[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 801 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 801

  Honoring the life and enduring legacy of William ``Willie'' Howard 
                               Mays, Jr.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 1, 2024

 Mrs. Britt (for herself, Ms. Butler, Mr. Tuberville, and Mr. Padilla) 
 submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Honoring the life and enduring legacy of William ``Willie'' Howard 
                               Mays, Jr.

Whereas William ``Willie'' Howard Mays, Jr. (referred to in this preamble as 
        ``Mays'') was born in the former town of Westfield, in Jefferson County, 
        Alabama, in 1931, and began playing baseball at an early age with his 
        father, ``Cat'' Mays, who was an accomplished baseball player himself;
Whereas Mays was a standout multi sport athlete at Fairfield Industrial High 
        School, leading the basketball team in scoring, playing multiple 
        positions on the football team, and showcasing his natural talent for 
        baseball;
Whereas, in 1948, Mays began his professional baseball career at age 16 in the 
        Negro American League, 11 years before the complete integration of Major 
        League Baseball in 1959;
Whereas, in 1948, Mays recorded his first professional hit at Rickwood Field in 
        Birmingham, Alabama, while playing for the Birmingham Black Barons, and 
        used his outstanding fielding, batting, and base running ability to help 
        lead the team to the 1948 Negro World Series;
Whereas, in 1950, Mays signed a contract with the New York Giants after 
        graduating from Fairfield Industrial High School, spent a brief year in 
        the minor leagues, and was quickly called up to play his first game for 
        the New York Giants on May 24, 1951;
Whereas, in 1951, Mays was voted the National League Rookie of the Year after 
        recording 68 runs batted in and 20 home runs in 121 games;
Whereas, from 1952 to 1954, Mays was drafted into the Army and served the United 
        States during the Korean War;
Whereas during Mays military service, he spent most of his time in the Army at 
        Fort Eustis, Virginia, as an athletic instructor and played baseball for 
        the Fort Eustis Wheels;
Whereas, after Mays finished his service in the Army, Mays returned to help the 
        New York Giants win the 1954 World Series by robbing a Cleveland batter 
        of a go-ahead run with an implausible basket catch in deep center field 
        to win game 1 of the 1954 World Series, in a moment that will be forever 
        remembered as ``The Catch'';
Whereas Mays earned a remarkable number of awards and accolades throughout his 
        career in Major League Baseball, including--

    (1) 24 All-Star Game selections;

    (2) 2 National League Most Valuable Player Awards;

    (3) 12 Gold Glove Awards; and

    (4) 4 National League home run leader titles;

Whereas Mays achieved a .302 lifetime batting average while recording 3,293 
        hits, 660 home runs, and a Major League Baseball all-time record of 
        7,112 putouts from the outfield;
Whereas Mays is the only player in Major League Baseball history with more than 
        300 home runs, 300 stolen bases, 3,000 career hits, and a career batting 
        average greater than .300;
Whereas the accomplishments by Mays were not fully recognized until 2024, when 
        Major League Baseball incorporated the statistics from the Negro 
        American League into the Major League Baseball historical records;
Whereas, in 1979, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first 
        ballot;
Whereas, as a tribute to the indelible impact and enduring legacy of Mays, whose 
        jersey number was 24, the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets retired 
        the jersey number 24 so that no other player on those teams could wear 
        that number again;
Whereas the address of the stadium of the San Francisco Giants is 24 Willie Mays 
        Plaza, in recognition of the contributions and impact that Mays had on 
        the San Francisco Giants organization throughout his life;
Whereas, in 2015, Mays was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the 
        highest honor the President can award to a civilian;
Whereas, on June 18, 2024, Mays died at 93 years old, 2 days before Major League 
        Baseball hosted its first ever game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, 
        Alabama, where Mays made his professional baseball debut 76 years 
        earlier; and
Whereas Mays personified the American Dream by relying on his relentless work 
        ethic and determination to become an immortal giant of the national 
        pastime of baseball, all while inspiring millions of people across the 
        United States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) honors the timeless values of hard work and sacrifice 
        that William ``Willie'' Howard Mays, Jr. embodied;
            (2) recognizes the inspiration that William ``Willie'' 
        Howard Mays, Jr. was and continues to be for generations of 
        people in the United States; and
            (3) celebrates the historic feats that William ``Willie'' 
        Howard Mays, Jr. achieved while playing baseball, the game that 
        he loved.
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