Big Ben, George Brett's homer and the mystery of the two inning game that never was.

[OFFNY]

Nevermore said:

 

Whatever happened to Ben McDonald ??? ) 

 

scOtt said:

 

He's been on our TV broadcasts a couple times, and has also been our radio broadcasts several times, as well.

 

o

 

3 years before the Jeffrey Meier incident, the Yankees got away with the same tactic, this time with Ben McDonald on the mound.

During the 1993 pennant race, Ben McDonald was going to-to-toe with the Scott Kamieniecki in a 0-0 pitcher's duel in the bottom of the 8th inning. With Don Mattingly at the plate and the bases empty, a 16 year-old Yankee fan from Connecticut named Tim McKenzie stole a home run in the right-field stands from Mark McLemore.

Like Jeffrey Maier 3 years later, McKenzie reached over the railing to snatch the ball away from McLemore.

In a post-game interview immediately following the game, Mattingly said that the kid "made a great catch" when he was shown a replay of the theft. Also, Mattingly met and shook hands with the McKenzie in the bowels of Yankee Stadium the next day.

 

 

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1916&dat=19930817&id=AQYhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Z3YFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1607,2158095

 

 

In the photo, it states:

 

A GIFT: - Don Mattingly, left, shakes hands with Tim McKenzie at Yankee Stadium on Monday, prior to autographing the baseball that McKenzie is holding. The 16 year-old Durham, CT resident caught the ball over the railing, but Mattingly was given a home run in the Yankees' 1-0 win over the Orioles.

 

For his efforts, McDonald was credited with a complete-game loss, ceding that lone run in his 8 innings on the mound that afternoon.

 

o

[Aglets]

I was there, and I believe it was Ben McDonald's first ever start for the Orioles. The pitch was up and in, and Brett got out in front of it and tomahawked it high and deep into the RF bleachers. The year before I was also at Ben's first game as an Oriole when he came in to relieve some rookie chump named Curt Schilling and struck out Joe Carter on a nasty curveball with the bases loaded.

Fun fact - McDonald's first start for the Orioles was on July 21, 1990 and ended up being a 5 hit shutout against the White Sox.

Makes you wonder what could have been.

[MdSooner]

I always believed that players stats should count even for games that are not completed.

[McLovin]

Love this board and the power of the community - so cool to see how many were there. I was there too.

I was 16 and rode the bus up with a great (sadly now deceased) friend. We didn't have anything else to do so we ran up and down the stairs in a full monsoon/lightning storm until we were kicked out - long after the game was over. I've been to a LOT of games that were weather impacted, but this still stands out as the worst.

I was a baseball nut, and baseball card junkie. Ben was all of the rage in the 'rookie card' world, and this game was going to be my first time seeing him.

[McLovin]

I was there, and I believe it was Ben McDonald's first ever start for the Orioles.

Apparently it was his 4th start, 3rd at home. He was 3-0 with a 1.39 ERA at the time - so I know I was stoked to see him!

The date was 8/5/1990.

[PolishFalcon22]

I was also there, and uber-excited due to the hype surrounding Big Ben. Brett's homer was a missle, and then the skies opened up. The rain check game we got to attend later that season was against the A's, and the Bash Brothers completely destroyed the O's.

[PaulFolk]

I was there, and I believe it was Ben McDonald's first ever start for the Orioles. The pitch was up and in, and Brett got out in front of it and tomahawked it high and deep into the RF bleachers. The year before I was also at Ben's first game as an Oriole when he came in to relieve some rookie chump named Curt Schilling and struck out Joe Carter on a nasty curveball with the bases loaded.

It's funny how our memory plays tricks on us sometimes. You've got a couple of details correct but some wrong.

McDonald did make his ML debut in relief of Curt Schilling against Joe Carter's team (Cleveland), but McDonald didn't face Carter with the bases loaded. He came in with runners at the corners and one out in the third and induced a double play from Cory Snyder to escape. McDonald didn't face Carter until two innings later, and when he did, Carter doubled off him.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BAL/BAL198909060.shtml

[PaulFolk]

I saw Ben McDonald give up back to back to back homers vs the Tigers and he stayed in the game to get the win.

This must be the game you're talking about: April 20, 1992. McDonald gave up back-to-back-to-back homers to the Tigers, and the O's won the game 12-4. McDonald didn't get the win, though -- the O's pulled him after he gave up those three homers and an RBI double in the third. Alan Mills went 3.1 scoreless in relief for the win.

[OFFNY]

OFFNY said:

o

 

3 years before the Jeffrey Meier incident, the Yankees got away with the same tactic, this time with Ben McDonald on the mound.

During the 1993 pennant race, Ben McDonald was going to-to-toe with the Scott Kamieniecki in a 0-0 pitcher's duel in the bottom of the 8th inning. With Don Mattingly at the plate and the bases empty, a 16 year-old Yankee fan from Connecticut named Tim McKenzie stole a home run in the right-field stands from Mark McLemore.

Like Jeffrey Maier 3 years later, McKenzie reached over the railing to snatch the ball away from McLemore.

In a post-game interview immediately following the game, Mattingly said that the kid "made a great catch" when he was shown a replay of the theft. Also, Mattingly met and shook hands with the McKenzie in the bowels of Yankee Stadium the next day.

 

 

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1916&dat=19930817&id=AQYhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Z3YFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1607,2158095

 

 

In the photo, it states:

 

A GIFT: - Don Mattingly, left, shakes hands with Tim McKenzie at Yankee Stadium on Monday, prior to autographing the baseball that McKenzie is holding. The 16 year-old Durham, CT resident caught the ball over the railing, but Mattingly was given a home run in the Yankees' 1-0 win over the Orioles.

 

For his efforts, McDonald was credited with a complete-game loss, ceding that lone run in his 8 innings on the mound that afternoon.

 

o

o

 

Happy birthday, Mark McLemore.

 

 

o