E-mail:
I don’t remember the details (opposing hitter, opposing team, etc.) but he must be talking about the catch Winfield made playing left field for the Yankees in the mid-80s. One of the most amazing catches I have ever seen in a long history of baseball watching. My memory of the play may be faulty but what I remember is that this was a ball headed, not just over the fence but several rows into the left field bleachers. Winfield (who was 6′6′ tall) ran towards the wall and jumped. Using his momentum and the wall’s padding he planted his right foot into the padding propelled himself even higher into the air. By the time he caught the ball his knees were well above the left field wall. An astounding play.
UPDATE:
More Winfield:
E-mails:
–“In Winfield’s first season with the Yankees – 1981 – Doug DeCinces of the Orioles hit a ball down the leftfield line at Yankee Stadium….”
–“I recall things similarly to what this reader wrote … with the addition that the thing I remember most about the catch is that Winfield left a gash in the blue lining covering the padding of the left-field wall from where he dug in hit cleats to help him push high enough up to make the grab.”
But others think people are confusing Winfield with Griffey, Sr:
–“Winfield played right field, not left. I remember the catch your reader is talking about–in fact, I was at the game. I’m pretty sure it was in 1985. Anyway, the man who made the catch was Ken Griffey (Sr.).”
–“I believe your previous correspondent is thinking of a catch made by Ken Griffey, Sr. against Marty Barrett of the Red Sox. Griffey was the one who jumped, planted his foot in the left field wall, etc. By the way, Griffey’s catch was far more impressive than Melky’s.”