The History of Baseball (Part 424,328)

[JohnU]

Your idea on the most memorable moment, season, trend, era in modern baseball.

I define "modern" as anything after 1960, which marked the first expansion from the original 16 teams.

Obviously there are many other choices but I can include only so many.

I would like to see who has memories of the game that may or may not be accurate, just something that you can't forget.

 

[JohnU]

Some rather interesting events that could be included just to spur the chat.

The 1986 Billy Buckner ballbuster
The hysterical Twinkie Dome W.S. title by the worst team to ever win anything 1987
The end of nothing in 1994, the year Matt Williams probably would have hit 76 home runs
Screw Sammy Sosa and whoever heard of Enron Field

 

[$500 Million]

The 98 season with the Big Mac and Sammy HR chase, fake as it ended up being it was magical at the time.

Also of course the Yankees going 125-50

 

[The Q]

The 2004 playoffs. The steal. The come back. 2 papi walk offs, and Back to Foulke...

The 2001 WS. Best WS ever. Hands down. With an amazing game 7 that blows the bad news bears style game 7 of 2016 out of the water.

Two future HOFs dueling.

Soriano hits one off his shoe tops to give NY the lead.

And amazing comeback by the botton of the DBacks order to give Gonzo the chance to hit the most epic single in game 7 history.

 

[molsaniceman]

no more epic battle game 7 then 91 smoltz vs morris

 

[The Q]

no more epic battle game 7 then 91 smoltz vs morris

Another great call.

I would definitely allow that to be someone's #1.

But anyone who tries to put 2016 over either of them is either retarded or 12 years old.

 

[molsaniceman]

Another great call.

I would definitely allow that to be someone's #1.

But anyone who tries to put 2016 over either of them is either retarded or 12 years old.

i put that over 2001 cause 01 was an epic choke but i liked 01 better since it was the yankees

 

[soxfan1468927]

The 2004 playoffs. The steal. The come back. 2 papi walk offs, and Back to Foulke...

The 2001 WS. Best WS ever. Hands down. With an amazing game 7 that blows the bad news bears style game 7 of 2016 out of the water.

Two future HOFs dueling.

Soriano hits one off his shoe tops to give NY the lead.

And amazing comeback by the botton of the DBacks order to give Gonzo the chance to hit the most epic single in game 7 history.

I put 1991 above 2001. 5 of the 7 games were 1-run games, including 4 walk-offs.

 

[JohnU]

I put the '64 Phils collapse on the list for a couple of reasons. They were a 107-loss team in 1961 and were within a couple of putouts of winning it in '64. Ended up being a 3-team race.

I looked back at the first 8 years the Mets existed and their best year was 73 wins in 1968. They lost over 700 games their first 7 years! And going 100-62 in '69 ... amazing.

I thought the '86 "Buckner wickets" game was pretty memorable. Another memorable year was the '66 Orioles, including the World Series.

The 2001 AL post-season was memorable more for the non-baseball events that had surrounded it.

The Rockies run into the 2007 post-season was kind of compelling.

 

[JohnU]

But anyone who tries to put 2016 over either of them is either retarded or 12 years old.

The 2016 W.S. -- all that makes it interesting at this point is because the Cubs finally won something. As far as the games go ... meh. I don't think the regular season for either league is that memorable.

 

[The Q]

The 2016 W.S. -- all that makes it interesting at this point is because the Cubs finally won something. As far as the games go ... meh. I don't think the regular season for either league is that memorable.

The games were pretty poorly played.

 

[JohnU]

The games were pretty poorly played.

In my lifetime, the worst W.S. was the 1960 series that Maz hit the winning HR. Most people are told that this magical hit had somehow transformed this into a great series. Except for that hit, it was one of the dullest 7-game series ever. The other really dull one was the Earthquaker in 1989.

 

[The Q]

In my lifetime, the worst W.S. was the 1960 series that Maz hit the winning HR. Most people are told that this magical hit had somehow transformed this into a great series. Except for that hit, it was one of the dullest 7-game series ever. The other really dull one was the Earthquaker in 1989.

I was mostly just referring to the quality of play.

It was really sad that this was the example set on baseball's biggest stage.

It was sloppy, undisciplined and Rajai Davis and Chisenhall legitimately looked LOST in the OF. Santana looked more comfortable out there than they did.

 

[JohnU]

I was mostly just referring to the quality of play.

No argument there.

 

[The Q]

No argument there.

Maybe i'm a baseball snob, but quality of play matters for a great series IMO.

It's why I find 2011 horribly overrated.

Speaking of a boring 7 game series, 2014 comes to mind.

Very few lead changes, and the title was won on a misplay by infante on a routine grounder by Sandoval, and Alex Gordon jogging around the bases when a dead sprint sends the game to extras.

 

[JohnU]

Maybe i'm a baseball snob, but quality of play matters for a great series IMO.

I think the benchmark for W.S. excitement is either 1975 or 1991. Obviously I am a homer so '75 works for me. What I recall about G. 6, or the pinnacle of "gee, what a great game!" is less about the Fisk HR than the plays at the plate that kept that game going as long as it did. All in all, G. 7 was just as interesting.

Another quite memorable series is G. 6 of the 2003 NLCS, the so-called "Bartman ball" fiasco.

 

[The Q]

I think the benchmark for W.S. excitement is either 1975 or 1991. Obviously I am a homer so '75 works for me. What I recall about G. 6, or the pinnacle of "gee, what a great game!" is less about the Fisk HR than the plays at the plate that kept that game going as long as it did. All in all, G. 7 was just as interesting.

Another quite memorable series is G. 6 of the 2003 NLCS, the so-called "Bartman ball" fiasco.

That was interference! ('75).

Granted I wasn't alive, but damn that one was bad.

 

[The Q]

I think the benchmark for W.S. excitement is either 1975 or 1991. Obviously I am a homer so '75 works for me. What I recall about G. 6, or the pinnacle of "gee, what a great game!" is less about the Fisk HR than the plays at the plate that kept that game going as long as it did. All in all, G. 7 was just as interesting.

Another quite memorable series is G. 6 of the 2003 NLCS, the so-called "Bartman ball" fiasco.

Carbo's epic homer helped out a lot. Really gets lost.

Which also goes to my point that in 5-10 years no one will give a shit or even remember Rajai's homer in game 7.

 

[JohnU]

Which also goes to my point that in 5-10 years no one will give a shit or even remember Rajai's homer in game 7.

To that end, I would guess that almost nobody would say the Joe Carter HR in G. 6 to win it in 1993 is all that memorable. Had it come in G. 7, maybe.

 

[The Q]

To that end, I would guess that almost nobody would say the Joe Carter HR in G. 6 to win it in 1993 is all that memorable. Had it come in G. 7, maybe.

I think people still remember it because it's the only WS walk off in the last 50 years lol. Plus it was one of Costas's few good calls.