Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. issued the following statement Tuesday regarding the passing of Hall of Famer Willie Mays at age 93:
“All of Major League Baseball is in mourning today as we gather in precisely the stadium where he began an unparalleled career and legacy. 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.
“Just as his career was on the rise, Willie served his country in the United States Army in 1952 and 1953. As the National League Most Valuable Player in 1954, he led the Giants to victory in the World Series, in which made one of the most memorable plays of all time with ‘The Catch’ deep in center field at the Polo Grounds. In total, Willie was named MVP twice, named to 24 All-Star Games, won 12 Gold Gloves, selected as one of the game’s Greatest Living Players in 2015. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom later that year.
“And yet, his incredible accomplishments and statistics don’t 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. 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. .
“Thursday’s game at historic Rickwood Field was set up to be a celebration of Willie Mays and his teammates. “With sadness in our hearts, he will now also serve as a national reminder of an American who will always remain on the short list of the most impactful people our great game has ever known.”
Thursday’s MLB game at Rickwood Field: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues on FOX will feature a pregame ceremony honoring the life of Willie Mays. The Birmingham Black Barons called Rickwood Field home from 1924 to 1960. As a teenager, Mays began his professional career with the Black Barons in 1948. Rickwood Field was the site of the final game of the Negro Leagues World Series in October 1948, where Mays’ Black Barons fell to the Homestead Grays in five games.
In commemoration of ‘The Catch’ as perhaps the most famous defensive play in Fall Classic history, the World Series Most Valuable Player Award was named in Willie’s honor on the anniversary of the milestone on September 29, 2017.
