SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants held a pregame ceremony Monday commemorating the lifetime of franchise legend Willie Mays.
The roughly 30-minute tribute was held at San Francisco’s first residence sport for the reason that workforce’s beloved star died Tuesday on the age of 93.
“He gained hearts on the East Coast, he gained hearts on the West Coast, and in all places in between,” Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow mentioned in the course of the tribute.
The tribute featured a video displaying highlights of the charismatic star’s profession, together with Barack Obama presenting Mays the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.
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The Giants deliberate further tributes for the late Corridor of Famer all through the sport towards the Chicago Cubs, which San Francisco gained 5-4 to snap a five-game skid.
“All of us obtained to put on No. 24, and that is fairly cool,” Giants supervisor Bob Melvin mentioned, acknowledging the win was particularly significant on an evening when the workforce held a tribute for Mays.
“All of the stuff pregame, it definitely will get your consideration, and we have been excited about this all week and at last win a sport for him,” Melvin mentioned. “Whether or not it was Rickwood or no matter, we had bother successful video games throughout his tributes, so it was good to have the ability to do it at residence right here.”
Mays performed 21 seasons with the Giants and the two-time MVP and 24-time All-Star stays the franchise’s all-time profession chief in residence runs (646), hits (3,187), extra-base hits (1,289), video games performed (2,857) and at-bats (10,477), amongst different classes.
All Giants gamers and coaches wore Mays’ quantity for Monday’s sport.
The commemoration follows a nationally televised sport between the Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday at Rickwood Subject in Alabama, which MLB heralded as “A Tribute to the Negro Leagues,” honoring the legacy of Mays, together with different impactful Black baseball stars.
“We’re honored to be right here on tonight and I am positive the pregame can be a particular time for positive,” Cubs supervisor Craig Counsell mentioned earlier than Monday’s sport.
“In that perspective, glad we may very well be right here for a part of the tribute.”
The Related Press contributed to this report.