Willie Mays, one of the greatest baseball players of all time, dies aged 93
Willie Mays, considered one of the best players in the history of baseball and called the ‘Say Hey Kid’, has died at the age of 93.
His son Michael Mays confirmed the legendary centre fielder had passed away on Tuesday evening in a statement through the San Francisco Giants.
“My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones,” he said.
“I want to thank you all from the bottom of my broken heart for the unwavering love you have shown him over the years. You have been his life’s blood.”
Chairman of the Giants Greg Johnson also said: “He had a profound influence not only on the game of baseball, but on the fabric of America.
“He was an inspiration and a hero who will be forever remembered and deeply missed.”
Fans hold a moment of silence for Willie Mays during a game between the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs in Chicago. Pic: AP
Major League Baseball (MLB) also paid tribute and said they were “heartbroken” after losing “one of the most exciting all-around players in the history of our sport”.
Born in 1931 and making his professional debut in 1948, Mays was a 24-time All-Star who spent parts of 21 seasons with the Giants, both when they were in New York and San Francisco.
Throughout his career, he had a batting average of .301, hit 660 home runs, totalled 3,293 hits, scored 2,068 runs and won 12 Gold Gloves.
Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first year of eligibility in 1979, with nearly 95% of all ballots cast for him.
‘The Catch’
His most famous moment came during game one of the 1954 World Series, when the Cleveland Indians’ Vic Wertz hit a ball to the deep centre, while a pair of runners were on base in a tie-breaker game.
With his back turned away from the infield, Mays sprinted toward the centre field wall at the Polo Grounds and made an over-the-shoulder basket catch.
‘The Catch’ during Game 1 of the 1954 baseball World Series. Pic: AP
The moment – known simply as “The Catch” – proved decisive and helped the Giants win 5-2 across ten innings. The team eventually won the world series, the only time Mays did so.
In 2010, Mays told biographer James S Hirsch: “Soon as it got hit, I knew I’d catch the ball.
“All the time I’m running back, I’m thinking, ‘Willie, you’ve got to get this ball back to the infield’.”
In 2017, the World Series Most Valuable Player award was named after Mays, despite him only winning the post-season tournament once.
Willie Mays with a young John F. Kennedy Jr on 3 June 1972. Pic: AP
History in Negro leagues
Prior to his time in the majors, Mays spent a year with the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League.
The league was segregated from other baseball organisations as African Americans were excluded by the colour line – a policy where black baseball players were banned from the MLB and its affiliated Minor Leagues.
It was an unofficial but pervasive policy until 1945 when Jackie Robinson signed for the Brooklyn Dodgers, but it took until the 1960’s for African American players to be fully integrated across the sport.
Earlier this month, the MLB finally recognised the segregated leagues in their statistics. A game in Mays’ and the leagues’ honour is set to be held on Thursday.
Mays had told the San Francisco Chronicle he would not be able to get to Birmingham for the game, but said: “My heart will be with all of you who are honouring the Negro League ballplayers, who should always be remembered, including all my teammates on the Black Barons.”
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Speaking from the stadium, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said: “All of Major League Baseball is in mourning today as we are gathered at the very ballpark where a career and a legacy like no other began.
“Willie Mays took his all-around brilliance from the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League to the historic Giants franchise.
“From coast to coast… Willie inspired generations of players and fans as the game grew and truly earned its place as our National Pastime.
“We will never forget this true Giant on and off the field.”
There are 161 people still missing in Texas in the aftermath of last weekend’s deadly flash floods, the state’s governor has said.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, governor Gregg Abbot said the number of missing had risen markedly.
He said among the missing were five children and one counsellor from Camp Mystic – where at least 27 people were killed in the flash flooding.
At least 109 people are confirmed to have died in the floods, which took place on the 4 July weekend, but this figure has been steadily climbing ever since.
People comforted each other in Kerville. Pic: Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP
The bulk of deaths, and the main search for additional bodies, have been concentrated in Kerr County and the city of Kerrville.
The area was transformed into a disaster zone when torrential rains struck the region early last Friday, unleashing deadly flooding along the Guadalupe River.
Travis County, Kendall County, Burnett County, Williamson County, and Tom Green County were also hit.
Mr Abbot said many of those who were unaccounted for were in the Texas Hill Country area, but had not registered at a camp or hotel, posing further challenges for authorities.
Camp Mystic
Mr Abbot planned to make another visit to Camp Mystic.
