Willie Mays honored with documentary screening, massive mural as MLB descends on his native Alabama
Updated: 6:30 AM EDT Jun 19, 2024
NOW. TONIGHT INSIDE RICKWOOD FIELD FANS CHEERING AND CLAPPING IN HONOR OF BASEBALL. GREAT WILLIE MAYS. GOOD EVENING AND THANKS FOR JOINING US AT TEN. I’M SHERI FALK THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS CONFIRMED THAT MAYS PASSED AWAY TODAY OF HEART FAILURE. HE WAS 93 YEARS OLD. THE JEFFERSON COUNTY NATIVE BEGAN HIS CAREER IN THE MINOR LEAGUES, BUT HIS TALENT, GRIT AND DETERMINATION PROPELLED HIM TO HEIGHTS FEW COULD EVER IMAGINE. WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE TONIGHT ACROSS THE MAGIC CITY, AND WE WANT TO BEGIN WITH WVTM 13 SPORTS DIRECTOR RYAN HENNESSY RYAN. WHAT WAS THE ATMOSPHERE LIKE WHEN THE NEWS BROKE OF MAYS PASSING AT THE FIELD? HE PLAYED IN SO MANY TIMES? SHERRI DEFINITELY A MOMENT. I’LL NEVER FORGET BEING HERE AT RICKWOOD FIELD, A MINOR LEAGUE GAME BETWEEN THE BIRMINGHAM BARONS AND THE MONTGOMERY BISCUITS WAS GOING ON. I WAS TALKING TO SOMEONE THAT SAID, DID YOU HEAR THE NEWS, WILLIE MAYS JUST PASSED AWAY. SOMEONE THAT GREW UP JUST MILES FROM THIS BALLPARK. YOU CAN SEE BEHIND ME THE WILLIE MAYS PAVILION THEY BUILT FOR THIS WEEK. FANS WERE FINDING OUT EVERY SINGLE MINUTE, AND YOU COULD SEE THE REACTION OVER THE FACE. WE CAUGHT VIDEO OF ONE FAN. THERE WAS A MURAL AT ONE OF THESE FENCES OF THE LEGEND WILLIE MAYS, AND HE WAS HONORING HIM AFTER HE FOUND OUT OF THE SADNESS OF HIS PASSING, SO UNIQUE THAT IT WAS JUST MILES FROM THE BALLPARK WHERE HE GREW UP. THE GENTLEMAN TOLD US THAT WILLIE MAYS JUST JUST PASSED, SO IT WAS IT WAS PRETTY, UH, A SOMBER MOMENT, A SAD MOMENT, UH, ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY THAT, UH, RICKWOOD FIELD IS BEING HONORED. UH, I GUESS THE LORD CALLED HIM HOME ON THIS DAY. SO, UM, WE’RE SADDENED, BUT, UH, WE KNOW THAT HE’S IN A BETTER PLACE, SO WE JUST THANK GOD FOR HIS MEMORY AND FOR WHAT HE STOOD FOR. AS FAR AS BASEBALL AND FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. WILLIE MAYS, AN ABSOLUTE LEGEND, IS 3293 HITS, OVER 650 HOME RUNS, 660 TO BE EXACT. IT’S 1909 RBIS, A 24 TIME ALL-STAR, 12 GOLD GLOVES AND WE ALL KNEW HIM FOR HIS GOLDEN GLOVE WORLD SERIES CHAMPION IN 1954. INDUCTED INTO THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME IN 1979, BUT BEING HERE THIS WEEK, IT’S JUST BEEN INCRED
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Willie Mays honored with documentary screening, massive mural as MLB descends on his native Alabama
Updated: 6:30 AM EDT Jun 19, 2024
While the “Say Hey Kid” has passed, his presence will still be felt.Major League Ball will take over on Alabama’s Rickwood Field for the beginning of its “Tribute to the Negro Leagues” beginning Tuesday.The multi-day event is set to honor both America’s oldest ballpark and the Birmingham Black Barons that once played inside of it, including a then-teenage Willie Mays. Mays died at the age of 93, the San Francisco Giants announced on X Tuesday. Less than 10 minutes from Rickwood, renowned artist Chuck Styles has designed a massive mural depicting Mays in his original uniform.The mural isn’t the only way Mays will be honored, either. For the first time ever, his Hall of Fame plaque is leaving Cooperstown, New York, and will be displayed at Rickwood Field.A celebration also took place at the historic Carver Theatre in downtown Birmingham, Monday evening.People gathered Tuesday for a special viewing of the HBO documentary “Say Hey, Willie Mays.””Everything that’s going on in Birmingham this week is above and beyond. It’s going to be an epic week,” said Eric Mays, Willie Mays’ son.He said the documentary captures the baseball legend’s humor, generosity, and much more.For more information about the MLB’s lineup of events ahead of the big game, click here.
While the “Say Hey Kid” has passed, his presence will still be felt.
Major League Ball will take over on Alabama’s Rickwood Field for the beginning of its “Tribute to the Negro Leagues” beginning Tuesday.
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The multi-day event is set to honor both America’s oldest ballpark and the Birmingham Black Barons that once played inside of it, including a then-teenage Willie Mays.
Mays died at the age of 93, the San Francisco Giants announced on X Tuesday.
Less than 10 minutes from Rickwood, renowned artist Chuck Styles has designed a massive mural depicting Mays in his original uniform.
The mural isn’t the only way Mays will be honored, either. For the first time ever, his Hall of Fame plaque is leaving Cooperstown, New York, and will be displayed at Rickwood Field.
A celebration also took place at the historic Carver Theatre in downtown Birmingham, Monday evening.
People gathered Tuesday for a special viewing of the HBO documentary “Say Hey, Willie Mays.”
“Everything that’s going on in Birmingham this week is above and beyond. It’s going to be an epic week,” said Eric Mays, Willie Mays’ son.
He said the documentary captures the baseball legend’s humor, generosity, and much more.
For more information about the MLB’s lineup of events ahead of the big game, click here.
