Willie Mays Made "The Catch," but How Great Was It? | Baseball Bits

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Willie Mays' The Catch, which occurred during the 1954 World Series' Game 1, has long been considered by man to be the greatest catch of all time or the best catch in MLB history. However, in this episode of Baseball Bits, I, Foolish Baseball, will argue that the legacy of this play is misunderstood.
We'll explore the Polo Grounds' size, which is vast, and also use new Statcast data to figure out the Statcast catch probability of this play. God bless the good people of Baseball Savant.
We're also going to learn about some of the other key actors in The Catch, like the Cleveland Indians Vic Wertz and Larry Doby. They all played a big role in this Indians Giants World Series.
If Mays doesn't make The Catch, it would end up being just another Polo Grounds home run, albeit an inside-the-parker. He really saved the day. I think you'll all rue the day you asked questions like "is the catch overrated?"
__________
Andrew Clem's Polo Grounds diagram: www.andrewclem.com/Baseball/Po...
Footage A: • Willie Mays makes ‘The...
Footage B: • Willie Mays makes "The...
Footage C: • Video

[@FoolishBaseball]

Couple gripes 1. Indians went 111-43 that year. Giants went 97-57 by comparison. 2. Mays didn’t win World Series MVP, as the award didn’t exist. The award is, however, named after him to celebrate his heroics in 1954. Overall, I’d have to I say I liked the video and that the narrator sounds handsome. Now please pin my comment and stop misleading people.

[@Tropicalfire]

Foolish Baseball not the first time the Indians were supposed to win.

[@badgerclan4142]

Do something on y Ted Williams is the greatest hitter of all time

[@FoolishBaseball]

They have had a rough go in the October classic.

[@Tropicalfire]

Foolish Baseball yep

[@mikepalmer1676]

Yeah, those sound like valid obj-- _notices who wrote the comment_ *Wait, that's illegal.*

[@MLB]

Very well done, FB!

[@FoolishBaseball]

Thanks. You're doing a good job too, baseball.

[@mr.m442]

Omg Hi mlb

[@mr.m442]

Hey mlb I dare you to reply

[@phobod1]

Hey mlb, get rid of angel Hernandez Love, The world

[@austinjames2160]

😱

[@MSWSB]

The catch was a 450 ft fly out and the game ended on 258 ft home run...

[@chuckwalla2967]

That's why I don't give much weight to sports records. Too many unfair elements and human errors that change the outcome of the games.

[@dagobaker]

and wertz went 4 for 5 that day i think

[@cosmicduck183]

@@chuckwalla2967 And yet, the guys we all know were the greatest, hold all the records. RNG existed before video games; it was called nature, and even Willie and Babe had to account for it.

[@stevejoycehatcher7326]

And Mays went hitless

[@michaellyga4726]

That’s baseball for you.

[@nrcg2317]

Willie Mays was once asked: "Who else do you think could have made that catch?" Mays' response: Roberto Clemente

[@victorbonilla4634]

And that's running over from his right field position..😲😂

[@nrcg2317]

@@victorbonilla4634 Well, Willie Mays was asked who did he know that could come close to making that catch. He said Roberto Clemente. I agree with Mr. Mays. He and Clemente were tied with 12 Gold Glove Awards, most by any Major League outfielders in modern history. I'll tell you that I saw Roberto Clemente come from deep right centerfield to chase an Ed Kranepool fly ball down the right field line at Shea Stadium and made a running, sliding catch a foot off the ground...Typical Clemente catch. Hey you're right, Clemente would have caught it from right field in Cincinnati. That reminds me of a story about Clemente's abilities. ...The immortal Vin Scully put it best: "Clemente could field the ball in New York, and throw out a guy in Pennsylvania." Clemente could also make catches in the same manner he made throws.

[@victorbonilla4634]

@@nrcg2317 The Great One...I saw him play live at Shea vs the Mets 1970..Never saw Willie though..wish I had.

[@nrcg2317]

@@victorbonilla4634 I saw Wille Mays, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle play. I'm probably older than you. I remember Roberto Clemente from 1961 and most vividly, the mid 1960s. I should mention that my Dad (Carlos Bernier) played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1953. He played for the San Juan Senators of the Puerto Rican Winter League Baseball along with Roberto Clemente. My Dad played center field, Roberto Clemente played right field.

[@nrcg2317]

@@isaacpadron3211 Actually, I recently saw some old clips of Hank Aaron and this man could run back on a long drive and make a catch after climbing a fence, but I don't know if he could have made the catch because the drive hit by Wertz was really traveling fast. Clearly, Mays has no equals as an outfielder, except Roberto Clemente.

[@Jharrisimages]

Most people don't realize just how crazy the dimensions of the Polo Grounds were. One of the weirdest, greatest ballparks of all time.

[@Riley_Mundt]

Affectionately named The Bathtub.

[@andrewboyce7268]

I never realized it until playing the show. Its wild.

[@ifheavenwashuman]

Yes, it's gorgeous.

[@Memorex996]

MVP Baseball 2005 fans know

[@chrisripley226]

It’s just a meme,pure comedy that stadium

[@Jayhawkeye24]

"2%, like the freaking milk baby." I don't know when or where, but if I ever get the chance I'm going say this

[@dylankrejci9965]

so what score did you get on your test today?

[@jamesvickers9476]

Preday ...don't do it...not all that ...

[@cygnusrider]

@@jamesvickers9476 I stopped watching after that. The video "jumped the shark" at that moment as far as I was concerned.

