Tributes poured in for Willie Mays following news that the Major League Baseball great died on Tuesday at the age of 93, with the Hall of Famer being remembered as a "legend and pioneer" of the game.
Mays was an electrifying centrefielder during a 23-year playing career during which he established himself as one of the greatest all-around players of all time.
"Today we have lost a true legend," said San Francisco Giants Chairman Greg Johnson.
"In the pantheon of baseball greats, Willie Mays' combination of tremendous talent, keen intellect, showmanship, and boundless joy set him apart."
Mays, who was known as the "Say Hey Kid" because of his standard greeting, spent most of his career with the Giants -- six in New York and 15 in San Francisco -- before finishing up with the New York Mets in 1972 and 1973.
"Willie Mays was one of the greatest to ever play the game," said Mets owner Steve Cohen.
"Willie ended his Hall of Fame career in Queens and was a key piece to the 1973 NL championship team. Mays played with a style and grace like no one else."
Mays made his professional debut with the Negro League's Birmingham Black Barons at age 17. When his death was 1973 during a Barons game on Tuesday, those in attendance stood and saluted him with an applause.
Fellow Giants legend Barry Bonds, who is Mays' godson, also took to social media to pay tribute.
"I am beyond devastated and overcome with emotion," Bonds wrote on Instagram.
"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."
Teams from across MLB mourned Mays' death.
The Los Angeles Dodgers called him "incomparable" and the Boston Red Sox said he was a "legend and pioneer of the game".
The tributes also came in from outside of MLB.
"His impact extends far beyond baseball," California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement, while Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson said on social media that Mays was "one of the main reasons I fell in love with baseball".
- Reuters
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