Career-Defining Moments

Getting back to optimism, that Mark Lowe moment was pure magic.  Here was this debuting guy that even the "serious" fans knew little about, thrust into the ultimate pressure situation by Grover and he strikes out a modern-day Yankee legend in the filthiest possible way.  From that moment on we were all hooked on the Mark Lowe show.

Top of the 7th, Red Sox Batting, Behind 2-6, Rafael Soriano facing 9-1-2
                  Rafael Soriano replaces Joel Pineiro pitching
   O      ---  2  R Sanchez       Flyball: CF (CF)
   O      ---  2  J Damon         Groundout: P-1B
   O      ---  6  S Hillenbrand   Strikeout Swinging

Top of the 8th, Red Sox Batting, Behind 2-7, Rafael Soriano facing 3-4-5
   O      ---  1  N Garciaparra   Foul Flyball: C
          ---  2  M Ramirez       Double to LF
   O      -2-  3  B Daubach       Flyball: RF (RF)
   O      -2-  4  T Clark         Foul Flyball: 1B

Top of the 9th, Red Sox Batting, Behind 2-7, Rafael Soriano facing 7-8-9
          ---  5  T Nixon         Single to RF
   OO     1--  3  J Varitek       Ground Ball Double Play: 2B-SS-1B
   O      ---  3  R Sanchez       Groundout: SS-1B

Never heard from again.

Cameron was out pretty obviously, but was called safe.  KC's catcher (Gregg Zaun) blocked the plate effectively but the umpire (Marvin Hudson) missed the call and called Cameron safe.  

Ricky Botallico went crazy and was chewing Hudson out all the way down the umpire's tunnel.  Awesome moment.  Here's the link to Retrosheet.

That was special.

What I remember most vividly though, is from opening day 2001. I had a digital cam and was taking photos of Ichiro in his first AB, it was great. Unfortunately, those were eventually lost. :(

Anyway, he didn't start off in the best way, I think he was 0-3 at one point. After that he picked up a hit in the 7th to aid a rally for the M's. In the 8th inning tied 4-4 with the A's, Guillen was on first and Ichiro laid down The. Perfect. Bunt. Mecir somehow thought he was going to get him, which he wasn't, and ended up throwing it away to put Guillen on third and Ichiro on second. Olerud eventually hit a sac fly and we won 5-4, but the bunt, while I was sitting right next to first base, is what I'll always remember.

That team wasn't expected to do much of anything, but that was the beginning of something special, for Ichiro and the M's.

Felix: His first start in Toronto on Sep. 21st.  Went 7.1 innings, only gave up two hits (and both were soft hits), struck out 6.

Richie: I'll let retrosheet do the work:

"Mariners behind 3-4, Miguel Batista replaces Justin Speier pitching; Greg Dobbs pinch hits for Yorvit Torrealba batting 9th"

Dobbs singled to CF (Bubela pinch runs)
Ichiro bunt singled to pitcher.
Santiago pinch hit for Betancourt, sac bunted.
Ibanez intentionally walked (Gibbons, you fool)
Sexson homered to RF; Bubela scores; Ichiro scores; Ibanez scores.

As I started to leave the Skydome, an usher was loudly complaining about Miguel Batista's ability to close out games.  At that point, I lost all faith in Miggy, even if he did like to quote Augustine in post-game interviews.

What else is there to say?

A couple of years later at the Kingdome he runs up the pads on the lf wall at the Kingtome to catch a ball headed out of the park.  His cleats leave track on pads as he rips the covers.  Have never seen anybody do anything remotely like it, before or since.  

Simply, the greatest Mariner ever.

Frankie Rodriguez' defining moment as a Mariner had to be his role in a certain Yankees/Mariners game back in 1999.  Oh, what a night.  I was so focused on the inter-bench banter and the brawls that night, I forgot he threw four innings of shutout ball in relief.  

Javiers was his amazing catch where he went over the wall to tip the ball back into the field, and caught it while falling to the grass.

Davis was when he ramshacked the Oakland catcher at the end of the futile 02' pennat race (or 03?). It was down in Oakland and Big Ben just mauled the backstop, probably Ramon Hernandez. I dont remember the game but it was at the end of the year, in about the 8th inning.

