Major League Baseball paid tribute to the life and the career of the late Willie Mays ahead of Thursday night's game between the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. Mays, who began his career at Rickwood Field as a member of the Negro League's Birmingham Black Barons, died on Tuesday at the age of 93.
“He was larger than life, but bigger than no one. He gave his whole heart to this game, and we gave our love right back.”
— MLB (@MLB) June 20, 2024
Tonight's for you, Willie Mays. #MLBatRickwood pic.twitter.com/oNqyMF7SWm
Prior to the first pitch, Mays' son Michael was accompanied onto the field (Mays' No. 24 was painted on the grass behind home plate) by Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds. Michael then addressed the crowd, assuring fans that his father had found "another way" to attend the night's game. That resulted in a universal "Willie" chant:
An emotional welcome to #MLBatRickwood.
— MLB (@MLB) June 20, 2024
Michael Mays, Willie's son, with Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. at his side. pic.twitter.com/BBFyzieymn
After the national anthem, Mays' former teammate Bill Greason, 99, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Earlier in the day, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and a collection of players -- including Barry Bonds, CC Sabathia, and Albert Pujols -- took a picture on the field alongside Mays' Hall of Fame plaque:
Barry Bonds, Rob Manfred, and more players taking pictures with Willie Mays' Hall of Fame plaque as we celebrate his life 🧡🖤
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 20, 2024
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/y1vP10rmiT
Additionally, a mural was revealed in Birmingham on Wednesday to honor Mays:
A Willie Mays mural was unveiled in Birmingham today 🧡🖤 pic.twitter.com/42visLcIfe
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) June 19, 2024
A pregame video package highlighted Mays' early beginnings at Rickwood Field. Additionally, Giants players wore commemorative Willie Mays t-shirts during warmups.
In addition to Mays having a connection to Rickwood Field -- hosting an MLB game for the first time in ballpark history -- he also had strong ties to the Giants. Mays spent parts of 21 seasons with the Giants franchise, including his entire peak. He was a 24-time All-Star (MLB played multiple All-Star Games a season for a time), a two-time Most Valuable Player Award recipient, and one of the five greatest players of all-time, according to Baseball Reference's Wins Above Replacement metric. You can read more about Mays' case for being known as the singular best player of all-time here.
