In the long history of Major League Baseball, there have been countless memorable moments that have tantalized, dramatized, and excited the fans and ballplayers alike.
For the sake of this article, I will only be considering occurrences from the past 30-years.
1. "I am the greatest of all-time"
Ricky Henderson was Mr. Stolen Base, and on May 1, 1991, he surpassed Lou Brock as the all-time career leader in stolen bases. The milestone swipe was a straight steal of third base against the new york yankees. Upon being declared safe, and officially passing Brock in the record book, Henderson stood up and lifted third base above his head in celebration.
Given a microphone, Henderson spoke to the crowd and then uttered the declaration that he was, "the greatest of all-time!"
2. One-handed pitcher tosses No-hitter
Jim Abbott, was a one-handed pitcher, as he was born without a right hand. However, Jim overcame the odds and became a major league pitcher, without ever playing in the minor leagues to boot. An average pitcher, nothing great was expected of him when he took to the Yankee Stadium mound on September 4, 1993, for a start against the Cleveland Indians. But oh what a start it would be.
Jim would go onto to throw a complete-game, five-walk, three-strikeout, no-hitter. The last play was a ground ball to shortstop Randy Velarde by Carlos Baerga.
Velarde threw across the diamond to first baseman Don Mattingly, and Abbott had his no-hitter.
3. Iron Man passes Iron Horse
In Baseball, there are several records that are considered hallow, and that most believe will never be broken. But records are made to be broken, and when one of these special records falls, the celebration is one to remember.
Lou Gehrig, the iconic Yankees' first baseman played in 2,130 consecutive games, before the disease that would claim his life and bare his name, ended that streak on May 2, 1939.
The nature of his record, and Gehrig's place in the hearts of fans throughout baseball and across generations, made this a record that none believed would ever fall.
Yet fall it did.
Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame shortstop, Cal Ripken Jr. came to the big leagues in 1981 and started his iconic march towards history on May 30, 1982.
That moment, would occur September 6, 1995, in a game against the California Angels at Camden Yards. When the game started, the fans were preparing for the celebration to end all celebrations. After the top of the first inning was over Ripken was now in the record books, and all that remained was for the game to be made official, which took place after the top of the fifth inning. And then the celebration of one of the all-time great careers began. Fans unveiled a large banner depicting the moment as they hung the number 2,131 over B&O Warehouse in right field.
The game was paused as Ripken was made to take a victory lap around the field, and as he went, he shook hands with fans around the ballpark. The Iron Man had surpassed the Iron Horse.
4. Wild finish saves baseball in Seattle
In 1995, the inaugural AL Wild Card went to the New York Yankees. Meanwhile, out west, the California Angels blew a double-digit lead in games down the stretch and were caught on the last day of the season by the Seattle Mariners. Seattle had gotten hot down the stretch and erased California's lead, forcing a tie-breaking game for the AL West Division crown. A dominate Randy Johnson pitched Seattle past the Angels and set up a first round Division Series matchup with the Yankees.
An opportunistic Yankees team took a 2-0 series lead heading to Seattle.
A historic home run barrage by Ken Griffey Jr. and a relentless Mariners' offense, steamrolled the pinstriped faithful in Games 3 and 4, sending the series to a winner-take-all Game 5 in Seattle.
Seattle was perennial cellar-dwellers and there was talk that they would soon be moving from Seattle. But their hot finish to the season spawned the phrase, "Refuse-to-Lose," and Seattle did just that in forcing Game 5.
The decisive game was a seesaw battle, and a late collapse by Yankee pitching allowed the Mariners to tie the game in the eighth inning. Into extra innings the game went, and the Yanks eked out a run in the top half of the 11th for staff Ace Jack McDowell, who went back to the mound for the bottom of the inning needing three outs to send the Yankees to the ALCS.
McDowell would not survive the inning, as Junior Griffey and Edgar Martinez ended the Yankees' season in crushing fashion. Their late season surge and the dramatic comeback in the series, led to the Mariners remaining in Seattle and receiving a new stadium called Safeco Field.
5. Baseball returns to grieving city
When many people think about the year 2001, the first thought they have is of 9/11. America was attacked by terrorists and the City of New York, as well as the world, would never be the same again. Initially, everything was put on hold, and that included baseball. But, just like it always has, baseball returned, and lifted the city of New York.
The first team to return to the Big Apple was the Mets, and in their first game back, against the rival Atlanta Braves, the Mets, their fans, and the city, were given a dramatic heartfelt moment, thanks in large part to their star catcher Mike Piazza.
Locked in a tight affair in the eighth inning, Mike Piazza stepped to the plate with a runner on base against the Braves Steve Karsay. With the count 0-1, Piazza crushed Karsay's offering over the wall in center field and the Mets went on to win the game 3-2. The euphoric moment is still remembered 16 years later, and will endure for all eternity.
6. Lightning strikes not once but twice
The 2001 major league playoffs saw many unbelievable moments. From Derek Jeter's now iconic "Flip Play" to Jeter's Game 5 dive into the stands, to the 116-win Mariners getting manhandled in the ALCS, and many more.
