Willie mays over the shoulder catch

[Super_de]

Why is this catch considered one of the greastest of all time? Better catches happen every day now. Just Puzzles me.

[Panther Thunder]

I've always wondered the same thing. I guess he had to run a long way but still I think it's the same thing as a what a WR does everyday and I think diving catches are plenty harder.

[Super_de]

I agree, we see better catches everyday.

[Ring'Em Up]

The time and era plays alot into it, I think. It was one of the first memorable plays that was showcased as it was, and thus the aura around it has continued to grow all these years. Plus, it doesn't hurt that it saved the game for the Giants, allowing them to win Game 1 in the bottom of the 10th, on their way to sweeping the '54 series.

[Super_de]

The time and era plays alot into it, I think. It was one of the first memorable plays that was showcased as it was, and thus the aura around it has continued to grow all these years. Plus, it doesn't hurt that it saved the game for the Giants, allowing them to win Game 1 in the bottom of the 10th, on their way to sweeping the '54 series.

Yeah i guess your right lol. I guess they didnt see to many of them back then.

[Ring'Em Up]

Personally, I can name about 3 Jim Edmonds catches that I prefer over Mays', but none will ever compare to Mays in most people's eyes.

[OffTheHook]

It was a great catch. But, to me the greatest all time highlight was when Kirk Gidson came to the plate in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series against Oakland. He can barely walk and he drives a 3-2 pitch out of the park to win the game. The images are stilled burned into my mind of him rounding first and second bases while pumping his arm back and fourth. I will remember it till the day I die!
Check the link below and ready the story yourself. Awesome!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirk_Gibson#The_1988_World_Series_home_run

[Ring'Em Up]

The Gibson shot was in the SportsCenter greatest highlight contest thing they got going on right now. I cant remember what play it was up against, and never did catch it if it won that matchup or not.

[Ring'Em Up]

Jus checked the site, and Gibson beat out Bird's steal and pass to Dennis Johnson, and now faces Eruzione's goal in the "Miracle on Ice", in the quarterfinals.

[DevilsWin]

Here is why The Catch was special.


The Catch refers to a memorable defensive baseball (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball) play by Willie Mays (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Mays) on September 29 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_29), 1954 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1954_in_baseball), during Game 1 of the 1954 World Series (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1954_World_Series) between the New York Giants (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Giants) and the Cleveland Indians (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Indians) at the Polo Grounds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polo_Grounds) in New York. The score was tied 2-2 in the top of the eighth inning. Starting pitcher (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitcher) Sal Maglie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sal_Maglie) walked (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_on_balls) Larry Doby (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Doby) and gave up a single (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_%28baseball%29) to Al Rosen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Rosen). So, with runners (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baserunning) on first and second, Giants manager (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manager_%28baseball%29) Leo Durocher (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Durocher) summoned left-handed relief pitcher (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relief_pitcher) Don Liddle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Liddle) to replace Maglie and pitch to Cleveland's Vic Wertz (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_run) and given the Indians a 5-2 lead. However, this was the spacious Polo Grounds, and Giants center fielder Willie Mays (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Mays), who was playing in shallow center field, made an on-the-run over-the-shoulder catch (looking like a wide receiver (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marv_Grissom), to whom he supposedly remarked "Well, I got my man

[BFritz]

The time and era plays alot into it, I think. It was one of the first memorable plays that was showcased as it was, and thus the aura around it has continued to grow all these years. Plus, it doesn't hurt that it saved the game for the Giants, allowing them to win Game 1 in the bottom of the 10th, on their way to sweeping the '54 series.

I agree, we see better catches everyday.

I've always wondered the same thing. I guess he had to run a long way but still I think it's the same thing as a what a WR does everyday and I think diving catches are plenty harder.

Why is this catch considered one of the greastest of all time? Better catches happen every day now. Just Puzzles me.

Time and Era definitely plays a huge role.

Better football catches?? Doubt it. That would be a 150 (roughly) yard pass catching a ball roughly a seventh the size of a football (that's just a guess??) that is going faster than a football.

Other great catches have been made, but not at that time by such a huge figure and player with as much significance as Mayes, but those are the only two arguments that one can make.