In Memoriam 2024: Willie Mays (1931–2024) Tribute List

Nicknamed the "Say Hey Kid," Willie Mays was the greatest center fielder to play professional baseball and arguably the second greatest player in baseball history. His career spanned four decades from the Negro leagues (late 1940s) to retirement from Major League Baseball in 1973 — mostly with the New York/San Francisco Giants. The consummate "five tool player," he combined speed, strength, grace, and exuberance to amass a record book of extraordinary statistics. Just a few of his lifetime baseball achievements — 660 home runs, .302 batting average, 24-time All-Star, and 12 consecutive Gold Glove Awards—illustrates clearly why he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979 in his first year of eligibility, and was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999. His lasting impact on the game of baseball, displayed in this tribute list, is chronicled in news and sports articles alike.