This story was excerpted from Martín Gallegos' A's Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

OAKLAND -- Shortly after news spread of the passing of baseball icon Willie Mays on Tuesday, a moment of silence was observed in his honor at the Coliseum just before the evening’s matchup between the A’s and Royals.

Mays’ illustrious career is forever connected to the Coliseum. It’s the site of the Hall of Famer’s final hit, which he picked up in Game 2 of the 1973 World Series. It was an impactful one. The 42-year-old Mays delivered a go-ahead RBI single off fellow Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers in the 12th inning, helping the Mets to a 10-7 victory over the A’s.

• 'My heart is on the floor': Baseball world reacts to Mays' passing

Following Oakland's 7-5 victory over Kansas City on Tuesday, players, coaches and front office members shared their sentiments.

A's assistant GM and director of player personnel Billy Owens: “Devastated. Say Hey was everything. He’s right there with Muhammad Ali as the greatest athlete. The excellence was documented. The style can never be duplicated. His power, speed and grace is forever unique. The catch still captures the imagination almost a century later. Willie was New York and San Francisco. I’ll watch the game at Rickwood Field this week and imagine Willie doing basket catches in center field and hitting homers into the Stratosphere. Rest in peace, Say Hey Willie Mays.”

A's manager Mark Kotsay: “The baseball world will miss a legend that had impact. I think it might have been Bruce Bochy who said the day that he took over managing the Giants [in 2007], Willie Mays walked in with a dozen signed baseballs and said, ‘Hey, you might need these at some point.’ That was pretty cool. … I never had a personal connection with him. I got to meet him in San Francisco. But the other thought that comes to mind is how close Barry Bonds was with him. I do have a personal connection with Barry, and I know Barry looked at him like another father figure, per se. But to play the same position, there’s a lot of great center fielders, but he was the pinnacle of it.”

A's center fielder JJ Bleday: “Terrible news. Devastated for him and his family. The dude was an absolute legend -- bigger than baseball. I saw a picture in Tampa in the away locker room of him coming into the locker room holding a bunch of bats. I just thought that was the coolest picture I’ve ever seen. … Prayers for him and his family. He’s a guy that gave so much to the game and just had an unbelievable life. Just an absolute legend. Absolute GOAT.”