100 Greatest Moments Of The Last Decade

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Recently a NFL writer at bleacher report named Bryn Swartz has taken on a project to select the 100 most memorable NFL moments of the last decade. As a matter of fact I was helping him pick some of them just last night. I felt like this was a fun, albeit time consuming, project. I have decided to piggyback onto his idea, and do the same for MLB. This will be a pure celebration of baseball. There will be no off-field incidents on this list. The only thing that matters is the game that we love. It will be made up of events that happened between the 2004 and 2013 season. I will start unveiling the list next Monday, and hope to release 2 a day. At that rate we will be finishing up right around opening day, and hopefully get everybody gung-ho for baseball. If you would like to leave a comment with some of your favorite baseball moments from the last 10 years that would be greatly appreciated.

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Michael Paniak @sportsdream

10 years ago

2005 Game 2 ALCS AJ fakes getting hit by pitch
May 20 2006 AJ gets punched by Barrett
Jul 23, 2009 The Catch by Dwayne Wise preserving Mark Buehrle’s Perfecto
Apr 5, 2010 Play of the year in game one by Mark Buerhle on throw to first

Mike HBC

10 years ago

Reply to Michael Paniak @sportsdream

The Buerhle flip to first is the best play of the last decade, hands down.

Lawrence Azrin

10 years ago

Reply to Mike HBC

@52/M-HBC,

Agreed – not just for ‘degree of difficulty’, but also for uniqueness and creativity of effort.

Jen Underwood @vandygirl1998

10 years ago

The first game the Nationals played in 2005 (welcome back baseball in DC!)
Opening day of Nats Park 2008
Jayson Werth game 4 HR in 2012 playoffs

Jeff Harris

10 years ago

Armando Galarraga’s perfect game, er, near perfect game on 6/2/2010.

Matthew Glidden

10 years ago

Between 2004-13 only, favorite would be Red Sox comeback from 3-0 playoff deficit. If that’s a big umbrella…
– Schilling’s bloody sock
– Ortiz late-inning, postseason heroics (pick one)
– A-Rod out for slapping at Arroyo’s tag
– Damon’s game 7 grand slam

Editor

Bryan O'Connor

10 years ago

Pujols vs. Lidge
Dave Roberts vs. Rivera and Posada
David Freese vs. Neftali Feliz, Nelson Cruz, and Mark Lowe
Armando Galarraga vs. Jason Donald and Jim Joyce
Matt Cain vs. basically nobody
Roy Halladay vs. the Reds
Josh Hamilton vs. Jake Arrieta, Zach Phillips, and Darren O’Day
David Ortiz vs. Joaquin Benoit
Cliff Lee vs. everybody in the playoffs (except the ’10 Giants)

aweb

10 years ago

TExas vs. St Louis World Series contained a few (the homers, the Cruz-not-catch).

Halladay’s playoff debut No hitter.

For fans of teams without a playoff appearance during that time, it’s a bit depressing to think about. Jays fan here – I would put Bautista’s out-of-nowhere run at 50HR up there. Rajah Davis finally made the “climb ten foot fence in Skydome and bring back HR” catch I’ve been waiting for since it opened – extremely underrated play, but I’m not sure it’s a “moment”.

brp

10 years ago

Dan Johnson’s HR for the Rays on Sept. 28, 2011, and Longo’s homer, and really that game and whole night of baseball.

Author

Neal Kendrick

10 years ago

Reply to brp

In contention for number 1

Rob P

10 years ago

Reply to Neal Kendrick

+1 on that whole night

Lawrence Azrin

10 years ago

Reply to Rob P

@54

+2 (Even though the Red Sox got eliminated that night 🙁 ).