[@MaynardFreek]

@@dylankrejci9965 2% - like the freaking milk baby

[@bridgmjm]

@@cygnusrider I almost stopped watching but it was worth continuing

[@nasdaqqqq4994]

Ahh the Polo Grounds, where a 430ft missile is an out, and a well placed pop up lands in the bleachers

[@FoolishBaseball]

Makes sense

[@Tuning_Spork]

There's video on KZbin of Duke Snider hitting a homer down the right field line. The ball jumps off his bat and lands in the crowd in 2 seconds.

[@1badhaircut]

And that’s not even dead-center ! But it makes for inside-the-park home-run excitement.

[@tomb4575]

Only 3 players hit Home Runs in The Polo Grounds bkeachers.

[@danboyd]

most 430' missiles in the polo grounds were probably inside-the-park HRs. Willie Mays wasn't always out there :)

[@revment]

This has to be one of the coolest, most in-depth analysis of a play I have ever seen in my life. Serious props, you studied that play like a freaking thesis. That editing is insane, too.

[@nicholasantonicello6903]

He's a clown and so are you.

[@wacco54]

"Willie Mays glove is where triples go to die" JimMurray

[@djbongwater]

My God, man. My only qualm with your channel is that I found it too soon and you don’t have enough content. Keep it up.

[@aaronproctor3623]

Same! It's great content and admittedly has resparked my love for baseball.

[@NoAllahNoGod]

I completely agree. As a German who somehow fell in love with MLB this channel is perfect. I could watch it for hours. There are literally NO German YT channels about basebal whatsoever. It's like looking for camel polo in English.

[@FoolishBaseball]

Better nate than lever.

[@barondeau4495]

@@FoolishBaseball lol

[@BlanBlan19901990]

Meh, I prefer high effort, quality videos every once in a while over mid tier vids every day

[@zendeldlc8021]

Imagine hitting a ball 450 feet and still be out..... Ouch!

[@iamhungey12345]

On top of that, your team goes on to lose later on a cheapie. Shows how painful irony can be sometimes.

[@JoeGuitarEducation]

That's most of Babe Ruth's outs in his career. He played in this park for the Yankees from 1920-1922 Yankee Stadium opened in 1923.

[@robloxsportsnetwork-peter4538]

@@JoeGuitarEducation imagine Ruth playing in ball parks of the sizes today.. hed hit 100 hr in a season

[@JoeGuitarEducation]

@@robloxsportsnetwork-peter4538 there's a book called "the year Babe Ruth hit 104 home runs". This book goes over the different rules back then. Like the rule of "if the ball curves foul after passing over the wall it's called foul not a home run." Rules like that actually impeded Ruth's home run total. He would of hit 104 home runs in the 1921 season. According to that book.

[@robloxsportsnetwork-peter4538]

@@JoeGuitarEducation I'll definately check it out. The walls were farther back is a huge reason I think Babe Ruth is the actual home run champion.

[@wayneswisher8222]

Willie Mays greatest player in my lifetime I am 70 and felt no one was better.

[@Gaving311]

@@huglife3155 late

[@deleting1118]

@@Gaving311 W pfp

[@deleting1118]

@@huglife3155 L kid

[@taco2k3]

@@huglife3155 That’s right baby boy

[@fintanoclery2698]

Willie Mays Hayes was pretty good too.

[@vestibulate]

Mays routinely deprecated the superlatives accorded this catch. For him, it was nothing out of the ordinary. But then, he was Willie Mays.

[@Bookmax99]

I agree. I have seen Mays say he has made better catches. More important? Probably not. Mays says it was the World Series that made that catch memorable.

[@jamesanthony5681]

Bob Feller said this wasn't Willie's best catch. "Not even close. He's made many better", said Feller. As Mays was growing up and playing the game, he said defense always came first, and he prided himself on playing the outfield.

[@MilesLougheed]

HI, WILLIE MAYS HERE WITH ANOTHER AMAZING CATCH.

[@paulk6399]

Whoever says they didn't read this in Billy Mays' voice is lying

[@alec1430]

Yesssss!!!!!!!! 😁😆😆😆

[@GooseGumlizzard]

lmao

[@ommy7672]

YES

[@swavyyjavi4455]

@@paulk6399 I definitely did lol

[@decentproductions5929]

Why is nobody mentioning that the batter hit the ball like 450 feet

[@jtodd0221]

And still popped out lol. I never knew it was that far.

[@FoolishBaseball]

Probably one of the longest outs in baseball history, if not the longest.

[@jdholtz]

Imagine if all those games were in a ballpark today, there could be some new home run leaders

[@TheShaggy1324]

@@jdholtz But a lot of homers back then were cheap and down the line, so those would be lost.

[@calebr3097]

It be like that in polo grounds

[@kennethterrell7409]

What's amazing about Mays is the catch AND throw.

[@jamesanthony5681]

Agreed.

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

Its what May's himself said was the real good part. He said he knew he'd catch it.

[@chaosawaits]

The closest I can think of for a catch with similar magnitude and an almost impossible amount of distance travelled has to be Gregor Blanco's 7th inning catch to preserve Matt Cain's perfect game, going deep into "Triple's Alley" and diving at the warning track all the way from right field

[@ItsOnlyNotable]

I watched that game. Almost shit myself when that ball was hit

[@ByloBand]

The Catch was just really good, but the play is legend for his awareness of the situation and the unbelievable throw.

[@ronfowlermusic]

The throw was as amayzing as the catch

[@davidlafleche1142]

Even better: Benintendi's catch against Houston.

