Baseball Feats

In any sport, there are those players who are sparkly, those who shine, and those who glow. So it is in baseball. Every so often, a player comes along who strikes fear in the heart of those who oppose him. These players stand above the rest, and prove it with something truly fabulous, a feat to inspire awe.

There are those who see perfection for one glorious game. That day at the park that made them a front page star. That day defied the odds. They hit those four home runs or two grand slams, the last of which is safely returned to live a life on a mantle with today’s box score proudly written in black between the laces. They make that triple play all alone to face a roaring standing ovation and a lifetime of fans remembering that one glorious day when they saw a once-in-a-lifetime event. They hit a simple single, only to steal their way around the bases and back home, prompting the title of “fastest man alive” for at least a day. They have that unforgettable game, the one they will tell their children and grandchildren about for the rest of their lives. The game that they will tell all the rookies about, to inspire them to the game of their lives.

There are those who enter the realm of the fabulous for an entire season. Their career year, the one that their Hall of Fame plaque will mention. The year that they were the name on the marquee. The year they were the star attraction. The year where they attributed one-hundred ninety-one of the team’s runs batted in. The year they had fifty-seven saves or seventy-three home runs. The year that newspapers dedicated an entire column just to follow them on their quest of greatness. The year that will stand as an example of their talent. The year no one will forget.

Then there are those who are unreachable. These are the twenty-game winner on a one-hundred loss team. The back-to-back no-hit pitcher. The man who stole one-hundred thirty bases. The man who completed a win with only fifty-eight pitches. These men established a name on something wonderful, something that might never be done again.