Back on September 29, 1954, Willie Mays made the catch of a lifetime in Game 1 of the World Series at Polo Grounds. While fans will always remember Mays for “The Catch,” what “the Say Hey Kid” did throughout the rest of his baseball career arguably had an even bigger impact on the game.
The Cooperstown Hall of Famer won MVP twice, was named to 24 All-Star teams, and won 12 Gold Glove awards. Many regard him as one of, if not the best, centerfielders to ever take the baseball diamond.
According to several outlets, the longtime San Francisco Giants legend passed away peacefully on Tuesday at the age of 93.
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. pic.twitter.com/Qk4NySCFZQ
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 19, 2024
Simply iconic
— MLB Vault (@MLBVault) September 29, 2020
Willie Mays made The Catch OTD in 1954. #Postseason pic.twitter.com/MUTfw7qkyr
There will never be another quite like Willie Mays 🧡 pic.twitter.com/I95JW1buJF
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 19, 2024
Mays certainly earns a place on any list of the best MLB players of all-time, and most would have him ranked right at the top, for good reason.
Mays still ranks first in MLB history with 7,112 total putouts as an outfielder. Offensively, he ranks fourth all-time in total bases. Keep in mind that hundreds, thousands of other ballplayers have had a chance to surpass Mays since his retirement in 1973, but there can only be one Willie Mays.
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