SAN FRANCISCO -- It had been more than 50 years since a Giants player wore No. 24 on the field.

That changed on Monday -- June 24, as fate would have it -- when the Giants returned home for the first time since Willie Mays passed away at age 93 last week.

The Giants honored their franchise icon -- a Hall of Famer, a two-time MVP and one of the greatest players baseball has ever seen -- by having all players and on-field personnel wear No. 24 in honor of Mays for their series opener against the Cubs.

The team retired No. 24 after the Say Hey Kid's legendary career came to a close, and no Giants player had worn it since Mays was traded to the Mets in May 1972.

"We'll be lucky to do it," Bay Area native Kyle Harrison said of wearing Mays' retired number. "That's crazy to think about, yeah, we're putting it on. It's an honor."

The Giants were on the road when Mays passed away, two days before last Thursday's MLB at Rickwood Field game, a moving tribute to the Negro Leagues where Mays' professional career began in 1948 with the Black Barons in Birmingham, Ala.

Mays' indelible presence was felt at Rickwood, and the celebration of his life continued at Oracle Park. From every Giant donning his No. 24 to a pregame ceremony in his honor, Monday was all about the ultimate Forever Giant.

"Today's going to be an emotional day about 24," manager Bob Melvin said. "And we'll leave it at that as far as his number and what he means to this team, this organization, the city, the country, everything."

Even before the Giants returned home, fans had gathered at Willie Mays Plaza outside Oracle Park to pay their respects to the legend. Mays' statue by the ballpark entrance was covered in flowers, photos, candles, baseballs and heartfelt notes.

"Thank you for the memories and your timeless legacy," read an inscription on a Mays baseball card.

"My hero and reason for my love of the game," read another note.

And one message kept it simple as could be: "100% pure greatness."

Longtime Giants broadcasters Dave Flemming, Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper addressed the Oracle Park faithful and shared stories about Mays during Monday's ceremony -- and encouraged fans to do the same throughout the evening.

"I never, in my 40 years of knowing him, saw him mad. He never yelled or lost his temper," Krukow said. "Because every day I saw him, he was at the ballpark, and there was no place that he would rather be. He was our guy. We lost our champion, but he'll always be with us forever."

Added Kuiper: "We are going to miss everything about Willie Mays."

Mays became synonymous with the Giants and the city of San Francisco to the point that his legend transcended generations. Harrison, 22, remembers frequently reenacting The Catch with his friends while growing up as a Giants fan in the East Bay.

"That's just something that's always been cool in baseball," Harrison said. "The fact that he played for the Giants, and he's ours -- I grew up here, and grew up watching highlights of Willie Mays, and know what he meant here. To wear this number, it's awesome. … We've got to honor him tonight and get a win for him."