CHICAGO — Willie Mays was in the hearts and minds of every member of the Giants Wednesday at Wrigley Field.
Literally.
A day after his death at 93 years old, a commemorative patch was steam-pressed onto the left chest of every road gray jersey. Outlined in orange against a black backdrop sat Mays’ name and number, on the uniform of every Giants player and coach.
“He deserves everything, anything,” said Wilmer Flores when asked about honoring the player more synonymous with the Giants than any other. “I’m sure we’ll have something at home at the stadium when we come back. But it’s never going to be enough, whatever we do, I feel. It’s definitely a sad day.”
It may not be enough, but it won’t be all the Giants and Major League Baseball do to celebrate the life and career of the 24-time All-Star.
Across the league Wednesday, a moment of silence was planned before first pitch at each ballpark. And in the visitors’ dugout at Wrigley Field, the Giants displayed Mays’ No. 24 jersey. But the emotions going through their minds against the Cubs paled in comparison to the anticipated reception Thursday at Rickwood Field, a short drive from Mays’ childhood home outside Birmingham, Alabama, and where he got his start in professional baseball for the Birmingham Black Barons.
“I think after last night, it’s actually heavier today,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We were going to celebrate him, regardless, but this obviously takes on more significance.”
The Giants will play the Cardinals in the first-ever major-league game hosted at the oldest professional ballpark in the country, with a commemoration of Mays’ life and career planned before first pitch.
“It really sucks that it happened two days before we’re playing at Rickwood Field,” starter Logan Webb said. “But we’re going to play in his honor. Willie is kind of the Giant. Like, he is the guy. We’re going to play for him. It’s going to be awesome and it’s going to be emotional. I’m excited to be able to be a part of that.”
The weeklong festivities preceding Thursday’s game and the ceremonies before first pitch were already planned to focus heavily on Mays, whose time with the Negro League’s Black Barons and eventual rise to stardom with the Giants provided connective tissue between the modern game and its segregated past.
The HBO documentary on his life, “Say Hey, Willie Mays,” was screened at a local theater Tuesday night, and a Birmingham-based artist was working on a large mural that will be unveiled this week. His son, Michael, and godson, Barry Bonds, have been on hand, with Bonds serving alongside Derek Jeter as one of the captains for Wednesday’s celebrity softball game. His squad was named the “Say Heys,” while Jeter’s was the “Hammers,” an ode to Hank Aaron.
“I obviously wish he was here with us to see it,” outfielder Mike Yastrzemski said. “But he’ll be watching over the game. It’s definitely one of those times to reflect on the important things in life. He had such an impact on …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