Editor

Bryan O'Connor

10 years ago

Reply to Lawrence Azrin

I had blocked that day from my memory, but I suppose it doesn’t get much better if you’re not a Red Sox fan. I think the lowest moment for me as a Sox fan in the last decade (nice to have Aaron Boone further back than that) was the 2012 game in which the bullpen blew a 9-1 lead against the Yankees and lost 15-9. A miserable day for one fan has to be a great day for another, right? On the flip side, the day Gonzalez, Crawford, Beckett, and Punto were exiled from Boston was the high point of… Read more »

Josh

10 years ago

Reply to brp

I was there for that game, it was definitely an electric atmosphere. If you are ever at Tropicana Field they have an area in left field where Longo’s ball landed with all kinds of statistics on the improbability of the event, stuff that the readers of this blog would be interested in.

Author

Neal Kendrick

10 years ago

Reply to Josh

That must have been a blast

Dr. Doom

10 years ago

The Galarraga/Joyce game comes to mind immediately. Someone mentioned the Red Sox returning from the 3-0 deficit. I always felt like the 2-0 deficit they faced against the Indians in ’07 was, in some ways, bigger. The Indians were trotting out Sabathia, Lee, and Carmona, who all seemed unhittable. It was a remarkable comeback, and gets completely forgotten. The debut of Yasiel Puig. Man alive – I’m not sure we’ll see anything like that again. Even if the rest of his career is just so-so, it’s the Fernandomania of this decade. People are bound to forget, but Barry Bonds became… Read more »

Artie Z.

10 years ago

Reply to Dr. Doom

Bonds breaking Aaron’s record reminded me that Ichiro broke Sisler’s single season hit mark in 2004.

Dr. Doom

10 years ago

Reply to Artie Z.

Ah yes! Good catch.

I also can’t believe I forgot about the last day of the season, 2011. That was INSANE!

Dr. Doom

10 years ago

I thought of another! The Dallas Braden Mother’s Day perfect game is a pretty good story, too.

And, as an honorable mention #101: that kid who dressed up as Ron Washington for Halloween. That was amazing.

Chris C

10 years ago

Reply to Dr. Doom

To continue the Mother’s Day theme – 2007 Red Sox Mother’s Day Miracle. Sox score 6 in the bottom of the 9th to beat Baltimore 6-5.

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=270513102

Artie Z.

10 years ago

Yadier Molina ruined his place in history, but that Endy Chavez catch of Rolen’s fly ball off of Oliver Perez was about as sweet as it could get for a Mets fan. I’m not really sure what defines “moment” but Miguel Cabrera winning the triple crown is pretty sweet even if it’s not the most sabermetrically valuable bit of hitting. Mike Trout – I can’t think of a specific moment but there has to be something with Mike Trout in it otherwise the list will be lacking. Or you can just list “Mike Trout arrives”. Mariano Rivera coming out of… Read more »

Author

Neal Kendrick

10 years ago

Reply to Artie Z.

I am trying to come up with a Mike Trout moment to spotlight. Can’t be left off the list completely.

brp

10 years ago

Reply to Neal Kendrick

Trout had a couple ridiculous HR-stealing catches his rookie year, can pretty much pick one of them.

This is closer to 100 than 1, but Paul Konerko’s grand slam in game 2 of the 2005 World Series, or I guess the White Sox winning the WS in general.

Artie Z.

10 years ago

Reply to brp

When I think about the White Sox that year I always think about Pierzynski and the dropped third strike (when A.J. was batting) against the Angels.

Author

Neal Kendrick

10 years ago

Reply to Artie Z.

That’s what comes to mind for me. That and Podsednik of all people hitting a walkoff homer

Richard Chester

10 years ago

Derek Jeter’s 3000th hit.

Author

Neal Kendrick

10 years ago

Reply to Richard Chester

Yeah, that whole game, after a terrible slump prior to the 5-5, game winning hit day

Artie Z.

10 years ago

Carlos Beltran vs. the Braves and Cardinals in the 2004 playoffs.

Carlos Beltran standing there watching a Wainwright curve ball for a called strike three.

Kolten Wong getting picked off base in the 2013 World Series … to end the game with Beltran on deck.

Allen Craig/Will Middlebrooks interference call.

