Dewayne Wise
There are certain questions I can't resist asking. Not because I don't know the answer, but because I want to hear what they remember. What did the ball look like coming off the bat? What were you thinking before the catch? Did the crowd sound different? Years later, it's never just about the play. It's about why one moment still lives inside a ballpark long after the final out. Dewayne Wise's ninth-inning robbery during Mark Buehrle's perfect game became more than a highlight. It became part of the White Sox' home itself—a memory you can still point to every time you walk through the stadium.
What was it like when, after everybody celebrated with Mark Buehrle, they ran right to you? How cool was that, that your teammates realized the impact you had on that game?
For me, the start of that season had been rough. I was sitting on the bench, just waiting for an opportunity, and then all of a sudden I'm called into the game. The first batter I face hits a ball that I have to go rob over the wall. It was crazy how everything unfolded. To make a play like that, in that moment, for Mark and for the White Sox fans, it was just a special day.
How hard is it when the first ball hit to you is that ball?
That's what happens when you're a reserve player. They always tell you, "Be ready, because the ball will find you." I had already been thinking through situations in my head, imagining where hitters might drive the ball, but you never expect to sprint to the wall and rob a home run that preserves a perfect game. I was just grateful to be part of it.
How often do people still ask you about that catch?
To this day people still send fan mail and photos. I never imagined that, after retiring in 2013, people would still be talking about Dewayne Wise in 2025. I'm thankful because that one play keeps my name connected to baseball history. Whenever people talk about great catches or perfect games, somehow my name comes up too. That's something that will be remembered for years.
Take me through the play itself. What did you see when the ball left the bat?
I've always played shallow because I trusted my speed. As soon as the ball was hit, I knew it was over my head, so I put my head down and ran to the spot. Halfway there I looked back and realized I was catching up to it. Once I got close to the wall, I knew I had a legitimate chance. I timed the jump, made the catch, and almost dropped it coming down, but I held on.
After that catch, there were still two outs left. What was going through your mind?
Everybody was excited, the fans were going crazy, but we had to calm ourselves because the game wasn't over yet. Even the final ground ball wasn't easy. When the last out was made, I just thanked Jesus because I knew that if Mark finished it, that catch was going to be remembered for a long time.
You didn't even realize Buehrle had a perfect game going until the sixth inning?
No. I wasn't starting that day, and honestly I was dragging a little. I even went to grab coffee during the game. Then I heard Hawk Harrelson on the radio say, "18 up, 18 down." I looked at the scoreboard, saw nothing but zeros, and immediately thought, "I better get loose." Ozzie Guillen usually put me in late for defense, but I wasn't sure he'd do it during a perfect game because you don't want to mess with the lineup. Joey Cora didn't want him to make the change, but Ozzie said, "No, I'm putting him in." It turned out to be the right decision.
The White Sox actually put your name on the wall where you made the catch. How cool is that? You don't see things like that around baseball.
That's special to me. Every time I watch a White Sox game and a ball is hit to left-center field, I look over there and smile because it immediately brings back those memories. I think it's pretty cool that it's still there, and hopefully it'll stay there for a long time.
There have been so many great plays in baseball history and so many incredible outfielders. To have "The Catch" with my name attached to it on the stadium wall, where people will remember it long after I'm gone—that means a lot to me and to my family.
NOTE: The above was edited for clarity and length.
You can read the full transcript here.