FanPost

Funniest Play You've Seen In A Cubs Game

First post from a new member-been watching the Cubs since 1966. So I ask you-what's the funniest play you've seen in a Cubs game? You can go many directions with this....Roberto Clemente creams a shot to the right field warning track in old Forbes Field; Adolfo Phillips races over to make a circus catch but forgets to open his glove whereupon the ball pops up into the air long enough for Lou Johnson in right to run over and catch it. You might say, "That's funny, I've never seen an 8-9 putout before!" Or you could go for Leon Durham stealing home against RIGHTHANDED pitcher Joaquin Andujar. And you would exclaim, "That's hilarious-One Tough Dominican has just sealed his reputation as an all-time cement-head.

But my personal favorite is this one: Kirk Gibson had a cup of coffee with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the early 90's. In a game at Wrigley he's on first base. He takes off for second and his helmet flies off about 15 feet down the basepath. (Note: this happened to him a lot; but he still ranks only third in lost caps/helmets all time behind Willie Mays and the pre-knuckleball/end of the Great Yankee Dynasty Jim Bouton) Ryne Sandberg hustles over to cover second on the steal attempt, but the batter trying to protect hits a grounder between first and second. Gibson doesn't even look back as he's steaming around second headed to third. Fate, however lends the Cubs a hand as the grounder ricochets off Gibson's helmet straight to a waiting Sandberg. Sandberg throws the ball to the third baseman (was it Steve Buchele?) who is standing there waiting for Gibson, who hasn't even started his slide.

Now we've all seen live or on tape Gibson's adrenalin-jacked screaming face after he waxed Goose Gossage's fastball deep into the Detroit night in the 1984 World  Series. And we've all seen his similar face (though slightly more bemused) after his one-legged homerun off Dennis Eckersley in the 1988 Series. But I'm telling you the look on his face after this play was better than either of the first two. It was a sort of combination of "what the #%$@" along with "how did the right fielder get the ball in that quickly" and "am I awake?" Priceless.

Anyway, glad to be here. We'll be chatting with you all soon.

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