What are the most exhilarating, and devastating homerun balls you have witnessed?

[Mitchell]

This thread is generally for baseball fans. It asks the question. What have been the most exhilarating and devastating homeruns you have seen, both in person while at a game, and on TV, while watching a game.
For me, most exhilarating while at a game, there were two, Ray Knight's seventh inning homer in Game 7 of the 1986 World Series, giving the Mets the lead they would never relinquish, and a go ahead homerun hit by first baseman Brian Hunter of Atlanta, in a September 1991 game at Shea, that was crucial to the Braves pennant hopes that year, sparking a very important come from behind win over the at the time slumping Mets.
Most exhilarating while on TV, there is only one. Game six, sixth inning, 1995 World Series. I remember it like it was yesterday. Dave Justice's homerun off Cleveland reliever Jim Poole to give my beloved Braves the only run of the game, to propel them to their only World Series championship.
Most frustrating. There were two on TV involving the Braves. 9th inning, Game two, 1992 World Series. Ed Sprauge's two run homer off Braves ace closer Jeff Reardon, to tie the game, a game that would have given the Braves a two to nothing series lead if they had won it.
Then, the granddaddy of them all. Game Four, 1996 World Series. Atlanta, in a game they had led 6-0, and leading 6-3 in the eighth. Ace Closer Mark Wohlers serves up a three run homerun to Jim Leyritz, to tie the game for the Yankees, a game they would eventually win. If the Braves win that game, they go up three games to one, in the 1996 World Series, and probably win that series. As it stood, we know what happened, Atlanta never won another game in that series.
Most frustrating in person homerun. On May 7, 1985, I was at Shea, Mets Vs Braves, bottom of the eighth, game tied 1-1, after starters Darling for New York and Bedrosian for Atlanta had pitched great games, $40 million dollar closer Bruce Sutter serves up a grand slam homerun to Gary Carter, to give the Mets an eventual 5-3 win.
Another very bad homerun, was the Grand Slam that Braves reliever Kyle Farnsworth gave up in last year's deciding 18 inning game to blow a 6-1 lead, the game the Braves would eventually lose in the 18th inning on another homer, ending their season.
So, best and worst homers? I'll be interested to hear these. Thanks.

Mitch

 

[giantfan121262]

Cool thread Mitchell. I am honored to be the first to reply.

I'll start with the most exhilerating.

1993- Joe Carter hits a home run off Mitch williams to give the Blue Jays the World Series over the philadelphia Phillies. I believe it was a walk off home run and the Jays were trailing when it occured. I think it was a game 7 so the stakes were as high as they can get.

1988- Kirk Gibson takes Eck deep to win Game 1 for the LA Dodgers against the A's in the 9th. The stakes wern't as high but the ending had Hollywood written all over it. You have a hero (Gibson), who is injured and can barely get to the plate and stand let alone try to hit someone about as automatic as they came at that time. Let's face it, when Eck was in the game, people were so sure of a win, they left for their cars to beat traffic. So the hero faces an invincible opponent in Eck. What do you know? It's the good guy that prevailed. A perfect movie script.

1999- Todd Pratt homers to enable the Mets to take the Airizona D Backs in the NLDS. It was a game which was well played, and, just to passify myself in case they lost the series, I just kept saying the Mets made a good account of themselves. I took that as a stepping stone for next year. During the game, I remember a few calls going against the Mets, which in one case cost them a run, so I was a little jittery. I remember when Pratt hit the ball, I didn't think it was going to leave the park because it looked liked Steve Finley had a beat on the ball the whole time, even when he jumped over the fence. when I saw that Finley didn't have the ball, I went nuts.

2000- Benny Agbayni homering in the 10th inning to put the Mets in the driver seat of their series with the San Francisco Giants. Nuff Said.

1986- Darryl Strawberry's three run homer agains Al Nipper and the Boston Red Sox. To put a lock on the first championship since 1969.

Some of the more devestating homers are:

Dave Henderson vs. Donnie Moore. I am more sad about this because not really that I am an Angels fan, but more saddened about the effect that it had on Donnie Moore, the person. As a matter of fact, I just read an article about this online recently and it really saddened me to discover some of the things in that article. As most baseball fans know, the fans were unmerciful and unforgiving. Donnie Moore had a very fragile psyche, and the fans, GM, and even members of his immediate family failed to realize this and basically kicked him while he was down. As hard as he tried to bounce back from that HR, not only was he battling an unforgiving home crowd, he was trying to come back from injuries as well. He was pitching at about 70% capacity. The kicker that really set me off is that the GM at the time (his name escapes my memory) publically questioned Moore's value to the club. He said "What are we paying him all this money for". that was just the straw to open the flood gates for the fans. We all know what ended up happening in the end.

