Mike Luckovich for June 20, 2024

No one ever had anything bad to say about him. How many other athletes can you think of like that? RIP Willie

Willie Mays was certainly a great one!

R.I.P. Willie.

Into Heaven may the angels lead you. XOX :’(

He was a class act, with lots of talent. RIP.

Another sport’s great joining an elite team. Mays contributions to sports and humanity will not go without rewards. RIP!

1963. Family argument. Are we going to the drive-in or the Phillies-Giants game. We were leaning to the movie when my father asked, “Did you ever see Willie Mays hit a home run?” And off to the baseball game we went. Don’t remember who won but I do remember Willie putting one into the upper deck in left field. RIP, Mr. Mays.

If there’s a heaven, The Say Hey kid will being joy to the other angels.

What a lot of people don’t realize is that in the early days of Candlestick Park the home of the San Francisco Giants when they first relocated from New York, the outfield was wide open to the very wild erratic San Franciso Bay winds. It was nothing for a well hit ball to right field to end up well into left field after being attacked by the winds. If the winds were blowing in, which it often did, sure homers would only be long pop outs. To say that Willie Mays was denied at a minimum 10 home runs a year before they finally decided to wall off the winds is just being very conservative. There is no doubt in my mind that he would have been the undisputed home run leader had he played his most productive years in another stadium. In my mind Mays was the greatest all around baseball player to ever play the game.

Only a true racist would object to this one.

He was a true “Gentle” man. A class act all the way. RIP Mr. Mays.

I saw him play. It was pure art.

He joined the Majors the year I was born (1951). His was a household name when I was growing up. Baseball is the only game I seriously played. Wish I’d pursued it but at least I had a sincere appreciation of the game. RIP and thank you Mr. Mays.

You’ve been hitting them out of the park all week Mike.

My one and only Willie Mays joke . . .

A couple of baseball fans went to Rome and saw the fawning crowds, pomp and circumstance, general excitement and worship of the Pope.

One fan said to the other, “Who is that?”

The other said, “That is the Pope.”

One fan: How did he get that position?

The other: The Cardinals elected him.

One fan: Wow! Why don’t the Giants do that for Willie Mays?

He made baseball fun to watch, not many like Him anymore.

Charlie Brown famously blew a spelling bee word when he spelled “maze” as “mays”, because he was thinking about Willie Mays. I always wondered if Willie got a kick out of that.

1) Who could play Willie Mays in a bio movie?

2) What would be a good title?

My boyhood hero. I was in kindergarten during the ‘51 World Series. I’m a 3rd generation Giants fan. My family got its first TV to see Mays in the Series. I was an adult when he retired.

You left an indelible mark on baseball and lived your life well.

Lovely tribute to the Say Hey Kid ♥♥♥

Nice tribute. Thank you!