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To: NYCVirago
Oho, you want to recognise the whacky memorables? You got it!

Marvelous Marv' Throneberry - Pinch hits in the ninth, game two of a doubleheader against the Pirates. Hits a walkoff three-run homer to win the game. Takes a curtain call from the top steps of the Polo Grounds clubhouse - with nothing on but his underwear and his uniform stirrups.

Jimmy Piersall - Hits his 100th career homer as a 1963 Met...and shuffles around the bases backwards. (This actually prompted a rule change making it official that you can only run forward to any base.)

Chuck Stobbs - The same hapless Senator who gave up Mickey Mantle's across-the-street bomb in 1954 also threw the wildest pitch in baseball history: it went past the hitter, past the catcher, past the ump, and up into the stands until it slammed into a concession stand. They still don't know which had more mustard on it - the pitch, or the fan who got spattered when the ball hit a mustard dispenser.

Byung-Hyun Kim - Playing the Yankees (who'd abused him so infamously in the previous World Series) in New York in an interleague game, Kim broke the cloud of Yankee power that hung over him like his slider hung to Scott Brosius, nailing a save with a snappy job in the ninth inning. Handed the ball from the game-ending play while still at the mound, Kim couldn't resist winging it away in triumph - and it flew all the way into the net behind the left field fence. (Hey, if he ever gets tired of pitching, maybe he's got a second life as an outfielder in his future, with an arm like that...)

Ray Oyler - Normally a shortstop, he did a Seattle Pilots catcher a favour and went out to warm up a pitcher before an inning...and took a fast ball right in the cup, falling in a heap to the ground.

Bill Robinson - The Mets' first base coach walked out to the coaching line in a nationally-televised game...almost oblivious to his right heel that was on fire thanks to flaky relief pitcher Roger McDowell having nailed him with a hotfoot.

Rodney McCray - Who can ever forget the then-Met prospect plowing through the outfield fence, a la Bump Baily in The Natural, while catching a flyout. The difference: McCray survived, only to prove a mediocre major leaguer.

Mark (The Bird) Fidrych - You could name his entire 1976 season to this list.

Billy Hatcher - After he had instigated the accusations of bat-corking that dogged New York Met breakout slugger Howard hit. He whacks a homer as hit bat breaks on the swing...and his bat turned up with a load of cork!
23 posted on 07/13/2002 1:04:27 PM PDT by BluesDuke
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To: BluesDuke
That should have been Howard Johnson - bloody program hiccup!
24 posted on 07/13/2002 1:20:17 PM PDT by BluesDuke
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To: BluesDuke
Whacky memorables? Maybe the funniest I've seen: Orioles' catcher Rick Dempsey entertaining the crowd during a rain delay--imitating the Babe by stuffing something inside his shirt, running the bases and doing a belly-flop sliiiiide on the wet tarp. Hilarious!
26 posted on 07/13/2002 1:29:48 PM PDT by Charles Henrickson
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