'My heart will be with all of you': Willie Mays announces he will miss Negro Leagues tribute at Rickwood Field days before his death
Video above: Fans stand at Rickwood Field to honor Willie Mays
The "Say Hey Kid" announced he would not be able to come to the Magic City just days before he died at the age of 93.
On Monday, Willie Mays told the San Francisco Chronicle that he would not be attending Major League Baseball's "Tribute to the Negro Leagues" event at Rickwood Field, opting instead to watch from home.
"I'm not able to get to Birmingham this year but will follow the game back here in the Bay Area," Mays said in a statement to the paper on Monday.
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Mays, a true baseball legend and arguably the greatest living player, began his professional career at Rickwood Field, playing for the Birmingham Black Barons when he was just a teenager.
"My heart will be with all of you who are honoring the Negro League ballplayers, who should always be remembered, including all my teammates on the Black Barons," Mays said. "I wanted to thank Major League Baseball, the Giants, the Cardinals and all the fans who'll be at Rickwood or watching the game. It'll be a special day, and I hope the kids will enjoy it and be inspired by it."
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Mays' impact on the sport is expected to be addressed and honored throughout the event. For the first time ever, his Hall of Fame plaque is leaving Cooperstown, New York, and will be displayed at Rickwood Field prior to Barnstorm Birmingham on Wednesday, June 19.
Not far from 'America's Oldest Ballpark,' Mays will proudly stand 50 feet tall as the subject of a massive mural expected to be finished prior to the game.
Mays' son Michael has arrived in the Magic City to honor his father at the historic Carver Theatre for a screening of "Say Hey, Willie Mays!," a film directed by Nelson George.
The San Francisco Giants announced Mays' passing in a post on X Tuesday evening.