Giants fans unable to attend Thursday's special celebration at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., still will have an opportunity to honor the late, great Willie Mays and MLB's tribute to the Negro Leagues.
San Francisco announced Wednesday it will open Oracle Park to fans for Thursday's momentous series opener between the Giants and St. Louis Cardinals, adding that the Rickwood Field game will be televised on the scoreboard at the Giants' home stadium in San Francisco.
Images of Mays will run before and after the historic game and a "No. 24" sculpture will lie in centerfield, where he played his legendary Hall of Fame career. Additionally, a condolences book will be located on the warning track for fans to sign.
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Gates at Oracle Park will open at 12 p.m. PT and first pitch at Rickwood is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. PT. The event will conclude at 8 p.m. PT.
Admission is free.
The Giants also announced that details of the public celebration of Willie Mays' life will be revealed at a later date.
San Francisco wore "Mays 24" patches on its uniforms for Wednesday's series finale against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, a small tribute the team likely will continue for the rest of the 2024 MLB season.
San Francisco Giants
“We’re going to play in his honor,” Giants ace Logan Webb said Wednesday. “Willie is kind of ‘The Giant.’ He’s the guy, so we’re going to play for him.”
Mays, known as "The Say Hey Kid," died peacefully Tuesday at the age of 93. His legacy, however, will live on forever.
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