[@joeblow7008]

@Fuck Google as a red sox fan i agree. hes a fucktard

[@TheBatugan77]

@petey1214 Yep. And Willie did both. How about that!

[@sadroyalfan4241]

He over ran it

[@vintagecollector5340]

Its just not the catch and how he managed to do it, but its also the size of the stadium and how he threw the ball back to prevent any potential runners. A very awesome and cool piece of baseball history. We can argue all day on this, but Mays has twelve gold gloves to prove his defensive ability. Outstanding ballplayer! One of the greatest all-around players to ever play the game!

[@Gnofg]

The Greatest bar none.

[@SheepofChrist818]

He’s the best all around player ever which means he’s the best player ever.

[@vintagecollector5340]

@@SheepofChrist818 No question. Undoubtedly the best to play the game. There are many good players who can play well in one or two categories, but there are only a very few GREAT players can play well in ALL categories. Those are the five-tool players like Mays. Anyone who questions his greatness simply doesn't know baseball very well.

[@SheepofChrist818]

@@vintagecollector5340 Yes, I think only Mickey Mantle and Ken Griffey Jr can compete with Willie when it comes to being a five-tool player.

[@vintagecollector5340]

@@SheepofChrist818 Mantle and Griffey both were excellent, but I think Griffeys stats are a little closer to Mays' stats than Mantle. Theres no denying that all were the best three players in their time. Mays is the only centerfielder in history to record over 7,000 putouts, which is impressive.

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

It's so iconic because of the Polo Grounds setting. It appears that he's running into the infinite when he snags it. That's what gives it that amazing look. And he also had great style out there: he just looked so athletic and breakneck running into that void.

[@ajm5007]

Absolutely. I think most people who are "unimpressed" by this play simply don't understand the Polo Grounds. The distance Mays had to cover to make that catch AND throw is something you don't really SEE in the footage. In a smaller ballpark, it'd be less impressive. You have to understand the distances involved to appreciate this play.

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

@@ajm5007 Right! There's an old ball field where I live, at it's 485 to dead center--man is it far! Put the Polo Grounds also had that odd configuration, and it makes it seem with that high wall that he's running into the forever. Combine that with Mays running at breakneck speed with the cap flying off, the perfect pivot off a full run and throw (actually the most impressive part), and the total optics make it the greatest center field play ever.

[@patrickmilito3790]

Dewayne Wise's "The Catch" that saved Mark Buerhle's Perfect Game will always be my favorite outfield catch of all time.

[@bucketz23]

Oh yeah

[@FoolishBaseball]

No shame in that pick!

[@strongside4565]

That just reminded me of how damn good Mark Buerhle was for like 15 minutes.

[@jblank2215]

I feel the same way about Gregor Blancos catch during Matt Cains perfect game. A severely underrated catch that never gets talked about.

[@DanCicala]

@Costa Zambaras People say Philly fans are rough, but all you have to do is run face first into a steel wall at a dead sprint and the fans will love you forever.

[@randynunez2666]

You got me at "like the freakin' milk, baby!" 🤣

[@FoolishBaseball]

TWO PERCENT

[@randynunez2666]

@@FoolishBaseball yah, that is crazy as heck. LoCain is on another level.

[@mistakm]

fuck i just said that then scrolled down

[@MotleyStu-gv2tb]

Gregor Blancos catch to preserve Matt Cain’s perfect game is my favorite. Dude covered hella ground and still had to dive to save the perfection.

[@robstoneyt]

I really enjoyed your comparative analysis; thank you. In every interview I ever saw wherein Mays was asked about "the catch" he always said he was more proud of "the throw" which kept the runner from scoring.

[@mekan0001]

What I didn't ever notice was how deep this ballpark was. Thanks for the enlightenment! Definitely changes my previous opinion. When you think about it, Edmonds catch is 40 ft short of Mays, and that is incredible.

[@FoolishBaseball]

That's a good way of looking at it.

[@TheOsfania]

Mays was a much better athlete than Edmonds.

[@joedoreck7223]

yeah this mamojam is super long but also super short. it’s like fenway; super short corners but hella deep outfield

[@Nathaniel3114]

Edmunds even admitted that he was playing SUPER shallow

[@StanStacks]

Edmunds was the king of slowing up to make an easy catch an “amazing diving coach”

[@jacoblee3182]

"And a StatCast Catch Probability of 2%..." *goes insane* "...like the FREAKING MILK B A B Y"

[@ryanmcintyre5470]

The catch was dope! An over the shoulder catch at jogging speed is a routine play for most pro's, but you can see he clearly covers alot of ground and his strides are very quick. Plus the quick cannon of a throw to only allow Doby to advance to third on a 425+ ft hit is tremendous. Loved the video keep up the great content.

[@Cody70858]

Willie is truly one of the greatest ever. This play is incredible, top 5 play by a top 5 player turned into a top 5 video by a top 5 KZbinr

[@deino4753]

Here before the MLB youtube account comments.

[@bucketz23]

?

[@deino4753]

@@bucketz23 on many of foolish baseball's videos, the MLB youtube account comments on his page

[@bucketz23]

Idk

[@FoolishBaseball]

Here's hoping!

[@jacobthomas8787]

*demonitizes

[@bloodhawk5678]

Why I subscribed... A) I love the throwback sega sounds. Nostalgia B) I love your content and scientific approach C) I love baseball D) All the above

[@FoolishBaseball]

Why I replied (A) The kind words (B) Because it's polite (C) That's it really

[@jayden8636]

Foolish Baseball I laughed out loud actually.