In the 2001 World Series, the New York Yankees took on the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks. Normally, everybody outside of New York would be rooting against the Yankees, but in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks, the pinstriped faithful were cheered throughout the league as they had become "America's Team" almost by default.
Arizona meanwhile, was filled with veterans, many of whom had never even sniffed the World Series. So, how does this series begin? Arizona's vets manhandled the defending three-time champion Yankees and took a two games to none lead heading to New York for Game 3.
A gusty win in Game 3 cut Arizona's lead to 2-1, but Game 4 was another story. The Yankees found themselves down two runs with two-outs in the bottom of the ninth.
For historical perspective, no team in baseball history had ever been down two runs with two-outs in the bottom of the ninth in the World Series and comeback to win the game. So, when Tino Martinez stepped to the plate in that exact scenario with a runner on base against Diamondbacks closer Byung-Hyun Kim, history wasn't on his side.
Tino then laughed in the face of history as he deposited Kim's offering over the wall in right center field to tie the game. When Derek Jeter victimized Kim with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th-inning the Bombers had done more than just tie the World Series, they had made baseball history.
Game 5 in any best-four-of-seven series is the classic "swing game," and this time was no different. A dominate Curt Schilling tamed New York's offense and once more Kim took the mound with a two-run lead for the ninth inning. With two-outs, down by two, and with a runner on base, Scott Brosius, stepped to the plate looking for some more late inning magic.
Now, what happened in Game 4 was remarkable, but it couldn't happen again, could it?
With a mighty swing, Brosius skied the ball deep down the left field line and into the seats, tying the game in the most improbable fashion. When Alfonso Soriano knocked in Chuck Knoblauch with the winning run in the bottom of the 12th, New York had pulled off another miracle, thus proving that lightning can indeed strike twice.
7. The Idiots win
For 86-years the Boston Red Sox had experienced nothing but misery. After winning five of the first 15 World Series ever played, the Red Sox would fail to win another, until a certain group of players, nicknamed themselves and the team as "Idiots," and embarked on the most historic comeback of all-time.
During that same 86-year stretch, the New York Yankees had won 26 World Series Titles, often having to beat down on their neighbors in New England to get there.
In 2004, after finishing second to the Yankees every year since 1998, and after experiencing the heartbreak of 2003 (can you say Aaron Boone), the Red Sox revamped their pitching staff, and once again beat a path that collided with that of their hated rivals, the Yankees.
After a dramatic seven game series the year prior, the boys from Beantown looked to avenge their suffering.
Falling behind three games to none should have meant that the Red Sox were toast, but not so fast. With the Great Mariano Rivera on the mound, and down to their last three outs, the Sox fortunes began to turn. A steal attempt by pinch-runner Dave Roberts was initially ruled out, but a conference by the Umpires -- in the days before instant replay -- led to them overturning their own call and ruling Roberts safe at second.
He would come in to score on a single and the game was tied. Into extra innings the game went, and Yankee nemesis David Ortiz ended the game with a walk-off home run to right field and the Red Sox were now down three games to one. The next night, in Game 5, Red Sox misfortune continued to right itself as Yanks' set-up man Tom Gordon could not do his job in the eighth inning, forcing Mariano Rivera into an impossible situation, and Mo blew the save for the second straight night. Into extras the game went and once again David Ortiz came up big, with a walk-off single off Paul Quantrill to cut the Sox deficit to three games to two.
Game 6 saw what amounted to a "one-legged," Curt Schilling toss a gem at Yankee Stadium to even the series at three games apiece. Game 7 was no contest, as the Red Sox bats blasted New York's inept pitching staff to the tune of a 10-3 massacre and the greatest comeback in sports history was complete. No team had ever comeback from three games to none down to force and win a Game 7, but Boston proved that they were on a mission.
Onto the World Series and a date with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals were the second most storied franchise in Major League history, as their World Series championship total was second to only the Yankees. Boston would make quick work of the Redbirds to the tune of a four-game sweep, and for the first time since 1918 the Boston Red Sox were world champions, thus putting the Curse of the Bambino to rest.
8. Curse of the Billy Goat is finally over
Back in 1908 the Chicago Cubs won the World Series, and it would be 108-years before they would do it again.
The Curse of the Billy Goat as it has become known, referenced the fact that a Chicago tavern owner attempted to bring his pet billy goat into a game at Wrigley Field. After being denied entrance for the goat at the gate, the tavern owner placed a hex on the Cubs organization.
Multiple curse breaking ceremonies were performed over the years, but none were successful. Finally, in 2016, the Cubs had put together a core group of players, thanks in large part to former-Red Sox GM Theo Epstein, who had taken over the Cubs' baseball operations in the fall of 2011. While with the Red Sox, Epstein had constructed the team that finally ended the infamous Curse of the Bambino.
After waltzing through the regular season, the Cubs were heavy favorites to finally end their curse. To Game 7 the series against the Cleveland Indians went, and a blown save by closer Aroldis Chapman had Cubs fans fearing the worst. Alas, an extra innings rally gave the Cubs an 8-6 lead, and the bullpen managed to close out the game and the series with an 8-7 win, and after the long wait to end all long waits was over, the Chicago Cubs were World Champions.
