The New York Mets debuted a patch on their uniforms during Saturday’s Major League Baseball game against the Houston Astros remembering Willie Mays.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame member died on June 18 at age 93.
Mays finished his career with the Mets. Traded by the San Francisco Giants to New York during the 1972 season, Mays played for the last time with the Mets during the 1973 World Series.
“Putting the patch on the uniform is another clear indication by the Mets that they appreciated and valued the contributions my dad made to the organization and, for that matter, to New York City,” said Mays’ son, Michael Mays, in a statement released by the Mets. “For my father, coming back to the Mets was coming back to where it all started. He was coming home.”
Mays played six seasons for the Giants in New York before the franchise moved to San Francisco.
The Mets became the second team that will wear a Mays patch for the remainder of the season.
During their first home game since Mays’ death, the Giants had all their uniformed personnel wear No. 24 during a National League game against the Chicago Cubs, with the patch remaining on the uniforms when the players returned to their normal jersey numbers.
Major League Baseball held what Commissioner Rob Manfred called “a national remembrance” for Mays two days after his death. “MLB at Rickwood: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues” brought the Giants and St. Louis Cardinals to the historic Birmingham ballpark for a National League game on June 20.
Mays grew up near Rickwood Field and started his pro baseball career in 1948 playing there for the Birmingham Black Barons, a flagship franchise of Black baseball during the game’s segregated era and a member of the Negro American League at the time.
The Giants will hold a celebration of life for Mays on July 8 at Oracle Park.
“The San Francisco Giants and the family of Willie Mays will remember the tremendous talent, keen intellect, remarkable showmanship and boundless joy of the Giants legend and Hall-of-Famer,” the team said in a statement. “The public celebration of life is open to all fans and friends of Willie Mays, the Say Hey Kid.”
The Mets also added a sleeve patch for former catcher Jerry Grote on Saturday. Grote played for New York from 1966 to 1977, including the Mets’ 1969 World Series-winning team.
The Washington Commanders’ offseason has been highlighted by the drafting of Jayden Daniels to be the face of the franchise and the new “stench-free” regime under Dan Quinn.
While the Commanders did more business aside from Daniels’ selection, it is that which gets the most attention, and rightly so.
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