Whats the rarest baseball thing you've seen in person?

[RayKingsForemanGrill]

I was at Robin's 3000 hit game, I saw Robin's 3001 hit in Baltimore. I was at the game when Jim Ganter was taken out by Marcus Lawler at 2nd base and was sitting near where the players wife go down to clubhouse area and saw Jim gantners family walking and ans staring at the field. Was at Nolan Ryans big game. also, i was at game 4 and 5 alcs and game 4 and 5 of world series, Went to the parade after the lost in 1982. OH, just at Steve Wooddard 1 hitter.

I was at the Gantner game too - as a kid, that was depressing...

[trwi7]

I didn't see this "in person" but Reid Brignac was just playing 2B, had a ground ball hit to him, Pena ranged too far and couldn't get back to 1st and Balfour wasn't there either so Brignac had to run from 2nd to touch 1st base, just barely beating Jeter to the base.

[PrinceEatMeat]

My favorite memory in person is the final game of 2008 with CC and the Braun. Although I was also at the playoff games and the Braun walk-off grand slam, which were all memorable and rare moments. I also saw many of the other games or moments mentioned in this thread, but none beat that moment, or that whole run to the playoffs.

[PrinceEatMeat]

One thing that was cool about that Braun walk-off grand slam game is that I was there with my dad, and he told me that the first game I ever went to I was with him and Greg Vaughn had hit a walk-off grand slam (I found out that was on 6/16/91). So it was like we had come full circle, which was really cool. Made the moment even more memorable for both of us.

[Glennron]

I went to a White Sox-Royals game in Chicago two years ago where the White Sox hit four consecutive home runs (Konerko-Thome-Uribe-Ramirez). Also saw a Braves-Cubs game at Wrigley in '06 where the Braves hit 8 home runs. Definitely the best baseball game I've been to that didn't involve the Brewers. The Cubs are something like 0-6 in games I've been to at Wrigley.

[cubfan1126]

all in-person:

 

Ryne Sandberg hitting for the cycle at Wrigley

Clearly the most rare of all the feats listed considering that Sandberg never hit for the cycle.

[brewtown82]

I once saw the same little girl catch three foul balls in an inning and a half at the Ballpark in Arlington. They gave her a 100 dollar gift certificate to a steakhouse to boot!

[Tbadder]

Just a question. I think the rarest thing that could happen would be a cycle of home runs in a single game--you know, a single hr, a two run dinger, a three run bomb, and the grand salami? Anybody know if this ever happened in the majors or minors. I suspect it never happened in the majors since we'd all pretty much have heard about it. Of course four grand slams would be better I suppose.

[InsomniacInkRoss]

06/14/09 Mark Buehrle's only career HR

[hawing]

Just a question. I think the rarest thing that could happen would be a cycle of home runs in a single game--you know, a single hr, a two run dinger, a three run bomb, and the grand salami? Anybody know if this ever happened in the majors or minors. I suspect it never happened in the majors since we'd all pretty much have heard about it. Of course four grand slams would be better I suppose.

Wikipedia weighs in on the home run cycle. It hasn't happened yet in the majors, and only once in MiLB.

If it ever happens, that will be crazy rare, and although I would not want it to be accomplished against the Brewers, I would be interested to see it.

[topper09er]

Just a question. I think the rarest thing that could happen would be a cycle of home runs in a single game--you know, a single hr, a two run dinger, a three run bomb, and the grand salami? Anybody know if this ever happened in the majors or minors. I suspect it never happened in the majors since we'd all pretty much have heard about it. Of course four grand slams would be better I suppose.

This guy had an OK day in college, 7-7, 6 HR, 16 RBI.... 1 solo HR, 1 2R HR, 3 3R HRs, 1 GS and a lousy single for 25 TB

http://www.seminoles.com/sports/m-basebl/recaps/050999aab.html

 

It has never happened in the majors but there have been several ABs where it was possible, I know Geoff Jenkins had a chance at it in this game http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIL/MIL200104280.shtml

 

He had a sole, 2R and 3R and then struck out LOOKING with the bases loaded in the 7th.

