Lots of fans poured into Oracle Park in San Francisco on Monday to pay tribute to Baseball Hall of Famer and Giants legend Willie Mays.
While many fans may have never met the man personally, a number of them said they took the day off to make it to this event. Fans started arriving three hours before the gates opened.
The "Say Hey Kid" died on June 18 at the age of 93.
For Monday’s celebration, the San Francisco Giants brought together his closest family and friends including his godson Barry Bonds, the MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and his son Michael Mays.
Most people that NBC Bay Area met were from around the region, but at least one came all the way from Chicago.
They talked to NBC Bay Area about seeing Mays play in person and explained what he meant to them and society.
“I just said, ‘This is the final farewell to the beginnings of baseball,'” said San Jose resident Francine Stout-Silva.
For fans who couldn’t make it but want to offer condolences, the Mays family asks them to make a donation to the Say Hey Foundation.
Fans can also post a digital tribute or send letters to the family at sfgiants.com/mays.
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