If anyone knows who should be in the HOF, it’s Willie Mays. pic.twitter.com/AXC7fl88dp
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) August 12, 2018
Few people know Barry Bonds – or the Giants – better than Willie Mays. Mays is Bonds’s godfather and was the only person to receive an applause that came close to rivaling the cheers for Bonds.
Mays also gave the only speech that rivaled the one Bonds gave, both in length and reception. Mays’s speech was emotional and endearing, filled with moments that were appreciated by fans.
Mays called for Bonds to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
“Give somebody honor that deserves to be in the Hall of Fame,” Mays said. “When you get there, you’ll say, ‘Man, how did I get here?’”
When recalling Bonds’s upbringing, Mays recalled being given the responsibility of taking care of Bonds by his parents.
“The boy that is here today, he was like my little son,” Mays said. “I’ve had him since he was five-years-old. And his mother said to me, ‘You got this kid, take him.’”
"The boy that is here today, he was like my little son" #Bonds25 pic.twitter.com/1AwqN9Fqd6
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) August 12, 2018