June 2, 1962 - Willie Mays in action as the Giants take on the Mets in a DH at the Polo Grounds.
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Pafko hits a walk off for Dodgers – but Willie Mays makes the catch he’ll later call his greatest

ByThis Day in Baseball

Stealing considerable thunder from Brooklyn’s victorious home opener, a 7 – 6, 12-inning triumph, Willie Mays makes the catch he’ll later call his greatest. The Associated Press reports: “Willie Mays, army-bound centerfielder of the New York Giants, astounded an opening day crowd of 31,032 fans at Ebbets Field with a sensational catch of a drive by Bobby Morgan in the 7th inning.” With two out, two on and the Dodgers down by one, “the sophomore star made a diving, sliding catch of a sinking liner near the left centerfield wall that robbed Morgan of a potential triple.” Unfortunately for Mays, Ebbets Field’s Little League dimensions afford little leeway for such hijinks. “I go and catch the ball in the air,” Mays recalls 45 years later. “I’m in the air, like this, parallel. I catch the ball, I hit the fence. Ebbets Field was so short that if you run anywhere you’re going to hit a fence. So I catch the fence, knock myself out.” “As he lay motionless,” reports the New York Times, “players of both sides rushed to his aid. All, that is, but the three Dodgers on the bases, who continued their wild dash for the plate, only to learn Willie had held on to the ball for the third out.” Willie’s impression is that the first player to reach his side has a somewhat less altruistic agenda. “The first guy that I saw – there were two guys – when I open my eyes, was Leo Durocher and Jackie Robinson. And I’m saying to myself, ‘Why is Jackie out here?’ Jackie came to see if I caught the ball, and Leo came to see about me.”

Willie Mays

Willie Mays Bare handed grab

ByThis Day in Baseball

1951 – Ouch!! Willie Mays’s oft-recalled bare-handed grab of left-handed Rocky Nelson’s screaming opposite field line drive takes place in Forbes Field in the 1st inning of a 5 – 4 Giant loss to Pittsburgh. Mays runs to the left-center corner of the bullpen (also known as Greenberg Gardens, or Kiner’s 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 on June 3, 1957, after robbing Roberto Clemente on a shot to almost the same spot, “I couldn’t get my glove around. So I just stuck my bare hand up and the ball stuck.”

Willie Mays

Willie Mays makes barehanded grab at Forbes Field

ByThis Day in Baseball

“That was the finest catch I have ever seen, and the finest I ever expect to see” – Pirates GM Branch Rickey, commenting on a catch made by Willie Mays at Forbes Field. At cavernous Forbes Field, Giants’ outfielder Willie Mays, unable to reach across his body to make a catch with his glove of Rocky Nelson’s sinking 457-foot blast to deep center, sticks out his bare right hand and grabs the ball on a full gallop to make the incredible final out of the inning. Venerable Branch Rickey, Pittsburgh’s general manager, sends a note to the New York dugout during the game to tell the 20 year-old rookie, “That was the finest catch I have ever seen, and the finest I ever expect to see.”

Phil Rizzuto

The Yankees turn a major league-record seven double plays in an 11 – 2 win over the Athletics

ByThis Day in Baseball

1942 – The Yankees turn a major league-record seven double plays in an 11 – 2 win over the Athletics. Bill Dickey guns down two runners following third strikes, three are started by the double play combo of Phil Rizzuto and Joe Gordon, reliever Johnny Murphy triggers another, and 3B Red Rolfe initiates one. The seven twin killings give the Yankees 150 on the year; they’ll finish with 190, just missing the (since surpassed) major league mark of 194 they set the previous season.

Mickey Owens becomes the first catcher to handle three foul pop ups in one frame. The Brooklyn backstop’s third inning defense contributes to the Dodgers’ 11-6 victory over New York at Ebbets Field.

Mickey Owens becomes the first catcher to handle three foul pop ups in one frame. The Brooklyn backstop’s third inning defense contributes to the Dodgers’ 11-6 victory over New York at Ebbets Field.

ByThis Day in Baseball

Mickey Owens becomes the first catcher to handle three foul pop ups in one frame. The Brooklyn backstop’s third inning defense contributes to the Dodgers’ 11-6 victory over New York at Ebbets Field.

Pirate center fielder Lloyd Waner sets the major league mark, recording 18 putouts during a doubleheader played at Braves Field

Pirate center fielder Lloyd Waner sets the major league mark, recording 18 putouts during a doubleheader played at Braves Field

ByThis Day in Baseball

Pirate center fielder Lloyd Waner sets the major league mark, recording 18 putouts during a doubleheader played at Braves Field. The future Hall of Famer’s defense helps the Bucs to sweep last-place Boston, 4-2 and 5-1.

Washington Senators catcher Moe Berg sets an American League record by playing in his 117th consecutive game without an error

 Washington Senators catcher Moe Berg sets an American League record by playing in his 117th consecutive game without an error

ByTom

1934 – Washington Senators catcher Moe Berg sets an American League record by playing in his 117th consecutive game without an error. Berg, a backup catcher who plays sparingly for Washington, started the streak three seasons earlier.