american icon, the man most considered the greatest baseball player of all time. giants legend willie mays, has died at the age of 93. that news still sinking in. this is the willie mays statue outside of oracle park, and there's a growing memorial of flowers, candles and messages for the hall of famer who inspired generations of players. it is an emotional night for so many people. you think about your grandparents or your parents or whoever taught you about the game of baseball, and willie mays was always part of that education. the tributes are pouring in from former players, friends and fans and remarkable jessica that someone that many of us never saw play still has and had the significance of willie mays. that is the power of baseball.

it really is. tonight the giants were in chicago when that news broke. it is with great sadness that we announced that san francisco giants legend and hall of famer willie mays passed away peacefully this afternoon at the age of 93. please join us in a moment of silence as we remember willie mays moment of silence at wrigley field for the say, hey kid, back here at home. the official address of oracle park is 24 willie mays plaza, 24 was his number, and there are 24 palm trees in that plaza. everything was done for a reason. he was the man he and barry bonds later building baseball for the bay area. so many fans at the ballpark tonight, nbc's terry mcsweeney begins our coverage there right in front of that statue. terry yeah. and raj and jess and many of our viewers probably remember when this statue was dedicated to willie mays here at 24 willie mays plaza. he was surprised and

he loved it. and tonight, fans are getting a chance to show how much they love willie mays. you see the flowers there and the candles. a lot of the people raj you kind of touched on it. a lot of the people out here never saw him play and that makes sense. he retired in 73, but they know what he meant to baseball and what he meant to san francisco. an iconic song, take me out to the ball game, played for the man who brought people out to the ball game, willie mays. rick brandon was having dinner with his family when he got the bad news. we came out and i figured, well, i got my trumpet in the trunk. either taps or take me out to the ballgame. so he made a difference for everybody who loves the game. this is the baseball willie mays sign for rixx daughter when she stood next to willie after she had sung the national anthem back in 2007. he was so sweet and congratulated me after and said

i did great and he signed a ball for me and hung out for a little bit. and it was just a peak childhood memory. dolores aviles was so stunned by the news she just had to come down here. the message popped up. willie mays passed away and i was like, oh, okay. we didn't even finish dinner. and we just came and paid our respects. willie mays also impressed the powerful former san francisco mayor willie brown not only loved him, he admired and respected him. he never allowed others conclusions or demonstrated inappropriateness by others to interfere with how he even treated them. he would have been a perfect candidate for president by conduct. former giant j.t. snow remembers his first days with the giants right there in the clubhouse. in the flesh, the greatest of all time to be in the clubhouse with him,

talking to him on everyday basis . and mccovey was there as well. just i was really humbled and i kind of felt like i was cheating the system because they were such great players. profound reaction tonight from the man who wrote the book on willie the man, john shea. the book 24. shea spent months researching the book, talking to willie and cannot believe he's gone. it's really hard to grasp and comprehend that he's gone because we just never imagined this day. we just always thought he'd live forever. but if willie had to go today was the day to do so. well, according to one man who loves baseball and loved willie, i'm a little tore up about it, to be honest with you. so you know. 618, 20, 24, 24, 24, you know, only fitting. right? so yeah. let me clarify that. last gentleman was talking

a little numerology action. six 1824 is today six plus 18 is 24. and willie mays of course, was number 24. there's not a lot of great things to say about growing old, but i can tell you that one good thing about growing old is that i happen to see willie mays playing. yeah, at candlestick many times, but also at seals stadium. my dad took me out there with the giants. first came to town. my dad was excited about that seal stadium and willie mays and, yeah, the say, hey, kid, back to you. this is one of those nights, terry. you just said it. you think about your dad and your mom. you think about your grandparents. they bridge the gap for baseball, and you just. yes, you do. you just summarized it perfectly. thank you, terry, and what great memories for you, terry. all right. an outpouring of love outside oracle park and an outpouring on social media, too, among the posts from the giants, this one saying, quote, there will never be another quite like willie mays, another giants legend, barry bonds, posting this photo on instagram along with a moving tribute. i am beyond devastated and

overcome with emotion. i have no words to describe what you mean to me. you help shape me to be who i am today. thank you for being my godfather and always being there. give my dad a hug for me. rest in peace willie. i love you forever. buster posey tonight remembering the slugger too, saying when i remember willie, i can picture him sitting around a table in the clubhouse laughing and telling stories. he absolutely loved talking about baseball and was always willing to share his knowledge with the next generation of players. what an honor to know the greatest baseball player that ever lived will miss you, willie mays also received the presidential medal of freedom from president barack obama back in 2015. barack obama posted, willie mays wasn't just a singular athlete blessed with an unmatched combination of grace, skill and power. he was a wonderfully warm and generous person and an inspiration to an entire generation. before he played in the major leagues,

