Willie Mays 1954 World Series Catch As Seen From Center Field

Willie Mays died June 18, 2024 at the age of 93. The accolades and remembrances will pour in over the next few days. We’ll let two photos and a video serve as a microcosm of a brilliant career that writers will try to summarize but will undoubtedly fall short.

Mays was that good.

If Willie Mays was not the all around best baseball player of all-time he certainly ranks as one of the top five.

The above view of Mays’ 1954 World Series catch was taken by United Press photographer Sid Birns.

The original news slug says:

Game-Saving Catch
This is a bleacher view of Giant Willie Mays’  game-saving eighth inning catch of Cleveland’s Vic Wertz’ 450 foot drive to right center field at the Polo Grounds September 29th during the first game of the World Series. With the score tied 2-2 and none out, Mays ran to the wall with his back to the plate and caught the ball over his head. The Giants won the opener 5-2. photo: Sid Birns for United Press International, 9/29/1954

That catch may be recognized as one of the greatest ever because it happened in the World Series. But Willie Mays routinely made scores of seemingly impossible fielding plays during his career. Here is one other photograph where there is no film evidence to back it up as an amazing catch.

Willie Mays of the Giants goes high against the Ebbets Field wall to snag Jackie Robinson’s long drive Saturday. Despite Mays’ heroics Brooklyn won 4-3. photo. Associated Press 9/9/1956

Anybody who ever saw Mays play will never forget him. How many players can you say that about today?

Willie Mays 1954 photo Marvin E. Newman