May 19, 2004
One Shining Moment
Michele is running an "open discussion" of the greatest moments in sports history. People have chosen Game 6 of '86, various Michael Jordan stuff, the Miracle on Ice, and Randy Johnson killing the dove. But I vote for a more counterintuitive choice, one that I witnessed in person: Kent Hrbek pulling Ron Gant off first base in Game 2 of the 1991 World Series:
It's a big day for Herbie; he was also named to Tim Kurkjian's list in ESPN the Magazine of baseball's best-ever characters:
The most human baseball player ever, he went to the postseason galas because the beer was free. He was big, funny and marvelous... in retirement, and while sitting around the fire during a camping trip, Van Slyke said Hrbek played a tape recording of his best farts.
I want to get ahold of that recording, maybe make some sort of remix of it. Like the "interlude" in Terrence and Phillip's "Uncle Fucka."
Posted by Stephen Silver at May 19, 2004 08:31 PMTwo great Hrbie stories (which will be repeated on my blog):
1) The Twins were playing in the Skydome one day when the roof began to close due to inclement weather, or at least the threat thereof. When the roof was almost closed, there was just a little shaft of light left near first base. As it disappeared, Hrbek hopped over it--a little kid playing a little kid's game.
2) When told about Kirby Puckett's autobiography "I Love This Game," Hrbek said he wanted to write his own book called "I Hate This Game, But I Love Beer."
I wrote a report on him in 4th grade and got a signed picture. Wonder where that is...
Posted by: Jeremy Wahlman at May 20, 2004 03:05 AMKent can out fish anybody. I know, I've fished with him.
Fuck You