[@sirduckix1653]

Hi

[@bobf4819]

I played division three ball and my bat stank. It was my glove and speed in the outfield that kept me on the roster. Accordingly I love timely and magnificent outfield defensive plays.

[@Riley_Mundt]

That was me as well. My dad showed me this catch when I was really young (Mays is his favorite player) and I trained to be able to throw deep catches fast and far back to infielders like this. As miserable as being stuck in the outfield during slow games was, that was where they thought I was best used. Bring able to throw to second base from the left field fence without a cutoff man sealed my fate as an outfielder until my last season, when they let me play second base like I wanted.

[@sonomavalleytech9298]

The Sonic beats work so well in this video.....and there's not a single reason why that should be. You, my friend, are an artist.

[@GiraffeNeckMarc]

These videos are on another level, incredible stuff again 🙌🏻

[@badgerclan4142]

Hi Marc I would like to ask if u can do a video on reasons y Ted Williams is the greatest hitter of all time, please this would be a great video

[@FoolishBaseball]

Thanks. Now give me more topics to steal.

[@vinnie_boi_mecca]

Hey Marc

[@mistakm]

@@FoolishBaseball What Byron Buxton is capable of if he stays healthy. His August 2017 earned him an MVP vote. www.fangraphs.com/statsplits.aspx?playerid=14161&position=OF&season=0&split=2.5

[@davidward9733]

LFGM Marc

[@TheTussman]

Being 64 yrs old, I'm kind of a tweener fan between eras, so I was blown away by the shot of the Polo Grounds. I never knew it was pretty much a rectangle!!!

[@downtownbobbybrown6237]

I wish it was still there .

[@kiltilly98]

I was born in The City of San Francisco in April of 1954 and, because the Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958 I spent my childhood watching Willie Mays at Candlestick Park. I saw him do amazing things: Falling down rounding third only to score after drawing a throw and allowing the batter to take second. Catching the second out as if it were the third out and trotting toward the dugout to fool a runner into tagging up only to be thrown out. Faking a twisted ankle at first base after a throw over only to steal second on the next pitch. He was the most intuitive player on the field. No one had his instincts. No one was so adored. Thank you, Willie, thank you.

[@kevohealey9915]

That why Willie is the GOAT of baseball. He done it ALL.Great piece my friend.👍

[@csnide6702]

Ernie Harwell said Willie Mays was the best he ever saw..... That is saying something.

[@ElGranSanto]

Say Hey's catch DEFINITELY deserves all of its praise.

[@giacomo94061]

And more.

[@davidlafleche1142]

Dwight Evans' catch (Game 6, 1975) was better.

[@ElGranSanto]

@@davidlafleche1142 deserves all its praise.

[@giantsfan7733]

As a Giants fan, I thank you for the history lesson and the great analysis.

[@Fredboy]

you are indeed Giants Fan

[@milesreal420]

Gregor Blanco saving Matt Cain's Perfect Game was the greatest catch I've ever seen in my life time. But growing up all I heard about from my Grandad and Dad was "The Catch."

[@gmaneis]

I can't believe I sat through this video. That's what I thought when it was about half over, but it was actually fun to watch. Let's face it, all the catches shown were pretty awesome. Nice to hear legendary Jack Brickhouse announce the winning homer, too. Thanks for making this. Well done!

[@MattMatt-yw3op]

According to my calculations Mays also ran about 20 mph to even get to the ball, making it so stopping on a dime and preventing the runner from scoring an even more difficult task

[@ynot6781]

How did you calculate 20 mph ? It's clear Mays did not stop on a dime , he had plenty of time to run down the ball and actually pulled up before the catch which enabled the relatively easy catch turn and throw . The slow runner wasn't sure if he caught it , he spotted the throw to late , which by the way his looping throw had nothing on it . Mays was arguably the most athletic of his era . Great athletes were not at all common in his day The ball hung up , he had a good jump and the over the shoulder is common today .

[@skysurfer5cva]

115 ft in 5.7 s = 13.8 mph

[@jcgocrazy]

skysurfer5cva That is feet per second lmaoo

[@johnk2469]

@@skysurfer5cva that's how many feet he was running per second

[@skysurfer5cva]

@@johnk2469 Yes, I get that 115 ft in 5.7 is 20 fps, but MattMatt said 20 mph, not 20 fps. I was providing the mph value since most people are innately familiar with mph (from driving a car) and not fps.

[@mexicanusrex9418]

Mays also caught the ball with two hands, the gloves were much smaller and to catch the ball players often used two hands. Baseball players today have the benefit that gloves make it possible for one to catch it with one hand.

[@moonrich3492]

@@afdkj Utter nonsense. The gloves today are much more than "slightly" longer. Gloves before the 1950s were tiny and definitely required two hands -- I've had gloves from the 1930s, 1950s and 1960s. Who got injured catching with two hands?

[@briankoontz1]

Possibly the best reason to catch the ball with two hands is that putting your off-hand close to your catching hand positions your body well for the catch, rather than having your off-hand away from your body and possibly affecting your balance. There's also the secondary benefit that if you don't catch the ball cleanly and it deflects or pops out of your glove your off-hand can secure or re-catch the ball. It's not like you're multitasking and your off-hand is needed for something else anyway, so it might as well be well positioned.

[@killercapo]

@@afdkj Not to argue, but to clarify: Baseball gloves underwent massive changes during the 1950's era, By 1959 gloves were quite different than 1950.

[@timothycrombie3730]

@@killercapo You're absolutely right. I was a kid in the 1950's and I remember the evolution. Huge difference between a '50 and '59 glove.

