The Kid Beats the Big Train

The Kid Beats the Big Train (1915)

George Sisler came to the Browns as a pitcher, and on this day the rookie drew his boyhood idol, Walter Johnson. Sisler scattered six hits and beat the Big Train 2 to 1. He soon moved to first base, hit .340 for his career, and twice topped .400. Decades later, Sisler still called that afternoon on the mound the greatest achievement of his career.

The Babe Meets His Match (1925)

Babe Ruth rolled in late for batting practice after a night on the town, and Miller Huggins had finally seen enough. The manager, all five foot six of him, suspended his star indefinitely and fined him $5,000. Ruth thundered that he would never play for Huggins again and appealed to owner Jacob Ruppert, who backed the manager. The Babe apologized, came back swinging, and a year later had the Yankees in the World Series again. Sometimes the smallest man in the room carries the biggest stick.

One Swing in 3,379 (1977)

Duane Kuiper had come to bat 1,381 times without a home run when he faced Steve Stone in Cleveland. He connected, and the ball landed in the right field seats. Kuiper batted 3,379 times in his career, and that was the only home run he ever hit; nobody in major league history came to the plate more often with exactly one to show for it. Stone later griped that the game started early and he never got loose. Kuiper's reply: he was loose enough to strike out the first batter of the game.

Nine Runs Down at Wrigley (1989)

The Cubs trailed Houston 9 to 0 after five innings. Then two runs in the sixth, three in the seventh, and four in the eighth, the tying run scoring on a sacrifice fly by rookie Dwight Smith, who was nursing a sprain and not supposed to play. In the tenth, bases loaded, Smith lined a single to right off closer Dave Smith to finish the 10 to 9 walk-off. The Cubs rode it to the NL East title, and Smith finished second in Rookie of the Year voting to a teammate.