The California Legislature approved a resolution from State Senator Bill Dodd, D-Napa, Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, and colleagues statewide to name a portion of Interstate 80 in San Francisco after the late baseball icon, Willie Mays.
“This is an absolute homerun,” Dodd said in a news release. “Willie Mays endeared himself to generations of San Francisco Giants fans, including myself, so naming a street near the ballpark after him is the perfect tribute. Now generations to come will travel along Willie Mays Highway on the way to watch the Giants while the all-time great in a No. 24 jersey is beaming down from heaven at a grateful city.”
Mays, who died at 93 on June 18, played in the major leagues for 23 seasons, most notably for the New York and San Francisco Giants, and in his final two years, the New York Mets. He began his playing career in the Negro Leagues, served in the Army during the Korean War, and was among the first African American players to get called up to the majors. Nicknamed the Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1979 after hitting 660 home runs and one World Series in 1954. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2015.