SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — A memorial continues to grow for Willie Mays at his statue outside of Oracle Park. But on Thursday, fans will have the opportunity to go inside the ballpark to pay their respects.
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Starting at noon, their doors will open for a free program in honor of the Say Hey Kid. Fans can pay their respects and sign a condolence book.
At 4:15 p.m., the ballpark’s scoreboard will air an away game between the Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals that’s being played at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama — the same place where Mays’ career began back in 1948.
The MLB says the game will serve as a tribute to Mays and to the Negro Leagues in which he played.
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The San Francisco Giants lost to the Cubs Wednesday in Chicago, but much of the talk at Oracle park was about Willie Mays.
“My dad went to opening day, the first Giants game ever… Seals Stadium in ’58,” said fan Eileen Bissen. “And got to see Willie Mays play and I lost my dad almost two years ago. I brought flowers for Willie but my dad, too.”
That was just one of the many stories we heard from fans stopping by the Willie Mays statue Wednesday.
Bissen bought a brick for her dad when the ballpark first opened — one she intentionally got near the Willie Mays statue.
Before and after the game, Oracle Park will be showing historic images of Mays on the big screen.
Doors will stay open until 8 p.m.
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Reaction is pouring after the death of San Francisco Giants legend and Hall of Famer Willie Mays, who died Tuesday. He was 93 years old.
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