Before I get to the prompt, I think your premise today is bolstered by the sound the announcer makes when Ohtani connects. He knows _exactly_ what he just saw and he cannot even form a word in English. His first impulse is the laugh of the impossible, a "that did not just happen" moment and I love it.
Shawn Hunwick is 5'7" and 165 pounds. He was a walk-on goaltender at Michigan in part, people think, because his older brother Matt (now with the Sabres), was on the team and you can always use a solid backup goalie, even if he won't play much.
He played three minutes his freshman year, he redshirted his sophomore year (which is somewhat uncommon in hockey) and was on his way to another season of not much action when Bryan Hogan got hurt against Notre Dame. He played 48:49 in relief and made 14 saves for a combined shutout. OK, that happens. Except Michigan proceeded to go on a tear. They won seven straight with "Tiny Jesus" in the net. They won the CCHA tournament and Hunwick was named tournament MVP, the first Michigan goalie to be so honored. They would have been in the Frozen Four in Detroit that year if not for a quick whistle in overtime in Fort Wayne.
By every right, Shawn Hunwick should not have been that good. The next year, he backstopped Michigan to the NCAA title game. His senior year, he was a Hobey Baker Award finalist. At some point, Shawn Hunwick was as good as advertised and better. He got one game in the NHL when the Blue Jackets had a spate of injured goalies and played for 2:33 of a 7-3 win. He's now a player agent. But for two and a half magic years, he was Tiny Jesus.
How you could mention the man without the great nickname??? Hard Hittin' Mark Whiten just flows so nicely.
The guy I'll always remember as awesome, despite the numbers suggesting otherwise, is Herbert Perry. When I was a kid, my parents got us tickets to a game to see beloved Cleveland play the despicable Yankees. On a Saturday in June, we drove up I-71, getting to the ballpark early enough to get some autographs from players around BP and warmups, and I remember this guy being quite nice and seeming impossibly huge up close(of course, I was 10, so that skews the memory).
Anyway, Perry signs the baseball I have, my dad says "hey, watch out for him, he's a new young guy who could be really good," and then in the game, he goes 3 for 4 with not one, but two home runs, and I was convinced he was the greatest, the second coming of Babe Ruth.
[Herbert Perry hit a total of 55 HR in a career that lasted another 9 years, with an overall OPS+ of 96(just a bit below league average) and 5.1 WAR over the course of his time in the bigs.]
My large adult son Kenny Pickett will always be one of these for me. He hurdled into the end zone in the upset of Miami in 2017. He was a freshman. It was his first start. I was there and it happened in front of me. He’ll always be a legend to me. (The Pitt special helps too but I wasn’t there for that one.)
There are actually a number of Pitt players that fall into this category; Ryan Lewis, the hero of the 2016 Penn State game (he made the end zone pick that clinched the win for Pitt, 42-39). Big play Ray Vinopal made a pick to win it against Notre dame in 2013. I was there for those too. Pitt: home of That Guy.
You knew it was coming eventually, so here it is: Jeff Francoeur. It’s mainly a sentimental thing for me. My dad watched the Braves religiously and I happened to be at home for dinner the night when Frenchie made his debut and he hit a homer in his first at-bat. I ended up watching the rest of the game with my dad and then started following the Braves along with him because I wanted to see what else this kid would do. It introduced me to so many other l players I enjoyed watching like Brian McCann and then Jason Hayward. I don’t think Frenchie ever outdid his first season but he will be a fan favorite for much of the Southeast forever.
My then 9 year old son was watching Louisville basketball get eaten alive by a mediocre Miami team - or more accurately, a single freshman named Lonnie Walker. To this day, his Lego AT-ST pilot is named in his honor. That's immortality for you.
Scott, you also reminded me of another fun thing: Name Games. Wherein a player has a singular, transcendent performance that if you say to a fan of the team the {First Name} {Last Name} Game, they very well would know which one you meant.
Absolutely loved this The Bay Area has been absolutely blessed with a smattering of these types in the last two decades. Bonds, Tim Lincecum, Pablo Sandoval, Brandon Crawford's defense and a few relievers for the Giants who gave you heart palpitations. Steph and Klay for the Warriors in a way I can't really describe without just throwing my hands up. Frank Gore, Patrick Willis, Navarro Bowman, George Kittle and a few other guys for the 49ers of recent success. Just a thrilling time to be a fan and appreciate guys who did so many incredible things.
Back in 1998, the Brazilian Soccer League (Brasileirão) still had best-of-3 playoff series and my team (Corinthians) was in the finals against Cruzeiro. Our team was loaded but every single goal (I checked just now to make sure my (late-)childhood memories weren't wrong) was either scored or assisted by a player who came off the bench called Dinei (remember: in soccer, teams were limited do 3 substitutions/game). After that, I was pretty sure Corinthians would be undefeated as long as we had Dinei. Turns out he was pretty inconsistent, if talented, and had issues with drug addiction, which gives these memories a dark hue, unfortunately.
My bachelor party was a sedate affair because I was a 30 year old. So we went to a Tigers game.
