On Tuesday night, the baseball and broader American sports world lost a giant — literally and figuratively.

Former New York and San Francisco Giants star Willie Mays, perhaps the greatest player in professional baseball history, died Wednesday, with the Giants announcing the somber news. He was 93 years old.

Mays was a quintessential five-tool player, someone with the speed, hitting and fielding ability amazed his contemporaries and still resonates more than 50 years after his final MLB game with the New York Mets in 1973.

Famously nicknamed “The Say Hey Kid,” Mays amassed a resume that measures up against anyone in baseball history. He was a two-time National League MVP, a 12-time Gold Glove recipient, a four-time National League home run leader, a World Series champion and a 24-time all-star, the last of which ranks him second among all players in MLB history, behind only Hank Aaron.

REQUIRED READING: Baseball legend Willie Mays, the 'Say Hey Kid,' dies at 93

He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1977 and the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, receiving 94.7% of the vote in his first time on the ballot. At the time, he was the ninth player ever to be enshrined in the hall of fame on his first attempt, though in reference to the 23 of 432 baseball writers who didn’t vote for Mays, legendary New York Daily News sports columnist Dick Young wrote, “If Jesus Christ were to show up with his old baseball glove, some guys wouldn't vote for him. He dropped the cross three times, didn't he?"

In 2015, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, by then-President Barack Obama.

“Today we have lost a true legend,” Giants chairman Greg Johnson said in a statement. “In the pantheon of baseball greats, Willie Mays’ combination of tremendous talent, keen intellect, showmanship, and boundless joy set him apart. A 24-time All-Star, the Say Hey Kid is the ultimate Forever Giant. He had a profound influence not only on the game of baseball, but on the fabric of America. He was an inspiration and a hero who will be forever remembered and deeply missed.”

Over a professional baseball career that spanned a quarter-century, Mays became one of the most admired and celebrated athletes in American history. Before that, though, his story began in Alabama.

Here’s more about Mays’ background, including his hometown, early career, family and more:

REQUIRED READING: How baseball legend Willie Mays earned the nickname 'The Say Hey Kid'

Where was Willie Mays from?

Mays was born on May 6, 1931 in Westfield, Alabama, an industrial town about nine miles west of downtown Birmingham.

According to Mays’ authorized biography, "Willie Mays: The Life The Legend" by author James S. Hirsch, the doctor who helped deliver Mays exclaimed "My God, look at those hands!" after the future baseball legend was born.

Growing up in Alabama during the era of codified segregation, Mays took a deep and early interest in baseball, idolizing the likes of Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Stan Musial and, of course, Jackie Robinson.

His talent was obvious from an early age. By the time he was five, he was playing catch and, as he grew older, his father taught him every position, starting with catcher, to diversify his skill set. As a teenager, Mays played on an industrial league team in Birmingham with his father.

He had athletic interests beyond baseball. He played basketball, averaging 20 points per game, and was a star quarterback at Fairfield Industrial High School.

It was baseball, though, where he’d ultimately make his mark. He began his professional career in 1948 at just 16 years old with a brief summer stint with the Chattanooga Choo-Choos, a Negro minor league team. The previous year, in 1947, Robinson broke the MLB color barrier when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1948, Mays signed with the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League later that year, playing only on Sunday during the school year.

He remained with the Black Barons from 1948-50 and credits that time with helping him reach his baseball dreams.

“I couldn’t have accomplished what I did without those guys,” he said in a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle earlier this month, referring to his teammates and coaches in Birmingham.

Mays’ death comes two days before the Giants are scheduled to play the St. Louis Cardinals at Rickwood Field, the home ballpark of the Black Barons, as part of a tribute to the Negro Leagues.

With Robinson excelling with the Dodgers, MLB teams made a more concerted effort to scout Black players, turning to a source of talent that that had been unjustifiably shuttered from the sport for decades.

After being scouted by the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, who chose not to sign him years before either club ultimately added a Black player, Mays signed with the New York Giants in June 1950, inking a bonus that various reports put somewhere between $4,000 and $15,000. Mays quickly rose up the ranks, making his MLB debut for the Giants on May 25, 1951 and going on to win National League rookie of the year that season.

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Willie Mays family

Mays was the son of Willie Mays Sr. and Annie Satterwhite, who never married and separated when Mays was 3 years old.

Mays came to sports naturally, as his father was a talented baseball player for the semi-pro Black team at the local steel mill and his mother was a track star who led her Birmingham high school to three consecutive state basketball championships.

Mays’ father was nicknamed “Cat” for his exceptional quickness. He helped introduce his son to the game and honed his prodigious talent. When the younger Mays turned pro, his father followed him to New York and, later, San Francisco when the Giants moved there in advance of the 1958 season.

“He wasn't just my father,” Mays said to SF Gate in 2006. “He was my friend. We could talk about anything, which was good for me."

Mays was preceded in death by his second wife, Mae Louise, who died in 2013 following a 16-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

He was the godfather of Barry Bonds, the seven-time National League MVP whose father, Bobby, was a friend of Mays’ when they were teammates on the Giants. Barry Bonds is one of just five players ahead of Mays on the MLB career home run list.

REQUIRED READING: World reacts to the death of MLB Hall of Famer and Giants' legend Willie Mays

Willie Mays stats

Mays is one of the most statistically accomplished players in MLB history. He's one of just seven MLB players with at least 3,000 hits and at least 500 home runs.

Over his 23-year MLB career, Mays compiled the following stats:

• Batting average: .301

• Home runs: 660

• RBIs: 1,909

• Hits: 3,293

• Doubles: 525

• Triples: 141

• Stolen bases: 339

• Walks: 1,468

• On-base percentage: .384

• Slugging percentage: .557

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Where was Willie Mays from? Late MLB legend was Alabama native