“Something Told Me to Go See Him”: Dusty Baker Had a Premonition of Willie Mays’ Death at 93

People often underrated the power of connection. Sometimes, a person just gets a feeling – a feeling so inexplicable one can’t tell that to anyone. But then that feeling ends up being right and one is left with just questions. Dusty Baker too got that same feeling a few days ago. The legendary skipper had always admired Willie Mays (who didn’t?) and was one of the last to see the legendary San Francisco Giants legend alive. 

As the baseball world was getting ready to celebrate Negro League’s inclusion, the news broke that Willie Mays was no more. The legendary center fielder, the one who paved the way for colored players, and the man who rewrote the criteria for a baseball player had passed away. Tears flew and so did tributes. But among them all was Dusty Baker, who revealed a rare premonition that made him visit Willie Mays.

“Isn’t it ironic,” Dusty Baker said per USA Today. “That while the eyes of the entire baseball world is on Birmingham, Willie passes.” Baker had spent the Monday afternoon at Mays’ house. The managing great was accompanied by Giants’ former public address announced, Renel Brooks-Moon. Later Baker revealed that Mays had suddenly crept up in his mind.

“There’s just something that told me to go see him,” Baker said. “My dad used to always tells me that if you’re thinking of someone, don’t put it off. You don’t know if you’ll see them again. Well, I went to see him, and thank God I did.” The 75-year-old then expressed his feelings by evoking the memory of the Hip-Hop legend Tupac Shakur.

“I think about Tupac – Death is around the corner. I could kind of feel it (Monday) a little bit,” Baker said. Certainly, Baker seems relieved with the fact that he got to have a good last conversation with May. 

More tributes follow for Willie Mays as MLB set to honor him

“I’m at a loss for words,” Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. said. “I’m devastated. Heartbroken. Numb. I’ve been lucky enough to know Willie since I was a little kid. And my appreciation only grew over time. From the stories, and the videos, and then meeting him. He was a true giant off and on the field. A person I looked up to and respected.”

The New York Mets’ manager Carlos Mendoza also shared his experience with Willie Mays. Mendoza was invited to Giants’ Spring Training in 1998 and there interacted with Mays, at the behest of Dusty Baker. “Having Willie Mays there and sharing stories and sharing with us as a young player, how to play the game the right way meant a lot,” Mendoza said. Mays’ ability to connect with every generation is perhaps why he’s considered an All-Time Great by nearly everyone who met him.

Now MLB will honor Willie Mays and the Negro Leagues on Thursday. It’ll be done in Rickwood Field where the first MLB game between the Giants and St. Louis Cardinals will be played. The 110-year-old park has a deep history with Willie Mays – it was the place where he debuted for Birmingham Black Barons in 1948.  Though Mays’ health issues had already prevented him from attending the event, his demise has made it a bittersweet moment. As Dusty Baker said, “Willie’s presence here will be stronger than ever.”