willie mays played in the league. this thursday, the giants will face the cardinals at rickwood field in birmingham, alabama. this is a game to honor willie mays and the leagues. this was scheduled more than a year ago. with willie mays in mind, he will now be top of mind . this thursday night, mays played for the birmingham black barons. he grew up just a few miles from this ballpark. willie mays, in so many ways, was bigger than baseball. he was a magical part of american culture, and we in the bay area had the privilege to see him up close. if you ask someone who's the best baseball player of all time, more often than not, the answer is going to be willie mays. not just fans, but fellow hall of famers will tell you the same thing. well, mays was just the greatest of min, just god gifted, i guess. but, never seen anybody better. great, great. he

makes it so easy for us his last year. i'm playing left field for the padres. he hit a fly ball to left. it was a you know, a little texas leaguer. i caught the ball when i caught it, i flipped it in, but i was shaking. my hands were shaking. you know what i mean? i just caught willie mays fly ball. i called my brother when i went home after we lost, but i called him. i said i played against willie mays today. there was nothing on the field that willie mays couldn't do. he can take up the whole field and play the whole field and you're like, really? willie and willie would do it, you know? so that was a gift. i didn't have. mays became a star for the new york giants, leading the team to the 1954 world series championship when the giants moved west here to san francisco in 1958, the city immediately fell in love with the say, hey, kid, it's been a really, i guess, good run for me because cause when you can come into a town and people love you the same way where you came

from, to me, that's wonderful. i think it's just a magnificent type of way of getting along with people. mays tried bringing the bay area, its first world series title back in 1962, only to fall short, losing that agonizing game seven to the yankees. it's a shame we just never had a chance to win some more for you. since i was playing, 1962 was a good year for us out here. we won the pennant and everything, but we didn't win the whole thing, and that's one of the things i, regret, though. he never won another world series, mays was named an all-star 24 times, and he hit 660 career home runs. he retired with the mets in 1973, and soon after returned to the bay area. in 1993 when his godson, barry bonds signed with the giants, mays was once again

a fixture at the ballpark. my dad was my teacher. i mean, willie was my godfather. i mean, willie was my idol. there's, you know, two comparisons here, to be a young kid and have a dream to be a baseball player, and then you're the person you idolize is your godfather. i mean, what other gift do you want from that? i mean, all i cared was love. you know that he cared about me as my godfather and that i was good enough for him. mays loved to smile, and he never lost his desire for that good game of cards in the clubhouse. even legends from other sports like muhammad ali would come pay a visit. in 2015, president obama awarded mays with the presidential medal of freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. all i can say, thank you. thank the guys that i've played with and hope they had a good time playing with me. thank you very much. ana thank.

you. amazing to see those clips of video tonight. baseball hall of famer ken griffey jr shared with us what happened. the last time they were together in san francisco. he was sitting in a clubhouse and, i try to sneak by and he was like, oh no, you got enough home runs to be in this, in this, in this room. come on in here. and i just started laughing because i, you know, because i don't, you know, as a player and a guy who's retired, you just like, you know, i just want to slide by because he's that guy, you know, when he walks into a room, he lightens. he he he's the room, makes it pretty cool tonight outside of his home in atherton. plenty of his neighbors. you see, there are leaving flowers at the front gate of willie mays homes. and those stories are true. kids would flock to this home on halloween night every year, because willie mays would give out full size candy bars and baseballs. no photos allowed, just memories that those kids, probably adults now, will never

forget. our coverage continues online at nbc bay area .com. just click on the willie mays link right there at the front of the page. you can read more about his life and how he's being remembered. we're back in a moment. (♪♪) the best summer plans come from the back seat. let's go camping! i want to see a dinosaur! let's rescue a puppy... a real one. let's go on a big family road trip!

volvo plug-in hybrids short trips on electric, longer trips on gas. mom, can we drive until we see the stars? the volvo xc60 and xc90 plug-in hybrid. visit your local volvo retailer to explore plug-in hybrid vehicles during the summer safely savings event. it happened around nine. victim taken to the hospital with life threatening injuries. at this point we don't have any information about the suspect or the motive. officers are still on the scene. an investigation is underway. also tonight you could see it. maybe even feel it. bad air across the bay area, especially in the east bay. the sky is gray and ashy because all the fires across the state. an air quality advisory has been extended into tomorrow. now, we saw ash actually raining down on cars. this is in oakland. it's mostly from the fire in sonoma county and the fire in colusa

county. here's the latest on those fires. the point fire in sonoma county is 50% contained tonight. that is progress since it broke out on sunday. it's burned 1200 acres, destroyed two structures, and one firefighter was hurt. as for the sites fire, this is the one in colusa county. just 5% contained at this hour. it's burned more than 15,000 acres and forced the evacuation of campgrounds at east park reservoir. we'll check in with our chief meteorologist, jeff ranieri, about the conditions going into tomorrow. we'll check in with him in just a few minutes. all right. it is official. the group pushing to recall oakland mayor shengtao has enough signatures to place the measure on the november ballot. so now it's up to the city of oakland to decide the next steps on the vote to potentially remove oakland's top leader from office. here's nbc bay area's pete serratos. oh, i think you're going to see a different tune from the mayor's administration. god is one of

