Mays, Willie

Impact on the world

Made an iconic over-the-shoulder catch in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, known simply as 'The Catch,' one of the most famous defensive plays in baseball history, while compiling a career that included 660 home runs, 12 Gold Gloves, and a then-record-tying 24 All-Star Game selections.

Life & background

Starting his career with the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues at age 17, Mays signed with the New York Giants and won NL Rookie of the Year in 1951. In Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, he made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch on a deep drive by Vic Wertz, a play known simply as 'The Catch' that remains one of the most replayed and celebrated defensive plays in baseball history. He retired with 660 career home runs, 12 consecutive Gold Glove awards, and 24 All-Star Game selections, tied at the time for the most ever, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979.

Sources

1. SABR (Society for American Baseball Research); National Baseball Hall of Fame; Smithsonian Institution