IGT, Game 7, 4/8 NYM@ATL

[Edgy MD]

Tuesday: Braves home opener, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's homerun record.

Bartolo Colon against Aaron Harang, a man vying to become the Bartolo Colon of 2014.

[Fman99]

I hate Monday off days.

[nymr83]

Fman99 wrote: I hate Monday off days.

I hate ALL off days.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, sure. But I also hate posting to myself during Sunday games. Where were you all? Don't tell me about families. This is important!

[Guest themetfairy]

Fine, I won't tell you about MK's concert.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: Yeah, sure. But I also hate posting to myself during Sunday games. Where were you all? Don't tell me about families. This is important!

families, twitter, refinishing a floor. you know.

[ashie62]

Colon v. Harangutang....

[G-Fafif]

Eric Young, Jr. � LF
Daniel Murphy � 2B
David Wright � 3B
Curtis Granderson � RF
Lucas Duda � 1B
Juan Lagares � CF
Travis d�Arnaud � C
Ruben Tejada � SS
Bartolo Colon � RHP

[G-Fafif]

ATL to honor Henry Aaron's 715th tonight on the 40th anniversary of the home run that passed Babe Ruth. Lord, that was a big deal. With the possible exception of Ripken supplanting Gehrig with 2,131, I'm thinking there was no chase of a record or milestone in my now 46 seasons as a baseball fan that elicited more attention and awe.

Others that come to mind in terms of massive scale:

� McGwire surpassing Maris (Bonds taking both HR records didn't quite have the same snap)
� Hershiser surpassing Drysdale
� Carew and Brett pursuing .400
� Brock surpassing Wills for SBs in a season, Henderson passing Brock for everything SB-related
� Rose surpassing Cobb
� Rose chasing DiMaggio (imagine somebody getting really close)

Maybe a little less overwhelming, at least to my thinking: Ryan striking out more than Koufax; Cabrera nailing down 1st Triple Crown in 45 years; Ichiro supplanting Sisler...probably harder to impress the nation today given that there are fewer readily identifiable "forever" numbers like 714 and 2,130; less of America is aware of everything (or anything) going on in baseball; and the cynicism that makes nothing particularly impressive to too many people.

But Aaron topping Ruth -- wow. It's still amazing to consider.

[Edgy MD]

Good summary. Only one I might add to the list (to the bottom, maybe) is Rickey's 130 stolen bases.

Rod Carew and George Brett entering September with a real crack at .400 was something. Boggs and Gwynn made runs, but they were climbing up from the .350s as August faded. Carew and Brett were up there in the .400 stratosphere and it was just heroic watching them try to hang in there.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Don't forget Ripken passing Gehrig.

When I was a kid, after Aaron had passed Ruth, I decided that there were three more Yankee records I wanted to see broken in my lifetime: Gehrig's consecutive game streak, Maris' 61 homers, and DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak.

Two of the three have fallen.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

The fact that the hype over it carried over the offseason in time for Topps to make a series of "Hank Aaron Specials" and for ABC to arrange a Monday Night Baseball broadcast and stuff helped to pump it up. Elements of it were very forward-y, as baseball marketing would go, but it seemed genuine.

Maybe this and not the 75 World Series was the first real "Night Game" victory.

Knowing what we know now the two yahoos who catch up with Hank at third base must have been terrifying. Could you imagine how we'd react to fans interfering with a baseball scene like that today.

I remember being excited about Rod Carew possibly hitting 400.

[G-Fafif]

Rickey, Ripken mentioned above.

[G-Fafif]

NBC was the Monday Night Baseball network in those days. ABC didn't come along until 1976.

[Edgy MD]

G-Fafif wrote: Rickey, Ripken mentioned above.

Here I am going "That dummy didn't see Ripken was already mentioned," and the dummier one was me.

[G-Fafif]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I decided that there were three more Yankee records I wanted to see broken in my lifetime: Gehrig's consecutive game streak, Maris' 61 homers, and DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak. Two of the three have fallen.

