MLB world responds to Willie Mays’ death: ‘He is a real giant, on and off the field’, Major League Baseball and San Francisco Giants legend Willie Mays died Tuesday at the age of 93.

The “Say Hey Kid” performed with a showman’s flair, making basket catches in center field, taking daring risks on the base paths, winning four home run crowns, twelve Gold Glove Awards and laughing in a cheerful high-pitched voice.

Mays spent 21 of his 23 Major League seasons with the Giants organization in New York and San Francisco. He hit .301 with 660 home runs, 339 stolen bases and 3,293 hits and won two National League MVP awards.

Mays left an indelible mark on baseball, prompting many members of the MLB community to pay tribute to him during Tuesday night’s games and on social media.

He leaves us with a lasting memory: to work hard and find joy in this great game and this extraordinary life. Say hello, Willie Mays. The best there ever was. 💐 pic.twitter.com/9QnpsDZM9B

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 19, 2024

I’ll never forget this day when I walked in and heard, “That’s the boy wearing his hat like that.”

RIP Willie Mays. You changed the game forever and inspired kids like me to chase our dream. Thank you for everything you have done on and off the field. Always in our hearts… pic.twitter.com/Xv2ZHbKFvt

— CC Sabathia (@CC_Sabathia) June 19, 2024

“I had to tell him he was the best player I ever saw”

Keith Hernandez remembers his encounters with Willie Mays pic.twitter.com/j6BEI063fk

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 19, 2024

An in-game tribute to Willie Mays during the MiLB at Rickwood game. 🧡🖤 pic.twitter.com/roKgNF3gQd

— MLB (@MLB) June 19, 2024

One of the best to ever play the game and even a better person. Thoughts and prayers are with Willie’s family and loved ones. https://t.co/kiyCbfBqOi

— Derek Jeter (@derekjeter) June 19, 2024

Willie Mays #24 was a legend among legends. I was blessed to spend a few weeks with Willie and I can tell you this: Baseball was deep in his heart and he could talk to the best of them! Thanks Willie 🙏🏾🕊️ #rest in paradise

— JIMMY ROLLINS (@JimmyRollins11) June 19, 2024

Say Hey, you really were my idol, Willie.
You will be missed

— Paul O’Neill (@PaulONeillYES) June 19, 2024

The @Cubs held a moment of silence at Wrigley Field for the death of Willie Mays. pic.twitter.com/tlYm6sAARl

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) June 19, 2024

We are heartbroken by the passing of Hall of Famer Willie Mays, one of the most exciting all-around players in the history of our sport.

Mays was a two-time MVP, 24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove Award winner and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In… pic.twitter.com/kOqxNnetg7

— MLB (@MLB) June 19, 2024

We deeply mourn the loss of the great Willie Mays. Not only was he a phenomenal player, but he was also a great person. Here’s to you, Willie. Say hello to Yogi for us. pic.twitter.com/H79GgpYMb8

— Yogi Berra Museum (@YogiBerraMuseum) June 19, 2024

Statement from Executive Director Tony Clark on the passing of Willie Mays pic.twitter.com/71vJaWhAPq

— MLBPA (@MLBPA) June 19, 2024

I am devastated to hear about the passing of legendary Hall of Famer Willie Mays, one of the main reasons I fell in love with baseball. Cookie and I are praying for his family, friends and fans during this difficult time. 🙏🏾

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 19, 2024

He was a 24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glover, 2-time MVP, World Series champion and a Hall of Famer.

The great Willie Mays has passed away. It was a privilege to know him. We were both honored by it @MLB in 2010 with the Beacon Award, given to pioneers in the field of civil rights.

He was… pic.twitter.com/wdTTNUiEmt

— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) June 19, 2024

Willie Mays wasn’t just a special athlete, blessed with an unparalleled combination of grace, skill and strength. He was also a wonderfully warm and generous person – and an inspiration to a whole generation. I’m fortunate to have spent time with him over the years, and Michelle and I… pic.twitter.com/tpO3O9B9yc

– Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 19, 2024

Quotes and anecdotes around MLB:

Ken Griffey Jr.: “My heart is on the ground,” the Hall of Famer told MLB Network. “I’m just grateful and grateful that I was able to spend the time I had with Mays because he is a true giant both on and off the field.”

