The Top 20 Cub HR Of All Time - #6 Mark Grace 9/13/1998

by Al on Feb 7, 2008 7:35 AM CST in Baseball Stories Comment 41 comments

Someday, perhaps I'll do a list here at BCB called "The Ten (or Twenty) Greatest Games In Cub History".

This game would almost certainly make that list, probably high on the list. I just wrote quite a bit about this game just four days ago, as Sammy Sosa's game-tying HR in the bottom of the ninth tied this game up; it was a game that the Cubs had blown a big early lead.

With two out in the bottom of the tenth, Mark Grace put an Al Reyes pitch out of the yard. I wrote on January 27 that Grace's walkoff on July 30, 1989 had made Sheffield; I think I had that blast confused with this one.

In any case, this was the kind of game that makes you want to run home when you're at the ballpark and watch the highlights over and over again. When I did see Grace's HR, a closeup of him showed him with one of those funny looks on his face, as if he were saying "I did that?!?!"

September 11-13, 1998, was perhaps the greatest weekend of baseball in Wrigley Field history. The only regular-season series that could rival it for thrills and excitement (and importance to a playoff race) would, in my mind, be the September 2-5, 2003, five-game series with the Cardinals. In fact, there was a HR hit in that series -- Sammy Sosa's walkoff in the 15th inning of game one of the day-night DH on September 2 -- that could have made this list.

But that 1998 series -- in which both teams scored ten runs in all three games -- gave all of us enough thrills to remember forever, and was a key weekend in the push to the wild card.

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if I were to do a list

of games I talk about the most this would certainly be top 3 material if not number 1. I was at the game and I remember it well. I remember getting there hours before the games started. Heck before the gates opened, so that my brother could get the Gracie the swan beanie baby.

very exciting game. NOBODY left when the game was over. hopefully there are more moments like that this season.

AC 00 00 00 - BELIEVE

by mike on Feb 7, 2008 8:42 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Are we

allowed to guess the remaining?

"You can't take life to seriously, you don't get out of it alive"

by wild bill on Feb 7, 2008 9:11 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

If you want to.

But no hints.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Feb 7, 2008 9:47 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I did

not want to be out of line in anyway, so thanks.

Two have to be the Sandberg shots off of Sutter (no brainer)
Banks 500

Smith 69 opening day

Harnetts homer in gloamin.

"You can't take life to seriously, you don't get out of it alive"

by wild bill on Feb 7, 2008 10:04 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Number 1

Must be Fontenots near bomb onto Sheffield. And Mike Fontenot was never seen again.

"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry "I strongly dislike Steve Stone." ---Hammer

by Hammer on Feb 7, 2008 10:08 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Hack?

I love Al's lists and knowledge of the Cubs, but this list seems based mostly on the more recent seasons -- unlike the very balanced top 100 of last offseason.

Et tu, Augie, et tu?

by mlf on Feb 7, 2008 10:39 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It makes sense because...

... before the 1960's, there really weren't that many memorable or important HR in Cub history.

Here's the only hint you're getting. Two of the last five are pre-1945. One ought to be obvious. The other probably isn't.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Feb 7, 2008 11:50 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

There were obviously more important homers.

for a team that ended up in ten World Series from '06 to '45. I don't blame you for not knowing them but to say there were no important homers until the 60s is wrong.

I'm sure there were many homers more memorable and meaningful to people who were fans from '29 to '45 for instance. I know it would be impossible to check for them but, as I said earlier, the homers on this list are memorable to people of a certain age. There may be nothing more meaningless than a Larry Biittner walk-off with 161 games left in the season. But if you were there, or saw it on TV, it was memorable.

Was it more meaningful than some Hack Wilson homer in September of '29 that led to a win in a pennant winning season? Absolutely not. Most of these aren't. But since it would take an exhaustive amount of work to find such homers from 80 years ago, we're left with an awful lot of recent homers.

Nothing particularly wrong with that - It's just not right to think of this list as somehow complete.

by TR on Feb 7, 2008 5:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Well...

... you will see two such homers in upcoming days. One of them, you likely know. The other, you probably don't. Both of them were written about extensively at the time. The fact that there's no written evidence of other such HR in the 20's and 30's leads me to believe there weren't many, or any.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Feb 7, 2008 5:48 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

How About...

... Sammy's homer to tie him with Ernie for the most homers as a Cub?

It was the bottom of the 9th on April 16, 2004 and the Cubs were down 10-9 vs. the Reds with Danny Graves coming in.

First pitch was Sammy's homer to tie him with Banks. The next pitch was a walk off for Alou.

