[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 126 (Thursday, August 1, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5789-S5790]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 801--HONORING THE LIFE AND ENDURING LEGACY OF WILLIAM 
                       ``WILLIE'' HOWARD MAYS, JR

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

                              S. Res. 801

       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;

[[Page S5790]]

       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.

                          ____________________