1988- Mike Scocia (sp) homers off Doc Gooden to tie the game and eventually led the Dodgers to a win that game, and turned around the series, which the Dodgers eventually won in 7 games. Had the Mets won that game they would have had a commanding 3-1 lead in that series, and more than likely win.

2000- Darek Jeter homers off Al Leiter in the Subway Series which ruins one of the gutsiest performances I have ever seen from anybody in my life

2001- Brian Jordan takes Armando Benietz deep to enable the Braves to Salvage the final game of a late season weekend series against the Mets and prevent the Mets from making a real move towards a play off spot. t was also a very emotional series that weekend for it was the first series after 9/11. Sweeping the Braves would have made for great reading in the papers the next day.

 

[MrMacphisto]

The last time I made a "home run," my balls were, in fact, very blue. 😀

 

[tickletoy3]

1988- Kirk Gibson takes Eck deep to win Game 1 for the LA Dodgers against the A's in the 9th. The stakes wern't as high but the ending had Hollywood written all over it. You have a hero (Gibson), who is injured and can barely get to the plate and stand let alone try to hit someone about as automatic as they came at that time. Let's face it, when Eck was in the game, people were so sure of a win, they left for their cars to beat traffic. So the hero faces an invincible opponent in Eck. What do you know? It's the good guy that prevailed. A perfect movie script.

I will never forget this game. When he came to the plate, you could just 'feel' it was going to happen. The crowd, the announcers, the aroma of the game.. ah yes.. You just KNEW he was going to do something magical. I've always been a loyal Oakland A's fan, but even to this day I have to ask this burning question.. why didn't they just simply walk him??? First base was empty so it's not like it would have done any harm. A hobbling Kirk Gibson isn't exactly a stolen base threat. I remember shouting that out aloud while watching this game. That would have killed all Dodger momentum and completely changed history.

Oakland A's history? - argh. This is a tough pill to swallow. But as far as baseball history? Thanks Gibson for the one of the most memorable homers in baseball. 🙂 That's what the game is about.

 

[Mitchell]

Giant, being a Braves fan, I remember the Jordan homerun off Benitez well. The Braves suffered a pretty bad loss in the Friday night game of that series, when Piazza hit an eighth inning homer off someone to win that first game back after 9-11 for the Mets. (The homer wasn't off Smoltz, but I can't recall exactly which member of the Braves arson squad, (bullpen, lol) it was off)

Mitch

You mentioned Dave Henderson vs Donnie Moore. What happened after that homer was simply tragic. I met Donnie Moore once. In 1984, when Moore was closing games for the Braves, due to injuries to closers Steve Bedrosian, and Gene Garber, my father got me into the Braves clubhouse, and I shook Donnie Moore's hand, and got his autograph. What happened to him was an absolute tradegy. So awful that he suffered so much, and then took his life, over a homerun ball.

 

[ticklingfeet4fu]

Well here is my thoughts:

1985: Though the Mets did not win that year, they gave the Cardinals fits down the stretch. After Ron Darling battled John Tudor for 9 innings to a scoreless dual the game gave way to the bullpens. In the 11th inning, Darryl Strawberry hit an absolute moonshot off of Todd Worrell in Busch Stadium. It hit off the clock hit up on the scoreboard. It pulled the Mets at that moment to within 2 games of the Cardinals and gave the Mets some life.

1999:Since Giantfan covered the Pratt homerun how about I cover the GrandSlam single hit by Robin Ventura in the 15th inning of a knockdown drag out fight between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets. Mets fell behind 3-2 in the top of the 15th inning and then tied the game on a bases loaded walk to Todd Pratt and Ventura blasted a grand slam homerun. Because Todd Pratt ran to hug Ventura for his game winning heroics Ventura was awarded a single but it was called a grand slam single.

2001:I was at Shea Stadium the night they returned baseball to New York after 9/11 attacks. I was at all three games. Obviously, Mike Piazza won the hearts of all of New York with his homerun off of Jason Marquis of the then Atlanta Braves. Edgardo Alfonzo worked a one out walk and on an 1-1 pitch hit the ball that hit off the camera stansion out in straight away centerfield. Andruw Jones who runs down everything went back to the track to wall and Shea EXPLODED as that ball went over the wall. We were just looking for a reason to cheer. Diana Ross was there to sing God Bless America. Mark Anthony sang the National Anthem. Liza Minnelli did the 7th inning stretch of New York, New York. We fans even gave then Mayor Rudy Guiliani a long standing ovation. We gave the Braves and Mets standing ovations for their respective class acts of hugs each other before the game. Tears flowed that night pretty much all night. The Mets would beat the Braves on September 21st, 2001 final score of 3-2. The homerun represented hope and that is why Mike Piazza will always remain in Mets fans hearts forever.

