The San Francisco Giants on Thursday opened up Oracle Park so fans could pay homage to the late Willie Mays.
With flags at half-staff, a piano playing and the number 24 planted in center field and the warning track, fans of all ages signed condolence books and shared stories.
"It's hard," Barbara Deemas said. "This was a very wonderful man. I think the Giants have done a great thing in letting us share in this ceremony of memory."
For many, their hands trembled as they wrote a message to the "Sey Hey Kid." That included Walter Wilson, who said he met Mays once.
"I talked to my wife and went, 'God, I get to talk to Willie Mays,'" he said. "What am I going to say to Willie Mays, my hero since I was a little boy? I’m getting emotional now."
Wilson wasn’t the only one getting emotional.
"He was a living legend," Mark Youngblood said.
For fans who came out to pay their respects, Oracle Park felt like hallowed grounds.
“I think it's really remarkable and very cool of the Giants to open this stadium up to us like this," Richard Richter said. "It's peaceful. It's serene. It’s a beautiful day in San Francisco. It's what Willie deserves."
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