"The Catch." Photo: N.Y. Daily News Archive via Getty Images
Willie Mays, a Hall of Famer regarded as the greatest all-around baseball player of all time, died last week at age 93.
Why it matters: His most iconic play, "The Catch" in the 1954 World Series, came against the Cleveland Indians.
The big picture: Nicknamed "The Say Hey Kid," Mays was the oldest living Hall of Famer and one of the first Black players to join Major League Baseball.
Mays was a two-time MVP, 24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove Award winner, and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Zoom in: The Westfield, Alabama-born Mays joined the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League in 1948, playing only on Sundays during the school year when he was 16 years old.
The Giants, then based in New York, purchased his contract in 1950 when he graduated from Fairfield Industrial High School.
He won first the National League MVP Award in 1954 and led the Giants to a World Series title before the team moved to San Francisco.
Flashback: During Game 1 of the 1954 World Series at the Polo Grounds in New York, with the score tied 2-2 against the Indians, Mays made an over-the-shoulder catch after slugger Vic Wertz hit a towering drive that would have been a home run in most parks.
"The Catch" is considered one of the greatest plays in baseball history.
