As is true of so many people, I was very saddened, this week, to learn of Willie Mays's death, at age 93.
Since childhood, I have thought of Mr. Mays--and his brilliance as a ballplayer--with awe.
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| Willie Mays, "The Catch," 1954 World Series |
I wrote about Mr. Mays, in this space, in 2021, the year he turned 90--and
wrote, in the post, of what has long been referred to as "The
Catch": his astonishing catch, in the
1954 World Series, of batter Vic Wertz's long drive to center field; it is,
surely, one of the most exciting moments in baseball's history. The post,
at the link below, includes video of the play--and also concerns the remarkable throw Mr. Mays made to second base, immediately after making the catch.
https://andrewleefielding.blogspot.com/2021/05/willie-mays-turns-90.html
In the 1980s, I visited the Baseball Hall of Fame, in Cooperstown, New York. During the visit, I bought the following postcard, of Mr. Mays's Hall of Fame plaque.