MLB allowing replay on HR calls – that really opened up the gates for more replay calls this year.

Luis Gomez

10 years ago

Red Sox winning ending The Curse.
The last day of the 2011 season.
Miguel Cabrera´s Triple Crown.
The World Baseball Classic.
The start of High Heat Stats.

Editor

John Autin

10 years ago

The Endy Chavez catch — biggest sports play I’ve ever seen on-site.

Last day of the 2011 season.

Raul Ibanez in 2012 ALDS game 3, tying HR in the 9th, walk-off in 11th.

Miguel Cabrera’s HR off Mariano on 8/9/2013, after fouling a ball off his knee.

Aww, this could go on all day!

Dr. Doom

10 years ago

A few more Brewers-specific ones, if you have space for them. The first is the Carlos Gomez “walk-off” catch – June of this year, when he pulled back a Joey Votto HR with two out in the top of the 9th to seal a 4-3 win for the Brew Crew. The second, and one that should DEFINITELY be included, in my opinion, is the Gallardo game. In early 2009, Yovani Gallardo won a 1-0 game in which he hit a solo home run. One of a VERY small number of players to do that. It’s a pretty cool little thing.… Read more »

10 years ago

Reply to Dr. Doom

I’ve said this before, but Sabathia’s complete game, 4 hit, 10 K performance against the Giants in his third game for the Brewers was probably my most dispiriting ballpark experience:

http://m.mlb.com/video/v3153116/sabathia-goes-the-distance-striking-out-10

Artie Z.

10 years ago

Reply to Dr. Doom

In 2008 Sabathia led (or tied for the lead) in shutouts … in both the AL and the NL.

Paul E

10 years ago

If your talking 2000 – 2013:

Soriano takes Schilling deep late in Game 7 in the NYY-AZ World Series (2001). Curt walks back to the bench looking like someone kicked his puppy. Priceless.

Off the field? How about that pathological-liar press conference from Braun about being “vindicated” and “raised with integrity”?

Luis Gomez

10 years ago

Reply to Paul E

If that time frame is considered, then the Mike Piazza HR after 9/11 should be included.

10 years ago

Halladay’s no-hitter in the playoffs… Best birthday present ever.

Mike L

10 years ago

Damon’s steal of 2nd and 3rd on the same play. 11/1/2009

Chris C

10 years ago

Reply to Mike L

I swear Coco Crisp did that with the Red Sox but I can’t find reference to it.

Luis Gomez

10 years ago

Albert Pujols hitting 3 homeruns in a 2011 World Series game, and Pablo Sandoval doing the same a year later.

Dr. Doom

10 years ago

In the “pure weirdness” category, one would have to consider Robbie Cano’s bunt double from last year, right? Also the David Eckstein fake bunt that resulted in a homer is right up there, too.

tunatuna

10 years ago

@ 28 Mike L – you beat me to that one – that was amazing by Damon and you wont likely see it again

Josh Hamilton at Yankee Stadium Home Run Derby – incredible power display!

Dr. Doom

10 years ago

How could I have forgotten Twins-Tigers game 163?!?!? I was living in Minnesota at the time. I’m married to a huge Twins fan, and I’ve adopted them as my “AL team.” I watched that game with a bunch of Twins fans and it was incredible. That game would have been memorable in the middle of July. As game 163? Unbelievable.

Jim Thome’s 600th homer was also a lot of fun.

I’ll keep trying to think of Twins moments, too.

10 years ago

Reply to Dr. Doom

Also the bonkers 163rd game in 2007 between the Padres and Rockies.

Dr. Doom

10 years ago

Reply to RJ

I dunno how much of a “moment” it is, but really that whole last MONTH for the Rockies…

Luis Gomez

10 years ago

Reply to RJ

It hurts me, but how about the Padres´ 10 game losing streak at the beginning of September, that made way for the Giants to win the western division title and then the World Series in 2010.