Devastating:
1987:September 11th: Mets leading the Cardinals 4-1 with two outs and 2 on base in the 9th inning. The Mets Roger McDowell on the close it out and Terry Pendelton swung a might bat that Lenny Dykstra could only run to the wall and watch go. With one swing Pendelton tied the score at four and four. The Mets would lose the game in extra innings and effectively take of the New York Mets. Mets lose. Final score: Cardinals 5- Mets 4.

I hope you enjoyed my look back of moments in baseball history that I was fortunate enough to witness.

 

[Knox The Hatter]

1985: Though the Mets did not win that year, they gave the Cardinals fits down the stretch. After Ron Darling battled John Tudor for 9 innings to a scoreless dual the game gave way to the bullpens. In the 11th inning, Darryl Strawberry hit an absolute moonshot off of Todd Worrell in Busch Stadium. It hit off the clock hit up on the scoreboard. It pulled the Mets at that moment to within 2 games of the Cardinals and gave the Mets some life.

Yes. Those were exciting days, the days when there were still real pennant races, before the San Diego Padres would win division titles by default. I was in the right field upper deck at Shea for the mid-September series with St. Louis, the game with the long rain delay, that the Mets won.

I saw a doozy earlier, in August. A game with the Expos that went undecided till the end. Le Grande Orange came to bat, and hit a foul ball that literally missed by an inch or two. It gave the packed house a head rush. On the next pitch, he hit it into the parking lot, not far to whichever side the Serval Zippers sign in the distance overlooked the fence. The place literally went bonkers. It was Rusty Staub's last major league homer. What a way to go out.

*

Honorable mention: I saw, on my TV, Yankee outfielder Bobby Murcer hit four home runs in a doubleheader against Cleveland. This was back in 1970. The Stadium literally exploded, the celebration almost rivalling any at Shea the previous season. I didn't realize until later on that it was the first thing worth cheering about in Yankee Stadium since The Dynasty fell. And, if you're familiar with Yankee fans, even fifteen minutes is too fucking long.

Home run excitement: purposely sitting in sections 619-641 at the Vet, hoping to catch one of Mike's Schmidt's...never did. Came very close. It got down to either catching the ball or being paralyzed for the rest of my life

 

[milagros317]

Most exhilarating home runs I ever saw in person, at the ballpark:

October 9, 1988, Game 4 of the NLCS. With the Mets leading the Dodgers 4-2 going into the 9th inning, John Shelby walked, and then Mike Scioscia hit a 2-run home run just over the right-centerfield fence into the Mets bullpen to tie the game. (Dwight Gooden was pitching; he hadn't given up a run since the first inning.)

Same game, in the top of the 12th inning, Kirk Gibson hit a line drive like a rocket, over the fence in dead centerfield, that smashed into the scoreboard like a mortar shell. That made it 5-4 Dodgers, which is how it ended, bases-loaded save in the bottom of the 12th to Orel Hershiser

Most exhilarating home run I ever saw on TV:

Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, Kirk Gibson, hobbled by leg injuries and barely able to walk, turns a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 victory with a 2-out HR off of Dennis Eckersley.

Most devastating home run I ever saw on TV:

1985 NCLS, Lasorda decides to pitch to Jack Clark with first base open. Wrong choice, Tommy. Clark's HR ended the Dodgers' season and sent the Cardinals to the World Series.

 

[Pokey]

Well, I'm not as good with the memory or the stats as most of you are. And I can't really say I was devastated, but as a Cincinnati Reds fan in 1975, what is at least one of the best series of all time, it was game 6 and my partiuclar favorite, The Big Red Machine was about to win the series.

"The sixth game of the Series was a 12-inning classic at Boston's Fenway Park. While there are many memorable moments from that game, among them a pinch-hit three-run homer by the Sox' Bernie Carbo that tied the game and a game-saving defensive play in extra innings by the Sox' Dwight Evans, it is most remembered for the walkoff home run hit in the bottom of the 12th by Carlton Fisk. The camera shot of Fisk "waving" his home run fair is one of the most-replayed moments in baseball history. Fisk's home run gave the Sox a 7-6 to send the series to a deciding seventh game which the Reds narrowly won."


