Michael Mays, the son of San Francisco Giants icon Willie Mays, is speaking out against an upcoming auction featuring some of his late father’s most personal and historic possessions.
The sale, scheduled for September 27 and organized through the Say Hey Foundation, includes items Michael believes should remain with the family or in institutions that can properly preserve his father’s legacy. Among them are Willie Mays’ 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom, honorary doctorate degrees from San Francisco State, Dartmouth, and Yale, numerous plaques and proclamations, and the 1962 “Babe Ruth Sultan of Swat” crown, a non-MLB batting award.
Michael told AL.com he does not object to the sale of standard memorabilia such as bats, balls, or even Gold Gloves, but said these particular pieces should be safeguarded. “I’ve respectfully asked: Can these items be kept in a trust so they don’t wind up on a plastic surgeon’s desk in LA, or in a garage in Dubai?” he said.
Proceeds from the auction are expected to benefit the Say Hey Foundation, which Willie Mays founded in 2000. However, Michael said he has not been contacted by the foundation about preserving the items in question. He expressed a desire to loan the Medal of Freedom to the Smithsonian permanently and suggested that other items could be entrusted to the Giants organization. So far, he said, he has not received a response.
Auctioneer David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, countered that the sale aligns with Willie Mays’ wishes. “Willie’s main wish was for these pieces to be sold to his fans, and even more so, to be sold to benefit those who started out life in much the way that he did,” Hunt said.
The dispute comes amid growing attention to memorabilia tied to the Hall of Famer, who passed away on June 18, 2024. Michael previously criticized another auction after learning that a signed pair of his father’s underwear was sold for more than $2,200, calling the listing “disgusting.”