the lead organizers pushing to recall oakland mayor shengtao. and today, the alameda county registrar's office confirming that organizers have submitted enough verified signatures to put a recall vote on the ballot. this november. the efforts to recall mayor tao began in january, and scott says they were able to gather just over 40,000 signatures. i think the numbers are clear. voters that want tao gone, voters wanted god. and scott says recall supporters are unhappy with the mayor's handling of issues ranging from crime, homelessness and her controversial firing of then oakland police chief leronne armstrong. she's demoralized the city we trusted, leronne armstrong. we don't trust mayor tom. i think we're extremely disappointed to see such a concerted, concerted effort since 22, you know, elections to really undermine these newly elected officials. you know, pecolia manigo is a political director for oakland

rising action, a nonprofit focused on increasing voter participation in the city. she's opposed to this recall vote, as well as the upcoming recall vote of alameda county district attorney pamela price, claiming it could impact voters who may feel their vote doesn't matter if recalls become the new norm. it's made, you know, people question, why vote, right? and i think that that consequence, is really what concerns us that this is starting to turn off voters. we reached out to the mayor's office for comment tonight, but were forwarded to her campaign team, who have not responded to our requests at the time of this report. with the signatures verified, the city council will be in charge of what happens next, with the next city council meeting set for july 2nd in oakland. pete serratos nbc bay area news there's a grassroots effort to tax chevron, which is one of the area's largest employers, at this late hour, the richmond city council is deciding whether to move forward with that proposed tax. a rally was held

outside of city hall tonight before the meeting. that council meeting. activists argue that pollution linked to the chevron refinery is to blame for dozens of serious health issues in the neighboring communities. they want chevron to pay millions of dollars in new taxes annually to offset the costs of dealing with those issues, shell foreign disputes the claims and says the tax is being pushed by activists looking to punish the company. chevron also notes the facility has reduced emissions by 80% over the past few decades, and lowered particulate releases by almost 40% since 2019. now if the council members approve the proposal again, they're meeting at this hour. it will be put on the november ballot for voters to decide. santa clara county public health leaders are sounding the alarm about an outbreak of a highly infectious bacteria known as shigella. now, most of the cases have been reported in a homeless encampment in san jose's columbus park. there have only been three confirmed cases, but public health is investigating 19 others. shigella is a hyper contagious gastrointestinal

illness that can lead to cramping, diarrhea and nausea, and in more serious cases, it could lead to life threatening gastrointestinal issues. after months of complaints from business owners and bike and pedestrian safety advocates, the controversial center bike lane on san francisco's valencia street is going to be ripped out. the sfmta is proposing a new curbside design. it will resemble a bike lane on another stretch of valencia from 15th to market. in that area, cars act as the barriers, but the curbside option will impact parklets and parking spaces, and some business owners say that will hurt their business if the board moves forward with this new plan. the earliest the valencia street bike lane would be installed is january of next year. okay, we've had a rough couple of days with the weather impacting some of the fires through northern california, but now we're starting to see a change in that. let's bring in chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. and jeff, what can we expect over the next couple of days? we are expecting that

smoke to improve as we head through tomorrow. what we're seeing is the storm track taking this unusual dip here off to the south, and with that, a smaller system developing. so that's going to help to drop. temperatures also bring fog back at the coastline and most importantly, continue to help to push this smoke off towards the east and check it out. right now, temperatures already dropping anywhere from 3 to 16 degrees cooler compared to this time yesterday. let me get you more details on the temperatures. also, that air quality as we head into your wednesday forecast will be nice to get to that mid week. and as we roll through tomorrow, we're still expecting the chance of some smoke up into the north bay with that smoke advisory extended. it doesn't appear like it's going to be as bad as what we had today. rest of the bay area should really switch to a good to moderate air quality with that weather pattern change that we're seeing developing right now. the other thing i really wanted you to know, as you wake up tomorrow morning and you start to head outside, not everything you see will be smoke, because we also are expecting some fog to come back

and some areas of low clouds. so this is 7:00 in the morning. then as we head through the afternoon we should manage some sunshine here through the inland valleys. still may be hazy at times, but also notice that the beaches will likely hang on to some fog that would be developing. so with that foggy breeze at our back, temperatures start down on the cooler side. we've got 50s here across the bay area. it will put us to 53 over the peninsula. san francisco 52 and for the east bay low 50s daytime highs dropping 5 to 10 degrees cooler. so i think you're going to notice it 77 here in martinez 81 livermore upper 70 san jose and 50s and 60s right here from half moon bay to san francisco. all my 7-day forecast in sf. we are going to go back up to 74 on saturday. so kind of a mild beginning to the weekend. then we'll dip it down to 68 on sunday. and for the inland valleys we'll go back up to 90 friday hottest day is saturday 96, but the back half of the weekend will drop down to double eight. so at least we're not looking at an extended period of

