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Today is the 70th Anniversary of Willie Mays’s Great Catch!
But…
Who is the “Mystery Person”?
Check out this neat color photo of Willie Mays’ great catch in the 1954 World Series off the bat of Vic Wertz, beautifully colorized by John Turney. It’s from Game One, played at the Polo Grounds on September 29, 1954. We’ve all seen variations of this photo before. But there’s something about this photo that I’ll bet you never noticed. It’s…
The “Mystery Person”
Do you see the seven windows of the Giants’ clubhouse in the background? Now take a good look at the window on the far left. Got it? There’s someone peering out of that window with a bird’s eye view of Willie as he makes the great catch.
Here’s the quiz question:
Who is it in that window? The answer is at the bottom of this post, but try not to look just yet.
Now I realize the person’s image in that window isn’t real clear, and it would be hard to make an identification just from the photo. So I’m here to help! I’m going to give you a series of hints before I reveal the answer. Try to come up with a guess before checking out the answer.
Each hint will lead you progressively to the answer. See how many hints you need before you have the identity of our “mystery person.”
OK…let’s get started:
Hint Number 1: It’s a man…
Hint Number 2: He was from St. Louis…
Hint Number 3: He was a major league ballplayer…
Hint Number 4: He was a member of the Giants’ team…
Hint Number 5: He was ineligible for the World Series…
Hint Number 6: He was picked up off waivers from the Cubs…
Hint Number 7: He was a catcher…
Hint Number 8: He wasn’t a real good hitter…
Hint Number 9: He was bald…
Hint Number 10 He was a friend of Yogi Berra…
Hint Number 11: He was an announcer for NBC for over 30 years…
Are you ready for the answer? Scroll down…
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Solution to the “Mystery Person”:
It’s Joe Garagiola!
That’s right, peering out of the window was none other than Joe Garagiola, who the Giants picked up off waiver from the Cubs on September 8, 1954, making him ineligible for the World Series roster. But he did get a ring to add to his personal collection. He also got one from the 1946 World Series.
Here’s a little about Joe’s career. He hit .257 over his nine years in the Bigs with 42 home runs, 255 RBIs, and 481 hits. Over his career (1946-1954), he played for the Cardinals, Pirates, the Cubs, and the Giants. His best year was probably 1952 when he hit .281. As a rookie he played in the 1946 World Series with the Cardinals, hitting .316 in 19 plate appearances over 5 games.
After his playing days were over, he became an announcer for NBC and he remained in broadcasting for over 35 years. Joe was elected to the broadcast wing of the Hall of Fame, having received the Ford Frick Award in 1991. He passed away on March 26, 2016.
And if you think I’m making all this up, check out the neat photo below!
As always, we enjoy reading your comments
Gary Livacari
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