Ripken's streak voted No. 1 moment (and Rose is back on a MLB field)

MLB Website ^ | Oct 23, 2002 | Tom Singer / MLB.com

[TankerKC]

SAN FRANCISCO -- One evening in early September 1995, hours removed from the defining moment of his own 21-year career, Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr. made a casual observation. "The meaning of baseball," he had said, "is to look back on moments."

Little could Cal Ripken Jr. envision at the time that fans would eventually look back and choose his as baseball's Most Memorable Moment.

Ripken's 2,131st consecutive game on Sept. 6, 1995, breaking a record Lou Gehrig had held for 56 years and was considered beyond challenge, carried fans' vote as their most indelible memory.

Results of three months of balloting in Major League Baseball's Memorable Moments presented by MasterCard were announced here prior to Wednesday night's Game 4 of the World Series.

[TankerKC]

I was glad to see that MLB allowed Pete Rose to show up as his passing Ty Cobb as the hit-leader in 1985 came in 6th.

[Lokibob]

Natale Cole (sp) murdered "The Star Spangled Banner". She did it as a production number, threw in a little jazz, and changed the words.

I wish, just once, these people would sing it as it was written. It ticks me off.

[jackbill]

Although the other nine of the 10 most memorable events were great, Cal's whole career, topped by his consecutive game record, is perhaps the last of the great events of MLB's history. They just don't make them like that anymore.

[TankerKC]

I tuned in late, so I missed it...I'm glad I did!

[Lokibob]

Over my rant!!! LOL

Really glad they let Pete back on the field. He has paid his dues, IMHO.

[Chi-townChief]

Man, that sucked! How they could pass up Bobby Thompson's home run in the '51 NL playoff is beyond me.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

No Jim Gray this time.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

She thinks it's the Natalie Anthem.

[Hot Tabasco]

FWIW, I say get rid of the "Star Spangled Banner" and adopt "America The Beautiful" as our national anthem. That way two-bit hacks hired to sing at sporting events will have less of a chance in butchering the lyrics.......

Besides, ATB is more apt to bring tears to my eyes than a hack job of the SSB.......

[TankerKC]

Its hard to pick just ten--I agree.

[anncoulteriscool]

PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETE!

[anncoulteriscool]

Yes I was a little surprised that carlton Fisk HR in 1975 world series was not in there. I think Ripkin's streak was memorable more becuase the night he broke the streak was the night many americans "backback" to baseball after in stike on 1994. But my comment on "moments" is that for the moment to be exciting it has to be something that we did not expect. We knew that Aaron would hit 715 sometimes, once McGuire was at 61 HR's on Labor day, we knew he would break the record sometime. But a HR like Kirt Gibson is something that people were not expecting, therefore that was a great moment!

[anncoulteriscool]

Yes It was nice when fans started chanting "hall of fame"!

[ml/nj]

Things like Ripken showing up, and Aaron hitting a homer were things that had to happen, and demonstrate what is wrong with today's baseball (RIP) culture.

The Greatest Moment in Baseball History occurred on October 3, 1951. Back then no sponsor's name was mentioned in between pitches. Games didn't take three and a half hours, and most important games were played while the sun was shining. Now the Lords of Baseball are afraid to take on pro-football, so they never play a game while there is a football game going on anywhere. Unfortunately for them they cannot compete with the sniper; or rodeo for that matter.

ML/NJ (former baseball fan)

[anncoulteriscool]

*****No Jim Gray this time.*****

I was thinking the same thing. Thank God jim gray was not there!

[dpwiener]

I tend to agree that Ripkin's consecutive game streak is the greatest record in baseball. But if you expand the competition to other sports, Ripkin is going to have to contend with Brett Favre's consecutive game streak (especially if Favre keeps it going for a few more years). Considering the punishment that quarterbacks endure, ten years and 164 consecutive starts is arguably even more amazing.

[rabidralph]

Hoo-ray for Cal! I was at game 2126, and boy, was it anticipatory!

[Diddle E. Squat]

Sorry, but IMHO the last out in Don Larson's World Series perfect game, and the World Series home runs of Carlton Fisk's, Kirk Gibson's, and Joe Carter were bigger MOMENTS.

Not that the actual meanings of words matter anymore.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Hopefully that will be as close as Rose ever gets to the Hall until he publicly admits that he bet on baseball. The proof is all there, but his unrepentant attitude is not worty of the hall.

A great player, but a sorry bastard.

[TankerKC]

Yes It was nice when fans started chanting "hall of fame"!

Is that what happened? Awesome!