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Hall of Famer and Giants legend Willie Mays just passed away at 93

Our hearts are broken as the Giants just lost one of their greatest players of all time.
Eric Cole
Eric Cole

Around the Foghorn

Aug 11, 2018; San Francisco, CA, USA; Former San Francisco Giants great Willie Mays speaks at the ceremony to retire the number 25 of his godson, Barry Bonds, before a Major League Baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Giants at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

The game of baseball is built on a rich history that was written by the legends of various eras. Fans know the big records by heart and can recall with remarkable clarity what the best players from their team's history did while in uniform. For San Francisco Giants fans, at or near the top of the list of the best players to ever call themselves a Giant was Willie Mays.

Unfortunately, after a rich and full life where he gave back so much to the game we all love and etched himself into the pantheon of baseball's all-time greats, Mays passed away on Tuesday at the age of 93.

SF Giants News: Giants legend Willie Mays passed away Tuesday leaving a legacy for all of us to envy

There are no words that can provide total comfort here as Mays was synonymous with Giants baseball. If there was a baseball Mount Rushmore, he would have as good a case as any to be on it. Over the course of his 23 year career, he accumulated an insane 156.2 rWAR with 660 home runs, 339 stolen bases, 3,293 hits, 24 All-Star appearances, two MVPs, and a World Series title. It is hard to think of a world that doesn't have him in it, although his legacy in and outside of baseball will outlive anyone who reads this.

At 93 years old, he lived a long and rich life and was a fixture in baseball long after he retired. However, the news that Mays wasn't going to be able to attend the Negro League tribute game at Rickwood Field on Thursday was an indicator that he wasn't doing well enough to trouble.

Unfortunately, he did not live to see the game and we are all left wishing we had just a little more time with one of the best to ever do it and thankful for all of the memories he gave us. Our thoughts are with his family and friends right now and if you have a brief moment, make sure to celebrate a life well lived.

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Eric Cole

Eric Cole

I started my career writing about baseball covering the Atlanta Braves for SB Nation's Talking Chop back in 2015 which has since been renamed Battery Power. After years of writing for those fine folks, I made the decision to take over as Site Expert at House That Hank Built before becoming a full-time MLB Staff Writer for FanSided in 2023. Along the way, I have been a guest on multiple ESPN radio affiliates as well as 680 The Fan and 92.9 The Game to discuss Braves baseball and especially Braves prospects and was a long-time host on the Battery Power podcast. These days, I continue to write about the Braves as well as covering the Astros, Padres, and Angels with particular expertise with minor league coverage, the MLB Draft, and bashing Anthony Rendon when possible. When I am not writing about or talking about baseball (which is seldom), I am an avid baseball card collector (Maddux and Soroka being my primary personal collections) and I also collect shark teeth. All other sports are mostly dead to me as my Bills have broken my heart too many times.