Pirates star Andrew McCutchen pulls up to MLB game wearing Willie Mays jersey
One of the all-time greats in baseball history recently passed away. Known as the “Say Hey Kid”, 24-time All-Star Willie Mays passed away earlier this week at the age of 93 years old. And plenty of players across the MLB have decided to honor the legend. Pirates star Andrew McCutchen honored the legend by wearing an autographed Willie Mays Giants jersey.
He wore the jersey ahead of the Pirates-Rays matchup on Friday night.
Legendary Willie Mays passes away at the age of 93 years old
San Francisco Giants legend Willie Mays passed away, the franchise announced on Tuesday night. Mays is considered one of the best baseball players of all time as he won two MVPs and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979 on his first ballot.
“It is with great sadness that we announce that San Francisco Giants Legend and Hall of Famer Willie Mays passed away peacefully this afternoon at the age of 93,” the Giants said via X.
Mays spent one year — 1948 — in the Negro League with the Birmingham Black Barons, playing close to his hometown of Westfield, Alabama. Three years later, Mays moved over to the MLB and began his career with the New York Giants before the franchise moved out West to San Francisco. He was then traded back to New York in 1972, playing his final two years with the Mets.
There are countless stats to discuss when looking at the career of Mays. He was an all-star for 20 consecutive seasons for a total of 24 appearances and was named the Mid-Summer Classic MVP on two different occasions.
Mays finished with 3,293 career hits, good enough for second in baseball history. His 660 home runs are also sixth on the all-time leaderboard, leading MLB in the category in five seasons. An incredible hitter who consistently got on base with a ton of power.
Arguably even more impressive was how good of a fielder Mays was. He won 14 Gold Gloves, with 12 of them coming in center field — the most for anybody at the position. Everyone will remember the catch he made in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series against the Cleveland Indians. Mays made an over-the-shoulder grab while sprinting backward before turning around and throwing the ball back into the infield.
Truly an iconic moment in baseball.
His No. 24 jersey is already retired by the Giants and will never be worn again. Before their series against the Chicago Cubs on Monday (June 24th), the franchise will host an on the field ceremony celebrating his life and legacy. The Giants want fans in their seats at Oracle Park at 6:30 PM EST for the tribute, which is set to begin at 6:45 PM EST.
On3’s Griffin McVeigh also contributed to this article.