[@Theisnation212]

The catch, the awareness, the throw, the setting and implications. All reasons why this is a legendary play

[@johnhunter2294]

After this catch, Liddle was replaced by another reliever. According to legend, he went back to the dugout and said "Well, I got MY man."

[@KWCline91]

It wasn’t the flashiest catch ever. But if people look at the context, then it would arguably be under the greatest pressure-situation plays ever. Also, Mays wasn’t named World Series MVP because they didn’t start handing out that award until next year.

[@brandonwinchester4564]

Jermaine Dyes catch in Mark Bhurhles perfect game is a close number 2

[@KWCline91]

Brandon Winchester that was actually Dwayne Wise who made the catch.

[@MetFanMac]

Not only that, Dusty Rhodes would probably have been a better pick for the award. An otherwise marginal player, that year Rhodes had an OPS of 1.105 in just 186 plate appearances during the regular season, mostly as a pinch hitter. Judiciously deployed in three of the Series' four games, he went 4-for-6 with a walk, two home runs, and seven RBIs, driving in the winning or tying run in all three games.

[@JeevesAnthrozaurUS]

Willie Mays was the 1954 NL MVP The World Series MVP wasn't yet awarded, but the Babe Ruth Award, given to the best performing player in the postseason, was given to Dusty Rhodes in 1954 (Not an official MLB award, but was the closest thing at the time)

[@FoolishBaseball]

Thank you. Have amended the World Series MVP thing in a pinned comment.

[@phile5437]

Definitely not overrated in my book. Excellent work, young sir!

[@FoolishBaseball]

Thanks, old geezer.

[@Mark-sj3xb]

Only considered overrated because Willie made it look so easy.

[@TheRealLaughingGravy]

You left out the most important part - his cap came off. That's what made it a great catch.

[@gregoryboyer4846]

a lot of players back then said that Willie would purposely wear his cap so it would fly off, for dramatic effect

[@nickdimitre]

@@gregoryboyer4846 yeah he’d either get it a couple sizes too big or a couple sizes too small.

[@jacobjones5269]

I am an Astros fan.. Growing up watching Jose Cruz, his hat would fly off when he sprinted to make a play.. Except with 2 outs.. With 2 outs Jose would grab his hat and run after the ball, so he wouldn’t have to go back for it.. I always thought that was pretty dang stylish..

[@kylekonopka8292]

Thank you so much for making this video. I was always one of the "its just a catch running backwards" but you explained it really well and now I can appreciate how good it was

[@harrisonnord4890]

There’s a difference between the *BEST* catches and the *GREATEST* catches of all time. This was one of the greatest.

[@bricon2283]

Harrison Nord u are wise beyond your years harrison lol well said

[@TheNineinchsnails]

Can you definitively tell me what the best catch of all time is? If not, then the distinction between one of the greatest and the best is blurred a lot then. I'd argue there isn't a distinction between the two, because it's a subjective opinion, and that this is a superlative catch. With that being said, one could argue in the statcast era one could find "the best catch of all time" using metrics, but that can't accurately and objectively be compared to anything before the statcast era.

[@patrickmorgan4006]

@@TheNineinchsnails No one can definitively point to any catch as the greatest of all time. It is an impossible task. We can only offer our opinions on the matter.

[@tombstone1111]

@@TheNineinchsnails Best catch ever was Kenny Lofton's in CF. Makes this catch look like an amateur.

[@magicwanddd]

C'est un bon joue par Willie Mays, fais-tu d'accord Monsieur Harrison North?

[@EightMasterRobots]

I love the old school video game aesthetic with your presentation. Reminds me of playing baseball simulator 1.000 with my father when he was alive. Keep the up its fantastic!

[@BlackuLaLa]

Baseball was most certainly NOT in its infancy in 54. MLB was nearly 60 years old. Other than that, great deep dive. Well done, matey boy

[@DavidinCal]

Great job! Brings me back to my youth. Thanks so much. One small error. Dusty Rhodes was the MVP of that World Series. Sadly, he was unable to field adequately and faded away after his heroics.

[@Mark-sj3xb]

Didnt know the American Dream played baseball

[@Camperlife4ever]

One of the greatest plays in MLB history, thank you for taking it seriously by putting some rigor to the details.

[@ringoneedsmoney9623]

The polo grounds had the biggest outfield to covor, missing that ball could have been a 3 run hr. After the catch a runner on 2nd could score if he's fast enough. So getting that ball back to the infield so quickly was key. I think it was brilliant. Love your videos!!

[@FoolishBaseball]

Much appreciated! Thank you for the kind words.

[@peejaygarcia9509]

I appreciate all the hard work you put into this video.. Well done! :)

[@thomasstolfi665]

Any one questioning Willie Mays abilities. Doesn’t know the game very well.

[@dollarjilt1]

Well said mate

[@jackconnell7820]

Willie Mays was a good baseball player

[@ifbfmto9338]

I think both: I think “the catch” was a nice play but clearly overrated But yes Willie Mays was an all time great player, not questioning his abilities whatsoever

[@heavymetalweatherman7774]

Felt compelled to reply. This video never once questions Mays’ abilities. In fact, it concludes toward the end that the sheer athleticism on display in both the sprint to the ball and the release time on the throw back to the infield would be nearly impossible to match by any other player, in any era of the game. Anyone who questions Foolish Baseball’s abilities clearly doesn’t watch the video very well.

