Keith Hernandez couldn’t help but get emotional as he and SNY broadcast partner Gary Cohen broke the news that baseball icon Willie Mays died at the age of 93 on Tuesday.
The Mets legend felt the weight of the moment while describing Mays’ greatness on the field, getting emotional while speaking on air.
“The best player I’ve ever seen. The greatest player,” said Hernandez, who grew up in the Bay Area and watched Mays play in his prime. “An extraordinarily good five-tool player. You’d go to a game, he’d do something. A great catch, a great throw, a stolen base, hit a home run or he’d do it all. He was just that kind of player.”
The “Say Hey Kid” began his professional baseball career with the Birmingham Black Barons in 1948 in the Negro Leagues and made his way to the majors in 1951 with the Giants when they were still in New York at the Polo Grounds.
He played with the Giants through the organization’s move to San Francisco in 1958 and was with the team until 1972 when he was traded to the Mets.
He retired as a member of the Mets in 1973 after helping the team reach the World Series.
“I have my select few baseballs that are signed by the players from when I was a kid growing up and I have it prominently up in my study, Willie Mays’ baseball signed for me,” Hernandez said while still trying to contain his emotions.
The Mets retired Mays’ number 24 in August 2022 in a surprise ceremony at Citi Field during Old Timers Day.
Broadcasts across baseball paused to report the news of Mays’ death, which included the Giants and Yankees.
In a statement released Tuesday night, Mets owners Steven and Alex Cohen mourned the loss of the baseball great.
“Willie Mays was one of the greatest to ever play the game,” the statement read. “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. Alex and I were thrilled to honor a previous promise from Joan Payson to retire his iconic #24 as a member of the Mets in 2022.
“On behalf of our entire organization, we send our thoughts and prayers to Willie’s family and friends.”
At the time of the news breaking, a minor league was taking place at historic Rickwood Field, the site of this week’s game between the Cardinals and Giants to honor the Negro Leagues, and fans began chanting “Willie” after his death was announced over the PA system.
“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,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “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 in New York and San Francisco, Willie inspired generations of players and fans as the game grew and truly earned its place as our National Pastime.”
