Willie Mays Dies at 93; MLB Hall of Famer Won 2 MVPs, 1954 World Series with Giants

One of the most iconic figures in baseball history died Tuesday.

The San Francisco Giants announced Hall of Famer Willie Mays died at the age of 93. The announcement said he "passed away peacefully this afternoon."

Josh Dubow of the Associated Press relayed a quote from Mays' son, Michael, that said, "My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones. I want to thank you all from the bottom of my broken heart for the unwavering love you have shown him over the years. You have been his life's blood."

Mays is best known for his time on the Giants, but he finished his career on the New York Mets. The team released a statement as well:

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred also released a statement, saying that Thursday's game between the Giants and St. Louis Cardinals at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, will feature a pregame ceremony to honor Mays.

Rickwood Field was home to the Negro Leagues' Birmingham Black Barons, a franchise that produced the likes of Mays, Satchel Paige and Mule Suttles.

It was just Monday that Mays released a statement explaining how important Rickwood Field was to him and expressing how much he wished he could attend the upcoming game:

Following his time with the Black Barons as a teenager, Mays went to Major League Baseball. While he played for the Mets during the final two seasons of his illustrious career in 1972 and 1973, he will forever be associated with the Giants.

He suited up for the New York/San Francisco Giants from 1951 until they traded him to the Mets in 1972 with the only break in that span coming in 1953 because of his military service. He returned as if he never left and led the Giants to a World Series title as the National League MVP in 1954.

Mays slashed .345/.411/.667 with 41 home runs, 110 RBI and a league-best 13 triples that season as an unstoppable two-way star in the early stages of one of the best careers in baseball history.

That career produced a resume that included the World Series crown, two MVPs, a National League Rookie of the Year, a batting title, 12 Gold Gloves and a stunning 24 All-Star Game selections.

Mays retired with a .301/.384/.557 slash line, 660 home runs and 1,909 RBI. Only his godson, Barry Bonds, along with Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez have hit more home runs in MLB history.

The power stood out, but so did the glove. The Say Hey Kid also made arguably the most famous play in baseball history with what is fittingly deemed The Catch during Game 1 of the 1954 World Series against Cleveland.

It looked like Cleveland's Vic Wertz was going to break the game open with a deep drive to center when the game was tied at two and two runners on base in the eighth inning, but Mays sprinted straight back and made an unbelievable basket catch over his shoulder. He quickly got the ball back into the infield and prevented anyone from scoring.

The Giants went on to win the game 5-2 in extra innings.

It was the defining on-field moment of an astounding career, and he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979.

Mays, who served in the Korean War and was the 10th Black player in major league history, also made quite the impact off the field.

Then-President Barack Obama awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.

"His quiet example while excelling on one of America's biggest stages helped carry forward the banner of civil rights," Obama said. "It's because of giants like Willie that someone like me could even think about running for president."

Today, the World Series MVP is named after Mays, and the Giants' Oracle Park is located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza with a statue of the all-time great. The city also hosts Willie Mays Day every May 24.