Best defensive play you've ever seen?

[beaner]

By the way, where's beaner to tell us all that Jeter's play where he "dove" into the stands is the greatest play ever and we should all bow down before Saint Jeets?

So says the Yankees analyst;)

It was a great play, regardless of how much you're legally required to "hate" him. It was an interesting moment if you remember how it turned out for the Red Sox and Nomar Garciaparra. Not the best defensive play I've ever seen though.

Matthews catch was the best I've seen. Ozzie Smith's bare handed gem as a Padre with a crazy afro as well. I'll try to find it and post later..

[Elrod]

<img src = "http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/sports/baseball/images/mariners/oriolesprogram.JPG">

Who was that bearded man?

[AgentOrange]

I was in the RF stands when Gary Matthews dove into the stands against the Blue Jays back in I think it was '02.

I was on Sportcenter and every time he came up to bat, they showed that clip of him. The angle the camera shot was right in line with where I was sitting. It was a pretty unreal catch. The best I have ever seen live.

[sangar]

How about that ball girl last year? That was something.

My choice would be John Shelby throwing out a guy trying to score from third from the warning track in center TWICE in the ninth inning of a game to preserve a one run victory.

[Boy Howdy]

My choice would be John Shelby throwing out a guy trying to score from third from the warning track in center TWICE in the ninth inning of a game to preserve a one run victory.

Uh, grandpa, that was an instant replay.

(Just kidding)

[backwardsk]

One night in 2007 I was watching the Nationals play, and Zimmerman made this catch that I saw in real time which made me spit out my drink. I don't watch Sports Center often, so I don't know if it was replayed a lot.

Playing even with the bag at third, the batter hit a blooper directly over is head maybe 15 to 20 feet into the outfield grass. He turned his back to homeplate, sprinted, and made a diving catch (like Jim Edmonds). The great thing about it was there was no hang time on the bloop. It was more like a weak line drive. How he got to it, I don't know.

Another one that was kind of similar happened in the College World Series, but with a first baseman. I can't remember the details of who was playing. The catch was easier than Zimmerman's, but the first baseman got up and gunned down the runner tagging from third. It was a momentum changing play that was pretty awesome.

[sczepp]

Last nights play by Jones reminded me of Mike Deveraux's catch in 1992.

[bobmc]

I'm thinking Asdrubal Cabrera a few years back with a snag on a grounder up the middle and a behind-the-back glove flip to 2B for force and on for the DP. O-mazing! (that was first that came to mind)

I was eleven and a NY Giant fan in '54 when Say Hey made the catch off of Wertz and for the life of me I don't remember if I saw it live or not. I've seen it so many times on replay. I am sure I did but I will always remember that one as tops.

[scOtt]

Yeah, guess I just assumed he was in his own category. He and Roberto Clemente are the guys I loved to watch with the leather on tape, but unfortunately I was born too late to see them live.

Dave Parker & Bo Jackson each made jaw dropping throws that I remember on TV, and this fellow deserves a mention in a thread like this (highlights begin at the 2:00 mark)

I loved that show when I was a kid

[video=youtube;pCwNNqgrKOM]

[Redskins Rick]

for me, some of the stuff Manny has done at third has been absolutely mind boggling.

Nothing against AJ and his play, which has been very good and I love the Devo comments, loved watching him and Brady play the outfield here.

[Redskins Rick]

I'm thinking Asdrubal Cabrera a few years back with a snag on a grounder up the middle and a behind-the-back glove flip to 2B for force and on for the DP. O-mazing! (that was first that came to mind)

I was eleven and a NY Giant fan in '54 when Say Hey made the catch off of Wertz and for the life of me I don't remember if I saw it live or not. I've seen it so many times on replay. I am sure I did but I will always remember that one as tops.

My dad talks about a game he was at, where Say Hey, made the catch at the wall, dead center, and turned and fired a strike, without bouncing and without getting getting relayed, the ball arrived just before the runner and the runner was out.

[DrungoHazewood]

My dad talks about a game he was at, where Say Hey, made the catch at the wall, dead center, and turned and fired a strike, without bouncing and without getting getting relayed, the ball arrived just before the runner and the runner was out.

Which base and which park? Ain't too many center field fences I could see anybody throwing to a base (besides maybe second) on the fly from. At OPACY it's 410' to the corner in center, 127' from home to second, so roughly 283' from the wall to second. I guess that could be done. If it was a guy trying for a double... I'm not sure you'd even get Matt Wieters or Harold Baines.

If it's the Polo Grounds and home plate I'm calling BS.

[Redskins Rick]

Which base and which park? Ain't too many center field fences I could see anybody throwing to a base (besides maybe second) on the fly from. At OPACY it's 410' to the corner in center, 127' from home to second, so roughly 283' from the wall to second. I guess that could be done. If it was a guy trying for a double... I'm not sure you'd even get Matt Wieters or Harold Baines.

If it's the Polo Grounds and home plate I'm calling BS.

I think it was San Fran. I too, called BS on him going up, but I came across it, when one of his retired teammates talked about the play that day and how it was the best play, he had ever seen.

[Redskins Rick]

Drungo, I found this.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/201754-willie-mays-greatest-play-was-against-the-brooklyn-dodgers-in-1951

Wasn't dead center, it was polo grounds.

[OFFNY]

Drungo, I found this.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/201754-willie-mays-greatest-play-was-against-the-brooklyn-dodgers-in-1951

Wasn't dead center, it was polo grounds.

Here is another account of the play that you are referring to:

http://www.goldenagebaseballcards.com/showcase/willie-mays-the-catch.htm

August 15, 1951 was one of those days and Willie Mays made a catch that the ghosts of the Polo Grounds still talk about on warm August evenings. The play was integral in bringing the pennant to the Giants. There were more than 21,000 fans in the stands on this afternoon. Ironically, Ralph Branca was on the mound for the Giants as he was when Thomson hit his homer. Jim Hearn toiled for the Giants.

The score was tied 1-1 in the eighth with one out when Carl Furillo came to bat with the lead run on third in the name of Billy Cox. Carl slammed one of Hearn’s pitches into the gap in right center for what looked like a sure base hit that would easily score Cox. Mays was shading the righthanded Furillo to left field and was off with the crack of the bat.

When Mays ran the bases it appeared that centrifugal force would carry him out of the baselines. When Mays tracked a fly ball, he glided through the air. On this drive by Furillo he turned on the jets and lunged for the catch. What happened then was not only unexpected, but impossible. Cox tagged up and headed home with a sure run. Mays, running full speed into right center, spun 270 degrees, throwing across his body with all the force he had. The ball flew over Whitey Lockman, the cutoff man, and nestled into catcher Wes Westrum’s glove to cut down Cox at the plate. The Dodgers were out. The only negative comment came from Furillo who said, “He’ll never make another throw like that one, the lucky slob.”