Vic Wertz

Victor Woodrow Wertz (February 9, 1925 – July 7, 1983) was an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder whose Major League career spanned 17 years, from 1947 to 1963. Born in York, Pennsylvania, to Paul and Manerva Wertz, he later moved to Reading, Pennsylvania, and attended Reading High School. The Detroit Tigers signed him as a free agent in 1942. In June 1943, at age 18, he was inducted into the United States Army during World War II, served in the Pacific theater, and was discharged as a staff sergeant in December 1945.

Wertz played his entire career in the American League, with the Detroit Tigers, the St. Louis Browns / Baltimore Orioles, the Cleveland Indians, the Boston Red Sox, and the Minnesota Twins. He is remembered for one of the most famous plays in World Series history: in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, his fly ball of more than 400 feet to center field was run down by Willie Mays in the spectacular over-the-shoulder grab known as "The Catch."

In August 1955, Wertz contracted polio, ending his season and putting his future in doubt. He returned in 1956 to hit 32 home runs and was honored as the American League Comeback Player of the Year. He died on July 7, 1983.