Steve Stone tells the incredible story of Willie Mays during their playing days together originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
On Tuesday, the baseball world mourned the news of the legend. Willie Mays‘ death. She was 93 years old.
During the White Sox broadcast of their game against the Astros on NBC Sports Chicago, color commentator and Mays’ former teammate Steve Stone learned the news. And he told an incredible story from his days playing together with the San Francisco Giants.
“There was a catch he made with Bobby Bonds,” Stone began. “Bobby Bonds was taller than Willie, maybe a couple of inches. And there was one where they were both running toward the right-center field alley. They both jumped, almost on cue, to the same ball coming out of the ballpark. .
“And Willie’s glove went up about a foot higher than Bobby’s. When they hit the wall together, they both slid over the fence together and Willie had the ball.
“And that particular catch was shown to a lot of different people in a lot of different places. It’s still an indelible impression that I have of Willie Mays and his ability because Bonds was faster, he was taller, he was quicker, but I can’t. get to the ball as fast as Willie did.”
Stone, who was pitching for the Giants at the time, said the catch left him speechless in the dugout.
“Well, there’s not much you can say. You just look at it and say ‘Hey, that’s pretty good,'” Stone said.
After publishing the video of Stone’s incredible story, a fan (H/T @bennyheis), found footage of the exact catch Stone recounted on the stream. And it’s just as amazing as Stone described it.
The two-time Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player and 24-time All-Star is considered by many to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
“My father passed away peacefully and among his loved ones,” his son Michael Mays said in a statement. “I want to thank you all from the bottom of my broken heart for the unwavering love you have shown him over the years. You have been the blood of his life.”