Even during the footage of THE CATCH, just steps towards the outfield wall, he pats his fist into his glove. I GOT IT ALL THE WAY, BABY! I have the privilege of owning the complete DVD set of KEN BURNS' BASEBALL. It's gonna be hard re-watching the 7th Inning disc knowing Willie, The Duke, And The Mick are all gone now.❤
What a great tribute to one of the best to ever touch the green diamond fields. Condolences and sympathy to his family, friends, and all that knew and loved him.
Just found out about Mr Mays passing. One of the greatest Baseball Players who ever lived . So many great memories of my dad taking us to see the Giants play in San Francisco. Willie Mays was the main attraction. RIP YOU DEFINITELY DID YOUR JOB HERE.
He was a sports idol of mine in the late ‘60s, early ‘70s as his career wound down. I saw him play many a time at Candlestick Park, having grown up in SF. I was even at the game where the Giants hosted the Montreal Expos and Willie received his 3000th base hit.
Sniff. My grief was unexpected. I knew we all pass, but his loss means all my boys of 1958 are gone. I saw my cousin Herman Franks, 3rd base coach, running to home with Willie at about 1:56 in the film. They loved each other. They were lifelong friends. Rest well, Willie. You were loved. I am 84 years old and my memory of hanging with those boys is indelible! And FRESH!
Wow!! You just cannot get a better send off than this folks. Thank you Jonnie, that tribute is absolutely moving. The world of baseball didn't just lose a star, it lost a solar system. Willie in some respects represented an era of Black (Negro League) ballers who took baseball to a stratosphere of excitement and entertainment. An era that is now only in our dreams and memories. Not sure if I'm more sad by the passing of Willie, or by the passing of a level of passion, purity and class that will never return in our lifetime and a few more.
RIP Willie. Your legacy will live forever amongst Giant’s fans. From 24 Willie Mays plaza, the best address in baseball, the 24ft high right field wall, your statue with your amazing swing , to the number 24 hanging on the left field stands. Today I shed a tear for your passing and now you can have meaningful conversations with all the baseball greats that have passed on. 😂 All the people that you touched will keep the memories of your insightful journey called the game of Baseball and will be cherished forever. Thanks Jon Miller for your insightful commentary for the greatest player to wear the Giant’s orange and black.
Something that my dad taught me --- and I taught my kids who are now teaching my grandkids is that Willie was able to fight racism with the love of baseball. I'm so thankful for my families love of San Francisco Giants baseball and Willie Mays
An amazing person... Willie Mays.. was a very big deal for us kids growing up. We use to fight over names when we played as kids. Smiles at the memories.
About a decade ago, I was able to shake Mays hand and told him thank you on a plane from Birmingham to San Fransisco. He was my father's favorite player. We will honor #24 in 2024.
He was my baseball hero when I was a little black boy in a Jim Crow southern town during the 50’s thru the 1970’s and the reason I love the game today. Bobby Bonds may own the MLB home run record, but Willie, ‘THE SAY HEY KID’ , Mays occupies the spot in my mind and heart the MLB player I imagined myself as being when I played the game as a child and I still do at 70. God blessed us with an incomparable human being in Mr. Mays
Johnny Miller makes this even more beautiful in this time of grief #24 Nobody played it like him The best Giants player Arguably the greatest player ever Say Hey Kid Bless your heart The best that ever was
Being a Giant fan.. I never got to see him play , but the history and the stories of Willie Mays will forever be embedded in my soul.. RIP Say Hey Kid.
He was So Loved, Mine began when I was 11, He took any hate that I might of had, far far away, Thank God. I am a 70 yr old Italian Man, and he was my HERO for All Time. And I could tell some stories that I have heard, But when I tell this one, I Cry in front of Anybody that I Tell. It was the Love and Respect he was Showed, so many Times.
