SAN FRANCISCO – Thursday was a special day at Oracle Park, where hundreds of San Francisco Giants fans gathered to pay tribute to their favorite player of all time, the late Willie Mays.
Among the crowd was Teddy Schall, a lifelong fan.
“I came here thinking about the memories, look at the statue. I brought flowers from my backyard at home to put here on the base and my plan is to watch the game here at the ballpark,” Schall said.
Although Teddy was born after Willie Mays retired, he grew up watching clips of Mays making history, not only on the field but as a San Francisco institution.
“I knew him more as a civic icon in San Francisco and as kind of the patriarch of the San Francisco Giants and I’m inspired by how involved he was for so many years – all the way to the end,” he said.
Fans like Teddy honored Mays with a special screening of the game between the Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The game honored Negro League stars, including Mays, who played for the Birmingham Black Barons in 1948 before signing with the Giants.
The emotion was palpable as fans remembered the legendary player who died on Tuesday at the age of 93. Cinthia Fryerger was another devoted fan who shared her sentiments.
“I’ve been crying for two days… It’s just very emotional. I’m old enough to remember going to Candlestick Park and seeing him.”
Fryerger held back tears and held a treasured, autographed photo of Mays in his hand. “I got a chance to meet him and he signed that for me and I brought it today and we brought orange flowers to put on the statue,” she said.
Mays’ impact on and off the field was significant, Fryerger said.
“I think it goes beyond San Francisco. He’s our guy even though he went to the Mets. He’s still our guy and his spirit was baseball, not just the hitting – the running, the catching, the love of the game. get the fans excited about it.”
Fryerger encouraged others to appreciate Mays’ contributions.
‘Just look at him. Look how he played. Learn to love the game. It’s not the number one game in America, I guess, but it’s my number one game.”
