Willie Mays was Vin Scully's favorite player, even though he 'wore the wrong uniform'

Perhaps the most famous play in Mays' Hall of Fame career was "The Catch," a spectacular on-the-run grab with his back to the infield that robbed Cleveland's Vic Wertz of a hit during Game 1 of the 1954 World Series.

Scully told Mays he was even more impressed with the throw that came after "The Catch," which prevented both runners on base from advancing.

"That ball that you caught that Vic Wertz hit in the World Series, that was probably 440 at least. I mean, that's how far out that was," Scully said.

Scully added that another catch by Mays was the greatest he'd ever seen. It happened on opening day in 1952, with the Giants holding a 7-6 lead against the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, Brooklyn's Bobby Morgan drove a line drive to center field.

"You hit the warning track, no helmet, you hit your head on the concrete wall, you rolled over on your back holding the ball in your glove on your chest," Scully recalled to Mays. "Henry Thompson came over, reached in, took the ball out of your glove, held it in the air and they called Bobby out. That was the end of the game. That's the greatest catch, the greatest catch I've ever seen."

Mays told Scully, "Nobody talks about that."

Scully replied, "I do!"

On the night the two all-time greats met at Oracle Field, Scully also introduced his wife, Sandy, to "my favorite, Willie Mays."

The next day, Mays appeared in the booth again before Scully's final game to help dedicate a plaque honoring the announcer in that box. As he received a roaring ovation from the fans in San Francisco, Scully stood at the front of the booth, waving to the crowd with one hand and clutching Mays' hand with the other.

"Who would have thought that I would be holding hands with you?" a beaming Scully said to Mays.