San Francisco Giants fans say goodbye to Willie Mays
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - It was an emotional day at Oracle Park for many Willie Mays fans who gathered Tuesday to celebrate the life of this iconic Giants legend.
The City of San Francisco came together to celebrate the life of Giants legend and Hall of Famer Willie Mays.
Hundreds of fans attended the celebration, honoring the incredible legacy of Willie Mays, the "Say Hey Kid."
Among them was Karl Colton, who took the train all the way from Seattle to be part of this special event.
"I'm down here from Seattle to see all of this, to pay tribute to him and enjoy this tribute that all these people are giving to this man," Colton said.
Extremely special
Colton said the tribute is extremely special for him because he says he met Mays 20 years ago, so he wants younger generations to keep learning about him.
"Unfortunately, sometimes people get recognized when they die or when they get sick, and I think that especially young kids are able to see footage of him, how gifted he was," Colton explained.
Not far from Colton was Susan Lalao, who traveled from San Jose to pay her respects to her favorite player of all time, and she's been a Giants fan since the 1970s.
"When my son was little, we always went to the games, and we would always see Willie in the elevator, so it was a special time," Lalao remembered.
Lalao says it hurts to see him gone, but the memories are fresh in her mind adding:
"You always think in the back of your head that they're gonna live forever, and now I feel a lot better about it because it was time for him to go, and he couldn't do the things that he wanted to do anymore, so no, he can play baseball with all his friends."
A fitting tribute
The San Francisco Giants and the family of Willie Mays hosted the event to remember his talent and remarkable career after he passed away peacefully on June 18 at the age of 93.
A fitting tribute to a true icon.
"He was just so humble and so grateful, so this is a really good tribute to him," Colton expressed.
"He would talk to anyone about baseball…Willie…the way that he talked and worked and mentored other players, I got to witness that, and it's very special," Lalao remarked.
Colton and Lalao said the event was definitely a moment to remember Willie's career and legacy in San Francisco.
