One of the most iconic moments in baseball history beautifully colorized by John Turney – the Willie Mays over the shoulder catch during the first game of the 1954 World Series.
The Cleveland Indians, with a 111-43 record, came into the old Polo Grounds as heavy favorites against the New York Giants. The 111 wins by the Indians was an American League record at the time. The Indians jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and the Giants came back with two runs themselves in the third.
In the eighth inning with the score still tied at 2-2, the Indians were threatening with runners on first and second in the form of Larry Doby and Al Rosen with no one out and relief pitcher Don Liddle on the mound facing Vic Wertz. On the fourth pitch of the at-bat, Wertz drove a shot estimated to be 420 feet deep to center field only to see it be run down by Mays. The Giants dodged a bullet getting out of the frame still tied and took the game into extra innings when New York’s Dusty Rhodes hit a pinch-hit three-run home run to take game one of the Series 5-2.
Now while Rhodes was the hero with the bat, the true hero of the game, and maybe the World Series, very well might have been the glove of the great Willie Mays. If that ball is not tracked down the Giants would have been looking at a 4-2 deficit and the Indians threatening to tack on more runs. Not only did it change the outcome of the game but most likely the Series as the Giants would sweep the Indians in four games. Unlikely scenarios all around.
Take note of someone peering through the window from the clubhouse, it is none other than Joe Garagiola.
