Willie Mays’ most memorable moments.
Willie Mays thrived partly by turning imagination into reality.
“I would go home at night and create what I was going to do the next day,” Mays told MLB.com in a 2008 interview. “It sounds kind of childish. But if I feel that we’re going to have a good crowd or something, and I want to do something the next day to make sure the crowd enjoyed what I did, well, then I’d look at a couple of films by myself and figure out something that I can do to make them holler. And I would do it.”
• Giants-Cardinals at Rickwood Field, June 20
Spurred by his fantasies, Mays remained a peerless performing artist for much of his 22-year Hall of Fame career. Here’s a Top 10 list of Mays marvels culled from his extensive collection of feats.
1. “An optical illusion”
Sept. 29, 1954
Mays was concluding only his second full big league season, but he already assured himself of baseball immortality with his spectacular game-saving catch in the Giants’ 1954 World Series opener against the Cleveland Indians. The center-field wall at New York’s Polo Grounds was 483 feet from home plate, affording Mays a sufficiently large stage as he outran Vic Wertz’s titanic drive off Don Liddle with
runners on first and second and none out in the eighth inning. Many experts believe that Mays’ throw following the catch was equally essential, since it prevented Al Rosen, the runner on first base, from tagging up and advancing to second. Mays’ grab — which, exclaimed broadcaster Jack Brickhouse, “must have been an optical illusion to a lot of people” — enabled the Giants to preserve a 2-2 tie. They ultimately prevailed in 10 innings, 5-2, to launch their four-game World Series sweep.
