A Giants Franchise Icon and One of the Greatest Players in the History of Major League Baseball, the ‘Say Hey Kid’ is immortalized with his fellow legends in Baseball’s Hall of Fame

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On August 5, 1979, Giants icon Willie Mays was officially inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, in his first year of eligibility. Considered one of the top players in Major League History, the ‘Say Hey Kid’ received 409 out of 432 possible votes.

The 24-time All-Star spent 22 seasons with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing his illustrious career with the New York Mets. Mays retired with a .302 batting average, 660 home runs, 1,909 RBIs, 3,293 hits, and 338 stolen bases, becoming one of the rare players to combine elite power, speed, defense, and durability throughout a Hall of Fame career. He captured two National League MVP Awards, won 12 Gold Gloves, claimed the 1951 National League Rookie of the Year Award, and helped lead the Giants to a World Series championship in 1954.

Beyond the numbers, Mays became the standard by which generations of five-tool players have been measured. His breathtaking over-the-shoulder catch in the 1954 World Series remains one of baseball’s most iconic moments, while his infectious enthusiasm and all-around excellence helped grow the sport during a transformative era. Decades after his retirement, Mays’ impact on Major League Baseball continues to resonate, with many historians, players, and fans placing him among the greatest—and most complete—players the game has ever known.

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