Be nice if Syndergaard could take down Jack Chesbro, too.

[Frayed Knot]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: The fact that the hype over it carried over the offseason in time for Topps to make a series of "Hank Aaron Specials" and for ABC to arrange a Monday Night Baseball broadcast and stuff helped to pump it up. Elements of it were very forward-y, as baseball marketing would go, but it seemed genuine.

That it carried over--Aaron had ended the previous season with 713--also gave rise to a controversy about whether the Braves should be allowed to rig it so Hank broke the record at home.
Atlanta made it clear that they had every intention of having the record broken in Fulton County but the Braves opened the season with 3 games in Cincinnati and the pre-announcement didn't sit well with Bowie Kuhn. After much back and forth, it was decided that Aaron would be in the starting lineup for at least 2 of the 3 games in Cincy. Hank HR'd for record-tying #714 not just on opening day but in his very first AB of the season making even Atlanta's compromise plan look kind of dicey. He then went 0-2 + a walk for the rest of game 1, sat out game 2, and then went 0-3 in game 3 as Braves execs let out a big sigh of relief -- remember that that franchise didn't draw flies in those days.

#715 came in Game 4, the Atlanta home opener, in Hank's 2nd AB (4th inning).

[Edgy MD]

The main record I'm aiming at setting with a flaming vengeance is the one where the Mets win 100% of the big league ballgames in Georgia tonight.

[youtube:26dv3b45]-HRdYCLZMqs[/youtube:26dv3b45]

[Zvon]

Frayed Knot wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: The fact that the hype over it carried over the offseason in time for Topps to make a series of "Hank Aaron Specials" and for ABC to arrange a Monday Night Baseball broadcast and stuff helped to pump it up. Elements of it were very forward-y, as baseball marketing would go, but it seemed genuine. That it carried over--Aaron had ended the previous season with 713--also gave rise to a controversy about whether the Braves should be allowed to rig it so Hank broke the record at home. Atlanta made it clear that they had every intention of having the record broken in Fulton County but the Braves opened the season with 3 games in Cincinnati and the pre-announcement didn't sit well with Bowie Kuhn. After much back and forth, it was decided that Aaron would be in the starting lineup for at least 2 of the 3 games in Cincy. Hank HR'd for record-tying #714 not just on opening day but in his very first AB of the season making even Atlanta's compromise plan look kind of dicey. He then went 0-2 + a walk for the rest of game 1, sat out game 2, and then went 0-3 in game 3 as Braves execs let out a big sigh of relief -- remember that that franchise didn't draw flies in those days. #715 came in Game 4, the Atlanta home opener, in Hank's 2nd AB (4th inning).

Was it a packed house? I imagine it was. I was watching on TV but I only remember the hoopla. And the issue about who caught the ball out there in the pen.

[Frayed Knot]

Zvon wrote: Was it a packed house? I imagine it was. I was watching on TV but I only remember the hoopla. And the issue about who caught the ball out there in the pen.

50K+, although it probably would be interesting to find out how many of them were still in the stadium by the 7th inning.

[ashie62]

Almost game time... yeah!

I would be really happy to see Colon shut down the Braves on the road..

Throw darts bay-bee...

[Zvon]

[Zvon]

Such class.

[Zvon]

Mr. Downing needs a new tailor.

Braves are wearing the mid 70s blow pop uniforms. Niiiiice.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I like the Brave uniforms, nice to see.

[Zvon]

Damn. Young finally does what Id like him to do and we strand him. Single & a steal.

Muffy's K, before the steal, was the sapper.

Heyward looks extra tall in the old unis.

[Zvon]

d'Kong76 wrote: I like the Brave uniforms, nice to see.

I've always liked these. I thought they were sharp. From what I hear we are a minority.

[Zvon]

I was looking forward to saying this again in 2014.

Fk'n FrddyFremn

[TransMonk]

D'arnothing. Getting to be concerning.

[Zvon]

The number 715 is the anniversary thing and all but if I was in charge the name AARON would be mowed into the outfield grass, not a number.