MLB Legend Barry Bonds 'Devastated' By Willie Mays' Death: 'I Love You Forever'

Barry Bonds and Willie Mays are two of the greatest baseball players in the history of the sport, but their connection goes beyond their on-field greatness and importance in San Francisco Giants' history.

Mays was Bonds' godfather, and the latter reacted to the legend's death at 93 years old on Tuesday.

"I am beyond devastated and overcome with emotion," Bonds wrote on his Instagram page. "I have no words to describe what you mean to me- you helped 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."

Mays, who was known as the "Say Hey Kid," was a baseball icon thanks to a career that included more than 20 years in the major leagues (1951-73), a start as a teenager on the Negro Leagues' Birmingham Black Barons and some of the sport's most memorable moments, including The Catch in the 1954 World Series.

In all, he finished his career with a World Series title, two MVPs, a National League Rookie of the Year, a batting title, 12 Gold Gloves and an incredible 24 All-Star Game selections.

He is sixth all time in home runs (660), seventh in runs scored (2,068), 12th in RBI (1,909) and 13th in hits (3,293).

Bonds sits atop that all-time home run leaderboard with 762 long balls and also holds the record for the most home runs in a single season with 73, which he reached in 2001.

It is remarkable that two of the sport's best-known and most-accomplished legends had a godfather-godson relationship and played the majority of their career for the same franchise in the Giants.

Mays was an important figure to Bonds, which was clear during the legend's life and with the latter's statement on Tuesday.

Bonds' father, Bobby Bonds, also played for the Giants. He died in 2003 and was unable to attend the ceremony when the Giants retired Barry Bonds' No. 25 in 2018. In addition to talking about his father, Bonds called Mays a second father figure to him during his speech on that day.

Mays also spoke at the event and even pushed for Bonds' inclusion in the Baseball Hall of Fame:

Bonds also said Mays was part of his motivation for returning to baseball as the Miami Marlins' hitting coach in 2015.

"I need to try this," he said, per Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com. "I'll never know if I like it unless I try. Baseball, that's my thing, that's who I am. With everything I've done as a hitter, I'm the best at that. I wouldn't have been able to do it unless the opportunity came up. So I figured, if I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it the way my dad would have done it. I've got to be in the trenches with them.

"I could come in for a day or two and give them tips and things, but what happens when a guy really loses it and you're not there? See what I mean? So I kind of want to honor my dad for what he did. Honor my godfather [Mays] for what he did."

He honored Mays again with his statement on Tuesday.