Greatest catch of all time?

Has Edmonds ever made an over-the-shoulder catch 450 feet from home plate in the World Series of a tied game, and still have the sense to chuck the ball back to the infield to hold the runners?

 

No, but what is all the love for Mays "having the sense to chuck the ball back to the infield to hold the runners" nonsense? What major league outfielder wouldn't have chucked the ball back to the infield? It wasn't the third out. Also, if "chucking the ball back to the infield" is so important, doesn't Chavez's catch get more love because he turned his into a double play, while Mays' catch was only for one out?

 

Chavez's catch will probably go do in history just like Gionfriddo's-a great catch, but not remembered much because his team lost.

 

It's not the most athletic catch Mays ever made, certainly.

But you have to consider a) the context -- kept Game 1 tied, finally got a white-hot Wertz out, Giants were serious underdogs to the then-greatest AL team ever (111 wins); and b) exactly how far center field extended from home plate. Hell, you hit the ball 420 feet and it gets out of every ballpark in the entire league these days. CF at the Polo Grounds went a full 40 feet farther (483 at its furthest point), and Mays went all the way back to catch that ball near the wall. Andruw Jones at his fastest (and thinnest) might get to that. Griffey, never. Edmonds, never. Mantle and Tris Speaker might be the only CFs in history that could have come close to that ball.

And all this love for Mays "only getting one out"? Doby tagged up and surely would have advanced two bases, scoring to take the lead, if Willie doesn't get that ball in so quickly. As it was, he held Rosen on 1B and kept Doby to 3B because of that great throw. ... The Cardinals didn't tag up, and that's why Chavez got a DP out of it. Doesn't make him any more special.

If Mays doesn't catch that ball, the Giants don't win the Series. Indians win Game 1 easily, and no way the 'Jints recover. No fucking way.

And that's why it's The Catch.

 

Agree totally.

 

Just stoned out of your mind, you are.

Fucking crazy.

 

The runner went from second to third.

 

It's not that difficult of a catch.

Ask Andruw Jones.... or Griffey.... or Edmonds.

I do agree that Edmonds' grab also whoops Mays'.... even after factoring in the stakes differential.

But Chavez took NO look at the wall and went full stride up and over.

No Torii Hunter or Otis Nixon shuffle step and then a prepared jump.

 

I'll buy some of that. Some of it, not so much. The circumstances definitely add to the greatness of the play, and he had to go a freaking long way to get there. But once he got there, neither the athleticism nor the degree of difficulty were particularly high. Strip away the circumstances, and Chavez, Puckett and several others mentioned on this thread were superior catches. I don't know how you can say that Mantle and Speaker are the only other CFs who could have come close to catching Wertz's fly, by the way. There have been plenty of fast CFs. Garry Maddux couldn't have gotten there? Paul Blair? And I don't buy the greatness of the throw back to the infield. One runner tagged and went to third, and if Rosen couldn't move up to second, it was probably because he didn't tag in time, either because he thought that Mays wouldn't catch it, or he was the slowest runner of all-time, which probably wasn't far from the truth.

I'm not saying it wasn't a terrific play. It was. I just think it's been elevated to mythic status, beyond what it deserves, partly because it was Willie Mays who made it. If it had been made by a less legendary ballplayer, it wouldn't be nearly so revered.

 

Take nothing away from Chavez's catch, but I saw Dave Winfield make a better catch in Yankee Stadium when he climbed up the wall and reached over the wall to take a home run away from a player on the Orioles. It was a regular season game and it meant nothing as the Yankees lost anyway, but it was incredible. I think the catch by Gary Matthews Jr. was better - I have never seen any baseball player jump that high.

What you fail to appreciate, Columbo, is how deep center field was in the Polo Grounds and how shallow Willie Mays played. Nobody could make a play like that unless they ran through a wall because there aren't any parks like that. I have heard people talk about a catch Willie Mays made in Forbes Field which was supposed to be even better than the 1954 catch... he went a long way and caught the ball while sliding after running a long way... he ended up under a light tower which was in fair territory.

 

Strip away the circumstances, and Carlton Fisk hits a fly ball off a yellow pole.

Strip away the circumstances, and Jack Morris is just a stubborn fool who wants to pitch another inning.

Strip away the cirumstances, and Reggie Jackson just had a 3-home run game. Big whoop. Hard hittin' Mark Whiten had a 4-home run game.

You CAN'T strip away the circumstances on Mays's catch. That's what makes it as remembered as it is -- it came on the biggest stage. It's become a mythic play because of the circumstances.

And no, I don't think Blair reaches that ball. Nor Maddox (Sarge or Junior, in fact.) Nor Griffey (Senior or Junior.) Not 450 feet away from home plate, on a dead run, not as hard as that ball seemed to have been hit. And certainly not at that stadium, with all its nooks and crannies.

 

Bingo. Thank you.

It was the Polo Grounds where centre field was what, 463' away. And Mays was playing Wirtz shallow. It wasn't some little bandbox baseball field.

But I'm sure someone will chime in about how over the shoulder catches are "easy".

Look at the film again. Mays turned his back to home plate and flat-out outran the ball.