WILLIE MAYS was one of the all-time baseball greats. And although he\u2019s been gone a year \u2014 Mays died in June 2024 at age 93 \u2014 there are still many ways to remember him in the Bay Area.<\/p>\n
Start with the huge bronze statue of Mays at Oracle Park, the San Francisco Giants\u2019 home stadium. The statue sits in Willie Mays Plaza, surrounded by 24 palm trees in honor of his uniform number 24.<\/p>\n
Or visit the town of Atherton, the wealthy Peninsula suburb where Mays lived for over 50 years. While not as imposing as the ballpark statue, the city\u2019s newish library has a conference room named after the Hall of Famer.<\/p>\n
Mays moved to Atherton in 1969 and was well known in the community for passing out baseballs at Halloween.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a line outside his house on Halloween,\u201d said Rick DeGolia, an Atherton city councilmember.<\/p>\n
Mays was famous for both his hitting and fielding skills. He had over 3,000 hits, 660 home runs and 339 stolen bases by the time he retired in 1973 after 23 seasons. He also won 12 Gold Glove awards for his skills as a center fielder.<\/p>\n
Playmaker and peacekeeper<\/p>\n
DeGolia remembers Mays as a peacemaker, breaking up a famous 1965 fight between Dodger catcher John Roseboro and Giants pitcher Juan Marichal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up a Dodgers fan, but I still loved Willie Mays,\u201d DeGolia, 75, said.<\/p>\n
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The door to the Willie Mays conference room at the Atherton Library includes a large photo of the baseball legend. Atherton City Councilmember Rick DeGolia and his wife Karen donated $100,000 for the conference room when the city was fund raising to build the town center. DeGolia asked long time Atherton resident Mays for permission to use his name. (Larry Sokoloff via Bay City News)<\/p>\n
DeGolia got the idea to name the conference room for Mays when the city was raising funds to build the town center complex that includes the library. The library opened in 2022.<\/p>\n
DeGolia and his wife Karen donated $100,000 for the conference room. The councilman then asked Mays for permission to name it after him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019d been such a longtime resident of Atherton and a great baseball player,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mays donated the varied photos that are on its walls. Pictures show him with fans, holding a bat, and with former President Barack Obama. One photo shows him hugging his dog.<\/p>\n
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Willie Mays photos and memorabilia in an Atherton Library conference room on Monday, June 30, 2025. (Larry Sokoloff via Bay City News)<\/p>\n
The conference room is dominated by a large table with a clear panel in its middle, filled with baseballs with the Giants\u2019 San Francisco initials on them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were 24 baseballs as that was Willie\u2019s number,\u201d DeGolia said.<\/p>\n
Except there are only 23 balls in there, something this reporter noted (and counted repeatedly to be sure) on a recent visit.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know what happened to the other ball,\u201d DeGolia said.<\/p>\n
The conference room is open to the public for use. One wall is all windows, and visitors can look inside the room when it\u2019s occupied.<\/p>\n
\u201cFans love it,\u201d said Alan Zamora, a communication technology specialist at the library.<\/p>\n
Life after baseball<\/p>\n
A loop of videos about Mays play on a screen in the conference room.<\/p>\n
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Willie Mays Ballpark at Holbrook-Palmer Park in Atherton on Monday, June 30, 2025. (Larry Sokoloff via Bay City News)<\/p>\n