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This Day in Sports History: Willie Mays makes "THE CATCH" (09/29/54 World Series)
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Posted on 09/29/2006 7:21:25 AM PDT by yankeedame

The Catch


The Catch: Willie Mays hauls in Vic Wertz's drive
at the warning track in the 1954 World Series

The Catch refers to a memorable defensive baseball play on September 29, 1954, during Game 1 of the 1954 World Series between the New York Giants and the Cleveland Indians at the Polo Grounds in New York.

The score was tied 2-2 in the top of the eighth inning. Starting pitcher Sal Maglie walked Larry Doby and gave up a single to Al Rosen.

So, with runners on first and second, Giants manager Leo Durocher summoned lefty relief pitcher Don Liddle to replace Maglie and pitch to Cleveland's Vic Wertz, also a left-hander.

Wertz worked the count to two balls and a strike, before crushing Liddle's fourth pitch to deep center field. Some reports say the ball traveled 450 feet, which is an exaggeration, but in many stadiums the shot would have been a home run, giving the Indians a 5-2 lead.

However, this was the spacious Polo Grounds and Giants center fielder Willie Mays, who was playing in, made an on-the-run, over-the-shoulder catch (looking like a wide receiver) to make the out.

Having caught the ball, he immediately spun and threw the ball, losing his hat in characteristic style. Doby, the runner on second, might have been able to score the go-ahead run had he tagged at the moment the ball was caught; but as it was, he ran when the ball was hit, and then had to scramble back to retag and only got as far as third base.

Liddle was then relieved by Marv Grissom, to whom he supposedly remarked "Well, I got my man!"

The play prevented the Indians from taking the lead and in the bottom of the 10th, the Giants won the game on their way to sweeping the Series. "The Catch" is often considered to be one of the best and most memorable plays in the history of baseball because of the difficulty of the play and the importance of the game itself.

Many people have argued, however, that "The Catch" is remembered so well because it was made in New York City, by a player for a New York team, and on television in a World Series game, whereas other catches, including many made by Mays, were less celebrated because they came in regular season games or in other cities. Certainly, Mays himself did not believe "The Catch" to be the best defensive play he ever made.


Mays and Polo Grounds center field distance marker

External links:

Time's World Series Momorable Moment #7: The Catch

Sporting News's 25 Greatest Moments in Baseball of All Time #9: The Catch


TOPICS: History; Miscellaneous; Reference; Sports
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 09/29/2006 7:21:26 AM PDT by yankeedame
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To: yankeedame

Good ol' days..W.S. in the day time, and before 15 Oct....


2 posted on 09/29/2006 7:22:55 AM PDT by dakine
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To: yankeedame

Mays' catch was pure baseball instinct... can't teach it. Jeter's catch when he went into the third-base seats was made of the same cloth.


3 posted on 09/29/2006 7:25:57 AM PDT by johnny7 (“And what's Fonzie like? Come on Yolanda... what's Fonzie like?!”)
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To: yankeedame
I was there !! (My first World Series game)

ML/NJ

4 posted on 09/29/2006 7:29:50 AM PDT by ml/nj
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To: yankeedame

It saved the game for the Giants who went on to win in extra innings on Dusty Rhodes walk off three run homer in the 10th.


5 posted on 09/29/2006 7:37:52 AM PDT by mainepatsfan
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To: yankeedame

I am taking my son to see the Giants and Dodgers tomorrow. This morning he said "Dad you know why Saturday is great? we are going to a baseball game"


6 posted on 09/29/2006 8:37:51 AM PDT by SF Republican
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To: yankeedame

Look at the walls in the outfield!

Forgot that a player could get seriously hurt against the wall back in the good old days.


7 posted on 09/29/2006 8:41:16 AM PDT by aShepard (Maybe the UN should donate UNICEF proceeds to the Gates Foundation, and fold!)
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To: SF Republican
This morning he said "Dad you know why Saturday is great? we are going to a baseball game"

That's great. I know baseball may not be what it was, but it's still our National Pastime. And there's nothing like a great Pennant race this time of year, Go Tigers!

8 posted on 09/29/2006 8:45:01 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: yankeedame
I still clearly remember seeing this catch on a Movietone Newsreel at the Upton Theater's Saturday afternoon 25 cent matinee. Say Hey!! A great ballplayer, Willie Mays.
9 posted on 09/29/2006 9:05:37 AM PDT by JimSEA
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