On September 29, 1954, Willie Mays, aka the "Say Hey Kid", made one of the greatest catches in the history of baseball, now simply known to fans as "The Catch". The game was broadcast live on NBC and my dad was one of the lucky ones who got to see it on a neighbor's TV.

Televisions weren't in every living room back in those days, so the whole neighborhood gathered to watch Game One of the World Series at a house down the block. He saw The Catch on live TV, but even he couldn't believe his eyes! Here's how he told it to me:

Mays was playing centerfield for the New York Giants when Cleveland Indians first baseman Vic Wertz came up to bat. The game was tied 2-2 with two runners on base. Wertz hit a fly ball deep into center field. Mays ran for it, turning his back to the infield. He caught the ball over the shoulder with his back still turned to it! Even the announcer was stunned, saying it looked like "an optical illusion". Then Mays spun, firing the ball back to the infield and keeping the runners on base from crossing home plate. The crowd, of course, went wild, shouting, "Say Hey! Say Hey! Say Hey!"

The game went into extra innings and the Giants won on a home run by Dusty Rhodes in the 10th. They went on to sweep the 1954 World Series and Mays was named the National League MVP. When Mays was asked about the catch, he replied, “I don’t rank ‘em, I just catch ‘em.”

Maybe Mays wouldn't rank 'em, but as my dad would say, there has never been another catch like The Catch. Or another player like the Say Hey Kid.