“I knew if my father could come down here, he would,” Mays’ son, Michael, said to the crowd. “But he’s found another way.”
Players pause to honor Willie Mays before the start of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Flanked by Barry Bonds on one side and Ken Griffey Jr. on the other, Willie Mays’ son, Michael Mays, delivered a message for the masses gathered Thursday evening at historic Rickwood Field, here to celebrate his late, great father.
Only learning of Mays’ passing shortly before the start of their game Tuesday at Wrigley Field, Melvin initially mourned and memorialized Mays by himself, allowing his players to do the same. From the moment the Giants’ team bus pulled in to stadium, they took every opportunity to honor the late legend.
When Michael Mays finished speaking, the sold-out crowd of 8,332 began to break out in chants of “Willie!” and “Say Hey!” The historic moment occurred shortly after a pregame ceremony that featured a video narrated by Jon Miller commemorating Mays, a parade of former Negro Leaguers escorted by current Giants and Cardinals players, a live band led by Jon Baptiste and a crew of Lindy Hop dancers moving to the music.
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