This story was excerpted from Maria Guardado’s Giants Beat e-newsletter. To learn the complete e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it recurrently in your inbox.
SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants are making the most of a once-in-a-lifetime incidence to have fun considered one of their most beloved franchise icons.
This Sunday, Feb. 4 — in any other case referred to as 2/4/24 — will formally be proclaimed “Willie Mays Day” by San Francisco Mayor London Breed, a becoming honor for the Corridor of Fame heart fielder who famously wore No. 24 throughout his transcendent profession with the Giants.
“I’m honored by Mayor Breed’s proclamation, and wish to thank the Metropolis of San Francisco and the Giants for today,” Mays, 92, mentioned in an announcement. “The sport of baseball has been nice to me, and never solely was I given the chance to play, however I used to be additionally given the chance to assist children all around the globe. To me, today means I’m cherished. That is as a lot my day as it’s for everybody who loves the Sport.”
As a part of the festivities, a number of San Francisco landmarks — together with Metropolis Corridor, the Ferry Constructing and Salesforce Tower — can be lit up in orange and black lights on Sunday. Oracle Park may even be illuminated, with an ornamental banner hanging from the 24 palm timber in Willie Mays Plaza to commemorate the event.
The thought for “Willie Mays Day” first got here from Adam Swig, a Giants season-ticket holder and the founder and government director of the California nonprofit Worth Tradition. After realizing {that a} date synonymous with Mays — 2/4/24 — was approaching on the calendar, Swig reached out to Giants president and CEO Larry Baer, who started working with Breed to deliver “Willie Mays Day” to life.
“I really feel like I’m considered one of thousands and thousands of children that performed baseball within the yard pretending I used to be Willie Mays in San Francisco,” Baer mentioned Thursday. “With the ability to proceed to honor him and proceed to be a part of the Giants household, particularly this yr after we’re going to Rickwood [Field], it’s actually spectacular.
“To me, he’ll at all times be the best participant ever. I believe the vast majority of baseball followers that return to watching him play in all probability really feel that.”
Mays’ legacy will stay within the highlight on June 20, when the Giants will face off towards the Cardinals at Rickwood Subject in Birmingham, Ala., the previous dwelling of the Negro Leagues’ Birmingham Black Barons, the place the Say Hey Child performed as an adolescent. The Giants are additionally planning to offer out 20,000 bobbleheads that includes Mays in his Black Barons uniform in honor of African American Heritage Day at Oracle Park on Might 31.
“Our Nationwide Pastime at all times welcomes the chance to have fun the sport’s best residing participant, Willie Mays,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred mentioned in an announcement. “Main League Baseball applauds the San Francisco Giants and the Metropolis of San Francisco for honoring the perfect quantity 24 of all in grand style. To today, Willie stays an inspiration to sports activities followers and baseball gamers in all places. We look ahead to highlighting Willie’s legacy on the MLB at Rickwood Subject Sport in his hometown of Birmingham this June twentieth.”
The oldest residing Corridor of Famer, Mays was a singular expertise who spent 21 of his 23 Main League seasons with the Giants, serving as probably the most outstanding bridge between the New York and San Francisco eras. A two-time Nationwide League MVP, a 24-time All-Star and a 12-time Gold Glove Award winner, Mays hit .301 and ranks sixth on the all-time record with 660 profession dwelling runs.
Apart from his otherworldly feats on the sector, Mays was additionally identified for his love of children. In honor of his ninetieth birthday in 2021, the Giants Neighborhood Fund launched the Willie Mays Students program, a need-based scholarship out there to Black ninth and eleventh graders residing in San Francisco that’s at present accepting purposes.
“The imprimatur of Willie will at all times persist with anybody who watched him or met him,” Baer mentioned. “I really feel blessed that it’s now been over 30 years that I’ve identified him as a member of our entrance workplace. He’s a fair higher individual than he was a participant.”