[@colefelton]

@@jimnagel5611 did you even watch the video you overtoasted bagel

[@JonPITBZN]

"Was 'the catch' overrated?" I couldn't do it, and I don't know anyone who could. I'm not gonna criticize it. One thing I do think you're underselling is when you mention that only four people scored from second on sac flies last year. Last year we didn't have any cavernous stadiums like the Polo Grounds, old Yankee Stadium, Forbes Field, Ebbets Field, Shibe Park, or Fenway in its original dimensions. It was a lot easier to hit a 400' flyout in ballparks like that, and more 400' flyouts mean more opportunities to score from second. So I'm curious how often people scored from second back then. I'd hazard a guess that it was more than 4. Lastly, largely without meaning to, you make an excellent case that the Polo Grounds stole a game for the NY Baseball Giants in a World Series. That's what I call homefield advantage!

[@sadroyalfan4241]

He over ran it,he could've caught it normally

[@MstrChamberlain5]

This is incredibly well made. Must’ve taking a lot of effort but the final product certainly pays off

[@Malcolm.Y]

You did such a good job, I am surprised you didn't discover that scoring from second on a sac fly was more common in the Polo Grounds. That's why it's a catch AND throw. Also, Mays is forced to veer with his back to the plate. There is a movie called Star Chamber, near the early days of free agency, and the character is talking about the salaries of the early 80s Dodgers, and says - if Mays were playing now, they would have to give him his own state.

[@solomonodonka5077]

your channel is a real gem to any baseball fan, keep up the good work and thanks

[@jothompson470]

"He was a 23 year old, 'say hey' kid" 😂

[@seanwebb605]

It's film footage converted to video. Of course in modern broadcasting we are using digital video and it is easy to slow down or speed up, render and play out quickly. For a real comparison you would want to take the source film which was likely shot 16:9 at 24 frames per second and then convert it to 1080 at 30 frames per second. Now you can compare the speed of the plays based on the real time play out of the recorded broadcast. If you take the slow motion replays then you would need to find out by how much they have slowed it down and do a conversion. Context matters. The situation matters. In terms of just the difficulty of the play it is easier to make a catch if the ball is in your line of sight. Much more difficult if you turn your back on the ball and you are trying to calculate the trajectory. Dangers such as walls and railings matter too. Is the player risking injury to get to the ball or are they in a wide open space? Are they likely to collide with teammates?

[@kierannn.999]

I know I'm years late, but I never thought that I'd come to fall in love with baseball from this catch. For some reason, at first glance I didn't think "The Catch" was amazing. I didn't think that it was extremely athletic, although I did think it was impressive. But for some reason I was infatuated with it. Maybe it's just the way he ran into the seemingly endless outfield, or the hustle he had. I'm not sure. But one thing is for sure, this catch will always be held in baseball fans hearts.

[@TheActualJae]

Some people ignore KZbin comments, some folks write pithy one liners in response.....still others make entire, fact/stat based video responses. This is why I love this channel :P

[@michaelmulligan6444]

Endy Chavez' catch would be the GREATEST ever if the Mets had won that game/series.

[@mdelucia28]

Fr, it’s definitely one of the best, if not THE best, in recent memory, coupled with a classic Gary Cohen call.

[@TheManny717]

Ugh.... I'm still triggered that the Cardinals won the World Series. -_- I'm always triggered whenever they win it all -- I hate them!

[@FoolishBaseball]

That was an incredible play.

[@heartman6314]

IF...

[@michaelmulligan6444]

@@heartman6314 :'(

[@ShooterSanoff]

Center field fence was 455ft from home plate and Willie made that catch pretty close to the warning track and caught it over his shoulder after run full sprint to the spot of the catch. The spin and frozen rope throw was almost more impressive especially since he was so far away and further than any other outfielder even more than triples ally at Oracle Stadium.

[@mickeycogan12]

In the era before all games were televised. Regular observers at the time said plays like that were common for Willie. The best all around player ever in my opinion.

[@SGBassplayer]

One thing that old skool baseball got right was the individual nature of the ballparks. We started losing that in the ‘60s and ‘70s with the multipurpose parks and now the pendulum has kind of swung back the other way where you have the open air baseball specific parks that they try to build nostalgia into. I understand that you can’t have Fenway and Wrigley everywhere, but there’s feta charm to older parks, even if they’re minor league joints like Lookout Stadium in Chattanooga.

[@johnw2146]

Have we ever seen foolish baseball and SNES drunk in the same place at the same time?

[@FoolishBaseball]

I'm like 50% sure that guy is subscribed to me.

[@SuperDuffyj]

Not to mention, gloves were a lot worse back then

[@mikecooney8422]

And the playing surfaces

[@CarlosSilva-je5sp]

@@mikecooney8422 and the shoes

[@LazlosPlane]

Disagree. Old timers will argue that gloves were better. Softer, easier to grab a ball.

[@larrylund2682]

Thanks! Learned a lot about "The Catch". No matter what conclusion you would have come to, I would never change my mind on Say Hey and his greatness. Turns out this was way better than I expected.

[@ro4eva]

OMG, Sonic the Hedgehog OG music. This is just fantastic. Brings back so many fond memories.

[@mfallen4277]

Great vid! The turn-around throw into the infield is always something that people claiming the catch is overrated don't consider. To make such a demanding catch, with a near straight-away angle in such a monster of a field, AND get the ball back in to prevent the run on that big of a stage... its just a stunning series of events that somehow all came together, despite the near impossibility of the situation. The catch is incredible on its own, but its the combination of everything that makes it so remarkable.

