It’s easy to see Willie Mays as a legend now, but it’s easy to forget just how popular a player he was during his playing days.
This rare footage is “Say Hey Kid” playing stickball It’s a reminder of just how beloved the Giants legend was in New York City throughout his illustrious career.
The black-and-white video shows Mays, a 24-time All-Star, playing on the street with excited kids and before awed adults.
Mays, who hit 660 career home runs, died Thursday.
“My father passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones,” Mays’ son Michael said in a statement.
Mays also famously batted for Yankees legend Mickey Mantle in the first “Home Run Derby” show at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles in 1960.
The televised “Home Run Derby” featured 26 games played over nine innings, with any pitch that was not a home run or a pitch that was called a strike being called an out.
Maze He also faced Washington Senators star Bob Ellison in the series..
The event is the precursor to the Home Run Derby, which has been held the day before the All-Star Game since 1985.
