In the aftermath of the Mitchell Investigation, I have another magic moment to share.August 19, 1998: I was 19 years old, and had never been out of Arkansas, Louisiana or East Texas without my parents. I loaded up with four friends of mine and we took off on our way to Chicago, Illinois. I'm sure you all remember that summer; how special it was for all baseball fans. Cubs versus Cardinals in a day game at Wrigley Field: a wonderful environment any given year, but this was the year that Roger Maris' single-season homerun record would fall, and I was there to see part of it take place.
First of all, it happened to be "Fan Clinic Day." The first 1,000 fans got to walk around on the outfield grass an
d watch various Cubs players and coaches give fundamental demonstrations. I must say that is the most perfect patch of grass I have ever set foot on. I believe current Braves groundskeeper Ed Mangan was their groundskeeper at the time. They had ushers lined up all along the warning track to keep the fans from picking at the ivy. We found the cutest little blonde usher and tried with all of our 19-year-old Arkansas charm and Redneck accent to get her to pick us a couple of ivy leaves for souvenir purposes, but she wouldn't budge. I did bring home a handful of grass and warning track dirt from that historic place though.On to the game. Cubs vs. Cardinals. Sosa and McGwire. On this date, they were tied for the league lead with 47 big flies apiece. Sammy gets one he can handle and launches an absolute bomb that seemed to hang up in the sky forever before it touched down across Waveland Avenue. I've been to quite a few games in my time, and that was by-
far the farthest I've ever seen a baseball go, even in batting practice. That was the first and only time Sammy pulled ahead of Big Mac in homers that summer. The Wrigley faithful were ecstatic to say the least (the Cubs were in a playoff race that season, too.)It was short-lived, however, as McGwire came to the plate in the 9th and launched his own #48 into the basket in centerfield. Now the game was tied, and would eventually go into extra innings. McGwire's next plate appearance came in the 11th with the game still tied. He promptly dropped #49 into the shrubbery in dead center, taking the lead in the game, and in the HR department (where he never looked back).
I have never been in such an electric atmosphere in all of my life. During that summer, there was no steroid investigation. There was no Mitchell Report. There was only baseball. The nation was hypnotized by the "Great Homerun Race," and I'm proud to say that I witnessed a part of the game's history, tainted or not, in person, in such a historical setting as Wrigley Field. I strongly urge any baseball fan to visit Wrigley Field at least once in their life. That was actually my second trip...my parents took us there in 1994, and we got to see Harry Caray sing during the 7th inning stretch. Again, if you're a fan of the game, go to Wrigley, you'll never forget it.
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Hillbilly, with all that has since transpired, we seem to have too quickly forgotten the excitement that those two brought to the game in 1998.
ReplyDeleteJust taking off with 3 buddies and driving to Chicago ... you lucky dog ... you'll cherish those memories forever!! I didn't see that game but do remember it ... just think how close the race might have turned out had the Cubs walked McGwire in that 9th inning! However, methinks Ed Mangan has been with the Braves since 1991.
I'm a Willie Keeler man myself but the 1998 "Great Homerun Race" was really exciting ... brought a lot of fans back and a lot of new ones to the game! The 1961 season was also made extra special as a result of the Maris-Mantle assault on Ruth's record, though it wasn't as much of a media event ... probably because the Mick faded and was out several games in September. I pulled for Mantle to beat Maris but really didn't want to see Babe's record broken by anyone. Still, methinks Roger got a bum rap ... he didn't do it in 154 but it's easy to forget how close he came ... I think he had 59 after 154, and only the Babe had ever done that ... it too was exciting!
I loved Wrigley Field too ... we moved to Nashville when Carol joined CNA in 1993 and I would occasionally accompany her during the summers when she had meetings in Chicago ... I/we went to 4 games and the Cubs won 3 of the 4 ... watched 2 games from across Waveland ... but, inside Wrigley was great fun, just being there ... don't really remember the games ... spent most of my time eating hotdogs, drinking beer, talking and just looking around. In the lower middle level grandstands, just to the third base side of Home, watching Harry leading the singing ... that was the best!
... Bob