Montgomery Biscuits, fans react to the death of baseball great Willie Mays

Action 8 News was at Rickwood Field in Birmingham where the death of Willie Mays was announced during the game between the Montgomery Biscuits and the Birmingham Barons Tuesday evening.

Mays, known as ‘Say Hey Kid,’ died at 93 Tuesday. He was born on May 6, 1931, and grew up in Westfield, Alabama, a former coal mining town just west of Birmingham.

FILE – Baseball great Willie Mays smiles prior to a game between the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco, Aug. 19, 2016. Mays, the electrifying “Say Hey Kid” whose singular combination of talent, drive and exuberance made him one of baseball’s greatest and most beloved players, has died. He was 93. Mays’ family and the San Francisco Giants jointly announced Tuesday night, June 18, 2024, he had “passed away peacefully” Tuesday afternoon surrounded by loved ones. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)

Tuesday night’s game between the Biscuits and the Barons was part of a celebration of the historic Rickwood Field and the Negro League. It is the oldest professional baseball stadium in the country.

Mays played at Rickwood Field, as a member of the Birmingham Black Barons.

Action 8 News talked to fans about what he meant to the game of baseball and to members of the Biscuits team, playing at this historic stadium as they remembered Mays, one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Watch the video above for their memories.