I don't even remember if he put together any legitimately great games, but he was always so close to having dominant stuff. Or at least that's how it seemed to me.

I swear I'm not making that up.

And, when considering classic brawls, how about Jay Buhner, not eligible to come on the field because he was already suspended, coming out of the dugout in Baltimore to rescue an injured... shit, I don't remember who it was. But he kicked ass, took names, rescued his teammate. That was the brawl that almost cost Cal the streak. I always thought Cal was a fucker anyway, though.

I was at that game. I get teary-eyed just thinking about it.

Buhner jumping over the fence and into the bullpen to get a HR.  I think it was at NYY.

I thought, after coming so close to ending the game, that the M's were done at that point.  

Cammy steps back up, fouls off a couple more pitches and then slaps one that sneaks over the fence and inside the pole in right to beat the Red Sox in 17!

What a player...miss that guy!

One of the unlikelier walk-offs, really, considering he hit 2 homers in 300+ at bats that year and 'slugged' in the .330s.  As a corner OF.   In the Kingdome.   Ouch.  

But I still think he's awesome for that one swing.

Probably one of the cooler endings to a no-no.  Strikeouts are always cool, like Randy's over the Tigers.   But I can't think of another amazing defensive play to close one out.  

Omar made a lot of plays, but considering the spot, that one always stands out for me.

So yes, here's to you 4/20/90: you provided the defining moment of Brian Holman's career, and summed up the career of Bill Plummer in a clear, concise, idiotic way.  In fact, the whole 4/20 thing started when people started trying to get sooo baked that that decision actually made sense.  It's an homage, of sorts.    

Yes, I could do this all night.  

Jose Mesa comes on for the ninth to protect a 2-1 lead.  It's probably good that Retrosheet doesn't have play-by-play data for that game so we don't have to immediately know the details of Mesa walking four and giving up two runs in a third of an inning.  The Padres won that game 3-2.  

Amongst all of the pageantry and the feel-good times of Safeco Field opening its doors, Mesa brought all Mariner fans back to a painful reality -- the bullpen was still complete crap.  Pat Gillick took the reins the following offseason and before we knew it, Arthur Rhodes and Kazuhiro Sasaki heavily bolstered the bullpen.

But still, in those heady days of 1998, the last days of the Dome, I'd seen the future and its name was Ken Cloude.  

The 19th-inning walkoff HR vs the Red Sox (against Jeff Fassero, no less) in this game, as mentioned by M Pops.

The walkoff grand slam to beat Cleveland 8-5 in this game, half an inning after Sasaki and Carrera had combined to give up a 3-2 lead.

And of course, the 4 HR game against the White Sox, which I can't believe no one has mentioned yet.  In which, Bret Boone and he became the first and second AL players to ever HR twice in the first inning, he became the second player since 1930 to HR three times in the first three innings, he became the 5th player to ever HR on four consecutive at-bats, and he even robbed Magglio Ordonez of a grand slam.

another good one was edgars last year of greatness, in a game against texas he lost his bat on a foul tip which flew up above the dugout and beamed a hot ass female from my high school class at the game, Ill never forget seeing her on FSN and watching the perv cameraguys milk her image out with Neihaus and red saying "Now that is a nice looking young woman down there...." about 3 times in a row, gar even let her keep the bat

He went 3 for 4 with a double and two home runs.  SEVEN RBIs, or 14% of his CAREER total in one day.  Randy Johnson got the win, Jimmy Key got owned.  

Bottom of the 10th, Ichiro hits a leadoff double, then Lopez sacrifices him over.  McClung then walked  Beltre and Ibanez intentionally to get to Richie who takes the first pitch and drives it to straightaway center to win the game.

Definately a good way to break someone in to baseball...it was amazing.

Yubet: Just every time he is out in the feild he is smiling a joking looking like he really enjoys what he does.

Beltre: When ever he takes out some at second to brake up a double play. Also he hit a other way homerun that was a lazer beam. Off the bat the ball got to just above the height and was gone in seconds.