Baseball world mourns Willie Mays

Willie Mays stands out not only as a member of the Hall of Fame’s inner circle, but as an integral part of baseball’s rich history. That legacy was felt with full force Tuesday when the San Francisco Giants, his team for the past 21 seasons, announced his death at 5:52 p.m. PT.

May’s death at the age of 93 sparked a reaction throughout the baseball world, first seen on the Giants’ television broadcast.

“We are very sad to share the information just released by the Giants that the great Willie Mays has passed away,” said Giants commentator Jon Miller. “He passed away peacefully this afternoon at the age of 93.”

The Giants also included a statement from Mays’ son Michael, who thanked fans for the support they showed his father:

MLB quickly released a statement from Commissioner Rob Manfred saying that Mays’ incredible accomplishments and statistics do not begin to describe the awe felt watching Willie Mays dominate the game in every way imaginable.” It was not long before California Governor Gavin Newsom published his own statement.

Barry Bonds, whose godfather Willie Mays was at Bobby Bonds’ side during his time as a player, responded via Instagram:

Mays’ death will greatly impact the upcoming game at Rickwood Field, where the Giants are scheduled to face the St. Louis Cardinals, the home of the Negro League’s Birmingham Black Barons, where Mays played before signing with the Giants in 1950. The Giants had released a statement from Mays just a day earlier, saying he could not participate because he “wasn’t moving as well as he used to.”

When Mays’ death was announced, Rickwood Field was actually the site of a minor league game between the Birmingham Barons (named after Mays’ hometown team) and the Montgomery Biscuits.

MLB Network commentator Rich Waltz could be heard struggling with his emotions as he read the Giants’ announcement during the game.

In the hours that followed, many more people responded. Keith Hernandez, a New York Mets commentator who had followed Mets games during his short career with the then-young Mets, was close to tears as he recalled his meeting with the legend:

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen also spoke about his encounter with Mays, who reportedly nicknamed the former MVP “Pittsburgh” (via Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette):

Numerous black baseball players reacted on social media, as did longtime San Francisco Chronicle Giants writer John Shea, who was friends with Mays and co-wrote his autobiography.