MLB Legend, New Rochelle Walk Of Fame Honoree Willie Mays Dies At 93

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Way back when the Giants were a part of the New York baseball landscape, Willie Mays was the best of the best. The New York Giants baseball legacy has all but been forgotten, but the legend of the "Say Hey Kid" will live on.

Today, the world is mourning the death of a sports hero, but New Rochelle is feeling a special sense of loss — Mays lived in a Normandy-style mansion on Croft Terrace for much of the time he was making MLB history in New York, before joining his team in California.

Mays’ family and the San Francisco Giants jointly announced he had passed away Tuesday afternoon.

"My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones," Michael Mays said. "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."

The center fielder was baseball’s oldest living Hall of Famer. His signature basket catch and his dashes around the bases with his cap flying off personified the joy of the game. His over-the-shoulder catch of a long drive in the 1954 World Series is baseball’s most celebrated defensive feat, still referred to simply as "the catch."

Born William Howard Mays, Jr. on May 6, 1931, in Westfield, Alabama, Willie Mays was the son of a steelworker who played center field for a local professional baseball team. According to his plaque of honor in New Rochelle's Ossie Davis Park at Library Green, Mays' mother, Ann, had been a high school track star, and it was clear from a very early age that Willie had inherited his parents' athletic talents.

Mays' career stats include 3,283 hits and 660 home runs. He earned National League Rookie of the Year honors in 1951 and two MVP Awards. Mays accumulated 12 Gold Gloves, played in 24 All-Star games and participated in four World Series.

During his career, Mays played for the Birmingham Black Barons, the New York Giants, and the San Francisco Giants, before returning to New York to play for the Mets

In 1979, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

"I fell in love with baseball because of Willie, plain and simple," said Giants President and Chief Executive Officer Larry Baer. "My childhood was defined by going to Candlestick with my dad, watching Willie patrol centerfield with grace and the ultimate athleticism. Over the past 30 years, working with Willie, and seeing firsthand his zest for life and unbridled passion for giving to young players and kids, has been one of the joys of my life."

Mays was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama in 2015.

Among other honors, The Sporting News ranked him second only to Babe Ruth among the 100 greatest baseball players of the 20th century and ESPN listed him as eighth in their ranking of the top 50 athletes of the century.

The Associated Press and Patch's Bea Karnes contributed to this article