Honoring The Past

May 6, 2021, was the day LaMonte Wade Jr. officially made it. 

Despite the first-baseman accomplishing his life-long dream of playing in MLB two years prior, the outfielder was afforded one of the most memorable moments of his life. Just a few months before it occurred, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants by the Minnesota Twins. 

Going from one franchise to the next meant Wade would spend the near future meeting brand-new teammates, staff members and others close to the team. Still, he was pleasantly surprised when the Giants’ public relations manager told him someone special wanted to meet him. That person wasn’t just anybody. It was Willie Mays. Adding weight to the forthcoming interaction, the Hall of Famer wanted to meet Wade on his birthday. 

“Everybody growing up knows about The Catch,” Wade said, referencing one of the greatest plays in baseball history. “You practice that in the backyard all the time just thinking about making that same play. … He just has that aura about him.”

Wade will never forget how the interaction went. He was warned to shake Mays’ hand firmly, but when the time came, his handshake wasn’t firm enough for the two-time MVP. Mays forced Wade to give him another one. This time, Wade squeezed tightly. He says he was surprised by how strong Mays’ hands were despite being 90 years old. Mays later became a mentor to Wade, as he was heavily involved with the Giants’ franchise. 

Mays was one of the many African American baseball players Wade admired growing up in Owing Mills, Maryland. Wade was often the lone African American player on his teams. Although he feels that trend was broken during his three years from 2013-15 at the University of Maryland, it picked back up since making it to the pros.

“Ever since I got called up in 2019, you could just tell on each team there was maybe one, if there was one, at the most maybe two or three African American players on the major league roster,” Wade said. “I just know there's a lot of talent in African American communities, and it's unfortunate you don’t really see that represented in the major leagues.”

Wade navigated the minor leagues, primarily with the Twins’ affiliate teams, for four years. He says he played with many great African American talents, but not many made it to the majors despite having successful stints in the minors. 

At Maryland, Wade played on diverse teams. He played alongside Hispanic athletes such as Kevin Martir and Jose Cuas. He also played with other Black athletes, including his brother Jamal Wade, in 2015.   

“Seeing the type of players that Coach Bakich brought in here, you could tell it was already a diverse group,” Wade said. “Coach Szefc, even Coach Vaughn and now Coach Swope, it just increases each and every year, which is great to see. It definitely created more of a family environment. When you come to campus as a freshman, seeing the diversity on the team makes you feel more comfortable.” 

For current head baseball coach Matt Swope, diversity has always been an identity of the teams he’s coached. He was Wade's assistant coach during his time at College Park. The pair remain connected as Wade seeks Swope’s expertise as a hitting coach every offseason. 

“We have always had a good pipeline of diversity all the way down the East Coast,” Swope said. “The DMV has always been a diverse area. It was for me in high school, and that’s kind of how the community is. We want to be a team that represents the community, and I think it's always been good for us as a university and a baseball team.”

Wade has advocated for Black representation in the MLB by giving back to his communities, especially in San Francisco. He’s heavily involved with Willie Mays Scholars, a Giants Community Fund scholarship program that supports Black youth. The program creates opportunities for youth to overcome racial and educational inequities and succeed in high school, college and beyond. 

The former Terp often shares his story with many of the program's kids during pre-game meet and greets. His main message is that they can all be in his shoes one day, and it’s not far-fetched to think they can achieve similar success. Although there are ups and downs, one can accomplish one's dreams by never giving up. 

“He's the one who's gone above and beyond the most to take an interest in the scholars and chat with them to make sure they feel supported by the Giants baseball side of the organization,” Bailey Rodriguez, the program’s senior manager, said.

Wade’s advocating for Black representation in MLB was reinforced by another experience he will never forget. He was part of MLB’s tribute to the Negro Leagues that featured a game between the Giants and St. Louis Cardinals on June 20, 2024, at the historic Rickwood Field Ballpark in Birmingham, Alabama. Rickwood Field is the oldest ballpark in America and the former home of the Birmingham Black Barons. 

Mays was a central part of the tribute. He had passed away two days before the game and played his first year of professional baseball for the Black Barons in 1948. 

Wade couldn’t play during the contest due to injury, although his manager — Bob Melvin — fought for him to be cleared to play. Knowing how much the day meant to Wade, Melvin sought to include Wade as much as possible. Wade took out the lineup card during pregame and helped walk out 99-year-old Bill Greason, a former Black Barons pitcher who later became the first Black pitcher in Cardinals history, alongside Cardinals coach Willie McGee. Greason threw out a ceremonial first pitch.

The Giants’ inclusion efforts trickled down to their minor-league system as well. The organization invited every player at all levels with any African-American heritage to take leave from their affiliates and travel at the Giants’ expense to Birmingham. Wade and others got a chance to connect with many Negro League players. The first baseman shook all their hands and heard their stories. He regards the day overall as a learning experience. 

“I really wish I could have been a part of it, but I still felt like I was really a part of it just being there,” Wade said. “It was really a cool thing seeing all the former Negro League players, but also the former African American players who retired, who all came out to support everything. It was a really cool event and something that I talked about that should be every year.”   

The Giants wore their Sea Lions jerseys during the game. The Sea Lions were a Negro League baseball team based in San Francisco in 1946. The Hall of Fame even requested and received Wade’s jersey to commemorate his participation in the day’s events. 

“That was a really cool gesture,” Wade said. “I wasn't expecting that. It was just a great day for baseball. The atmosphere was unbelievable. It also raised awareness by having that game about the African American history in baseball, with the Negro Leagues and stuff like that. I thought it was a great way to promote that as well.”

In addition to his involvement with the Willie Mays Scholars, Wade has been involved with the Giants’ Junior Giants program. The free, non-competitive baseball and softball program for kids teaches character development, health and education. 

“It really stands out when a player does something for the community fund,” Rodriguez said. “It speaks volumes about them. … For them to meet a role model who looks like them, who is an MLB player and who can inspire them is amazing. We have not had a lot of African American players on our team over the past few years. I think it's cool that he wants to be a leader in that space and see the game grow that way.”

Wade was the Giants’ 2021 Willie Mac Award winner. The award, named in honor of Willie McCovey, is given to the most inspirational player on the team. It’s voted on by Giants players, coaches, training staff, clubhouse staff and fans.

Mays continued to mentor Wade until his death. Although the legend is gone, Wade wants his name to be remembered forever. For him, Mays will always be one of the driving forces behind his actions. 

“Willie should be remembered for all the sacrifices and things that he brought to the game, and what he's done for the game to allow for it to transition into being more friendly to having African Americans in the league,” Wade said. “He’s a pioneer that should always be cherished and appreciated.”