(DailyChive.com) – One of the greatest all-time baseball players, Willie Mays, who was the iconic center fielder of the San Francisco Giants, breathed his last at the age of 93.
Historically, Willie is the most selected All-Star player, with 24 appearances in these games. His 23-year-old baseball career saw him play mostly with the Giants, in which he hit 660 home runs and won 12 Gold Gloves.
According to ESPN, Willie is the second-best baseball player of all time, standing just behind Babe Ruth, who died in 1948.
In 2015, Willie also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom after being acknowledged as one of the greatest living baseball players by the MLB earlier that year.
Willie’s son, Michael Mays and the Giants both announced the death of the distinguished athlete.
Giants chairman Greg Johnson acknowledged Willie’s efforts in blessing the game of baseball with his sheer intellect and hardwork, adding that his heroics will be remembered in times to come.
CEO of the team, Larry Bear, also paid tribute to the departed soul and revealed that he fell in love with baseball after seeing Willie’s unparalleled athleticism. He noted that he grew up watching Willie’s on the field, and working with him in the Giants was nothing short of a blessing.
MLB CEO Rob Manfred also shed light on Willie’s storied career, which, according to him, helped other players adopt the game as a profession and contributed to making the game famous all over the world.
Willie is also known to have emerged in baseball at a time when few black players managed to make a professional career due to the segregationist policies prevalent in many Southern states.
Former President Barack Obama had previously suggested that black people like Willie and Jackie Robinson changed the attitude of the masses towards African Americans, and that it might not have been possible for him to become the President of the United States without their accomplishments.
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