The baseball world has saluted the achievements of Willie Mays, widely considered one of the sport’s best ever players, after his death at age 93.
Mays was twice declared the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) and won the World Series with the New York Giants in 1954.
His famous catch during the championship remains one of the most iconic plays ever seen in America’s so-called “national pastime”.
In addition to his on-field achievements, Mays embodied an attitude of “just keep playing and having fun”, one former player told the BBC.
Nicknamed the “Say Hey Kid”, the centre fielder had been baseball’s oldest living Hall of Famer.
His death was announced “with great sadness” on Tuesday by his former team, who are now the San Francisco Giants.
Mays’s son, Michael, told the Associated Press that his father died in the presence of his family and wished to thank his fans for their years of support.
“My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones. I want to thank you all from the bottom of my broken heart for the unwavering love you have shown him over the years,” he said. “You have been his life’s blood.”
Major League Baseball (MLB) said it was “heartbroken” over the death of “one of the most exciting all-around players in the history of our sport”.
Mays was a “true Giant on and off the field”, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said.
“His incredible achievements and statistics do not begin to describe the awe that came with watching Willie Mays dominate the game in every way imaginable,” Manfred added.
President Joe Biden said in a statement on Wednesday that Mays was the reason he wanted to play centerfield as a child in Little League.
“It was a rite of passage to practice his basket catches, daring steals, and command at the plate – only to be told by coaches to cut it out because no one can do what Willie Mays could do,” the president said.
Mays was “more than just a baseball icon”, California Governor Gavin Newsom said.
“He broke barriers and inspired millions of Americans – setting records, bringing joy to countless fans, and becoming a role model for a generation of future athletes.”
Barry Bonds, Mays’s godson and another former Giants player – also considered to be among the best in the game – paid tribute to the baseball great, saying “you helped shape who I am today”.
“I have no words to describe what you mean to me,” Bonds said in a post on social media.
MLB sportswriter Sarah Langs said that Mays was her mother’s hero.
“I am where I am today because of how he captivated her from a young age,” she said.
“His joy for the game inspired her, and she passed that love onto me.
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