Willie Mays was honored with military tributes for his service in the U.S. Army during a special ceremony where his son Michael received an American flag and taps were played.
The memorial service, held on Monday, gathered baseball luminaries, including Barry Bonds, who shared memories and highlights of Mays’ illustrious career from his days playing stickball near New York’s Polo Grounds.
Known as the “Say Hey Kid,” Mays was a star in the early days of the Negro Leagues and went on to hit 660 home runs in his Major League Baseball career, despite a hiatus from 1952 to 1954 during the Korean War. Mays passed away at the age of 93 on June 18. The Army honored him in front of his family, friends, former teammates, baseball executives, and thousands of fans.
At the memorial service held at the San Francisco Giants’ ballpark, a large cutout of Mays’ jersey number 24 was displayed on the field. Bonds, along with former President Bill Clinton and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, were among those in attendance, along with Hall of Famers such as Joe Torre, Dennis Eckersley, Rickey Henderson, Reggie Jackson, and Juan Marichal.
Also present were retired managers Dusty Baker and Felipe Alou, former Giants owner Bob Lurie, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, former Mayor Willie Brown, and retired National Baseball Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson.
During the ceremony, broadcaster Jon Miller, serving as master of ceremonies, also paid tribute to other recently deceased Hall of Famers, including Orlando Cepeda. Clinton shared his fond memories of listening to baseball games on the radio as a child, reflecting on his love for the sport.