I remember leaving work early because the Cubs were coming back down 9-5 in the 7th. By the time I got home, they were just finishing up the top of the 9th.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN200404160.shtml

The recap is here: http://www.mlb.com/news/wrap.jsp?ymd=20040416&content_id=718577&vkey=wrapup2004&fext=.js p&c_id=chc

Audio and Video do not work (does anyone know if MLB just purges these videos after several years?).

This is the Cubs new #1!

by initram on Feb 7, 2008 5:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I remember that game

I remember Alous reaction he threw his arms up at first than made a motion like he was throwing in a soccer ball.

I remember that my phone started ringing with excited friends and my brother was downstairs and before Alous homer was gone he was upstairs screaming.

Great reference and great memory of that game.

"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry "I strongly dislike Steve Stone." ---Hammer

by Hammer on Feb 8, 2008 8:45 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

My Buddy Called Me...

... and said he was stuck at a toll booth in heavy traffic heading downtown. It was like a parking lot!

He said that a ton of cars started honking their horns as Alou homered, and that some folks - total strangers- were jumping out of their cars and giving eachother high-fives!

This is the Cubs new #1!

by initram on Feb 8, 2008 9:28 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

1984

The Cubs & Mets had a series in early August of '84 that rivaled this one. There were plays like Sarge throwing out Keith Hernandez at the plate, Moreland getting big hits, a beanball brawl in the last game featuring Ed Lynch of the Mets, & a glorious 4-game sweep by the Cubs to help exact revenge for the '69 Mets beating of the Cubs. For those of us who'd suffered the '69 debacle, this was very sweet revenge.

"It's a funny old world. Man's lucky if he gets out of it alive." W.C. Fields

by KedzieKid on Feb 7, 2008 9:14 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Absolutely.

That series was probably the best one at Wrigley until this one in 1998.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Feb 7, 2008 9:47 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I was wee six year old then

but I think my favorite player at the time Jody Davis hot grand slam during that series.

by DC Cubbie on Feb 7, 2008 9:27 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Jody Davis hit a grand slam

in a September series with the Mets. The next day was scarf day and it was pretty wild to see 40,000 people waving white scarves most of the game.

by TR on Feb 7, 2008 11:56 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

The other series you mentioned with the Cards

...the Sammy 15th blast. That was literally the greatest baseball game I have ever been to in my life. I remember where I was sitting and with who. With two outs in the top of every inning from the 6th-15th the fans were as loud as hell on on there feet and into every pitch.

The game went back and forth a bit and if I recall a certain left fielder made an incredible (Sam Fuldesque) catch into the LF ivy. I believe it was Kerry Robinson...?/?

Anyways I was on the 3rd base side upperdeck and Sosa just BOMBED one. It was great

Whats funny is the 1 and 2 guys in the order. Goodwin and Womack.....why wasnt Dusty managing this team again?

"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry "I strongly dislike Steve Stone." ---Hammer

by Hammer on Feb 7, 2008 9:53 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

That catch was made by...

... Orlando Palmeiro. It was off a ball hit by, of all people, Augie Ojeda -- he came within about 10 feet of hitting a walkoff himself.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Feb 7, 2008 9:56 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I remember that game.

That game went on forever. I was outside the park waiting to get in for the night game and waiting and waiting and waiting only to see (IIRC) Alou get bent out of shape on a foul ball call and the Cubs lose the game.

Kasey

See the Cubs 2008 schedule at http://ignarski.tripod.com/sched2008.html

by kaseyi on Feb 7, 2008 11:11 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

That was...

... the only game the Cubs lost in that series. That foul ball was in the 7th inning with the bases loaded -- it would have cleared the bases and the Cubs would have had a 3-2 lead. The umpire blew the call, without question -- it was a kid umpire, a vacation replacement, Justin Klemm, who has NOT been seen in the majors since.

Antonio Alfonseca charged him from the bullpen and bumped him and got suspended for 7 games. Rumor was the Cubs were appealing. They wanted it increased to 14 games.

Boxscore from Sept. 2, 2003 night game

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Feb 7, 2008 11:49 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

alfonseca

assault with a lethal belly. I remember that. He ran at him and bumped into him with his belly.

AC 00 00 00 - BELIEVE

by mike on Feb 7, 2008 12:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Nice

I think they made him drop the appeal right before the most important series of the season :)

by gocubsgo22 on Feb 7, 2008 1:12 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

alou's rant

perhaps a bit of foreshadowing of what was to come.

