Willie Mays

Willie Mays Bare handed grab

1951 – Ouch!!Ā Willie Mays’s oft-recalled bare-handed grab of left-handedĀ Rocky Nelson’s screaming opposite fieldĀ line driveĀ takes place inĀ Forbes FieldĀ in the 1st inning of a 5 – 4Ā GiantĀ loss toĀ Pittsburgh. Mays runs to the left-center corner of the bullpen (also known asĀ GreenbergĀ Gardens, orĀ Kiner’sĀ Corner), about 410 feet from the plate. At the last minute, the wind gets a hold of Nelson’s slicing shot and starts pushing it back towards right. Mays looks up and locates the ball but too late to adjust. As he will recall onĀ June 3,Ā 1957, after robbingĀ Roberto ClementeĀ on a shot to almost the same spot, ā€œI couldn’t get myĀ gloveĀ around. So I just stuck my bare hand up and the ball stuck.ā€