Aaron Judge: The New York Yankees star outfielder and California native reflected on their meeting with Mays.

“I have a family friend who is very close to his family,” Judge said. “I got the chance to meet him. He showed me a few things about throwing a baseball from the outfield, which I still remember. I still have a few cool things signed in my nursery.

Judge added: “Terrible, terrible news (of his death). I was a big Willie Mays fan. What he meant to the game, California, all the Giants fans out there, especially me growing up, you wanted to play like Willie and make the catches he made.

“The numbers he put up on the field and what he did are impressive, but he as a person and a person was even greater. It was bigger than baseball. He was something special. The baseball world will certainly miss a great example.”

Mike Yastrzemski: “We’ll never see the things he did again,” the Giants outfielder said of Mays’ career. “He was such a talented player and he played the game as pure as anyone could. To be able to see that on film – I’m glad there was film for it – because it’s something that is watched and studied the rest of the time will be.”

GO DEEPER

Giants respond to Willie Mays’ death: ‘We will never see the things he did again’

Sergio Romo: “Every day he was very willing to give his time, give his expertise and give his advice,” Romo, a three-time World Series champion with the Giants, told NBC Sports Bay Area of May’s visit to the club. “He made you feel visible.”

Bruce Bochy: This game allows you to meet great players and people, and I got to spend a lot of time with Willie during my time (in San Francisco) and it’s a sad day,” said the former Giants manager and current Texas Rangers manager. ‘What a legend he is.’

Billy Owens: The Oakland A’s assistant general manager and a Bay Area resident paid tribute to Mays in a text message The Athleticsby Melissa Lockard.

“Say: Hey it was EVERYTHING……. Right up there with Muhammad Ali as the biggest,” Owens said. “The excellence was documented. The style can never be duplicated. His strength, speed and grace are forever unique. The catch still captured the imagination almost a century later. Willie was New York (Polo Grounds) and San Francisco (Candlestick Park). I’m looking at Rickwood Field (Birmingham) this week and imagining Willie catching baskets in Center Field and hitting home runs into the Stratosphere. RIP Say Hey Willie Mays.”

Steven Kwan: The Cleveland Guardians outfielder and Bay Area native said, “(Mays) was the face of the Giants. It was him and Barry Bonds and they would always be together. You saw them talking. You wish you could be a fly on the wall during those conversations.”

Stefan Vogt: Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt’s grandfather lived in Oklahoma and there were no MLB teams in the area. He chose the New York Giants as his team, mainly because he hated the Yankees and Dodgers. He loved watching Mays, and he kept talking to his son Randy about the center fielder.

The Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958 when Randy was three years old. The Giants became his team and Mays was Randy’s hero. The family visited Candlestick Park every year.

Stephen also grew up a Giants fan. The Vogts had season tickets in the upper deck along the left field line. Stephen signed with San Francisco before the 2019 season. That spring, he met Mays. The two chatted in the clubhouse and had their picture taken together. Randy framed that photo, which sits on a shelf in his office.

“One of the people who was a god to you,” Vogt said of Mays. “He was just an inscrutable figure. You never really saw him on TV, (only) highlights. It was really cool to meet him and then get a chance to talk to him.

Harold Reynolds: “Willie was like a father to all of us,” the former Seattle Mariners second baseman told MLB Network. “He was from the generation that passed it on. … He had advice for you about every aspect of your life.”

Craig Counsell: “I am saddened by the news about Willie Mays,” the Chicago Cubs manager said. “This is one of the Mount Rushmores of baseball players in my opinion. A legend in our game. I got to meet him a few times. He, along with Hank Aaron, were the kind of person who made you nervous because of how great they were. It was sad news to hear during the game today.”

Cody Bellinger: “I saw the news (of Mays’ death) in the seventh inning and was quite saddened by it. Wearing the number 24 is special. He is one of the best players in our game. It was a true blessing to see him on the field a few times. An incredible guy and best wishes to his family at this time.”

Bellinger wears number 24 with the Cubs, the same jersey number Mays wore with the Giants and the New York Mets.

The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner, Melissa Lockard, Zack Meisel and Sahadev Sharma contributed to this story.