In the middle of a good time, Truth gave me her icy kiss. Look around, you must be joking. All that way, all that way for this -Oysterband

by Ross on Feb 7, 2008 12:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

the september cards series 2003

was perhaps my greatest vacation of all time. it was a last minute decision, some unused vacation time and a girlfriend willing to go. i got off night shift sunday morning at 7 am, drove 16+ hours to somewhere in wisconsin, drove into chicago the monday, missed the prior rain delay game which was quite memorable in itself. i sat in the leftfield bleachers for the afternoon game and in the lower level field box area during the night game. the buzz around the ballpark was amazing. i hadnt been to wrigley in a few years and never when they were in a pennant race. the next day i bought tickets behind the cubs dugout and as i mentioned in a previous thread i caught an aramis ramirez foul ball and the cubs came back from 6-0 to win 8-7. what a game and what a series! i could go forever about this series. anyways i just wanted to share my experience i hope i can get all these games on dvd someday plus the the whole milwaukee series of 98.

*diehard cubs fan from northern manitoba, canada

by hoppy91 on Feb 7, 2008 1:26 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Dont feel like starting a diary

But read over at mlbtraderumors and note the Curt Schillings career may be over with an offseason serious shoulder injury. MAYBE NOW HE WILL SHUT HIS MOUTH. Although, a la Chuck Norris, I see him backing up Bush somewhere down the line. Sorry no politics

"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry "I strongly dislike Steve Stone." ---Hammer

by Hammer on Feb 7, 2008 1:16 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Now I am glad we didnt sign him for two reasons.

"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry "I strongly dislike Steve Stone." ---Hammer

by Hammer on Feb 7, 2008 1:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Al

I've got another idea for one of these countdowns. What about the top defensive plays of all time? pitching performances? or memorable games?

Live is boring until March 31st strolls by..

by Chanman25 on Feb 7, 2008 6:34 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Or...

the top 10 prettiest women caught on WGN's cameras between innings. Seriously, do their camera operators have a yearly betting pool for who gets the most hotties on each broadcast or something? When did the ogling of attractive women become a WGN tradition? I seem to recall them doing it even in the early 80's. I'm not complaining, just making an observation.

As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.

by santoswoodenlegs on Feb 7, 2008 6:41 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I think it started with

Harry and Arne Harris. They picked out a lot of hotties and a few kids in giant sombrero's....

by LT on Feb 7, 2008 7:08 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm sorry.....

I'm having trouble trying to visualize what you're talking about. Maybe if you could provide a couple of photos, it would help.

Hey Lou, we're long overdue.

by deadcatbounce on Feb 7, 2008 7:20 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Like this?

As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.

by santoswoodenlegs on Feb 8, 2008 12:06 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

And this?

As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.

by santoswoodenlegs on Feb 8, 2008 12:36 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

yep thats what i wanted

thank you so much!

Live is boring until March 31st strolls by..

by Chanman25 on Feb 8, 2008 6:43 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, I like it..

Thanks, Mr. SWL...

Hey Lou, we're long overdue.

by deadcatbounce on Feb 8, 2008 6:52 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Really?

"The fact that there's no written evidence of other such HR in the 20's and 30's leads me to believe there weren't many, or any."

Sure, nothing as big as the Homer In The Gloamin' or Banks' 500th, but there is simply no way there weren't homers as big as Grace's two walk-offs, Biittner's opening day walk-off etc.

Aside from Cub-related internet sites and the memories of fans who saw them, these homers are in the dust bin of baseball history.

In 80 years no one will remember most of this list. They gave a certain generation great happiness. Two generations from now, they'll have their own April and July walk-off homers to write about.

by TR on Feb 7, 2008 8:42 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Here's an old homer that no one

under 83 or so remembers but I'll bet those who were there found very memorable and important indeed.

On August 21, 1932, the first place Cubs' lead had been cut to two games. Heading into the ninth, the Cubs trailed the Phils 5-3. Mark Koenig, who was playing his second game as a Cub, came up with two on and two out and hit the first pitch out of the park for a three run walk-off homer.

The Cubs, of course, went on to win the pennant that year. Maybe this is the mystery homer, maybe it's not. But I'm sure a further search of the Trib archives would reveal no shortage of such all but forgotten Cub heroics. Yes, some more memorable and important than many on the list.

by TR on Feb 8, 2008 12:09 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I see your point, but...

... in many ways, the more recent ones are "bigger", because more people saw them (through TV). Whether you agree with that or not, that's the perception I have. Even Viva El Birdos' list of the top 20 Cardinal HR, where I got the idea to do this, has only two before the 1960's.

I'm sure that my generational bias (and Larry's at VEB too) has a lot to do with why this list is the way it is.

Still, I don't think I've missed too many pre-1945 HR.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Feb 8, 2008 4:36 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Here's another, Al.

September 28th, 1935. The Cubs, winners of 19 in a row have a chance to clinch the NL pennant against the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals - the Gas House Gang. Dizzy Dean, looking for his 29th win, is staked to a 2-0 lead but the Cubs tie it then score two more to lead 4-2. In the 8th, the young Stan Hack hits a ball on the roof of Sportsmans Park off Dean to give the Cubs a three run lead. They would push across one more in the ninth and clinch the NL crown with a 6-2 win.

