What's the most memorable HR you have ever seen in person?

[Guest rbrhett]

1. Eddie's 500th

2. Alomar's 22nd in Toronto in '96. Sent the Os into the playoffs. Coolest baseball moment (not HR) I have seen in person.

3. Brady's 50th in Toronto in '96.

4. Mickey Tettleton's 24th in 1989, only because he was having his "Fruit Loop" year and the ball dropped about 5 ft in front of me in RF.

[adam_jonzin']

I think for me it was Bobby Bonilla taking Alan Embree deep into the flag court for a grand slam in game 1 of the 1996 alds. It was our first playoff game since 1983, and we were up 4-3, I think it was like the 6th or 7th inning. As soon as he made contact the whole friggin' stadium erupted.

I remember my dad took me out of school early and surprised me with the tickets. They weren't the best seats in the stadium, and my dad knew absolutely nothing about baseball or the Orioles but it was so much fun, and has been the ONLY playoff game in Baltimore that I have been to since.

Edit: Just read opening post. Cool to hear it from someone else's perspective.

[usmcterp]

Although we were on the short end of the stick, I am going to have to go with Bo's timeout HR off Ballard.

[notfast]

Eddies 500th. I was one of the few fans who stayed thru the rain delay to actually be there when it happened.

[murph]

Awesome thread....unfortunately, my memorable witnessed live HR is not from an Oriole (have not been to a ton of games, more in the past few years than ever, but the HR's have just not been as meaningful). It was during the 91 no-hitter at Memorial Stadium....Wilson Alverez no hitter. Frank Thomas hit a monster shot to CF. At the time, I knew I was witnessing something rare, but had no idea how rare it was to actually see one live. I still remember the packed stadium cheering for the opposing pitcher, incredible feeling, knowing everyone was pulling for something special even though it was not one of their own. O's fan truly are great fans.

[ccbird]

I feel like I might be missing one, but the first that comes to mind is Cal hitting a walk off HR against the Rays in '00.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BAL/BAL200004190.shtml

[Jammer7]

I have seen many Orioles homers in person, but the homerun that stands out the most for me is from a 1988 Orlando Twins (AA Southern League). Bernardo Brito, who was the epitome of the movie character "Pedro Cerrano," hit a fastball over the 425 foot fence in CF at Tinker Field. The fence there was 50 feet high to protect the Citrus Bowl crowd, and the ball was still rising as it cleared that fence by 30-40 feet and hit the concrete pillar of the Citrus Bowl high on the second deck...it almost went into the Citrus Bowl. That ball had to project around 600 feet easily, and I am not exaggerating. The sound of contact was special on that one.

Brito had 24 homers that year, but 138 k's. He could not hit a curveball, but if you threw him a fastball near the plate he did not miss it often. He had 293 minor league homers and had a few short stints with the Twins. The baseball cube has him listed at 6-01 190, but he looked to me to be 6-04 215. Whatever the case, his homeruns sounded like Miguel Cabrera's do today.

[primetime]

One of my favorites was Bobby Bo's grand slam in game 1 of the '96 ALDS.

Even though Bobby Bonilla was barely an O, it was something about that day that was so special.

Making our return to the post season after a 13 year absence, the banner of the "angry" Bird hanging on the Warehouse, adorned with the phrase "We're Back", cutting classes at CCC so I could be there and the feeling of walking into a packed house for October baseball is something I'll never forget.

Then, seeing that ball fly off Bonilla's bat, clear the scoreboard and land in the auxillary seats in RF is one of the greatest sports memories of my life.

[VAB2110]

Cal's last - 9/23/01 off El Duque.

[ChaosLex]

Nothing beats MelMo hitting the towering shot off the top of the foul pole, IMO.

[ChrisAF79]

Cal's homer on Opening Day '89 off of Clemens. I was 9 years old and it was my first ever Opening Day. Easily my most memorable for that reason. I was there for Cal's 2131 game so that stands out as well.

As for a non-Cal HR memory, I'd have to go with Devo's questionable (fair or foul) walkoff homerun against the Angels. I think that was in a '89 also? Man, what a fun year that was.

[webbrick2010]

It was a steamy Baltimore night in June when Orioles third baseman Doug DeCinces forever ingrained his name into Orioles lore.

In a season that saw manager Earl Weaver's Orioles come within one win of a World Series championship, it was DeCinces' at-bat in the ninth-inning, June 22, 1979, that helped coin the term "Orioles Magic."

Holding tight to a 5-4 lead over the Orioles in the ninth inning, Detroit Tigers pitcher Dave Tobik served up a pitch to DeCinces that would ignite an entire generation of devotion from Orioles fans. With two outs, Tobik was one batter away from ending the Orioles six-game winning streak. Unfortunately for Tobik, that batter was DeCinces, and the result was a two-run homer that sent the Orioles off as walk-off winners.

[Lateralus]

For me one would have to be Bonds hitting a moon-shot at OPACY in his one and only trip there.

I think it was a Sunday afternoon game, the yard was moderately full, everyone there hoping to see Bonds hit a HR.

Was on the 1st Base side, about 5 rows up from where the tarp is.

[scottbbfm]

Manny Ramirez's 500th Home run. I called the home run. Chad Bradford was called from the pen and he never gives up home runs because of his submarine pitching, but I could just feel that this was Manny's time so I told all my friends "this is it Manny is going to hit his 500th" and the very next pitch he did!

I was there. One of the worst moments in the history of Camden Yards. And unfortunately probably the loudest I've ever heard it.

[lordbrook]

I was there when Bonds hit numbers 71 and 72. My friend had tickets for the game right after 9-11 and they canceled the week so we flew back out there for the re-scheduled game.