The death of Giants legend and Hall of Famer Willie Mays Tuesday night comes just as the city of Birmingham is about to celebrate both the Alabama native and Birmingham's place in the history of professional baseball.
The San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals will play a game at Rickwood Field, the oldest baseball stadium in the United States. Mays played his earliest games at Rickwood when he was a member of the Birmingham Black Barons in the Negro American League.
Mays was aware of the tribute that was planned in his honor and he told his former teammate and ex-major league manager Dusty Baker that he had hoped to be a part of the celebration.
“I wish I could be with you all today. This is where I'm from. I had my first pro hit here at Rickwood as a Baron in 1948. And now this year 76 years later, it finally got counted in the record books.
“Some things take time, but I always think better late than never. Time changes things. Time heals wounds, and that is a good thing. I had some of the best times of my life and Birmingham so I want you to have this clock to remember those times with me and remember all the other players who were lucky enough to play here at Rickwood Field in Birmingham. Remember, time is on your side.”
Tributes to Mays continue to pour in
Mays was born in Westfield, Alabama in 1931 and a mural depicting his earliest days as a professional will be dedicated around the Rickwood Field game. The mural shows Mays in his familiar outfield stance with his hands on his knees with a beaming smile on his face. Fans have been gathering and cars have been driving past the Birmingham mural that was created by artist Chuck Styles
President Joe Biden brought up his own youth baseball exploits in offering his sympathies to those close to Mays.
“Like so many others in my neighborhood and around the country, when I played Little League, I wanted to play center field because of Willie Mays,” Biden said in a statement. “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.”
Giants manager Bob Melvin and his team dropped a 6-5 decision to the Chicago Cubs Wednesday. His team wore patches with the No. 24 on the chest during the game. Plans to honor Mays for the rest of the season have not been announced by the Giants to this point.
Melvin said the pain of losing the greatest Giants player of all-time was even worse the day after he died. “It’s actually even heavier today,” Melvin said. “When you read all the articles and you read what everybody has to say about him, it kind of comes full circle in what he’s meant to our country. Even if you don’t know baseball, you know who Willie Mays is.”
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