But were I a Cub fan in 1935, I doubt I would soon forget seeing or hearing the Hack home run off the best pitcher in the NL. It wasn't a Larry Biittner April walk-off, but you had to feel that pretty much iced the Cubs' 20th win in a row and the pennant clinching game. And how sweet coming against the defending World Champs in front of their own fans.

by TR on Feb 8, 2008 12:33 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Those are both good.

Seriously, one of the reasons for doing a list like this is to provoke discussion and have someone like you find stuff like this. Thanks for looking these up.

There's one more you missed. You'll find it coming up soon.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Feb 8, 2008 3:39 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Just a thought

To dwell on your conversation of HR's from before 1960, could you guys imaging what the Yankees Top 20 HR List would look like? They would need a Top 100 List.

"You rub snot on the ball?" Ricky Vaughn

by McRipper on Feb 8, 2008 9:19 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Video of the event and my past post on this ..

Sunday September 13, 1998 - i Ay Chihuahua !
Mike touched on this one already, but this has to be one of the most memorable Cub moments of all time. It was a beautiful fall afternoon with the Brewers and the Cubs locked in battle during a day the pitchers would have rather forgotten - tied at 10-10 in the bottom of the 10th inning ..

It was at the height of that unforgettable summer of 1998, when baseball was fun again. Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa were dueling for who would end up with the most HR's that year. The nation was enthralled. Beisbol been berry berry good to all. And best of all the Chicago Cubs, for the first time since the Boys of Zimmer of '89, actually looked like they might make the postseason that year as they battled the hated New York Mets for the NL Wild Card that year. Life was good. Woo hoo.

And during the game on Sunday, September 13, 1998 Slammin' Sammy jacks not one but TWO four baggers to pull even with McGuire with 62 homers - and two weeks to go in the season! The place is already electrified and buzzing and Cub fans across the nation eagerly hope to see Sammy take one more swing that day in extra innings to pull ahead of McGuire and bring another victory to the Cubs -- and more fuel to the flames of eternal hope burning across the Cubs Nation, thinking maybe .. just maybe .. that was THE year!

But Mark Grace had other plans:

http://www.spiritwatch.org/graceHR98.ram

I had stupidly not taped Sosa's HR's and finally got the tape rolling when Sosa came up .. just as Mark came to the plate. And I almost had a cardiac watching Grace bury the ball in the RF catwalk for the most thrilling walk off game winning Cub HR I'd seen to that time. I must have looked like a madman to my wife, who was learning that year for the first time how nutso I was for the Cubs, and I hollered along with the crazed masses in the Friendly Confines.

Frankly, I didn't care for KC & The Sunshine Band then or now. Cub marketers back in '98 must have been watching Boogie Nights or something too much. Too bad "Go Cubs Go" was so completely overlooked by then.

"I'm sorry I hit that home run and Sammy couldn't come to the plate. I know everyone was disappointed," Grace said, tongue-in-cheek.

But seeing Sosa do what McGwire also accomplished is something the first baseman will never forget.

"It was chilling when McGwire did it. I was dumbfounded," Grace said. "I thought pretty much the home run race was going to be McGwire's. But when my buddy gets hot, he can hit them in a hurry. And he proved that.

"I just hope Sammy gets the attention he deserves. Not only has he hit 62 homers, but he has carried us. He is without a doubt the MVP of the National League."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/news/1998/09/13/sosa_61/#more

Ah Sammy. Ahhh Marky .. how the mighty have fallen. But they'll always have a place in our hearts, won't they?

That one wild win kept us in pace with the hated Mets. And everyone knows that in the end, the Cubs managed to somehow outlast them with one more win in the books to take the NL Wild Card. Both the Mets and the Cubs had 7 losses after that date, with one lone win making the difference. The Cubs went on for their first Wild Card entrance into the postseason!

And we all know what happened after that ....

>>>>sigh<<<<<<

The most tragic words of the year I still remember coming from Kerry Wood after he was yanked from that horrible last game at Wrigley when the Cubs got swept by the Braves:

"My arm felt fine."

ARRRGH. I remember walking the streets outside Wrigley the next morning, another nice day. It was depressingly silent. As I mournfully looked up at the old scoreboard, it told the terrible tale of the loss. I bagged a couple of Wild Card hats and T's and a Sammy "Season To Remember" hat.

And that was the name of that tune until 2003.

May the Dance finally arrive in the Friendly Confines.

Well, Next Year is here .. and Jack's century's gotta end some time .. GO CUBBIES!

by cubnational on Feb 9, 2008 7:48 PM CST reply actions 0 recs