hot weather coming our way. great. and hopefully that smoke, as you said, gets better tomorrow because today was getting in the way of a lot of people. yeah, it really looks like it should certainly improve tomorrow. great. thank you jeff. up next, smartphones at school maybe for not much longer. the announcement from governor newsom that could mean new rules for kids on campus ♪ (ominous music) ♪ dad: headphones, buddy. mom: headphones. what! dad: hey! ♪ (ominous music) ♪

what is going on? mom: what was that? mom, go away! nicotine's a neurotoxin that can escalate teen mood swings go away mom, please. mom: listen, open this door. boy: no. please open the door.

the move comes just one day after the us surgeon general warned about social media's impact on mental health, especially when it comes to young people. the surgeon general wants a tobacco style warning label on social media platforms. he also called on congress to consider other restrictions. in a statement to nbc news today, governor newsom echoed those concerns, citing a 2019 bill he passed that gave school districts the authority to limit or ban smartphone use. one california school district has already taken action. l.a. unified adopted a policy that prohibits cell phone use during the entire school day. school board members are going to meet over the next few months to come up with specific language on how to implement that ban, and that policy is set to take effect january of 2025. okay, here's a

sure sign of summer. the bay area's largest water park opens next weekend. cowabunga! which is the old raging waters in san jose. it's been renovated. calabanga operators tell us the new park will have more than 15 water slides, wave pools, kiddy attractions, and a ride where guests can just kind of float down the stream. so fun. one of those leisurely floats there. later this summer, the park will also launch a wine garden, a wine garden, a wine garden with live entertainment that includes craft beers and food trucks. i say cowabunga, here we come! that's a good place to go. cowabunga up next, we're going to go back and check in with the gits. some thoughts abouant

we're in the middle of... livin' large! and having a big day! the meeting point of humanity and history. in the middle of being the fun uncle! in the middle of being a kid again! beep! beep! ♪♪ there's something for everyone in illinois. the middle of everything! ♪♪

that beautiful, radiant smile and that laugh. you knew it. it was a cackle. yeah, it was a cackle. he didn't just light up a room. he owned the room. now, among the many lessons he would teach the current day players, and he would kind of hold court in the clubhouse. we love this one. practice like a pro and play like a kid. baseball as you know, is a grind. willie mays

made baseball a joy tonight in chicago. giants pitcher logan webb shared with us the moment he learned that mays had died. i kind of looked at the umpires and i was like, i think you need to stop the clock because i, i had to take a moment to think about it and be be prideful for the jersey. i was wearing the hat i was wearing and know that, you know, willie did the same. and and then, you know, they played the say-hey song and it was, a little memory. logan webb. these guys are kids. and you see the impact that willie mays in his 90s had on kids that are in their 20s. and their 30s. as for the game here, logan webb was solid through seven, but in the eighth inning, tyler rogers gives up this rbi single to cody bellinger. the cubs had a three run eighth inning. the cubbies beat the giants at wrigley field, final score of 5 to 2 at the coliseum in oakland tonight. the a's and the royals. the a's also had a moment of silence for

willie mays. fourth inning here. bottom of the fourth, zack gelof with a three run homer. he's pumped up here. he's one of the a's rising stars. the athletics beat the royals final score 7 to 5. we're back in a moment. a slow network is no network for business. that's why more choose comcast business. and now, we're introducing ultimate speed for business —our fastest plans yet. we're up to 12 times faster than verizon, at&t, and t-mobile. and existing customers could even get up to triple the speeds... at no additional cost. it's ultimate speed for ultimate business. don't miss out on our fastest speed plans yet! switch to comcast business and get started for $49.99 a month. plus, ask how to get up to an $800 prepaid card. call today!

olympic fashion news. we know what team u.s.a. is going to be wearing. opening ceremony athletes will be sporting ralph lauren. the look includes blue blazer, blue jeans, moto jeans. by the way, for the closing ceremony, the team will wear sharp white moto style denim jeans, matching red and white blue jackets for a patriotic touch. the company is also using recycled fabrics for the uniform pieces. like its iconic polo. so they're going to be wearing jeans. oh and nothing says more america usa than jeans. i can see you in ralph lauren. every single one of those things. you know how much the jacket costs? 900 bucks. no, i cannot see myself in that. well, that's that's. come on. that's an nbc right off i. yeah, exactly. what's moto jeans, by the way. jeans are motorcycle jeans but they're the moto brands. oh i got you.