So will the Anaheim Angels’ dramatic comeback victory in this year’s World Series be memorable enough to make it on to Mastercard’s next force-feeding of nostalgia? Hopefully we’ll never find out.
Before and after Cal Ripken’s Ironman record was named baseball’s “Most Memorable Moment” last week, Erik Cassano and I have been criticizing the list of moments eligible for the prize, as well as the concept of the promotion in the first place.
Yesterday, Erik Cassano listed some moments he felt should have been on that list. Today, I’m going to put this subject to rest by listing some very memorable moments that Major League Baseball would like us all to forget. After all, “memorable” doesn’t necessarily mean “positive.”
1899: The Cleveland Spiders lose their 134th game to close out the most pathetic single season in the history of baseball. Another proud bit of Cleveland sports lore.
1912: Ty Cobb, maybe the greatest hitter of all-time, runs into the stands and tries to kill a heckler. Just one of many memorable moments in his career.
1919: The Chicago White Sox throw the World Series. The Black Sox scandal ensues, and eight players, including “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, are banned for life.
1920: The Indians’ Ray Chapman is struck and killed by a pitch; the only player ever to be killed as a result of a play in a Major League game.
1947: Just three months before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, Josh Gibson, the Negro League’s greatest power hitter, died at the age of 35. He is estimated to have hit close to 800 home runs in his career, far more than Babe Ruth or Henry Aaron.
1957: Walter O’Malley moves the beloved Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, setting the foundation for such future owners as the NFL’s Art Modell.
1965: During a brawl, Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal uses John Roseboro’s head as a pinata, turning a Louisville Slugger into a weapon. The event plays a role in delaying Marichal’s induction into the Hall.
1973: George Steinbrenner buys the Yankees, and every fan suffers for it.
1974: Ten-Cent Beer Night at Cleveland Stadium. Rowdy fans charge the field, and the Indians are forced to forfeit the game to the Texas Rangers. (not to be confused with “Bottle Day,” 2001)
1979: Disco Demolition Night in Chicago, as rowdy fans again charge the field, this time to see to the destruction of thousands of disco albums between games of a scheduled double-header. The White Sox were forced to forfeit game two.
1982: Mario Mendoza retires with a career batting average of .215, leading to the popular term “Mendoza Line” as a way of gauging players’ lack of hitting ability.
1986: The New York Mets win the World Series with some help from Bill Buckner and a lot of cocaine in the clubhouse.
1989: An earthquake places a dark cloud over the Bay Bridge World Series between Oakland and San Francisco.
1989: Pete Rose, baseball’s all-time hit leader, is banned for life for betting on the game. You can still catch Pete admitting nothing and campaigning for a spot in Cooperstown just about every week.
1994: In baseball’s worst work stoppage yet, Commissioner Bud Selig cancels the World Series. They’re still trying to recover.
1997: A couple months after beating Cleveland in the World Series, the Florida Marlins unload all their best players to cut payroll. At least they got a ring.
2002: Selig’s bad year gets worse. After proposing to contract the front running Twins, he holds the All-Star game in his home ballpark in Milwaukee. The game ends in a tie when both teams run out of pitchers.
I think if Mastercard had recognized these moments, the whole promotion could have been far more entertaining. No doubt, Pete Rose would have been on the campaign trail for himself.
