On Sept. 29, 1954, Willie Mays of the New York Giants made a running, over-the-shoulder catch of a ball hit by Vic Wertz of the Cleveland Indians in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series; “The Catch” would become one of the most famous plays in baseball history. N.Y. Giants center fielder Willie Mays made this famous back-to-the-plate catch on a 450-foot blast off the bat of Cleveland first baseman Vic Wertz during the opening game of the 1954 World Series at the Polo Grounds in New York. “The Catch: Willie Mays’ over-the-shoulder grab in the 1954 World Series ‘wasn’t no lucky catch’”