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Baseball Moments

"Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier... how could this not be number one?"

By Will Cherrin

Just before the San Francisco Giants 4-3 victory in Game Four of the World Series, the top ten greatest baseball moments, as voted by the fans, were revealed. As the announcers counted down from ten they gave a synopsis followed by a short film clip.

Everyone seemed to be content with numbers ten through four. We seemed to agree that feats such as Kirk Gibson’s World Series home run and Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak, while both unbelievable moments, didn’t deserve to be number one.

After the number four most memorable moment was announced, I made the mistake of choosing which moment I thought was the best, setting myself up for disappointment if mine wasn’t number one. Naturally, my predicted winner, Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier and integrating baseball, was called next at number three.

How could this not be number one? Jackie Robinson single-handedly set the stage for hundreds of great baseball players to come, including stars such as Barry Bonds. Robinson overcame great adversity to establish himself as one of baseball’s greatest players.

I was furious, but I continued to watch. Number two was presented: Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth’s career home run record. This was another great moment, but that made me even madder. I wasn’t so much mad at Aaron’s accomplishment beating Jackie Robinson’s as I was mad that there was still one moment that people considered better than both of these.

By then, I knew what moment it was going to be: the one moment on the list of at least 60 that didn’t deserve to be the winner. I could just feel it. And then Billy Crystal announced it. “The number one moment in baseball history, Cal Ripken Jr. passing Lou Gehrig for most consecutive games played.” What? I couldn’t believe that many people actually think the best moment in this sport’s history is when a guy set the record for playing the most games in a row. If people were going vote for the best moment being when a record was broken, they could have at least voted for Hank Aaron breaking a real record — a record in which a player actually accomplished a feat.

I was dumbfounded. When Ripken’s moment was announced as the winner, I was sitting next to my dad who was equally enraged. Unlike me, however, he understood. He explained to me that because Ripken’s streak occurred more recently, it was much more hyped. There was less media attention on baseball when Hank Aaron broke the home run record and it was much less anticipated because there was not as much advertising leading up to it.

I understood what my dad meant, but I still had to question the voters. Even if you weren’t alive when Jackie Robinson entered baseball, you must still realize how much more significance he’s had on the game. Imagine baseball without Willie Mays and Willie McCovey. Imagine it without Barry Bonds.

With those images in mind, I cannot even imagine what was going through the minds of the people who punched a hole in their ballots for Cal Ripken Jr.

— Will Cherrin is a senior at Berkeley High School.