Picture of the day Thursday September 19, 2013 Say Hey............

[mchenrycards]

Even the most casual baseball fan knows about the famous Willie Mays over the shoulder catch of Vic Wertz's deep fly ball in the 1954 World Series. What many might not know is that catches in the deepest part of the ball park (455 feet away from home plate) were a normal part of the Willie Mays experience. Willie was so fast he could chase down any fly ball in the Polo Grounds where the deepest part of center field could be nearly 500 feet from the plate. Today's photo features Willie Mays making a leaping catch in deep center field with the ball firmly in his grasp. For context, I have also put up a photo of the Polo Grounds so you can get an idea of just how deep and wide center field really was. I hope you enjoy today's photo of the day.

The catch above would have occurred to the right of the "cut out" in deep center field.

 

[alexs64]

This is sweet!!

Question: Have the Giants ever worn throwbacks that say NY Gothams?

 

[alexs64]

FYI This stadium was closed 50 years ago yesterday!!!

Polo Grounds - history, photos and more of the New York Giants former ballpark

 

[mchenrycards]

FYI This stadium was closed 50 years ago yesterday!!!

Polo Grounds - history, photos and more of the New York Giants former ballpark

I honestly didnt realize this when I posted these pics but that is a pretty cool coincidense.

The Polo Grounds always fascinated me for many reason but the distance down the lines when compared to the center field made this ball park very quirky. The distance down the lines is barely more than your average Little League field with center field being a million miles away from the plate.

A number of years ago I had the privledge of hosting Andy Pafko at a card show I promoted and we got to talking about his playing days and not-so-fondest memories. Andy told me that he was the left fielder for the Dodgers the day that Bobby Thompson hit his famous home run in 1951 to put the Giants in the World Series. Andy told me the ball flew right over his head and he said as he saw the ball leave the Polo Grounds playing field he saw his three thousand dollar World Series pay check leaving with it. Andy felt that if they were playing anywhere else that ball would have never left the yard. I have never been to this old ball park but it seems to me thatthe old news reels show that Thompson's home run was not hit down the line but directly to left field and would have left most ball parks. I didnt want to argue with Andy that day because...well he was the one who's head the ball flew over.

 

[alexs64]

I honestly didnt realize this when I posted these pics but that is a pretty cool coincidense.

The Polo Grounds always fascinated me for many reason but the distance down the lines when compared to the center field made this ball park very quirky. The distance down the lines is barely more than your average Little League field with center field being a million miles away from the plate.

A number of years ago I had the privledge of hosting Andy Pafko at a card show I promoted and we got to talking about his playing days and not-so-fondest memories. Andy told me that he was the left fielder for the Dodgers the day that Bobby Thompson hit his famous home run in 1951 to put the Giants in the World Series. Andy told me the ball flew right over his head and he said as he saw the ball leave the Polo Grounds playing field he saw his three thousand dollar World Series pay check leaving with it. Andy felt that if they were playing anywhere else that ball would have never left the yard. I have never been to this old ball park but it seems to me thatthe old news reels show that Thompson's home run was not hit down the line but directly to left field and would have left most ball parks. I didnt want to argue with Andy that day because...well he was the one who's head the ball flew over.

It went out between the line and him....

 

[mchenrycards]

It went out between the line and him....

Very cool. I have never seen this picture. He may have been right!!

 

[alexs64]

Very cool. I have never seen this picture. He may have been right!!

I just watched the video and did a screen shot.

 

[Brewer Andy]

I honestly didnt realize this when I posted these pics but that is a pretty cool coincidense.

The Polo Grounds always fascinated me for many reason but the distance down the lines when compared to the center field made this ball park very quirky. The distance down the lines is barely more than your average Little League field with center field being a million miles away from the plate.

A number of years ago I had the privledge of hosting Andy Pafko at a card show I promoted and we got to talking about his playing days and not-so-fondest memories. Andy told me that he was the left fielder for the Dodgers the day that Bobby Thompson hit his famous home run in 1951 to put the Giants in the World Series. Andy told me the ball flew right over his head and he said as he saw the ball leave the Polo Grounds playing field he saw his three thousand dollar World Series pay check leaving with it. Andy felt that if they were playing anywhere else that ball would have never left the yard. I have never been to this old ball park but it seems to me thatthe old news reels show that Thompson's home run was not hit down the line but directly to left field and would have left most ball parks. I didnt want to argue with Andy that day because...well he was the one who's head the ball flew over.

Thanks for the story, Mom named me after him!

 

[DaBaddestHic]

Man, that's some crazy ground to cover. Amazing catch - if I were any good at baseball that's the type of player I'd want to be haha.

 

[BiggioBrooks755]

Love the old ball parks

 

[mchenrycards]

Thanks for the story, Mom named me after him!

Andy Pafko lives not far from where I work and where I used to live (I am now a Cheesehead by default but still work in Illinois). If you were named after Mr. Pafko your mom could not have picked a more kind, humble and down to earth man. I have not talked to Andy in probably 10 years but he and I traded phone calls and letters for awhile as a result of his appearance at my card show. I always thought he could have been better utilized by the Cubs and MLB as an ambassador for the game.

 

[Brewer Andy]

I got to meet him twice about 20 years apart and that was certainly the impression I got both times as well

 

[RStadlerASU22]

Nice Mays pic, although I never saw him play, he seems to be one of the best athletes, ever.

Ryan