Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays, the 'Say Hey Kid,' Dies at 93

Willie Mays, a baseball legend described by The New York Times as the sport's "exuberant embodiment of the complete player," died Tuesday at 93.

The San Francisco Giants made the sad announcement on X, writing, "It is with great sadness that we 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 baseball's greatest player ever, had been residing at an assisted living facility in Palo Alto, California.

His stats were overwhelming — playing for the Giants and the Mets after getting his start in the Negro leagues 76 years ago, he hit 660 home runs, amassed 3,293 hits, racked up 7,112 putouts, won a dozen Gold Glove Awards, and maintained a career batting average of .301.

Those home runs make him no. 6 on the all-time list of home-run hitters.

He was, of course, forever associated with "The Catch," an astonishing catch me made during the 1954 World Series.

His charisma made Mays a pop cultural touchstone, including appearances in the "Peanuts" comic strip, the film classic "Manhattan," and on the pop charts — "Say Hey (the Willie Mays Song)" by the Treniers (1954) immortalized his impact.

His crossover appeal put him on the same level as fellow legend Jackie Robinson. His impact as an icon led to a Presidential Medal of Freedom that was bestowed upon him for President Barack Obama in 2015.

Mays was born May 6, 1931, in Westfield, Alabama. His Major League debut arrived on May 25, 1951, when he was just 20 years old. He remained a magnetic player, retiring when physical ailments slowed him down more than 22 years later, in 1973.

When Mays accepted a deal endorsing Ballys, being on the payroll of a gambling venture precluded him from continuing any work for a Major League team. That rule was reversed, and Mays accepted a lifetime contract with the Giants as a consultant.

Mays was preceded in death by his second wife in 2013. He is survived by his son from his first marriage