The century-old all-girls Christian summer camp was badly hit by the flash floods, with at least 27 campers and counsellors dying.
Hanna Lawrence, left, and Rebecca Lawrence, right. Pic: John Lawrence/AP
Lila Bonner (L) and Eloise Peck both died in the flash floods at Camp Mystic, Texas. Pic: Family handout
Chloe Childress. Pic: Debra Alexander Photography via AP
Some of the victims include Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence, both eight, Chloe Childress, 19, who was among the counsellors at Camp Mystic when the flood hit, and Eloise Peck and Lila Bonner, both nine.
There were scenes of devastation at the camp as the flood water receded.
Outside the cabins where the girls had slept, mud-splattered blankets and pillows were scattered.
Also in the debris were pink, purple and light blue luggage, decorated with stickers.
A view inside a cabin at Camp Mystic after the flooding. Pic: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images
Camper’s belongings lie on the ground following flooding on the Guadalupe River, at Camp Mystic.
Pic: Reuters
‘Everything looked flooded and broken’
One of the campers, 10-year-old Lucy Kennedy, told Sky’s US partner network, NBC News, that she woke up to the sound of thunder at around midnight before the floods struck.
“I couldn’t go back to sleep,” she said. “I just had a feeling that something really bad was about to happen.”
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She said the girls at the camp were told to grab blankets, pillows and water bottles and line up single file as the floodwater rose, before getting airlifted to safety.
Wynne Kennedy, Lucy’s mother, added: “When I saw her, she was wrapped up in a blanket, had a teddy bear.
“We just held each other tight, and I held her all night.”
Their home in Kerrville was also destroyed by the flash floods.
Lucy Kennedy, 10 who was rescued from Camp Mystic, and her mother Wynne. Pic: NBC
Political row
Meanwhile, a political row has unfolded parallel to the recovery efforts, with some questioning whether local authorities sent out warnings and alerts early enough.
Similarly, Democrats have criticised Donald Trump over cuts his Elon Musk-launched Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has made to the National Weather Service – but it isn’t clear whether these actually made any difference.
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Wall of water
The flash floods erupted before daybreak on Friday, after massive amounts of rainfall caused the Guadalupe River to rise by eight metres in less than an hour.
The wall of water overwhelmed cabins, tents and trails along the river’s edge.
Some survivors were found clinging to trees.
Some of the campers had to swim out of their cabin windows to get to safety, while others clung to rope to make it to higher ground.
The date for Sean “Diddy” Combs’s sentencing hearing has been confirmed.
Following his high-profile trial, the hip-hop mogul was found guilty of two counts of transportation for prostitution by jurors in Manhattan, New York, last week – but was cleared of sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
Defence lawyers argued Combs, who has been in prison in Brooklyn since his arrest in September last year, should be bailed ahead of sentencing given the not guilty verdicts for the more serious charges, but Judge Arun Subramanian denied this – citing, among other things, the rapper’s own admissions of previous violent behaviour.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in court after the verdict was delivered. Pic: Reuters/ Jane Rosenberg
The charges of sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy carried a potential life sentence. Combs still faces up to 20 years in prison for the prostitution-related offences, but is not expected to receive the maximum punishment.
After the verdict was delivered, the judge scheduled the sentencing hearing for 3 October. At a remote follow-up conference on Tuesday, with agreement from the defence and prosecution, the judge approved the date.
Combs joined the call but did not make any comment.
Any sentence will include credit for time already served – which will be just over a year by the time the hearing takes place.
During his trial, Combs was accused by prosecutors of abusing and coercing three alleged victims, including his former long-term partner, singer and model Cassie Ventura.
Jurors found the allegations did not amount to sex-trafficking or racketeering, or running a criminal enterprise – but they did find him guilty of transporting Cassie and another former girlfriend “Jane” for prostitution offences around the US, and paying male escorts to engage in sexual encounters.
Despite the guilty verdict on those charges, the 55-year-old’s team described it as “the victory of all victories”.
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In an interview over the weekend, defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo said Combs had received a standing ovation from fellow inmates when he returned to jail after being acquitted of the more serious charges.
“They all said, ‘We never get to see anyone who beats the government’,” he said.
Ahead of sentencing, Combs’s lawyers will file their recommendations by 19 September, with prosecutors likely to follow a week later.
Prosecutors previously said the rapper could face about four to five years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines, while the defence has suggested a two-year sentence.
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