Willie Mays made 'The Catch' 72 years ago today

His over-the-shoulder grab in deep center field during the 1954 World Series became one of baseball’s defining images.

On September 29, 1954, Willie Mays raced into deep center field at the Polo Grounds and made the over-the-shoulder World Series play forever known as 'The Catch.'

The difficulty was only part of what made it iconic. Mays also turned immediately and fired the ball back toward the infield, preventing runners from taking full advantage of the deep fly.

Atlanta’s regular season is now complete, so it is an appropriate morning for a reminder that October baseball often compresses a season into a handful of plays people remember for decades.