November 24, 2015 by Andrew Baggarly
The Giants don’t have to win a World Series for Willie Mays to drop by the White House and say hello to President Obama. The Say Hey Kid had an especially memorable visit on Tuesday.
Mays was among 17 individuals on Tuesday who were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in a ceremony in the East Room. Yankees catcher Yogi Berra was a posthumous honoree. The honor has been bestowed on 11 baseball players; Ernie Banks was the last recipient, in 2013.
Mays, 84, rose from his chair and took off his Giants cap with the script G logo, and President Obama smiled as he clasped the ribbon around his neck.
The honor is presented “to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors,” according to the White House.
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“We don’t have time to list all of Willie Mays’s statistics — 660 home runs, .302 lifetime batting average,” President Obama said. “The list goes on and on. I won’t describe that miracle grab at the Polo Grounds, either — because Willie says that wasn’t even his best catch. I will say this: We have never seen an all-around, five-tool player quite like Willie before — and we haven’t seen one since. He could throw and he could field, hit for contact and for power. And, of course, he was so fast, he could barely keep a hat on his head.
“On top of that, Willie also served our country, and his quiet example while excelling on one of America’s biggest stages helped carry forward the banner of civil rights.
“A few years ago, Willie rode with me on Air Force One. I told him then what I’ll tell all of you now — it’s because of giants like Willie that someone like me could even think about running for President.”
Other honorees included Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Stephen Sondheim, violinist Itzhak Perlman and NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson.
“This is an extraordinary group,” President Obama said. “Even by the standards of Medal of Freedom winners, this is a class act. What an incredible tapestry this country is and what a great blessing to be in a nation where individuals as diverse, (from) wildly different backgrounds, can help to shape our dreams, how we live together, help define justice and freedom and love. They represent what’s best in us and we are very, very proud to welcome them today.”
The theme from E.T. played as the President went through and greeted each winner one more time.
Mays stood and applauded when Streisand was announced. Who knew he was a fan of “Funny Girl?”
Giants CEO Larry Baer congratulated Mays on the honor after it was announced Nov. 16.
“As everyone knows, Willie is a national treasure and one of the greatest players in the history of baseball,” Baer said in a statement. “I cannot think of a more fitting tribute to recognize Willie for his endless contributions to our national pastime.”