American baseball player (1931–2024)
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. (May 6, 1931 – June 18, 2024) was a Major League Baseball player for 22 seasons, starting his career with the Giants in New York, remaining with the team during their relocation to San Francisco, and then ending his career with the New York Mets. Mays is considered one the greatest players of all time for his acrobatic fielding, steady hitting, and impressive baserunning. He is best remembered for his spectacular catch in game 1 of the 1954 World Series between the New York Giants and the Cleveland Indians. Mays finished his career with 3,283 hits, 660 home runs, 1,903 runs batted in, and 7,095 putouts.
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Gee, I've been asked hundreds of questions about that catch in the first game of the World Series. The one that Vic Wertz hit for Cleveland. Was it my best catch? How did I play it? Honestly, I don't rate 'em—I just try to catch 'em. When he hit the ball, I just started toward the place it was heading. And I got there.
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Mays said he thought maybe the Skinner catch was a bit better than yesterday's, as well as a catch he made on a ball hit this season by Gus Bell of the Cincinnati Reds. "But I don't want to compare 'em," said Willie. "I'm just a ballplayer, not a sports writer. I don't compare 'em; I just catch 'em."