[@Equivalate]

I for one love the Polo Grounds. Love using it in any ball game I play in! I've the feeling that due to how big the ball park was in center, helped make the play seem legendary. I'd imagine plays like that might not have been too common in those days in that ball park. Definitely impressive when you see just how much real-estate is out there. Also, great vids! Keep up the great content!

[@robertbennie7889]

In '54, my family had not bought their first TV yet and, at age 12, I would watch some shows on our neighbor's' Philco set. I first saw this on a newsreel at a movie theater after hearing it on the radio a week earlier. Your breakdown of 'the catch' was spot on and educational for me at this late date. I had misremembered this ball being hit to dead center. I was a Brooklyn 'Bums' fan in those days and collected the gum cards of the Dodgers and Giants. Many people hated the Yankees. In elementary school in central eastern PA. we were allowed to listen to World Series weekday games. Good times, memory is tricky.

[@Steve52344]

I remember it well, even though the game was blacked out in NY. The Indians won 111 games that year and were big favorites to win. But they couldn't stop my Giants. It was the golden age of baseball, and Willie was the best I ever saw.

[@EthanSchaner]

Two percent... LIKE THE MILK BABY!!! 😂😂😂 This legit had me dying

[@djepps83]

The Justin Verlander video was what got me into this channel and this kind of video is what keeps me here. Great job!

[@stevemcnary4301]

The throw back into the infield was the most impressive part of the play.

[@Bullets632]

My favorite part about playing in the outfield is once you fielded the ball, you could just throw it as hard as you can in a general direction and it more in likely went to where it needed to go lol.

[@seankiesling2054]

Wait... no...?

[@jamesreilly4157]

Monte Irvin saw that play and said.. once Mays slapped his glove..he knew Mays was confident in catching that ball.

[@jpsned]

I read that, too! : )

[@King-fz8iw]

Yankee Fan here (not really an mlb fan) but I discovered this channel today and the content is amazing and I’m glad I did and subscribed 🔥💪🏽

[@1badhaircut]

Excellent analysis and conclusion. The proximity to the wall while running at top speed and having to catch - stop - throw AND with his showmanship of losing his cap and ending on the ground is amazing.

[@unhpsychology3909]

This is absolutely tremendous - well done. Please make more content!!!

[@FoolishBaseball]

Will do!

[@GergC0521]

Still my favorite play of all time followed closely by 3 ridiculous catches by the NY Mets outfielders (2 by Agee in game 3 and Swoboda's in game 4) in the 1969 world series.

[@rickjend6667]

I consider the Ron Swoboda the best catch of all time. He dove and slid a foot or two before actually catching the ball, and then he caught it a few inches off the ground. It looked impossible at the time but he did it. The Willie Mays catch was definitely the best "catch and throw" of all time, but when you consider that it is much more difficult running virtually straight back rather than sideways or running in, it still could be considered the best catch of all time. Willie Mays just made it look easy!

[@michaelstraughn6625]

Yes!!!...And that Swoboda catch still amazes everytime I see it, over 50 years later! 'AMAZIN'"!!!

[@davidward9733]

LFGM, finally someone isn’t bashing on the Mets lol

[@jak1165]

Endy's catch is better than all of them. And would be properly recognized had the Mets won that game

[@billslocum9819]

Swoboda's catch was unique even in this company as it was a very high risk decision made by a fielder who was, unlike the other three OFs, not a glove man. Agee's 2 plays were more like Mays, where he didn't sell out to make the play (stays on his feet in one, backed up by Cleon Jones on the other). Swoboda's play was the miracle, because of the game situation (ninth inning of a 1-0 game with runners at first and third), because of the angle of the catch (glove actually came DOWN on the ball as Swoboda snagged it, which no one mentions), and because it was Swoboda making it.

[@randypoll3484]

A truly unbelievable play in every way! My favorite player in junior and high school, since I was a centerfielder, was Fred Lynn. He made two catches that were highlighted at the close of "This Week in Baseball." He also was interviewed in a segment on the "This Week in Baseball" greatest plays video. Many fantastic catches.

[@michaelcharron5613]

Yes sir, Fred Lynn, played all out all the time. What a centerfielder and hitter for the Sox. My boyhood idle from 1975.

[@davidyohalem629]

I always thought that the Red Sox of that era had an unfair advantage: Evans in right, Lynn in center, Rice in left (following Yaztremski who came after Williams).

[@leonard3956]

Freddy Lynn was a great for sure. Don't you just wish we had more than just The Game of the Week on TV back then? So many great games and great plays we missed, all thru the 50s and 60s!

[@SneitnaM]

This action is incredible essentially for two things out of the ordinary: 1-the speed that Willie Mays had to be able to travel the distance that would have allowed him to make the catch 2-the incredible concentration to achieve this catch despite the fact that he was for all the time with his back to the ball and despite him being extremely close from crashing into the wall in order to catch. A God of Baseball

[@Scarface_iii]

“Willie Mayz has just brought this crowd to there feet”🐐

[@charlieallen9339]

it would’ve been a lot harder back then because he caught it in black and white

[@rhetthall262]

Charlie Allen ur so dumb

[@FoolishBaseball]

He could only move at 24 frames per second as well.

[@charlieallen9339]

Foolish Baseball exactly

[@johnfowler9885]

The one thing that is not pointed out here is that Willie is actually slowing down and setting up to make the throw before he makes the catch. This tells you how fast he tracked this ball down, where so many others have made similar catches making a dive, which means they are still having to go all out to complete the catch. The catch looks easy, which only looks so when someone has skills that make something so unusual look so usual. Thanks for your excellent analysis.