My most memorable, nothing of note to anyone but me. In 1964, I came to visit an Uncle in Michigan and worked for 3/4 weeks on his farm, bailing hay, herding cows, etc. One of the things he did was take me to this huge (remember I was from Southeastern Kentucky where we knew hills and mountains but not many big structures was in our lives) baseball stadium that the Tigers played in. I'm sorry that I can't remember who they played ever but Al Kaline hit a home run at the end of the game to win it 1 to 0. You just don't know the impression that left on me. Not very important, except to a kid from the country who hadn't at that time been many places.

 

[natural tickler]

The most exciting home run I saw was in 2003 during the NLCS when Sosa hit a homerun 475 feet on that tower in center field, almost hitting the score board. A blast for certain

Another was the two-homer effort Ryne Sandberg did against Bruce Sutter on June 1984

Another was the Jim Leyritz shot off of Mark Wohlers in 1996. It signaled the beginning of the end for Wohlers. He was never the same again


Devastating

Will Clark's homer off of Greg Maddux in the NLCS in 1989. I saw the call the catcher made, and Maddux gave him a cookie

And as much as I hate to admit it, Victor Diaz's shot off of Hawkins in 2004, spiraled the Cubs out of wild-card contention

 

[Knox The Hatter]

Another was the Jim Leyritz shot off of Mark Wohlers in 1996. It signaled the beginning of the end for Wohlers. He was never the same again

Oh, yes, Natural, I do remember that one.

You never really know who's gonna come through in the clutch in October. Reggie Jackson, given his personality, and his priorities, was a given, but here, Leyritz was just a second string catcher who could spot you at other positions, and when it was crunch time, he'd kill you, in the best Yankees/Billy Martin tradition. He hit other thrilling postseason homers, as well. I loved Jim Leyritz, he was my revenge against the world, against all the bombast and bullshit.

Meanwhile, the very best of 'em come up goose eggs when it's time to deliver. Go figure.

 

[Mitchell]

Knox, Ironically I was at that game, too, the one at Shea in Sept 1985, with the long rain delay. It was the first game of that series. Howard Johnson hit a first inning grand slam, and the Mets had to hang on.
This one wasn't in a game of any significance, but as it was a 9th inning homer, it was pretty exciting. In 1987, just at the time that Mike Henneman was handed the job of Tigers closer, that he held for several seasons, I was at a game at Yankee Stadium on a Friday night, when Gary Ward of the Yankees hit a ninth inning homer off him to win the game. I think that may have been the only 9th inning, game winning homer I've ever witnessed in my life.

Mitch

 

[unclebill]

Ticklingfeet4fun, I was sitting in the left field bleachers when Darryl Strawberry hit the moonshot you were referring to, back in 1985. I believe Ken Dayley was the pitcher and not Todd Worrell. From my vantage point when the ball hit the scoreboard in right field, it was still rising. I also had the pleasure of seeing Mark McGuire hit a few in the upper deck. But he doesn`t want to talk about the past.

 

[leafstk]

Definitely the 1992 ALCS between the Blue Jays and Oakland A's... Game 5, I believe, in Oakland. Leading 2 games to 1, the Jays were down by a considerable margin, but somehow clawed back into the game to send it to extra innings. Dennis Eckersley was on the mound for the A's when Robbie Alomar slammed a home run I'll never forget to give the Jay's a 3-1 series edge... ultimately they would go on to win the series and the World Series, both in 6 games. Mitch, I'm sure you remember that series well, too 😉

 

[leafstk]

9th inning, Game two, 1992 World Series. Ed Sprauge's two run homer off Braves ace closer Jeff Reardon, to tie the game, a game that would have given the Braves a two to nothing series lead if they had won it.

Mitch

I remember that one well.... Ed Sprauge, of all people!

 

[Mitchell]

Bill, it was Dayley to Strawberry in that 1985 game in St Louis. I have books on the 1985 season written by Keith Hernandez, and Davey Johnson, and it was in fact Darryl who hit the long homer off Dayley.
Yes, I do remember Reardon to Sprauge all too well, if Atlanta wins that game, they probably win the World Series.
Another homer that Blue Jays fans must love forever is 1993 World Series, game ender, Joe Carter's blast off Mitch Williams. From there. Williams went from a top notch relief pitcher to a virtual nothing.


Mitch

 

[leafstk]

Joe Carter's blast was certainly exhillerating!