I pitched a one hit game in college against Salt Lake Community College. The team I was playing on at the time was a utah league that just had the opportunity to play their college team. I was just in the zone that day and had no idea I had a no hit game until the sixth inning when someone told me (jerk) lol. I knew I was throwing well because all of my stuff was working (it was just one of those days). The only hit I allowed that day was a blooper that was just out of the second basemans reach, he did all he could to get it but couldn't.
You never forget a performance like that, even though at that time I wasn't on an "official" college team yet.
I'm going to realy a friends story - I was reading a post in one of the other columns about a young man playing summer ball - and what a big thrill it was to have a youngster come up to him and ask him to catch the first ball that he was throwing out. A lot of posters here have autographs, but not too many have famous peeople who have their autograph. My friend played for a good local league, and the crowds were pretty decent. There was a really big crowd one night in particular as a young man who was destined for superstardom had returned home after playing/living out of town for while (he was about 16 or 17 - but was already pegged as the next big thing). More people were there to see him than the baseball team. To make a long story short - my friend was asked by the future hall of famer to sign a ball for him. Its one of his greatest thrills - not too many people can say Wayne Gretzky has their autograph. (Wayne was a pretty fair basbeball player before devoting himself to hockey).
I would have to say my best baseball memory does not have to do with any individual performances, or team performance. When I was in Pro ball, I was at the field, and there is a military base in the town which our team was located, so the military used our stadium for working out their bomb sniffing dogs.
They would plant caches in the stands, and walk the dogs around to sniff them out. Well I was walking from the Front Office down through the stadium, and I met with a troop. He was amazed, and said "Wow you guys are lucky to do this everyday."
I looked at him and said "We are lucky, but we are only lucky to play this game because of guys like you defending us, who give us the freedom to play this game" After I said that I will never forget the look on his face. Seeing that smile, was the defining moment of my baseball career. Every other achievement does not even come close. To me, that is what this game is all about.
They would plant caches in the stands, and walk the dogs around to sniff them out. Well I was walking from the Front Office down through the stadium, and I met with a troop. He was amazed, and said "Wow you guys are lucky to do this everyday."
I looked at him and said "We are lucky, but we are only lucky to play this game because of guys like you defending us, who give us the freedom to play this game" After I said that I will never forget the look on his face. Seeing that smile, was the defining moment of my baseball career. Every other achievement does not even come close. To me, that is what this game is all about.