[@guppy719]

While true its also possibly and even likely Baileys distance element is wrong. I don't think you can know where mays started. Shallow in the polo grounds is likely different than shallow in the average MLB stadium.

[@DJBrearley771]

I had the opportunity to meet Willie Mays a couple of years ago. Very outgoing and engaging. Even in his late 80s I could not believe how big his arms and hands are. I am 6'4 290lbs but his arms were the size of my thighs and his hands dwarfed mine. While talking to him he told me that he was actually a better football player than he was a baseball player but even back then he knew that baseball was the better decision due to longevity of playing and not wanting to get injured. Absolutely the GOAT in my opinion. Not too many players I believe that played back then would be able to compete today in their sport but Willie definitely could and I believe he would be a star.

[@oldatarigamer]

Willie's running full speed at a wall, back to the ball, runs to where the ball comes down, catches it and gets it back in quickly. Sure there are other great catches, some are flukey but there's nothing flukey about this. Deliberate with terrific baseball awareness.

[@mikespongili8254]

I'm not sure you could duplicate this with modern stadiums, because Mays isn't taking an angle to the ball, that thing is hit over his head and he's just trying to run it out. Trying to catch a ball over his head with his back to the ball. Which he does, and then hurls the ball in from 430 feet quickly enough to hold the runner at 3rd. In the World Series. All of those elements together make it "the catch." Absolute awareness as once he catches the ball he KNOWS that he has to get it back to the infield pronto or a run scores, and he does exactly that. There may be more athletic catches, and this is no knock on terrific outfielders, but Mays's catch is just a perfect storm of excellence!

[@itzkold7552]

@@mikespongili8254 AND in the polo grounds with weird dimensions.

[@jamesanthony5681]

@@mikespongili8254 You make good points.

[@timwodarczyk3952]

I never knew THAT was what the field looked like for this play. Way more impressive than I previously thought.

[@neilsevigny9257]

A job well done on this video. It is super interesting and the research and discoveries you made were very intelligent.

[@nomikes4392]

As a little leaguer in the 60s, it wasn't so much the catch, but, the play. It was illustrative of knowing what to do after you catch the ball and was presented as such

[@davidherbek9212]

If you were ever in the Polo Grounds to view a baseball, you would know how great a catch by Willie Mays. The Polo Grounds was like a rectangular shape and cter field was more than very deep, more like mega deep. Mays made a very long run to catch the ball off the bat of Vic Wertz. Abosolutely incredible. David

[@jdm90121]

I heard the great Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully once say that it wasn’t even Mays’ greatest catch. According to Scully, Mays’ greatest catch was in a regular season game vs the Dodgers when in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and the Giants holding a one run lead, Mays made a diving catch face first into the gravel of the Ebbets Field warning track, a catch that knocked Mays unconscious. This catch was confirmed by Mays’ partner in the outfield who pulled the ball from Mays’ glove and held it up for the umpire to call out. Scully said that Mays agreed with him that it was Mays’ best catch of his career. Obviously my description and no videotape exists since it was a regular season game in the 1950s but if Scully says it was Mays’ greatest catch and Mays concurs, then I consider the debate settled.

[@hkpew]

I think you are talking about the catch where he ran into Bobby Bonds and both went down. There is video available. I don't think he was actually unconscious, but he did just lie there on the ground until after Bonds located the ball in his glove and pulled it out to show to the ump. There is video available (it was in 1970, not the 50s) but the youtube clip I found doesn't go long enough to show Bonds pulling out the ball and holding it up. I remember that part from watching the play as a kid.

[@jdm90121]

Hans Pew No, as I said, this catch was made when the Giants were still in New York. I located the transcript of the video of the catch I’m talking about. This is the catch as described by Vin Scully: “I have always said when asked who's the greatest baseball player you ever saw, all-around complete, and it was Willie Mays. I tell a story about Mays and he agrees. You always see the World Series catch, over the shoulder in centerfield, but that was not his greatest catch. The greatest catch he ever made and certainly one that would fulfill the answer was in Ebbets Field against the Dodgers and the Dodgers had the bases loaded, 2 outs, bottom of the 9th inning, trailing by one run, and I remember vividly we had a young third basemen, blonde, out of Oklahoma named Bobby Morgan. When Bobby Morgan came up, as soon as he hit the ball in the left centerfield gap, your mind said, "Double. Two runs. Dodgers are gonna win." Mays was running as hard as he could run which was very hard. He suddenly dived at the ball and his body was like an arrow. He was fully extended, he was about a foot off the ground. Now in those days, you had three considerations: Number one. The warning track was not some rubberized warning track, it was gravel. Number two. The wall was concrete. And number three. Mays was not wearing a helmet, he was wearing a baseball cap. So he's extended, he catches the ball maybe a foot off the ground, he bounces on the gravel headfirst into the base of the concrete wall and rolls over on his back and his hands are on his chest. For that split second, nobody know where that ball is, everything is frozen in time. Henry Thompson was the leftfielder and Henry walked over, bent down, took the ball out of Mays' glove 'cause Mays was out like a light. He held the ball up in the air and the umpire said out and that was it.”

[@THE-HammerMan]

Superb analysis. With only the 2 slight mistakes on the team records & WS MVP, I think you did fine work. Well done. I saw Mays play many times and he always was a favorite to see.

[@wldennis1]

I appreciate the effort you put into this video! Good stuff.

[@bradleymcdaniel7915]

Footnote: Both Hamilton and Cervelli both played for the Braves in 2019