So I made the idiotic assertion this weekend that George Brett's Pine Tar incident was one of the top 10 moments in the past 25 years in MLB. As my brothers regailed me with multiple examples it became clear that it wasn't and that I was probably just drunk. Below are a handful of moments that we came up with that top Brett's. I think that particular moment sticks out for me, because he put up such a fuss. Plus I love how the umpire measures the bat with the plate!
1. Barry hits 73
2. Sammy and McQwire
3. Kirk Gibso
4. Carlton Fisk (see above)
5. Buckner
6. Red Sox win and Dennis loses a nut
7. Aaron F. Boone/Bucky F. Dent
8. Arizona beats Yankees
9. Cal Ripken
Well, first of all. I agree that the Pine Tar game would be in the top 10. Its a clip that will be played forever and is immediately identifiable.
ReplyDeleteI think you and your bro came up with a decent list. My comments/edits and revised list:
Fisk's HR (and I will not argue about this) was NOT one of the most memorable moments in the last 25 years. Since it actually happened in 1975.
I absolutely disagree with Bonds being number 1. It was anticlimactic. And which HR was memorable? 71? 73? I wouldn't recognized the video with the sound turned down (well, until they showed the scoreboard with the "73." We had just had this record broken 3 years ealier and that was a much more dramatic HR. Everyone remembers where they were when Big Mac (or as you call him, McQwire) hit 62. It was dramtic. And we had waited a lifetime for it.
PS - I hate when writers talk about a moment and then include series of things (like McGwire AND Sosa of Boone and Dent - also, Dent was another one not in the last 25 years).
So, my top 10 would be:
1. Red Sox win
2. McGwire
3. Gibson
4. Buckner
5. Clemens Strikes out 20
6. Dave Henderson saves 86 Season
7. Denkinger blows call in 85 Series
8. Aaron Boone HR
9. Pine Tar game
10. Cal Ripken 2192
My Honorable mentions (in order, so Bonds really does not even make the list):
11. Canseco bounces ball off head
12. Minor league dude runs through wall
13. Bartman
14. Jeffrely Maier/Jeter HR
15. Joe Carter HR
16. Dent HR
17. Arizona come back
18. Rickey Henderson “I am the greatest of all time”
19. Earthquake delays series
20. Jeter flip play
21. Kevin Mitchell barehanded catch
Of course my Red Sox centric-ness is showing. also, a HUGE factor in these selections is the video of the event vividly etched in my mind of each.
Hate to do this, but
ReplyDelete"Yanks win 4 out of 5 WS" is definitely top 20. "Pedro K's 17 Yankees" may be another. (I'd put the classic Pedro-Clemens game in there, but that's my East Coast bias.)
Agreed about Barry Bonds. My list of Big Baseball Events History Won't Give A Shit About:
4) A-Rod joins the Yankees
3) Marlins win it all in 2003, breaking their 6-year drought
2) David Eckstein (who's only 4 feet 3 inches, but has heart) wins WS MVP
1) Barry Bonds hits 73 HR in a season
Ugh. did you just do that to piss me off? How can a five year event be a "memorable moment?" If that were true then I take not just Pedro's 17 K masterpiece (which is an excellent call, along with the other Memorial Day game vs. Clemens when trot won it with the HR and Bernie nearly tied it up), but the entire body of Pedro's work 1998-2001.
ReplyDeleteAnother one for the (who cares) list Ozzie Guillen winning manager of the year.
Yeah, where to begin with Pedro. Of course, there are two other amazing games, both in 1999.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about it. When I'm drunk Papelon's 2006 season sneaks into my top 10.
ReplyDeleteYeah, a couple of other games that I had thought about putting in, but realized they were far too Red Sox centric, were that Game 5 in 99, not just Pedro, but Troy O'Leary hitting the two HRs after the Grover decided to walk Nomar. And of course I resisted the temptation to include as a "moment" that whole comeback. I was at the 23-7 game the night before. The crowd counting out each run once they got above about 12, plus the chants of "Manny's hitless" as he endured an 0-the Series.
ReplyDeleteAnd the other game being Mo Vaughn hitting the walk off GS on opening day in 98.
Then again as Mike pointed out, give me enough drinks and we are bound to include Mark Loretta's walk off from patriot's day.