NFT: The Athletic is doing a 60 greatest moments in baseball

I’d guess Mets and Ted Williams. Maybe Maris 61.

Mays was my Dad’s favorite player and the catch and throw was amazing, but if it hadn’t been in yet, could they possibly leave it out?

Actually, maybe Mays at 2, then Mets at 1.

- I'm a huge Yankee's fan and not a Dodger's fan, but one of the most emotional feats I ever saw in baseball was a hobbled Kirk Gibson who was too injured to play, but was called up anyway to pinch hit in game 1 of the world series, down 1 run, 9th inning. As much as I can't stand the Dodgers, it was an incredible feat and worthy of me tipping my hat to the guy.

- The George Brett "Pine Tar" HR was a classic I'll never forget.

- Aaron Boone's shot that put the Yankees into the World Series


A Crippled Gibson Hits Walk Off HR - ( New Window )

with Number 6 and 7? Besides those 2, the list and entire project looks very interesting even if you can argue about specific rankings.

I have to agree on that one. The guy could barely walk to the plate and hits a one handed home run

will be high on the list.

And I consider myself a knowledgeable 35 year old baseball fan

and cubs ending drought id guess

Gibson and Mazeroski are the real top ones for me.
Gehrig's speech
Maris 61
69 and 86 Mets
Fisk
Aaron passing Ruth
Hobbs

Mario’s enter sandman would have to be.... ?

Cub's Manager Lee Elia paints a word picture of obscenity, live!
Lee Elia postgame press conference - April 29,1983 - ( New Window )

not a fan of the Athletic. Too bad the Pos writes for them.

Lame. The story of the 78 Yankees is pretty interesting altogether.

In comment 14974943 sb from NYT Forum said:

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Cub's Manager Lee Elia paints a word picture of obscenity, live! Lee Elia postgame press conference - April 29,1983 - ( New Window )

The Earl Weaver Manager's Corner equally as impressive.
Link - ( New Window )

No. 18: Rachel Phelps leads Cleveland to its first title in decades

No. 5: Dottie Hinson drops the ball in Game 7

.

In comment 14974898 DaddyM89 said:

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and cubs ending drought id guess

Buckner is number 10

In comment 14975070 Pete in MD said:

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No. 5: Dottie Hinson drops the ball in Game 7

Pete these 2 are an embarrassment, as are Hoffman, and 6, 7. How is there Hoffman but not Rivera? And Rivera entering g is not worthy either.

That is probably the most iconic play in baseball history. There are a ton of other moments that could fit #2. But given they didn't already make a list that includes Rachel Phleps, Dottie Hinson, maybe Roy Hobbs is #2? There were at least 5 on that list of 20 that have no business being there, so who gives a F?

I get that it's cool (personally I do think it's the best entrance, just because I think the start of that song really kicks ass), but it happened literally hundreds of times, many of which weren't even particularly crucial game situations. Same would go for Mo. Pretty lame choice.

Jeffrey Maier catching the home run in the ALCS?

Steve Bartman interfering with the easy pop fly on the sideline in the NLCS?

those were pretty memorable, and this seems to be more about “memorable” moments than “greatest” moments despite the headline.

he does incredible work and even if you disagree with him, he puts great care and thought into his essays.

I recommend his Top 100 baseball players of all-time series that he startd back in December and released a player a day.
https://theathletic.com/tag/the-baseball-100/ - ( New Window )

Because sportswriters just love to fluff the Red Sox.

Gibson has got to be on there. It was one of the most dramatic things I've ever watched in baseball. Eckersley was a dominant closer in those days and Gibson could barely walk. Bottom of the ninth, Dodgers down a run and one out from losing Game 1 at home. That was Gibson's only appearance of the series, too.

that was #3.

My guess is that the Top 2 will be from the following 4 moments (3 of which are related and might be combined into one entry)

1) W's first-pitch in the World Series at Yankee Stadium shortly after 9/11. He threw a strike.. from the mound. Politics aside, that was an incredible moment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjGcCI9ByWw

2) Mike Piazza's HR in the first game / live event in NY after 9/11.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fLGzbGGEYQ

3) Jackie Robinson (and Larry Doby) breaking the color barriers (signing deals / stepping on the field)

4) The crowd in Philly on Sunday night baseball starting to buzz organically with a swell of cheer and "USA" chants as they learn that Osama Bin Laden was assasinated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nSsBr67BqA

in game #4 of the 1969 WS.

Reggie Jackson's 3 HR game in the '77 WS

Dodger's winning the '55 WS

Bobby Thompson's shot heard round the world)

Denny (Danny?) McClain winning 30 games in 1968.
Ron Swaboda - ( New Window )

Josh Hamilton's HR Derby performance was the most amazing display I've ever seen. Better than any of the old Derby's involving Griffey Jr./McGwire or what Vlad Jr. did last year. It wasn't just how many he was hitting, it's how far they were being hit. He put on an absolute show in that 1st round. It was a great story too, because of everything Hamilton had gone through. Nobody cares that Morneau won it, since Morneau won a lot of things he didn't deserve to win.

And he frames Major League as Rachel Phelps??? Should have been Willie Mayes Hayes scoring off a Jake Taylor bunt, Wild Thing striking out Haywood or anything coming out of Bob Uecker’s mouth.


He also skews favorably and overrates more modern moments in baseball.

