Fact check: Yes, Nancy Pelosi tweet confused Willie Mays and Willie McCovey

© The Associated Press FILE – Baseball legend Willie Mays smiles prior to a game between the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco, in this Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, file photo. On Thursday, May 6, 2021, Mays turns 90. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File) The claim: In a birthday post for Willie Mays, Pelosi shared a photo with another Black athlete named Willie

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s attempt to wish legendary baseball player Willie Mays a happy birthday on May 6 turned into a public blunder.

In a tweet celebrating Mays’ 90th birthday, Pelosi’s official account shared an image of Willie McCovey. 

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Social media users quickly criticized Pelosi for confusing the two Black athletes who share the same first name.

“Pelosi has represented the Bay Area for over 30 years and shares an image of the wrong Willie,” reads a May 8 Facebook post by WinRight Strategies.

Both Mays and McCovey played for the San Francisco Giants and are members of the Hall of Fame. McCovey died in 2018 at age 80. Pelosi tweeted the same photo of McCovey in 2018 after his death. 

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In a message to USA TODAY WinRight Strategies called the mistake “unthinkable” and “absurd.” 

© AP 2018: Willie McCovey, 80 Archived tweets prove the claim is true

Pelosi’s official account posted the tweet at 4:48 p.m. on May 6. The tweet was quickly deleted, but not before it was archived.

It read:

“Happy 90th Birthday to an all-American icon, Willie Mays. A trailblazing, record-breaking baseball player, civil rights leader, and champion for youth sports and well-being, Willie Mays is a civic legend and national treasure. #SayHey90”

At 8:03 p.m. that day, Pelosi’s account shared another tweet with the same text and a photo of Pelosi with Mays. 

The mistake was covered by several news outlets. Snopes rated claims about the mistaken post true.

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Pelosi’s office did not respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment. 

Our rating: True

We rate the claim that Pelosi tweeted a photo of McCovey in a birthday post for Mays TRUE, because it is supported by our research. An archived webpage proves Pelosi confused the two Black baseball players in a May 6 tweet that was later deleted.

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Yes, Nancy Pelosi tweet confused Willie Mays and Willie McCovey