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The Top 20 Cub HR Of All Time - #7 Orlando Merced 9/12/1998

Orlando Merced had only ten at-bats as a Cub.

But one of them cemented him in Cub lore forever; on September 12, 1998, Merced hit a three-run walkoff HR to win a game against the Brewers, the second of three heart-stopping wins in what can, even ten years later, arguably be viewed as the most exciting regular-season weekend in Wrigley Field history.

The Cubs and Mets entered that weekend tied for the wild-card lead with 82-65 records. Both teams lost on Friday -- the Cubs, 13-11 to Milwaukee in a game that saw the Cubs blow a 3-0 lead, trail 10-5 before coming back to make it 10-9, then give up three more runs before making it 13-11 and having Mickey Morandini come to the plate in the last of the 9th as the potential tying run, before Bob Wickman got Morandini to ground out to end the game.

The next day wasn't any less exciting. The Cubs took a 2-0 lead, but coughed it right up; Mike Morgan, who had been acquired to try to recapture his 1992 success, allowed eight runs in the third, including home runs by Geoff Jenkins, Jeromy Burnitz and Bobby Hughes. The Brewers extended the lead to 10-2 in the fifth, but the Cubs brought it back to 10-5, partly on the strength of a Jose Hernandez homer.

It was 12-5 in the 7th when Sammy Sosa hit his 60th HR, a three-run jack, and Glenallen Hill followed with a solo job: 12-9. A Tyler Houston bomb in the 8th made it 12-10, setting up a dramatic bottom of the 9th, with Wickman again throwing for the Brewers. Sosa and Hill led off with singles, putting the tying runs on base. Jim Riggleman had Gary Gaetti sacrifice both of them into scoring position.

It was Gaetti's only sacrifice hit in 492 PA in 1998, and the last one of his career, and it worked. Morandini walked to load the bases and Houston singled Sosa and Hill in, tying the game and sending Morandini to third, representing the winning run with only one out. Riggleman then sent Merced up to bat for Manny Alexander; why Phil Garner didn't counter with a LHP like Mike Myers I'll never know.

We can all be thankful he didn't. Merced sent a fly ball to right; at first, we thought he'd just singled over the pulled-in outfield, since one run was all the Cubs needed. The ball, though, had made the bleachers for a three-run homer and a wild 15-12 win.

Merced was allowed to leave the Cubs as a free agent after the 1998 season. Too bad, too -- I thought he would have been a valuable spare-part outfielder and pinch-hitter. He had three more good years as a backup in Montreal and Houston before hanging it up after 2003. He helped the Cubs out one last time that year -- on September 27, 2003, the day the Cubs clinched the NL Central and needed a Houston loss and a doubleheader sweep at home vs. Pittsburgh to do so, Merced pinch-hit in the last of the ninth, again against Milwaukee. Dan Kolb struck him out, and one out later the Astros had lost.

Only ten at-bats as a Cub for Merced. But that at-bat, and that game, will forever rank high on a list of memorable Cub moments.

0 recs  |  Comment 20 comments

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what a game
This is still the most exciting Cub's game I ever attended.

My wife thinks I go to too many games each year.  But I have only seen 8 of the first 13 HR's on this list.

Al, thanks for getting us geared up for the season with this list.  Very entertaining.  Brings back lots of good memories!

by gocubsgo22 on Feb 6, 2008 9:25 AM CST reply actions   0 recs

Maybe your wife can meet my girlfriend
Well she actually loves to go to games.

Nice pick Al, thats one name I never thought would make the list

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

by Hammer on Feb 6, 2008 9:30 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Just watched this game
Great game!  I've been converting all of my old Cubs VHS games over to DVD and I just happened to be converting this game over the weekend.  I forgot how exciting the 1998 season was.  

by amisaid1 on Feb 6, 2008 9:25 AM CST reply actions   0 recs

DVD?!?
If there is any way you can make a copy of this game, I'd pay for the DVD and throw in a case of beer (your choice) for your effort!!!

by gocubsgo22 on Feb 6, 2008 9:53 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Make it two copies PLEASE
"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry "I strongly dislike Steve Stone." ---Hammer

by Hammer on Feb 6, 2008 9:55 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

I was sure this home run wouldn't make it
I remember this game like it was yesterday.  Easily one of the most exciting Cubs games I've ever been to.  I remember regretting the next day that I hadn't bought tickets for that day's game, but this victory was too explosive, too good to miss.
GOATBUSTERS! - I ain't afraid of no goat!

by gjdow on Feb 6, 2008 9:34 AM CST reply actions   0 recs

One of the best that I've been at
Last year's comeback against the Reds on September 17 might top it, though.

This one was made even better by being at the game with a friend of mine who is a Brewers fan!

by Shanghai Badger on Feb 6, 2008 10:37 AM CST reply actions   0 recs

History being made?
Al, I remember well the second game date you referenced, September 27, 2003, as I gotta believe we saw history being made that day.  Can you (or anyone else) come up with another day in baseball history where a team started the day with a magic number of three and ended the day as winners?

Seems highly unlikely as doubleheaders are relatively rare, and sweeping them rarer still.  Then obviously having the right combination of teams involved (first and second place, sweeper and loser).  All in all, it was the perfect storm of Cubs baseball.  Followed of course by Hurricane Marlin, but we won't talk about that...

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Feb 6, 2008 11:27 AM CST reply actions   0 recs

I remember this game well
My sister got married that day so I finally got home just in time for the 9th inning. That was all I really needed to see anyway, but it was great to watch!

by LT on Feb 6, 2008 12:00 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

One of the wildest games I
was ever at.  What an insane weekend.  I'm sure the Grace walk-off homer the next day is included too but this game was more fun since it was the Cubs coming back and not  blowing a lead like they did the next day.

Merced also made a great catch in the clinching game against the Giants over near the Cub bullpen.  He jumped up and reached over the wall- fairly close to where Alou and Bartman had their interlude, and came away with the ball.  

It was foolish to let Merced go.  He killed the Cubs several times while at Houston.

by TR on Feb 6, 2008 1:38 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

I just checked retrosheet and I
don't see in the 163rd game where Merced might have made the great catch by the Cub bullpen I referred to in the other post.  He barely played for the Cubs so he couldn't have had too many chances to make a catch like that.  Anyone remember it?  Maybe it was in the Brewer series?  The five decade old mind fades.

by TR on Feb 6, 2008 1:47 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

No, you were right the first time.
Here's the baseball-reference.com boxscore of the tiebreaker game.

What happened was, Merced came in to play LF in a double-switch when Steve Trachsel was taken out and Matt Karchner came in to pitch.

The very first batter Karchner faced, Stan Javier, hit a pop foul to LF that Merced caught. It was his only defensive chance in a Cub uniform (he only played the OF in one other game, September 17 at San Diego, and had no chances).

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

by Al on Feb 6, 2008 2:04 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Thanks, Al.
I see it now on the retrosheet play-by-play as well but it's called a pop flu to left.  The baseball-reference description is more precise.  Always nice to know the brain has not totally failed.

by TR on Feb 6, 2008 3:38 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Pop flu.
I think I had that once.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Feb 6, 2008 4:05 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

you get it from bad Coke
note:  that's Coke with a capital "C"...   ;-)
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Feb 6, 2008 4:48 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

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

by Al on Feb 6, 2008 5:32 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Pop flu is what a dad gets
when his kid brings home germs from school.  I've had it too.

by TR on Feb 6, 2008 4:15 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Merced
Didn't he have an unbelieveable catch with Houston against the Cubs with the bases loaded or something in '03 or '04?  I remember it costing them a huge game or something.

by MerigoldBowling on Feb 6, 2008 9:54 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Would have had to be '03...
... since he retired after that year.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Feb 7, 2008 3:53 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Glad this one...........
..........rated near the top.

In your initial post about ranking the Top 20, Al, I had indicated my feelings on this one.

Cubs in the race; pregnant wife; my child due in October; maybe the "miracle baby"; crazed fan kisses my wife's bulging belly after the amazing comeback and Merced dinger.

And while my daughter is a miracle, but she was unable to push the Cubs over the top.

I love your write up.  May gather my wife and daughter around the computer tonight so we can read it and tell tales.  It's almost 9.5 years later, but I don't think my daughter knows all the stories.

by tville on Feb 7, 2008 2:25 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

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