Cubs pay their respects to late baseball great Willie Mays

As he sat down for his usual postgame press conference with the media Tuesday night, Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell actually stopped a reporter as the first question was being asked. The Cubs’ 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants wasn’t the first thing he wanted to talk about.

No, to start his presser, Counsell wanted to pay his respects to Willie Mays, one of the greatest players to ever touch a baseball field, who died Tuesday at the age of 93.

“Should be on the Mount Rushmore of baseball players, and a legend in our game,” Counsell said. “I got to meet him a couple times. He was the kind of person — along with Hank Aaron, frankly — that just made you nervous because of how great they were. It was sad news to hear during the game today.”

As the game entered the bottom of the sixth inning, the Cubs announced Mays’ passing and put an image of him up on the left-field video board. Mays played 179 of his 3,005 career games at Wrigley Field over a 23-year career (including 21 seasons with the Giants franchise alone).

“The Chicago Cubs join the Mays family, the San Francisco Giants and the baseball world in mourning the passing of Willie Mays,” the Cubs said in a statement. “Quite simply, Willie was a pioneer as part of the first generation of African American players in Major League Baseball and one of the greatest players in the history of the game. Not only was he one of the most talented players on the field as a World Series champion, two-time league MVP, 24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove winner and Hall of Famer, but off the field he was an inspiration to generations of baseball fans.

“The ‘Say Hey Kid’ thrilled fans with his electric energy on the field in every ballpark he played — including 179 games at Wrigley Field. Mays will always have a place in the long history of America’s Pastime.”

After the game, Justin Steele followed suit with Counsell in wanting to say a few words about Mays before taking questions from the media.

“I heard about Willie Mays passing away during the game,” said Steele, who struck out eight over 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball Tuesday night but took a no-decision. “Just wanted to give my condolences to the Mays family and acknowledge everything that he meant to the game. He was beloved by a ton of people, but I just wanted to acknowledge that before we started.”

Both Dansby Swanson (who’s second-inning two-run homer made sure the Cubs never trailed Tuesday) and Cody Bellinger (who had the go-ahead RBI base knock in the eighth) also discussed Mays’ impact.

Said Swanson: “He’s an icon in our game, I think probably a consensus top-five player to ever grace this Earth. Somebody that meant a lot to a lot of people, and you could just tell by the reaction, not only around our clubhouse but just baseball in general. To lose somebody that’s special, that’s regarded highly in so many ways, not just on the field, is just really, really sad news. And obviously, we’re thinking and praying for the Mays family and anyone else involved. Obviously, the Giants organization and all the other people’s lives that he touched.”

Said Bellinger: “Wearing the No. 24 is special. He’s one of the best players in our game, and even just seeing him around a few times around the field is a true blessing. So, unbelievable guy, and best wishes to his family right now. … I had a conversation [with Mays] one time. It was really cool. Just a legend, like a true legend, so real special.”

At the age of 16 in 1948, Mays joined the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League. He made his debut with the New York Giants in 1951 and played all but one season from then through 1973, where he ended his career with the New York Mets.

Mays is sixth on the all-time home run leaderboard with 660. He also ranks third in career Wins Above Replacement (FanGraphs) with 149.8, behind only Babe Ruth (167.0) and Barry Bonds (164.4).

Mays won the National League MVP twice, was elected to the All-Star Game 24 times, won 12 Gold Gloves and was a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 1979.

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