Mantle dives into first top of 9th 1960 World Series

Mantle dives into first top of 9th 1960 World Series

October 13, 1960 – Mickey Mantle dives back to the bag to prevent a double play after Yogi Berra lined out to Pirates 1st baseman Rocky Nelson in the 9th inning of game 7 of the World Series. @ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6InBvc3RfdGFnIn19@ Sponsor this Page Ā 

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€

Willie Mays

Willie Mays makes barehanded grab at Forbes Field

ā€œThat was the finest catch I have ever seen, and the finest I ever expect to seeā€ – 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, ā€œThat was the finest catch I have ever seen, and the finest I ever expect to see.ā€