10 years ago

Reply to Luis Gomez

Two of my favourite moments of the last decade have involved Mat Latos. One was Buster Posey’s grand slam off of him in the 2012 NLDS. The other is Jonathan Sanchez outdueling him in that final game of the 2010 season (sorry Luis).

DanFlan

10 years ago

Reply to RJ

Agreed! I find myself talking about Holliday’s winning run in that game a few times a year.

Doug

10 years ago

Game 6 of the 2011 WS
Raul Ibanez in 2012 ALDS
Panda’s 3 HOUR game in 2012 WS
Matt Cain’s perfecto

Voomo Zanzibar

10 years ago

As a ‘moment’, I will take 2004 ALCS Game 3 Top of the 9th Hideki Matsui hits a two run homer. Gives him a 6-5-5-5 line And gives the Yanx a 19-8 lead, moments from a 3-0 series lead. I am moments from being kicked out of a bar for the one and only time in my life (simulataneously ejected and groped by a menopausal Red Sox fan bar-owner… but that’s another story). Okay – here’s the moment… With this 19-8 lead, the camera cuts to a shot of the Addams Family on the Yankees bench: Joe Torre, Mel Stottlemyre,… Read more »

oneblankspace

10 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

My boss in 2004 was a Red So> fan. When Boston won game 4, we thought ‘At least they get three home games.’ When they won game 5, we thought ‘At least they don’t lose the series at home.’ Then when they won game 6, we thought they might have a chance.

In the 2004 World Series, there was only one inning that ended without Boston in the lead.

Luis Gomez

10 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

Voomo, I´d love to hear about the “other” story. 🙂

oneblankspace

10 years ago

The 2005 White Sox breaking the curse of Aparicio (about halfway down http://www.whitesoxinteractive.com/rwas/index.php?id=2489&category=3 this page) by winning the World Series Monday 18 October 2004: In an NLCS game not televised nationally due to extra innings at Fenway, the Astros win 3-0 on a walk-off homerun which was only the 4th hit of the game (STL 0 1 0, HOU 3 3 0) In the NL 2012 Wild Card Game, the call of infield fly that caused the St Louis shortstop to take his eye off the ball (he looks at the LF umpire just before the ball falls) [memorable? yes;… Read more »

oneblankspace

10 years ago

Mark Buehrle with a no-hitter on 18 April 2007 and a perfect game on 23 July 2009

Doug

10 years ago

Miggy’s triple crown
Pedro’s gutsy swan song in the 2009 WS
Ichiro’s ten consecutive 200 hit seasons
Kershaw’ three-peat as NL ERA champ
Jason Giambi’s 40-something HR feats (3 HR game, two oldest PH walk-off HRs)

pcg

10 years ago

Reply to Doug

Minor nit: Kershaw has three-peated as *MLB* ERA champ, not just for the NL. 🙂

John Z

10 years ago

Zack Greinke winning the Cy Young award (2010) and over coming his anxiety disorder and Josh Hamilton winnng the MVP also in (2010) and over coming his addictions.

John Z

10 years ago

Reply to John Z

Alfonso Soriana 40/40 season (2006)for the Washington Nationals, the last 40/40 season. Beltran came close in (2004), and Matt Kemp in (2011)

Dr. Doom

10 years ago

These lists are always kinda nebulous, because what’s a “moment,” really? But if we’re counting seasonal and career accomplishments, Ichiro’s 4000 pro hit, Jeter’s 3000th and the 20/20/20/20 seasons of Granderson and Rollins come to mind.

bells

10 years ago

Looking forward to the list and enjoying the suggestions here. Obviously the big ones to remember for ‘overall baseball’ are Game 6 2011 WS, last day of 2011 season, 2004 ALCS.

I’m no photographic-memory-baseball-obsessed guy, but I at least wanna share my favourite memory from this year on the biggest stage possible – Beltran taking a home run away from the absolutely-monstrously-hyped Ortiz, while busting his rib, but making it look as casual as grabbing a fly ball in practice. Didn’t matter in the scale of the outcome of the Series, but gawd was it cool.

