IT ALL DEPENDS ON YOUR PERSPECTIVE
Barry "My Hat Size has Always Been 12.5" Bonds is at 713 home runs for his career, which is one home run less than Babe Ruth hit in his career. It is 42 fewer than Hank Aaron hit in his career. The Cubs are playing the Giants now, so it is possible that Bonds will hit 714 off of a Cub. Thus, the Tribune ran an article about players in various sports who gave up the "Big Play" and how they reacted.
Ralph Branca, who gave up the Shot Heard Round the World to Bobby Thompson in 1951 ("the Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!") was their first case study. Branca says the 1950s were "absolute hell" for him, and that only decades later has he come to embrace his role in history.
Everson Walls (covering Dwight Clark for The Catch) and Craig "I'm Michael Jordan's Bitch" Ehlo (and the aftermath) are both fine with having been posterized by great moments in sports (good thing).
In any case, while Donnie Moore killed himself and gave up a home run to Dave Henderson in 1986 (the causal connection seems to be missing), most guys either sort embrace the "at least I'm famous for something" or the "leave me alone" style.
So you wonder, how would last night's pitcher Carlos Zambrano, who is famously "emotional," which some people take to mean "crazy," have reacted to giving up number 714? Well, this ESPN.com article has a key quote from Z. Sayeth Z "If he hit it, I wouldn't be the only one he's hit a home run off. He's got 713. It's no big deal for me, but it's a big deal for him." Leave it to Z to make giving up a historic home run look like pressure for the hitter, not the pitcher. I love that guy.
Barry "My Hat Size has Always Been 12.5" Bonds is at 713 home runs for his career, which is one home run less than Babe Ruth hit in his career. It is 42 fewer than Hank Aaron hit in his career. The Cubs are playing the Giants now, so it is possible that Bonds will hit 714 off of a Cub. Thus, the Tribune ran an article about players in various sports who gave up the "Big Play" and how they reacted.
Ralph Branca, who gave up the Shot Heard Round the World to Bobby Thompson in 1951 ("the Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!") was their first case study. Branca says the 1950s were "absolute hell" for him, and that only decades later has he come to embrace his role in history.
Everson Walls (covering Dwight Clark for The Catch) and Craig "I'm Michael Jordan's Bitch" Ehlo (and the aftermath) are both fine with having been posterized by great moments in sports (good thing).
In any case, while Donnie Moore killed himself and gave up a home run to Dave Henderson in 1986 (the causal connection seems to be missing), most guys either sort embrace the "at least I'm famous for something" or the "leave me alone" style.
So you wonder, how would last night's pitcher Carlos Zambrano, who is famously "emotional," which some people take to mean "crazy," have reacted to giving up number 714? Well, this ESPN.com article has a key quote from Z. Sayeth Z "If he hit it, I wouldn't be the only one he's hit a home run off. He's got 713. It's no big deal for me, but it's a big deal for him." Leave it to Z to make giving up a historic home run look like pressure for the hitter, not the pitcher. I love that guy.
posted by David at 12:48 PM
2 Comments:
Did Donnie Moore kill himself before he gave up the homerun to Dave Henderson or after? Just curious.
The way he threw that pitch it is a little bit of an open question.
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