5 September Moments that Changed the Game
And the baseball cards that help them live on
Last week, we gathered here on the occasion of the 37th anniversary of Pete Rose’s coronation as baseball’s all-time Hit King. It was a coincidence of timing that lent itself perfectly to reflecting on the moment and the baubles that have carried that moment forward through all the trials and tribulations and time ravages that followed.
But that trip back through the ages also reminded me that baseball history is rife with other big moments — often record-setting moments — too.
Here are some of my favorites (with advance apologies for a homeristic repeat with a “new” visual):
Ted Williams Has the Guts to Hit .400
As the final day of the 1941 season dawned, Ted Williams had his batting average at .39955 — for official purposes, that would round up to .400 and show up in the record books thusly.
The Splendid Splinter had stirred much speculation and excitement through the summer with his run at the mark, and now, victory was his.
But Williams didn’t want to squeak by on a technicality and declined the opportunity to sit out Red Sox’ closing doubleheader against the Philadelphia A’s.
The result?
A 6-for-8 performance and robust .406 batting average that still sparkles like magic dust today.
As a bonus, Teddy Ballgame also homered in his final big league plate appearance, exactly 19 years later on September 28, 1960.
Mike Witt Save the Best for Last
The California Angels enter their final game of the season on September 30, 1984, with a record or 80-81.
Four games back of the Kansas City Royals, the Halos’ playoff hopes were done, but California had a chance to finish at .500, at least.
Lucky for them, they had staff ace Mike Witt heading out to the mound against the Texas Ranger.
At Arlington Stadium, Witt went the distance to beat Charlie Hough, 1-0, picking up his 15th win on the season.
And, oh yeah — Witt didn’t allow a baserunner all game.
It was a 10-strikeout perfecto that sent California into the winter with high hopes for the future.
Pete Rose Slaps Ty-Busting Hit
If you read last week’s babbling, you know about this one …
Pete Rose broke the all-time hit record on September 11, 1985, topping Ty Cobb’s 4191. It was a festive, emotional scene that won’t be erased by any subsequent shenanigans, including the official erasure of a couple of the Georgia Peach’s hits.
So, yeah, this is a repeat, but it gives me the chance to show off one of the other record-breaker cards celebrating Charlie Hustle’s big moment.
Iron Cal Might Play Forever
If you were knee-deep in the game back in the mid-1990s, you probably still have some of that bitter taste swirling around your mouth.
Parts of two seasons wiped out plus a cancelled World Series will do that to you.
And, when baseball finally did come back, plenty of fans vowed that they themselves wouldn’t. A lot of that proved to be bluster, and we found it hard to resist the charms of the game as the summer of 1995 warmed up.
But things weren’t the same.
They weren’t quite the same after September 6th, either, but the spine-tingling enchantment of Cal’s victory lap after surpassing Lou Gehrig’s mark for the most consecutive games played sure went a long way to reminding us how beautiful the game can be.
Mark McGwire Hits 62 in 145
Right. Androstenedione, steroids, cheat, cheat, cheat.
I have lots of opinions on the so-called “Steroid Era” but there is not a shred of doubt that Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire elevated baseball’s international profile in 1998 like few stories have ever done.
And, when McGwire passed Roger Maris’ 61 home runs to set the season mark on September 8 with weeks left in the season, we just shook our heads in wonder … and pumped a few more dollars into Big Mac rookie cards.
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What September moments stand out for you?
As always, I’d love to hear your picks.
Thanks for reading.
—Adam