MikeD

10 years ago

September 28, 2011. Easily the best night of baseball in I don’t know how long.

Jeter’s 3,000 hit game.

Gallaraga’s non-Perfect Game.

I’ll have to give more thought to the rest. My brain my suffer a melt down trying to relive a decade.

Rob P

10 years ago

Not to be Washington-centric but:

April 14, 2005: baseball returns to the Nation’s capital
Jun 9, 2010: Stephen Strasburg strikes out 14 in debut
Oct 11, 2012: Jayson Werth’s walk-off home run in Game 4
Oct 12, 2012: Stunning Cardinals 9th inning come back

TheGoof

10 years ago

Reply to Rob P

Definitely that Cards comeback. Damn management for shutting down Strasburg. That moment should never have happened.

donburgh

10 years ago

Sept 9, 2013 – Pirates get win #82, 1-0 at Texas
Oct 1, 2013 – playoff baseball returns to Pittsburgh. The home fans really enjoy it, Johnny Cueto, not so much.

TheGoof

10 years ago

I was just going to list a few yet unlisted, but everyone seems to gotten them. Here’s my Yankee-friendly list (and I love so many of those non-Yankee ones): 1) 2013 World Series crazy game endings. Just awesome. It’s stuff no other sport can duplicate. 2) Matsui owns Pedro in 2009 WS, just as he always did in the postseason (but never in the regular season). 3) Damon swipes third on the sleeping Phils in the 2009 WS. 4) Jeter’s running catch during insane July 1, 2004 game. 5) The Joba goes buggy game in Cleveland. Unhittable pitcher’s career basically… Read more »

Voomo Zanzibar

10 years ago

Reply to TheGoof

I’ve seen so many, so many, so many comments about that Beltran strikeout. Look, I grew up in New York. I know that Mets’ fans, for the most part, give off that pent-up, unsuccessful brother-in-law vibe. So holding onto failures forever comes with the territory. But I don’t get the Beltran strikeout angst. Anyone who has played ball, or even stepped into the 60mph batting cage, knows how hard it is to hit. If you’re looking for a pitch/location and you don’t get it, you’ve got about 3/100ths of a second to shift gears and still pull the trigger. He… Read more »

Paul E

10 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

Beltran’s the greatest post-season player of the last 50 years.

300 HR/300 SB.

GG defense.

Re the Wainwright strike, the pitcher has the upper hand and generally (67% of the time) comes out ahead. It happens – even to Carlos Beltran

Artie Z.

10 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

Because the Mets were down two with the bases loaded and the series was over after the Beltran strikeout. Because there’s at least one person on this site who believes that Beltran is the greatest post-season player of the last 50 years (there are probably more, but Paul E is on record in comment 68). And this happened to him. Because Beltran had signed a $120 million contract with the Mets. OK, $119 million … Because Aaron Heilman … is not very good (at least relative to other major leaguers – I’m sure I couldn’t get a foul tick off… Read more »

Paul E

10 years ago

Reply to Artie Z.

Artie Z: Yeah, it happens. And, sometimes, it happens when the game is “on the line”. But, if the goal is to win the game, whether post-season, regular season, or Little League, then it happens more often then we think or care to notice. Regarding the post-season, possibly the worst line I might have ever heard came from Mark Teixeira: “Yes, there are hits, but then there are BIG hits” (emphasis his after one of his rare post-season successes with the Yankees). No one is going to think Willie Mays a bumb or Kurt Bevacqua a superstar based on the… Read more »

oneblankspace

10 years ago

Reply to Paul E

Mays did, of course, have that catch in the Series at Polo Grounds against Cleveland.

TheGoof

10 years ago

Reply to Artie Z.

Oh, gosh, the Rogers game… holy crap, that still resonates for me. I was the guy typing the play-by-play for the AP from their headquarters. I was on alone at the baseball clerk desk during that game (the only time all year) and had to time bathroom breaks and food runs perfectly with the between-innings breaks. Watching the two most inept tacticians send that game into extra inning after extra inning was maddening. Having to watch every play of it deprived of proper food and toilet time? ARGH! And when that last intentional walk was given, I said aloud (there… Read more »

Lawrence Azrin

10 years ago

Reply to Artie Z.

