Willie Mays, who played 21 of his 23 major-league seasons with the Giants, making the iconic over-the-shoulder bucket catch in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, kept strong ties to the organization until his death Tuesday at age 93.
The “Say Hey Kid” made his professional debut at 16 years old in 1948 for the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League, where he played for three seasons before the Giants purchased his contract in 1950. He went on to win Rookie of the Year in 1951 and Most Valuable Player in 1954 and 1965 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.