 

 

[lcbj68c]

Something special brewing about 19 miles north of me. Unfortunately, I'm not there and pretty much refuse to visit that dump. Wonder how many are there tonight...11k?

[Kricket755]

I would have to say seeing Eddie Perez hit a game winning walk-off homer at Miller Park OFF THE FOUL POLL was a pretty rare event. I actually wouldnt mind if someone else could confirm this happened to make sure my memory has tweaked the story to make it sound better. A walk off homer off the foul poll seems like something that would only happen in a movie.

 

Also, I was at last nights game. I was one of about 4,000 people still there at the end of it. It emptied pretty steadily starting in about the 5th inning. The game consisted of a number of rare events, none of them incredibly rare by itself but an impressive collection of odd events including;

 

-A pitcher (Gallardo) hitting an opposite way homerun.

-Another pitcher (Wolf) pinch hitting in the 4th (IIRC) inning

-Two players with little to no outfield experience at the professional level in the outfield at the same time (Escobar and Kottaras) in a Major league game

-A position player (Inglett) pitching a clean inning

-Alcides almost throwing out Gomes (IIRC) at home plate on a celan base hit. Gomes, of course, was on 3rd base to start the play.

 

[TooLiveBrew]

That throw from Escobar was incredible (I was there last night too). Gallardo's home run was awesome -- wasn't it on a 2-strike count, to boot?

[Kricket755]

Yea, the Gallardo homer was on a 2 strike count after trying to bunt on the first few pitches. I had to watch the replay of the game late last night just to catch Alcides' throw again.

 

Also, I noticed someone elsementioned the Eddie Perez foul poll home. I am glad I didnt make that one up.

 

Also, I saw Jim Abbott's first of two career base hits during his short stint in Milwaukee. That is one I will always remember.

[greendaler]

I think it has to be pinch-hitting a pitcher for another in the 3rd inning.

[bani1717]

I'm pretty sure Gabe Kapler hit a walk-off dinger off the foul pole against that Nationals in 2008... I want to say it was a Sunday afternoon (August 10th I believe)

 

The funny thing was that I didn't even know it went off the foul pole, because it was off the LF pole and I was sitting section 125? or so in the row of folding chairs way under the overhang. I couldn't see out and up enough to see that it was off the pole, I just remember praying that it stayed fair and going nuts when everyone else did.

[hawing]

I was at that Nats game in 2008 - it was August 10, a Sunday afternoon - and remember that Gabe's home run was barely fair, but I don't remember it hitting the pole. I was watching from section 217 and have no memory of it caroming, so if there was fair pole contact, it was barely so.

 

I do remember being happy after the game, but wondering why it took so much effort to beat the Nationals. Washington was ahead by a good bit until Mike Rivera (playing first that day, maybe?) hit a bases clearing double to tie it fairly late in the game.

[Jimbo]

I think it has to be pinch-hitting a pitcher for another in the 3rd inning.

I saw Phil Gardner do that once with David Weathers. But that was Phil Gardner being Phil Gardner.

 

 

[pitchleague]

it wasn't in person (unless you count watching it on TV in person), but Trevor Hoffman just intentionally walked somebody. I gotta think that over the years that hasn't happened too often. (just watch, somebody will now post that he's done it 37 times in his career or something.)

[MNBrew]

all in-person:

 

Ryne Sandberg hitting for the cycle at Wrigley

Clearly the most rare of all the feats listed considering that Sandberg never hit for the cycle.

Well, I saw someone do it and I thought I remembered it was Ryno. Now I have to go look it up.

[InsomniacInkRoss]

it wasn't in person (unless you count watching it on TV in person), but Trevor Hoffman just intentionally walked somebody. I gotta think that over the years that hasn't happened too often. (just watch, somebody will now post that he's done it 37 times in his career or something.)

57 times. Haha.

 

But out of

4,340 batters faced, that is pretty rare.

[pitchleague]

my statement of 37 was pure guess, so I wasn't that far off. Bravo, self!

[hawing]

I didn't think I'd be first to post this, but I saw one pitcher surrender four consecutive home runs on Wednesday. I hope that stays rare.

[RightFieldCoder]

I unfortunately also saw 4 in a row. And I wasn't the only hoping for 5.