@69/Atrie Z,

Ironic that Beltran stil catches so much grief amongst Mets fans for that called SO in the playoffs, when he has one of the best postseason batting lines ever – in 51 G/219 PA:

.333/.445 OBA/.683 SLG; 16 HR/40 RBI/45 runs
full season-equivalent: about 44 HR/110 RBI/123 runs

Mets fans, let it go…

Paul E

10 years ago

Reply to Lawrence Azrin

Lawrence in #82: I don’t know Beltran from Adam, however he does come off as a humble guy. It was kind of surprising to see him indicate he was interested in eventual Hall of Fame induction “after playing another three years”. Perhaps that was his way of circumventing some kind of “tampering” with potential free agents rules. You know, letting the Cardinals and Yankees know it was going to take a three year deal to secure his services. Letting the Cardinals know a QO was nothing for them to fear with their new guy (Oscar Taveras?) coming up. If so,… Read more »

Darien

10 years ago

Manny Ramirez jumping up to high-five a fan in the stands in between fielding the ball and throwing it back in. (2008)

Editor

John Autin

10 years ago

Derek Jeter & Andy Pettitte going out to escort Mariano from the mound in his final game. (The only time I’ve been to the new Stadium.)

Jimbo

10 years ago

I thought the complete game thrown by Andy Pettite in his final start was one of the coolest things I’ve seen in MLB in the last few years. He hadn’t thrown a CG in about 7 years, and when Girardi came to the mound in the 9th, he just sent him back and finished the game.

brp

10 years ago

Aug 22, 2007: Rangers 30, Orioles 3.

Luis Gomez

10 years ago

Reply to brp

The weirdest thing of that game? Wes Littleton getting a “save”.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BAL/BAL200708221.shtml

Richard Chester

10 years ago

Reply to brp

In that game Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ramon Vasquez each had 7+ RBI, making it one of only 6 games in which two players accomplished that feat.

The other 5:
5-11-1923, Cy Williams (7) and Johnny Mokan (7) of the Phils
6-1-1923, Ross Youngs (7) and Jimmy O’Connell (7) of the Giants
4-30-1944, Phil Weintraub (11) and Ernie Lombardi (7) of the Giants
6-8-1950, Bobby Doerr (8) and Walt Dropo (7) of the Red Sox
8-19-1962, Elston Howard (8) and Mickey Mantle (7) of the Yankees

James Smyth

10 years ago

Reply to Richard Chester

Fantastic. And that game gave us this moment, which deserves its own entry on the list!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cp3neB2kq0

Richard Chester

10 years ago

Reply to Richard Chester

And of course I meant two teammates with 7+ RBI.

oneblankspace

10 years ago

Reply to Richard Chester

Weintraub and Lombardi did it in game 1 of their doubleheader.

Williams and Mokan won their game 20-14 over the Cardinals.

The Ranger game was the first game of a doubleheader as well; that game alone set a club record for most runs in a doubleheader.

Richard Chester

10 years ago

Reply to Richard Chester

It looks like the 18 RBI total by Weintraub and Lombardi is the most ever by two teammates.

Dr. Doom

10 years ago

Reply to brp

I was playing in a softball league at the time. We were heading into our last game of the regular season, and we were far-and-away the best team in the league. Everyone talking about that game called it a “softball score.” So some friends and I decided to see if we could match it. We were playing the worst team in the league. We won 31-4. One inning, we batted around and then some (this in a league where every player on the team bats, so like 16 batters or so), using nothing but singles. It was probably unnecessary, but,… Read more »

John

10 years ago

pirates fan getting Johnny Cuetto’s head causing him to drop the ball and then give up the home run to Martin was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in any pro sport.

Sheldon Luecke

10 years ago

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