Barry Bonds mourned the death of his godfather Willie Mays in a social media post on Tuesday night, saying he was “devastated” by the baseball legend’s passing at the age of 93.
“I am devastated and overwhelmed with emotions,” Bonds wrote in an emotional post on Instagram. “Words cannot express what you mean to me. You have helped shape who I am today. Thank you for being my Godfather and always being there for me. To my Dad. [Bobby Bonds] Hugs for me.
“Rest in peace Willie. Love you forever. #SayHey”
The post was accompanied by a photo of Bonds and Mays smiling side by side.
Mays was a teammate of Bonds’ father, Bobby, on the Giants from 1968 to 1972.
Mays died just two days before the Cardinals play the Giants in a Negro Leagues extravaganza on Thursday at historic Rickwood Field, the nation’s oldest baseball stadium and home to Mays’ Negro League team, the Birmingham Black Barons.
Known as the “Say Hey Kid,” he began his baseball career with the Black Barons in 1948 and then joined the Giants, where he played from 1951 to 1972, before moving to the Mets.
He ended his career with The Amazings in 1973.
Mays had already told the San Francisco Chronicle: He announced Monday that he would not attend the game at Rickwood Field and would instead watch it from home.
“My heart is with all of you as you honor the Negro Leagues baseball players who should always be remembered, including all of my Black Barons teammates,” Mays said Monday. “I want to thank Major League Baseball, the Giants, the Cardinals and all the fans who will be out at Rickwood to watch the game. It’s going to be a special day and I hope the kids have fun and are inspired.”
New York, June 9, 1951. AP
Bonds will take part in Wednesday’s celebration and will serve as one of the captains in a celebrity softball exhibition game at Rickwood Field.
Thursday’s MLB games will take on new meaning.
“While we are deeply saddened, this incident will also serve as a moment of national mourning for an American who will forever be on the short list of people who have had the most impact on our great sports community,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
