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Willie Mays tributes pour in from Barack Obama, Charles Barkley and Derek Jeter after baseball great passes away at 93
Tributes are pouring in after the death of legendary baseball player Willie Mays, with Barack Obama, Charles Barkley and Derek Jeter among those to pay tribute to the MLB and Negro League icon.
Mays, whose storied career spanned from 1948-1973, was remembered as a 'wonderfully warm and generous person' by the 44th President Obama, who shared a photo of the pair together.
'Willie Mays wasn't just a singular athlete, blessed with an unmatched combination of grace, skill and power, 'Obama wrote on X.
'He was also a wonderfully warm and generous person - and an inspiration to an entire generation. I'm lucky to have spent time with him over the years, and Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to his family.'
NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley - himself an Alabama native like Mays - phoned in to CNN to pay tribute to the baseball star.
Willi Mays, one of baseball's all-time greats, has passed away at the age of 93
Mays was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama in 2015
'Most of us black athletes, we have no idea what these guys have been through...To try to be great at a sport, and then deal with all the racial strife that these guys had to deal with, that's what makes them heroes,' he said.
'It's easy for guys today to be heroes, when you're making 30, 40, 50 million dollars playing a sport,' he continued. 'You can say what you want to, you can do what you want to. But trying to be great at a sport, like I said, when you can't stay at a certain hotel, you can't go to a certain restaurant... that's what make Mr. Mays, Hank Aaron, Larry Doby - that's what make those guys heroes.'
Yankees legend Derek Jeter added on X that Mays was 'one of the best to ever play the game and even a better person. Thoughts and prayers are with Willie's family and loved ones,' he said.
And former Giants slugger Barry Bonds - who was Mays' godson - penned an emotional tribute on Instagram.
'I am beyond devastated and overcome with emotion. I have no words to describe what you mean to me- you helped shape me to be who I am today. Thank you for being my Godfather and always being there. Give my dad a hug for me.
'Rest in peace Willie, I love you forever. #SayHey.'
Mays is seen alongside Barry Bonds (left) and Derek Jeter (right) at the All-Star Game in 2007
The San Francisco Giants legend is considered by many as the best baseball player ever
In Alabama, fans attending a minor league game at Rickwood Field - where Mays played in the Negro League with the Birmingham Black Barons - gave their hometown hero a standing ovation when his death was announced in the stadium.
Meanwhile, Yankees star Aaron Judge also reacted to Mays' passing after his team's 4-2 win over the Orioles.
'He was bigger than baseball,' Judge told reporters. 'He was something special. And the baseball world is definitely gonna be missing a great one.'
Ex-Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia also shared a photo of he and Mays to X, along with a touching message.
Mays was nicknamed 'The Say Hey Kid' due to his upbeat manner and positive spirit
'I'll never forget this day when I walked in and heard, 'that's that boy who wears his hat like this.'
RIP Willie Mays. You changed the game forever and inspired kids like me to chase our dream. Thank you for everything that you did on and off the field. Always in our hearts.'
And the Yankees organization also released a touching statement on X, writing, 'The Yankees join the baseball community in mourning the loss of Willie Mays, who was an iconic figure during a Golden Era of baseball in New York City and simply one of the greatest players that the game will ever see. We offer our deepest condolences to the Mays family, the Giants organization and all who knew him.'
MLB also released a statement from commissioner Rob Manfred, which said, 'His incredible achievements and statistics do not begin to describe the awe that came with watching Willie Mays dominate the game in every way imaginable. We will never forget this true Giant on and off the field.'
A cause of death was not given for Mays, 93, who was baseball's oldest living Hall of Famer.
Mays hit 660 home runs, scored 2,068 runs and notched 3,293 hits while winning one World Series with the Giants (1954) in a legendary career.
He played 21 seasons with the Giants and rounded out his legendary career with the Mets in 1972 and 1973. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility.