Favorite Sammy Memories

[Outshined_One]

Everything that has been mentioned, plus his first homerun after September 11th.

 

Watching him run out onto the field with an American flag in the first game back following September 11th.

 

I'll always have a special place in my heart for Sosa for one specific moment, which I've told a few times on this board.

 

Back in late spring of 2002, I was a senior in high school and got tickets to a Cubs/Pirates double header to which I was going to take this girl. After waiting around for awhile at my place, she never showed up and didn't answer any of my phone calls. I was angry and kinda depressed, so I just went by myself.

 

I show up at the double header at the tail end of the first game, which I think the Cubs ended up losing 11-1. I was in a pretty bad mood about being ditched and some other things, so watching the Cubs get their brains beat in didn't exactly do much to lift my mood. The second game featured a matchup of Juan Cruz against Josh Fogg, so I wasn't exactly thrilled about the prospect of that game since Cruz had been scuffling and Baylor had been jerking him around up to that point.

 

But, an odd thing happened after the first game. My mom showed up. She saw the ticket I left on the counter and put 2 and 2 together, so she decided to come to the game and cheer me up. It didn't work at first, but it was nice to have some company.

 

Game 2 gets under way and Cruz actually pitched halfway decently. However, the Cubs were doing their best to try and bumble through the game and things weren't looking promising as the game went on. However, Sammy came up to the plate with the Cubs threatening. Everyone at Wrigley got on their feet and just cheered him on, chanting his name, and doing everything they could to just get a runner in! And then, it happened.

 

BOOM!

 

He got a hold of one and took it out of the yard. The stadium erupted. I got a smile on my face and cheered my lungs out for the guy. The Cubs won that game thanks to that home run.

 

On that day, I was in a terrible mood and was feeling utterly depressed. However, with one swing of the bat, I forgot all about it.

 

Even if Sammy's career goes completely into the toilet and he's implicated in everything from steroids to the Kennedy assassination, that one moment will always endear him to me. That's why he'll always be one of my favorite Cubs.

[Bergy92]

Everything that has been mentioned, plus his first homerun after September 11th.

 

that place was crazy for that one. It was in one word: AWESOME. When he grabbed that flag, it was pretty neat. He landed it in the basket in right field and the wind was blowing in pretty good. I think everyone was hoping he would do it and he did. Amazing! I will never forget that home run.

[J.R.]

definitely. number 2 holds more significance with me, as i was 8 years old at that game in 1996. i've never seen a park so against one player before or since. that game really flared up my hatred for reds fans.

 

Awesome game, Wood was lights out too.

[Sosa21MVP]

Sticking with games I've actually attended:

 

1992 - Sosa hit a 2 run HR to beat the Pirates in the bottom of the 11th inning at Wrigley to cap a 3 game sweep and bring the Cubs to within 3.5 games of first place in late June. It didn't last but walking out of the park that day felt like walking on air. Quite a nice game, the Cubs rallied from 4-0 down tying the game on a 2 run blast by Ryno that left the park and bounced down a side street. Also got to see pre-HGH/roids Bonds hit a home run.

 

Also, I saw home runs #50 and 51 in 1998 against Houston in the game where Lima got accused of grooving pitches. :D

 

And I think I recall seeing Sammy go deep on the Rockies in a game around 1996 or so.

[SouthSideRyan]

1. Taking steroids

 

2. Participating in the homerun derby and then going on the DL

 

3. Corked bat episode

 

4. Forgetting English at the steroid hearings

 

5. Leaving the last game early in 2004

 

6. Demanding his music be played on the stereo even when he wasn't there

 

Oooohhh hahahahaha hehehehheheheh hohohohohoh hahahhaha

 

My favorite memory of this post is your assuming #1 beause he hit a lot of HRs.

 

My 2nd favorite memory of this post is you presumably just making up #2.

[Soriano12]

1. Taking steroids

 

2. Participating in the homerun derby and then going on the DL

 

3. Corked bat episode

 

4. Forgetting English at the steroid hearings

 

5. Leaving the last game early in 2004

 

6. Demanding his music be played on the stereo even when he wasn't there

 

That would be a good list...for a Least Favorite Sammy Moment thread.

 

Unless of course, there is nothing positive you take with from his time with the Cubs, if so, I don't know what to say.

[jiml60]

1. Taking steroids

 

2. Participating in the homerun derby and then going on the DL

 

3. Corked bat episode

 

4. Forgetting English at the steroid hearings

 

5. Leaving the last game early in 2004

 

6. Demanding his music be played on the stereo even when he wasn't there

 

So, you're really a White Sox fan?

[sweetpeteman]

My best Sammy moment:

 

http://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2001/B08090CHN2001.htm

 

 

Unfortunately the rest of the team sucked, but Sarge Jr did make a pretty good catch in the game. (The one where he charged in slid, had the ball pop out of his glove only for him to reach back behind him and grab it with his barehand just before it hit the ground).

 

I also saw 49 in 98 (I have a laminated copy of "Route to 66" that was printed by the Sun Times).

[Andy]

#10 in 2000, the only Sammy homer I ever saw in person. I told my friend at the time that it would not have been my 1st Cubs game without a Sammy homer. It was the first major league game I can remember attending, the only other one to that point being a Detroit-Cleveland game in summer 1987 when I was an infant in Cleveland.

 

Game 1 NLCS home run. I couldn't believe it. I was so shocked that I didn't even cheer. I just sat there in disbelief.

When the count went 2 strikes in that AB, with 2 outs, I just gave up. I knew he was going to strike out. Then he hit it, then he hopped, and I went nuts. Other than the division-clinching double play, it's the happiest I've ever been for a baseball moment.

[Derwood]

I caught a Sammy foul ball...........in the last row of the upper deck at Wrigley betwen home and first base. He hit a screaming line drive off the end of his bat that would have broken my ribs had I not moved. Okay, so I didn't "catch" it....It hit my seat and I picked it up. Still, about the least likely place to catch a foul ball in Wrigley

[Chris]

I'll stick to the moments I've seen in person:

 

1) Game 1 of the NLCS. It was the first game that my wife and I got to see at Wrigley. I have the game on video and still get chills when I watch the HR in the 9th.

 

2) Sammy's rehab assignment in West Tennessee.

 

3) The HR Derby in Atlanta.

[Derwood]

I'll stick to the moments I've seen in person:

 

1) Game 1 of the NLCS. It was the first game that my wife and I got to see at Wrigley. I have the game on video and still get chills when I watch the HR in the 9th.

 

2) Sammy's rehab assignment in West Tennessee.

 

3) The HR Derby in Atlanta.

 

i heard the 9th inning Sammy HR on the radio on my way home from work. Pretty awesome

[fromthestretch]

My two favorite Sammy moments from games I've been to:

 

1. June 1, 1998: Sammy hits his first two homers of his 20-homer month. Three of us are in the first row of the left field bleachers for BP. I'm there no more than 10 minutes when Sosa hits one right at me. I caught it and still have the ball to this day. Oddly enough, his first home run that game came off Dempster.

 

2. August 2, 2000: Cubs and Rockies are tied 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth. Sosa leads off the inning with a solo shot, and the place went nuts. Cubs hold on to win 3-2.

 

I had a stretch of five games attended where Sosa hit a total of six home runs. Mind you, those five games were spread out over the course of a few years, but the man always came through when I was in attendance.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

For me, my two favorite Sammy moments came in 1998. I had only been to Wrigley once. Then on 6/19, I went to see the Cubs play the Phillies and Sosa homered twice.

 

Then again on 6/20, I went back and Sosa homered twice again. The second of which landed on the rooftop just beyond the foul pole in left that was renovated into seats and made taller in 1999.

[daske17]

The American flag after Sept. 11 was awesome. I was at that game as part of the pre-game ceremony honoring police, fire and rescue workers (I worked for the Red Cross so I got to be on the field for the ceremony) and sat in the bullpen box for the entire game. To say there wasn't a dry eye in the house was an understatement.

 

In case it hasn't been mentioned yet, the first round of the HR Derby in Milwaukee where he was knocking everything 500 ft.

 

And finally, my favorite for all the wrong reasons was the HR Derby in 2004 where he whiffed on a BP pitch.

[Derwood]

My two favorite Sammy moments from games I've been to:

 

1. June 1, 1998: Sammy hits his first two homers of his 20-homer month. Three of us are in the first row of the left field bleachers for BP. I'm there no more than 10 minutes when Sosa hits one right at me. I caught it and still have the ball to this day. Oddly enough, his first home run that game came off Dempster.

 

Against Florida, right? I was at that game too

[Roast]

Definitely 9th inning of game one in the NLCS. I loved the game two HR where you can read Kenny Lofton's lips too.

The 20 HR month was just amazing.

 

Hahaha, I love that.

 

and I quote "...#@$%^&"

 

That still makes me laugh.

 

Anyway, my favorite memory is sept 18, 1999. He hit his 60th HR for the 2nd consecutive year. I was there, it was my first game.

 

Amazing.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

This also was one of my favorite Sammy memories.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/vance_the_cubs_fan/meandsammy.jpg

[shnsajax]

In June of '98 I got to work at a Michael Jordan basketball camp in Austin and got to talk with Stewert Scott for a while who happened to be their. All we really talked about was Sosa starting to heat up.

 

And of course the NLCS HR. I watched that over and over again.

[fromthestretch]

My two favorite Sammy moments from games I've been to:

 

1. June 1, 1998: Sammy hits his first two homers of his 20-homer month. Three of us are in the first row of the left field bleachers for BP. I'm there no more than 10 minutes when Sosa hits one right at me. I caught it and still have the ball to this day. Oddly enough, his first home run that game came off Dempster.

 

Against Florida, right? I was at that game too

 

Yep. Oh Henry hit one that game, too. Dempster got shelled.

[Guest]

For me, my two favorite Sammy moments came in 1998. I had only been to Wrigley once. Then on 6/19, I went to see the Cubs play the Phillies and Sosa homered twice.

 

Then again on 6/20, I went back and Sosa homered twice again. The second of which landed on the rooftop just beyond the foul pole in left that was renovated into seats and made taller in 1999.

 

was one of thsoe games a saturday night game that wood also homered in? If so, that is my all time favorite cubs game that I was in attendance. #66 was pretty special too. and finally, the grand slam at coors in 2003. or at least I think it was 2003.

[rynefan]

I still like Sammy. I wished he didn't hit it against us because I liked those days of the "fun Sammy" and it made me miss those days.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

For me, my two favorite Sammy moments came in 1998. I had only been to Wrigley once. Then on 6/19, I went to see the Cubs play the Phillies and Sosa homered twice.

 

Then again on 6/20, I went back and Sosa homered twice again. The second of which landed on the rooftop just beyond the foul pole in left that was renovated into seats and made taller in 1999.

 

was one of thsoe games a saturday night game that wood also homered in? If so, that is my all time favorite cubs game that I was in attendance. #66 was pretty special too. and finally, the grand slam at coors in 2003. or at least I think it was 2003.

 

That's the game.

[Guest]

For me, my two favorite Sammy moments came in 1998. I had only been to Wrigley once. Then on 6/19, I went to see the Cubs play the Phillies and Sosa homered twice.

 

Then again on 6/20, I went back and Sosa homered twice again. The second of which landed on the rooftop just beyond the foul pole in left that was renovated into seats and made taller in 1999.

 

was one of thsoe games a saturday night game that wood also homered in? If so, that is my all time favorite cubs game that I was in attendance. #66 was pretty special too. and finally, the grand slam at coors in 2003. or at least I think it was 2003.

 

That's the game.

 

funnest game ever. The grand slam was in 2002 apparently. wow, the years go by fast.

[killthegoat06]

I was 9 or 10 and was at my first cubs game. Sammy hit a walk-off homer.