SAN FRANCISCO – Tributes of all sounds and meanings poured into Willie Mays Plaza in San Francisco’s Oracle Park to commemorate the passing – and legacy – of his namesake, Willie Mays. who died on Tuesday.
Fans, including Carrie Brandon, stopped at the Say Hey Kid statue to pay their respects and reflect on the impact he had on each person passing by.
“I’m a born and bred Giants fan and have been coming to games since I was seven years old,” she told CBS News Bay Area. “For me, at my age, it’s hard to imagine living in a world where he’s not here, but it means too much to have his statue and his legacy as part of the Bay Area.”
Most people today have never had the pleasure of seeing Willie Mays play baseball. But Brandon came closer than most when, at age 13, she performed the national anthem at a game honoring Mays.
“To come into contact with this legend, even at a young age, I knew what an incredible opportunity I had to meet him,” she recalls. “It was one of my best childhood memories.”
Giants and baseball fans paid their respects Tuesday night, piling flowers, bills, baseballs, candles and bobbleheads higher every hour. Some fans said a prayer, others shed a tear.
But Mays’ impact is reflected in the tangible tributes and seen through the spirit of baseball and San Francisco.
Jelani Adams was having dinner across the street when he heard of the Giants legend’s passing.
Adams is a Dodgers fan, but says rivalries are put aside when a legend of Mays’ level passes away.
“I admit I’m a die-hard Dodger fan, but you have to respect what that man did. Especially as a black athlete at the time he played, on the eve of Juneteenth, you can’t ignore the fact that Willie Mays has definitively paved the way for many athletes you see today, especially in the MLB, of which Mookie Betts is one,” said Adams. “He’s a legend.”
From rivalry to camaraderie, Mays’ baseball legacy spans generations.
For Brandon, she mourns the loss of that legend along with her father who played a tribute to “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” on his trumpet. A moment to cherish the Say Hey Kid one last time.
“The city mourns today,” Brandon said, “but also celebrates the life of an incredible person who meant so much to the Bay.”