Michael "Clete" Thomas pinch hit for a still in his prime Miguel Cabrera and proceeded to hit his only career grand slam to break a 5-5 tie in the bottom of the 8th. It was a beauty and I wish I could find video to share with you.
He was sent down to Toledo four days later. He only hit 13 home runs in his major league career. As always, Auburn causes chaos.
Adam Dunn hit the loudest home run I've ever experienced in person. June 12, 2011 against Oakland. It was the season that put his career on the massive downturn he would never quite pull out of but I can still hear that dinger when I close my eyes. I have never witnessed a stadium get so quiet so fast as it did watching that ball sail into deep right field.
Keith Olbermann is a piece of shit who shames animal shelters for having to euthanize pets and goddamn do I hate that man.
Richard Hidalgo of the Astros is one of those guys for me. Dude hit for power and also had "Who Let the Dogs out" as his walk up song which as a kid is the greatest. I just remember being at a game when I had to be like 10, we were down a few runs and he just destroyed a baseball and eventually the Astros came back in the late innings. I still have the popcorn tin that I keep sports memorabilia in.
I could play remember that guy about so many Rockets and Stros from the late 90s and early 2000s.
This post is actually about the time I thought trot nixon was a god because he hit a homer into the delaware river when he played for the trenton thunder
I distinctly remember being at Yankee Stadium for Don Mattingly's 200th career home run. That day they beat the aforementioned Angels 12-1. Of all the baseball games I've been to in my life it's the only game where I can instantly recall the score of because it was tied to Mattingly.
I was a stupid kid and thought the ticket stub to that game would be worth something someday - even more so I wasn't developed enough in my fandom yet to know that players can be on the downslope of their careers when you see them. Dumb Yankee fans, of which there are many, like to argue if he should be in the Hall (I'm of the belief he shouldn't). But he will always be the legend in my mind.
Hmmm, as a Maryland fan who was in school in the early 2010s, I'd have to say Cliff Tucker (RIP). He was a bench player who hit a 25-foot buzzer beater against Georgia Tech in 2010 to keep Maryland's hopes for an ACC regular season title alive. There were bigger stars on that team, but that shot cemented him as a Maryland legend in my book.
I'd probably say the 2009-2010 Maryland basketball team in general. It was Gary Williams's last tournament team and they won a share of an ACC regular season title, but that was probably the funnest Maryland team I'd seen.
Before I get to the prompt, I think your premise today is bolstered by the sound the announcer makes when Ohtani connects. He knows _exactly_ what he just saw and he cannot even form a word in English. His first impulse is the laugh of the impossible, a "that did not just happen" moment and I love it.
Shawn Hunwick is 5'7" and 165 pounds. He was a walk-on goaltender at Michigan in part, people think, because his older brother Matt (now with the Sabres), was on the team and you can always use a solid backup goalie, even if he won't play much.
He played three minutes his freshman year, he redshirted his sophomore year (which is somewhat uncommon in hockey) and was on his way to another season of not much action when Bryan Hogan got hurt against Notre Dame. He played 48:49 in relief and made 14 saves for a combined shutout. OK, that happens. Except Michigan proceeded to go on a tear. They won seven straight with "Tiny Jesus" in the net. They won the CCHA tournament and Hunwick was named tournament MVP, the first Michigan goalie to be so honored. They would have been in the Frozen Four in Detroit that year if not for a quick whistle in overtime in Fort Wayne.
By every right, Shawn Hunwick should not have been that good. The next year, he backstopped Michigan to the NCAA title game. His senior year, he was a Hobey Baker Award finalist. At some point, Shawn Hunwick was as good as advertised and better. He got one game in the NHL when the Blue Jackets had a spate of injured goalies and played for 2:33 of a 7-3 win. He's now a player agent. But for two and a half magic years, he was Tiny Jesus.
How you could mention the man without the great nickname??? Hard Hittin' Mark Whiten just flows so nicely.
The guy I'll always remember as awesome, despite the numbers suggesting otherwise, is Herbert Perry. When I was a kid, my parents got us tickets to a game to see beloved Cleveland play the despicable Yankees. On a Saturday in June, we drove up I-71, getting to the ballpark early enough to get some autographs from players around BP and warmups, and I remember this guy being quite nice and seeming impossibly huge up close(of course, I was 10, so that skews the memory).
Anyway, Perry signs the baseball I have, my dad says "hey, watch out for him, he's a new young guy who could be really good," and then in the game, he goes 3 for 4 with not one, but two home runs, and I was convinced he was the greatest, the second coming of Babe Ruth.
[Herbert Perry hit a total of 55 HR in a career that lasted another 9 years, with an overall OPS+ of 96(just a bit below league average) and 5.1 WAR over the course of his time in the bigs.]
Stopping by to tip my hat to Glenallen Hill, who hit a baseball farther than any man alive one time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NiSpQPfmI4
My large adult son Kenny Pickett will always be one of these for me. He hurdled into the end zone in the upset of Miami in 2017. He was a freshman. It was his first start. I was there and it happened in front of me. He’ll always be a legend to me. (The Pitt special helps too but I wasn’t there for that one.)
