Nationalpastime.com mentions two memorable events from that game. One I remembered and one I didn't. The only player in the game who had a Kellogg's card was Willie Wilson. He finished his career in 1994 with the Cubs getting into 17 games before being released in May. He struck out as a pinch-hitter in this game.
Here is what I remember about the game. In his first three at-bats Tuffy Rhodes hit three homers off of Dwight Gooden. He became the first MLB player to homer in his first three at-bats of the season. He later added a walk and a single. If you are wondering who is Tuffy Rhodes so is everyone else. He hit eight homers for the year and 13 in six years. Rhodes started in the minors in 1986 and played in Japan until 2009.
According to baseball-reference.com Rhodes hit 531 career homers. What? 13 in MLB (6 years), 54 in the minors (9 years) and 464 in Japan (13 years). That's a lot of homers in Japan for a guy who couldn't hit one frequently in the New World. He is 13th on the Nippon league all-time home run list. He is the highest ranked American player.
What I didn't remember about the game - the first pitch thrown out by Hilary Clinton. She later joined Harry Caray in the booth to sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
That's a really, really strange game you were at.
ReplyDelete