The baseball world experienced a great tragedy on Tuesday after the San Francisco Giants announced that one of the greatest players of all time, Willie Mays, has passed away at the age of 93. Mays was a true revolutionary of the sport and he also embodied the baseball ethos of giving it one's all in every minute they spend on the field. Mays' loss is devastating, but one can only imagine how heartbreaking it must be for Barry Bonds.

Bonds was the godson of Mays, and the two shared a very strong relationship that extended way past the confines of a baseball stadium. The MLB's all-time home runs leader could not help but express his grief over the loss of someone he held near and dear to his heart.

“I am beyond devastated and overcome with emotion. 💔 I have no words to describe what you mean to me- you helped shape me to be who I am today. Thank you for being my Godfather and always being there. Give my dad a hug for me. Rest in peace Willie, I love you forever. #SayHey ⚾️,” Bonds wrote as the caption to his tribute post for Willie Mays on his official Instagram account.

Willie Mays enjoyed a fruitful 22-year career that spanned from 1951 to 1973. He spent 20 and a half seasons with the Giants franchise, joining them back when they were still based in New York. He hit 660 home runs and drove in 1909 runs for his career while playing stellar defense at centerfield. He won two MVP awards and 12 consecutive Gold Gloves while making the All-Star Game 20 times. Mays typified greatness, as seen in his iconic catch in the 1954 World Series, and the “Say Hey Kid” will be truly missed.

Willie Mays and Barry Bonds — two Giants legends

Willie Mays was the epitome of consistency. He tallied 149.8 WAR (per Fangraphs) for his career, which is good for third-most all-time among position players. For 13 straight seasons, Mays tallied 6.9 or more WAR, peaking with a 10.7 WAR campaign in 1965. The Giants knew that they had a foundational star on the roster for as long as Mays was physically capable.

Mays, deep into his tenure with the Giants, played with a right fielder named Bobby Bonds; they patrolled the outfield together for 4.5 seasons, and from there, a bond (no pun intended) between the two was born. In fact, Bonds asked Mays to be his firstborn son Barry's godfather, to which the Say Hey Kid agreed.

Barry Bonds was only three years old when his father broke through in the big leagues. Little did everyone, including Willie Mays, know at the time that Bonds would eventually become one of baseball's greatest yet most polarizing players.

Bonds was already shaping up to be an all-time great during his stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a true five-tool player like his godfather, burning the bases with his speed, hitting home runs for fun, and playing Gold Glove-level defense in left field. But his career didn't truly take off to historic heights until he joined the Giants.

With the Giants, Bonds became perhaps the most difficult out in baseball history. His plate discipline and vision was elite, and most importantly, the threat of his power intimidated opposing pitchers to the point where they would simply refuse to pitch to him.

Of course, Bonds is as controversial as it can get; he is guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs, which taints his contributions on the field. Perhaps the view of him will become much kinder as time passes.