Tributes are pouring in for longtime San Francisco Giants outfielder and baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays, who died Tuesday at the age of 93.
One remembrance came from a former teammate who lives in Goodyear.
John D’Acquisto played with Mays during Giants’ spring training when it was held in Casa Grande in the early 1970s. He said they had lockers next to each other. By then, Mays was in the sunset of his career.
"The relationship started that way. From that point on, it was just absolute heaven to have him around, pitching spring training games with him in center field," said D’Acquisto.
D’Acquisto would go on to become 1974 National League Rookie Pitcher of the Year. He says he recently heard from a friend in the Giants’ organization that Mays had been in failing health.
Mays, who began his professional career in the Negro Leagues in 1948, had been baseball’s oldest living Hall of Famer. He was voted into the Hall in 1979, his first year of eligibility, and in 1999 followed only Babe Ruth on The Sporting News’ list of the game’s top stars. The Giants retired his uniform number, 24, and set their AT&T Park in San Francisco on Willie Mays Plaza.
The Giants wore patches with Mays' No. 24 on their chest for Wednesday's game against the Chicago Cubs.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