No. 60: Enos Slaughter’s Mad Dash
No. 59: Dwight Evans’ Strat-O-Matic home run
No. 58: Javy Báez tags out Nelson Cruz in the World Baseball Classic
No. 57: Shoeless Joe emerges from the corn behind the Field of Dreams
No. 56: Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak almost comes to an end
No. 55: The final day of the 2011 season
No. 54: Topps creates the first modern baseball card set
No. 53: Minnie Miñoso pinch-hits in his 50s
No. 52: Kerry Wood strikes out 20
No. 51: Zack Greinke calls his first big-league home run
No. 50: Baseball-Reference changes everything
No. 49: Joey Votto’s 3-homer Mother’s Day game
No. 48: Hot dogs and peanuts become baseball game staples
No. 47: Jackie Robinson steals home and Yogi Berra goes nuts
No. 46: Buck O’Neil hears the sound again
No. 45: Lee Elia’s “Most of the world’s out there making a living” rant
No. 44: The Pine Tar Game
No. 43: Jim Palmer outduels Sandy Koufax in the 1966 World Series
No. 42: Reggie Jackson’s candy bars rain down on Yankee Stadium
No. 41: Mark McGwire takes batting practice
No. 40: The Dave Henderson Game
No. 39: Jim Thome hits a walk-off homer off Troy Percival
No. 38: Roy Hobbs homers into the lights
No. 37: DeWayne Wise’s catch secures Mark Buehrle’s perfect game
No. 36: José Canseco’s head produces an improbable home run
No. 35: Harvey Haddix’s near-perfect game
No. 34. “Homer at the Bat” & George Carlin’s “Football and Baseball”
No. 33: Dee Gordon homers after tribute to José Fernández
No. 32: Eric Hosmer dashes home in Game 5 of the 2015 World Series
No. 31: Pee Wee Reese puts his arm around Jackie Robinson
No. 30: Satchel Paige strikes out Josh Gibson
No. 29: Jim Edmonds makes a catch for the ages
No. 28: Dwight Gooden reaches the top of the mountain
No. 27: Jackie Mitchell strikes out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig
No. 26: Pete Rose (actually) breaks Ty Cobb’s hit record
No. 25: The American League approves the designated hitter
No. 24: John McDonald homers on Father’s Day
No. 23: Charlie Brown finally wins the game
No. 22: Bryant to Rizzo and the Cubs win!
No. 21: Mark Fidrych mesmerizes on “Monday Night Baseball”

the George Plimpton April Fools (1985) SI article (later book) "The Curious Case of Sidd Finch"

This was near the end of time when baseball was mostly about guys having fun...

uh NO. fuck outta here.

and Roy Hobbs is #38? Yeah...OK. And neither of them should be on this list in the first place.

Most of the list is garbage.

I would say Mays' catch and Gehrig's speech are 1 and 2 in either order.

In comment 14974898 DaddyM89 said:

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and cubs ending drought id guess

That's the "little roller."

all belong, and several that are already ranked do NOT. Not if this is actually a "greatest moments in baseball HISTORY.

In comment 14975912 Matt M. said:

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Most of the list is garbage. I would say Mays' catch and Gehrig's speech are 1 and 2 in either order.

Gehrig's speech is #14.

In comment 14976632 Stan in LA said:

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In comment 14975912 Matt M. said: Quote: Most of the list is garbage. I would say Mays' catch and Gehrig's speech are 1 and 2 in either order. Gehrig's speech is #14.

I guess I missed it. But , 14? It is an iconic moment in baseball history. That is a top 5 moment.

60 Moments: No. 2, Duane Kuiper’s singular home run.

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This is the point where you scream about (YOUR TEAM’S GREATEST MOMENT). It should be in here. It’s ridiculous that it’s not in here. Someone counts down the 60 greatest moments in baseball history, and puts stuff in here like hot dogs becoming the sacred baseball food and Homer Simpson’s home run in a fictional softball game and Reggie Jackson getting a candy bar named for him but doesn’t put in (YOUR TEAM’S GREATEST MOMENT)? It’s pure lunacy. How in the world could Duane Kuiper’s utterly irrelevant home run be on this dumb list and (YOUR TEAM’S GREATEST MOMENT) not be in here? This list never was intended to be some objective and dispassionate countdown of the greatest moments in baseball history. There have already been thousands of lists like that. Instead, I wanted to create something a bit goofy, a bit nostalgic and very personal. Do I really believe that Kuiper hitting a meaningless home run for Cleveland, which was terrible in 1977, is a greater baseball moment than Ruth’s called shot or Puckett’s Game 6 homer? Of course I do. Because I grew up in Cleveland in the 1970s. If I had grown up in New York in the 1930s, I’d have the Ruth homer on there. If I were Garrison Keillor or Steve Rushin, I’d have the Puckett homer on there. The greatest moment in baseball history is your moment, that instant when — among the thousands of baseball games that happen every year — everything comes together just so and a tiny instant of perfection happens.

Although I believe that Hinson intentionally dropped the ball because it was her kid sister trying to score. That's why she didn't play any more after that game... shame.

That link gave me a deal for $1 a month for 12 months!

In comment 14980784 Bramton1 said:

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That link gave me a deal for $1 a month for 12 months!

Well worth it as many have said.

In comment 14975218 Mad Mike said:

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I get that it's cool (personally I do think it's the best entrance, just because I think the start of that song really kicks ass), but it happened literally hundreds of times, many of which weren't even particularly crucial game situations. Same would go for Mo. Pretty lame choice.

My favorite Trevor Hoffman moment occurred about 10 minutes after his Hells Bells entry when Scott Brosius crushed one of Hoffman's silly changeups 420 feet to centerfield.
Link - ( New Window )