There are actually a number of Pitt players that fall into this category; Ryan Lewis, the hero of the 2016 Penn State game (he made the end zone pick that clinched the win for Pitt, 42-39). Big play Ray Vinopal made a pick to win it against Notre dame in 2013. I was there for those too. Pitt: home of That Guy.
You knew it was coming eventually, so here it is: Jeff Francoeur. It’s mainly a sentimental thing for me. My dad watched the Braves religiously and I happened to be at home for dinner the night when Frenchie made his debut and he hit a homer in his first at-bat. I ended up watching the rest of the game with my dad and then started following the Braves along with him because I wanted to see what else this kid would do. It introduced me to so many other l players I enjoyed watching like Brian McCann and then Jason Hayward. I don’t think Frenchie ever outdid his first season but he will be a fan favorite for much of the Southeast forever.
My then 9 year old son was watching Louisville basketball get eaten alive by a mediocre Miami team - or more accurately, a single freshman named Lonnie Walker. To this day, his Lego AT-ST pilot is named in his honor. That's immortality for you.
Hard-Hittin' Mark Whiten!
Scott, you also reminded me of another fun thing: Name Games. Wherein a player has a singular, transcendent performance that if you say to a fan of the team the {First Name} {Last Name} Game, they very well would know which one you meant.
I wrote about some Michigan football ones.
https://hooverstreetrag.blogspot.com/2016/03/name-games.html
Absolutely loved this The Bay Area has been absolutely blessed with a smattering of these types in the last two decades. Bonds, Tim Lincecum, Pablo Sandoval, Brandon Crawford's defense and a few relievers for the Giants who gave you heart palpitations. Steph and Klay for the Warriors in a way I can't really describe without just throwing my hands up. Frank Gore, Patrick Willis, Navarro Bowman, George Kittle and a few other guys for the 49ers of recent success. Just a thrilling time to be a fan and appreciate guys who did so many incredible things.
Back in 1998, the Brazilian Soccer League (Brasileirão) still had best-of-3 playoff series and my team (Corinthians) was in the finals against Cruzeiro. Our team was loaded but every single goal (I checked just now to make sure my (late-)childhood memories weren't wrong) was either scored or assisted by a player who came off the bench called Dinei (remember: in soccer, teams were limited do 3 substitutions/game). After that, I was pretty sure Corinthians would be undefeated as long as we had Dinei. Turns out he was pretty inconsistent, if talented, and had issues with drug addiction, which gives these memories a dark hue, unfortunately.
A baseball one:
My bachelor party was a sedate affair because I was a 30 year old. So we went to a Tigers game.
Michael "Clete" Thomas pinch hit for a still in his prime Miguel Cabrera and proceeded to hit his only career grand slam to break a 5-5 tie in the bottom of the 8th. It was a beauty and I wish I could find video to share with you.
He was sent down to Toledo four days later. He only hit 13 home runs in his major league career. As always, Auburn causes chaos.
Adam Dunn hit the loudest home run I've ever experienced in person. June 12, 2011 against Oakland. It was the season that put his career on the massive downturn he would never quite pull out of but I can still hear that dinger when I close my eyes. I have never witnessed a stadium get so quiet so fast as it did watching that ball sail into deep right field.
Keith Olbermann is a piece of shit who shames animal shelters for having to euthanize pets and goddamn do I hate that man.
Richard Hidalgo of the Astros is one of those guys for me. Dude hit for power and also had "Who Let the Dogs out" as his walk up song which as a kid is the greatest. I just remember being at a game when I had to be like 10, we were down a few runs and he just destroyed a baseball and eventually the Astros came back in the late innings. I still have the popcorn tin that I keep sports memorabilia in.
I could play remember that guy about so many Rockets and Stros from the late 90s and early 2000s.
This post is actually about the time I thought trot nixon was a god because he hit a homer into the delaware river when he played for the trenton thunder
I distinctly remember being at Yankee Stadium for Don Mattingly's 200th career home run. That day they beat the aforementioned Angels 12-1. Of all the baseball games I've been to in my life it's the only game where I can instantly recall the score of because it was tied to Mattingly.
I was a stupid kid and thought the ticket stub to that game would be worth something someday - even more so I wasn't developed enough in my fandom yet to know that players can be on the downslope of their careers when you see them. Dumb Yankee fans, of which there are many, like to argue if he should be in the Hall (I'm of the belief he shouldn't). But he will always be the legend in my mind.
Hmmm, as a Maryland fan who was in school in the early 2010s, I'd have to say Cliff Tucker (RIP). He was a bench player who hit a 25-foot buzzer beater against Georgia Tech in 2010 to keep Maryland's hopes for an ACC regular season title alive. There were bigger stars on that team, but that shot cemented him as a Maryland legend in my book.
I'd probably say the 2009-2010 Maryland basketball team in general. It was Gary Williams's last tournament team and they won a share of an ACC regular season title, but that was probably the funnest Maryland team I'd seen.