Most Memorable Moments

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Posted By: George

The most memorable baseball moment of the 20th century came on September 30, 1907, when Ty Cobb hit a 2-run home run off Rube Waddell in the 9th inning at Philadelphia to tie the game, leading to Detroit winning the pennant.

The #2 moment came in the 7th inning of the 7th game of the 1926 World Series, when the ancient Grover Cleveland Alexander came in from the bullpen in Yankee Stadium, took the ball from Rogers Hornsby, and struck out Tony Lazzeri with the bases loaded.

#3 was Babe Ruth's "Called Shot" in the 1932 World Series in Wrigley Field.

In no particular order were the following:

Ted Williams' homer in his final at-bat in 1960.

Hank Greenberg's homer to clinch the 1945 pennant, after his return from WWII.

The final game of the 1909 World Series, when Honus Wagner tagged out Ty Cobb.

Cy Young's Perfect Game, against Rube Waddell.

Lou Gehrig's farewell speech.

Kirk Gibson's home run.

Ted Williams' home run in the 1941 All-Star game off Claude Passeau, scoring Joe DiMaggio ahead of him.

Satchel Paige intentionally filling the bases to get to Josh Gibson, then striking him out.

I'm sorry.........baseball was invented prior to 1980.

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Posted By: PASJD

In case I missed it, I didn't see Bobby Thomson's home run. Or "The Catch." Or Slaughter's "Mad Dash." Or Ruth's three-HR final game, each according to legend more towering than the last. Or Dickey's dropped third strike. And on and on and on. There really isn't any other game when it comes right down to it.

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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

A homerun in his final at bat is a fitting tribute for Ted Williams, whose credentials as a player and a man go unquestioned. But IMHO the pitch was grooved for him.

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Posted By: Richard Simon

The Bobby Thomson HR game is missing from the list???
Many books, writers, fans will concede that it was the #1 moment in baseball history, and it does not even make your top ten list?
And besides I own the stub (PO2) and program from that game, and the stub (PO1) from the prior game .
Oh well, I guess that is what makes it a great game, everybody has an opinion on everything .

--

I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.

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Posted By: Richard Simon

In case the board members would like to see the stubs, here they are.
As a way of explanation, the first playoff game that year was at Ebbets Field. PO1 (second playoff gm) was the FIRST game at the Polo Grounds, and obviously PO2 was the second game at the Polo Grounds (third game of the playoffs).
Last time I was in Cooperstown, I saw their display for the Thomson HR game. They showed a stub from Game 9,saying that was the playoff game stub. My theory is that they printed up tickets reading PO2, and did not have enough tickets to handle the crowd, so they just grabbed some old tickets laying around in the ticket office and used them, to jam as many people as they could into the Polo Grounds.
I have never seen the stub from the game at Ebbets Field.



I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.

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Posted By: PASJD

I have never read that (I have read it about Mantle's final HR which Denny McLain admittedly grooved, or maybe it was his second to the last one which moved him past Foxx), and John Updike's famous eyewitness account of the game suggests otherwise.

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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

PASJD: Based on my observation of the at bat. As I recall (and this ability is waning) after a couple of balls, Fisher served up a big fat one to Williams, who missed it completely. Fisher then looked at Williams - it appeared to me that he may have been thinking "you big dumb babboon". Williams then stood in, took a few practise swings, the second of which was perceptibly lengthened indicating in my view "put it here, kid". I do not think that Williams had expected the previous pitch. But he sure was ready when Fisher put it where Williams indicated.

Again all, this is offered as my opinion; as was previously stated. I too have never read it anywhere. But Id bet that I did not imagine this happening. Heck, this was over 40 years ago - I was far less feeble then.

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Posted By: PASJD

Gilbert, interesting. I will have to take another look at the Updike article and compare your account with his.

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Posted By: Kevin Cummings

I would think this would have to be on the list somewhere.

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Posted By: Richard Simon

Bert Sugar wrote a great book, profusely illustrated, called Baseball's 50 Greatest Games. I highly recommend it.When I used to do shows and promoters gave out FREE autographs to table holders (yes, that is true, it was a long time ago), I got the book signed by many great names. It is a great read and just flipping through it is worthwhile.
--
p.s. His greatest game is Bobby Thomson .

I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.

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Posted By: Pcelli60

I think the single greatest feat in the games history was larsons 27 up 27 down..Never forget Maz in 60'. Merkle in 08'

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Posted By: PASJD

1. Bobby Thomson. And anyone who thinks otherwise MUST read Dom DeLillo's admittedly semi-fictionalized account of it. It had it all -- a walkoff homerun in a playoff game capping a remarkable comeback (not just the game, but the second half of the season) in a fierce rivalry in what was then the center of the baseball universe. By the way, I assume people know who was on deck -- a 19 year old kid named Willie Mays.

2. Alexander v. Lazzeri. Pure drama. What people may not know is Alexander was drunk from celebrating his win the previous day and had no expectation of pitching. From accounts, he walked in very slowly to an absolutely hushed crowd. Hornsby meets him at the mound and Alexander explains he intends to set up Lazzeri with an inside fastball. Hornsby starts to say you can't do that, then realizes he is talking to a man who has won 350 plus games and thinks the better of it. The at bat is textbook pitching: Lazzeri takes a curve for strike one. Alexander then throws him the inside fastball, just far enough off the plate that he can't hit it for a home run, he crushes it as Hornsby feared, but foul. With Lazzeri now set up, Alexander fans him on a sweeping curve off the outside corner. Alexander then goes on to shut down Murderers' Row for two more innings, and the Cards win the Series. Wow.

3. Mazeroski. Yankees lose. Theeeeeeeeeee........ Yankees lose. Don't forget there was another dramatic home run in that game too to tie the score after the Yankees had gone ahead.

4. Bucky Bleeping Dent. I was tempted to put this one higher, but that probably reflects my Red Sox bias. The game had it all, including the remarkable comeback by the Red Sox to close to one run after Reggie's post-Dent homer seemingly put it out of reach, but stopped short by Piniella's great play where he lost the ball in the sun but fooled Rick Burleson into not trying for third. Talk about drama, how about the final at bat, Gossage in his prime vs. Yaz with men on base. There is a wonderful account of the game by a guy named Jonathan Schwartz called something like "Day of Light and Shadows" I forget the exact title.

5. Carlton Fisk. Red Sox bias again, maybe, but I think not. Like Maz, had the dramatic home run beforehand, when one overmatched ex-Red named Bernie Carbo who had swung helplessly at strikes one and two crushed a three run blast to center to tie the game. George Foster cut down the winning run the inning before on a laser to the plate. In his at bat in the top of the 12th Rose apparently said to Fisk, "hell of a game, isn't it." Etc.

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Posted By: Bill Stone

Having been a Hollywood Stars fan growing up in California (before the teams moved West ) I was also a Pirates fan during all the bad years --but in 1960 my father took the day off work and let me stay home from school to watch game 7 of the World Series with him. I will never forget the father/son special relationship that day -topped off by Maz's homerun--Baseball does not get any better than that! (My only regret was that Dale Long( my Hollywood hero) was playing for the Yankees and not the Pirates)

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Posted By: Pcelli60

Fisk Hit the greatest Tv era hr of all time. Gibson close second..Aarons feat was indeed a moment for the baseball Gods and the ages.. And is almost forgotten to many people who actually know better..Funny how nobody has mentioned Bonds 01' season?.