Everyone has that dream when they're a ten year old playing little league baseball. World Series Game 7 down by 3, bases loaded, two outs, full count. You're up. Amazing closer on the mound, you are the home team, it is the bottom of the 9th. Here comes the pitch. Grand Slam, you just won the World Series with one swing of the bat. You run around the bases high fiving the coaches and get mobbed at home plate. From there it's easy cruising all the way.
So maybe that dream isn't actually realistic (unless you're Joe Carter who came pretty close) The whole idea of a dream baseball scenario got me thinking. What is my dream scenario? Not as a player, but as a fan.
As a fan of baseball I have been to some pretty great games. To name a few, the Alex Rodriguez Walk-Off Grand Slam Game, two playoff games including ALDS Game 2 from this past postseason, the May 15th Walk off Win, etc. None of these games really fufilled my best baseball scenario. Without further adeu here is my best baseball scenario. (That could currently happen with active players and such)
Yankee Stadium. Game 7 of the World Series. Yankees vs. Mets. Yankees just wrapped up a sweep of the Red Sox in the ALCS (a man can wish, can't he?) and are on fire. The Mets surprised the baseball world by not collapsing. I am not a Mets fan, but I love Subway Series'. On the mound for the Yankees is Phil Hughes, on the mound for the Mets is Johan Santana. It's Hughes' first career World Series apperance, and he hopes to even further prove that the Johan Santana trade was not necessary for the Yankees. Hughes pitched all season in the rotation, with Joba spending the year in Mexico with Jessica Simpson. (Whoops, wrong sport) Here's the game:Hughes starts off by striking out the side. It's the 6th inning and David Wright hits a home run over the short fence in right (it can't only help the Yankees!) Hughes is taken out after 6 innings of 1 hit ball. Down 1 going into the top of the 7th inning the Yankees bring in Chan Ho Park who strikes out a batter and walks another. Next comes David Robertson who strikes out back to back hitters. Top of the 8th Yankees bring in Joba and he strikes out the side. Bottom 8th. Yankees have Granderson-Posada-Cano coming up against Francisco Rodriguez (in for a 6 out save). Granderson hits a triple to lead off the inning, next Posada and Cano walk. Gardner is up with the bases loaded and nobody out. Gardner lines a ball into the deep part in center field. One run scores, two runs, three runs. Gardner keeps running and running and running and he's going for the inside the park grand slam! Beltran fires it home and the play at the plate....safe! 4-1 Yankees! Top of the 9th Rivera on the mound first batter gets a single. Next up grounds the ball through the hole in between Arod and Jeter...but wait! Jeter makes his personal favorite turning throw to second over to first double play. One out away. Jose Reyes up. Reyes hits a weak ground ball to Rivera, who flips it to first, game over!
Sure, that is a very specific dream game, but a man can dream can't he? Opinions are definitely proved wrong in this game. Personal favorites Hughes, Granderson, and Gardner come through, and the obvious Rivera ending is still in the game. Sure, if you ask me tomorrow, the game may be completely different, but how about you?
What is your favorite possible game of the 2010 season? (Must have active players, real possibilities, etc) Doesn't have to be World Series, doesn't have to be Yankees. Thoughts?