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Baseball legend Willie Mays, described by The New York Times as baseball's “vibrant embodiment of the consummate player,” died Tuesday at age 93.
The San Francisco Giants made a sad announcement. X“We are deeply saddened to announce that San Francisco Giants legend and Hall of Famer Willie Mays passed away peacefully this afternoon at the age of 93.”
Mays, a center fielder often referred to as the greatest player in baseball history, was living in an assisted living facility in Palo Alto, California.
His statistics were overwhelming. Playing for the Giants and Mets after getting his start in the Negro Leagues 76 years ago, he maintained his career with 660 home runs, 3,293 hits, 7,112 putouts and 12 Gold Glove Awards. He has a batting average of .301.
That home run gets him no. 6th on the all-time home run hitter list.
Of course, he was forever associated with “The Catch,” the amazing catch I made in the 1954 World Series.
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His charisma made Mays a pop culture touchstone. From the comic strip “Peanuts” to the classic film “Manhattan” to appearances on the pop charts, Treniers' “Say Hey (The Willie Mays Song)” (1954) immortalized his work. effect.
His crossover appeal has put him on the same level as fellow legend Jackie Robinson. His influence as an icon led to the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to President Barack Obama in 2015.
Mays was born May 6, 1931 in Westfield, Alabama. His major league debut came on May 25, 1951, when he was just 20 years old. He remained an attractive player until he retired over 22 years later in 1973, when physical ailments slowed his performance.
When Mays accepted the deal endorsing Ballys, he was unable to continue his job with a major league team because he was on the payroll of a gambling venture. That rule changed and Mays accepted a lifetime contract with the Giants as a consultant.
Mays' second wife died in 2013. She is survived by her son from her first marriage.
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