Giancarlo Stanton made it a very happy day for all the Moms at then-Marlins Park on Mother’s Day 2012. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images).
ON MY LATEST CROOKED NUMBERS PODCAST, SOME OF THE BEST RECENT MOTHER’S DAY MOMENTS ACROSS MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL... REMEMBERING THE GREAT TONY GWYNN…100 STOLEN BASES?!?…AND A LISTENER GETS ME THINKING ABOUT ICHIRO.
No one ever said Ralph Kiner’s heart wasn’t in the right place.
Signing on for the first pitch on WOR-TV one Sunday afternoon many Mays ago, the beloved Mets broadcaster— who had been a Hall of Fame slugger for the Pirates in the 1940s and ‘50s—proclaimed, “It’s Mother’s Day at Shea Stadium. So to all you Moms out there, Happy Birthday!”
As the crew at VFTB sends its own birthday greetings to all the Moms in our expansive audience, I was thinking about my own Baseball-related Mother’s Day memories.
If you’re a player or someone who works in the game, there’s generally not a lot of time to treat Mom to breakfast in bed or a family picnic in the park on Mother’s Day, since every Sunday is a day game and you’re either out of town or—if you’re in town—you’re likely traveling after the game.
But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some great on-field moments, sometimes with Mom in the stands on her day. That’s one of the topics I covered on this week’s edition of my CROOKED NUMBERS podcast, which I hope you’ll check out.
In terms of games I’ve worked, I have 2 favorite Mother’s Day contests.
In Boston, they still remember it as the “Mother’s Day Miracle,” the day in 2007 the Red Sox—lifeless for 8 innings—scored 6 runs in the bottom of the 9th to shock the Orioles, 6-5, at Fenway Park. After being shut out on 3 hits through 8 by Jeremy Guthrie, the Sox did their damage in the 9th on 4 hits, 3 walks and 2 Baltimore errors.
As for the most memorable Marlins Mother’s Day?
It would be tough to beat May 13, 2012.
After going 8-14 in April to open what was then known as Marlins Park, the Marlins had won 9 of 11 to begin May and were looking to win their 4th straight series when they faced the Mets in that Mother’s Day matinee.
The game was tied 2-2 into the 9th, but embattled Marlins closer Heath Bell (yes, he was already embattle on Mother’s Day with 4 blown saves, 3 losses and a 9.28 ERA through his first 13 appearances) allowed a 2-out, 2-run double to Justin Turner, putting the Mets up, 4-2.
Down to their final 3 outs, the Marlins faced Frank Francisco to begin the bottom of the 9th.
Emilio Bonifacio led off with a triple to the alley in left-center.
John Buck walked. Should we call that “the Mother’s Day Mini-Miracle”?
Pinch hitter Greg Dobbs singled, scoring Bonifacio and moving the tying run to second.
Francisco was yanked from the game at that point, replaced by Manny Acosta, and former Met Jose Reyes greeted the righthander with a sacrifice fly to tie the game, 4-4.
Omar Infante popped to the second baseman for out #2, but Hanley Ramirez walked on a 3-2 pitch, and Austin Kearns was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
The Stanton walk-off grand slam was one of the high points of the inaugural season at Marlins Park. That win was part of a stretch in which Miami went 23-9 from the beginning of May through June 3. At 31-23 at the one-third mark of the season, the Marlins were tied with the Nationals atop the NL East.
But Ozzie Guillen’s club would lose 17 of the next 20 and go 38-70 the rest of the way en route to a 69-93 finish in what is undoubtedly the most disappointing season in franchise history based on the level of expectation going in.
But at least, thanks to Giancarlo, the Marlins made it a happy Mother’s Day.
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I was at that game with my girlfriend when Stanton hit the homerun. Now we are married and have 2 girls.
Happy Mothers Day to your mom and wife Geff.