What is the greatest individual performance you've ever seen in person?

Off the same pitcher, Chan Ho Park.

 

1. Jason Lezak walking down Alain Bernard in the 4x100 in Beijing. Still think it's one of the Top 5 Olympic moments, considering the stakes, ever.

2. Marshall freshman Randy Moss catching four TDs for 250 yards in the I-AA National Championship. I was a freshman linebacker, redshirting, watching from the stands. Never have I felt so inadequate as an athlete as I did in that moment. It was like Moss was from another planet.

3. Phelps breaking five world records in seven events at the 2007 FINA World Championships in Melbourne. Will always remember that the WR line that they show on TV and on the screen inside Rod Laver Arena was at his feet when he touched the wall in the 200 fly.

4. Bolt breaking the WR in the 100 and slapping his chest as he ran across the finish line in Beijing. I was maybe 70 feet away from the finish line, having waited for two plus hours in the heat. Wasn't writing, having covered swimming earlier that day, just attending as a fan. Most jaw-dropping and surprising 10 seconds ever.

 

That's the same way I describe the night I lost my virginity.

 

Wow, I covered that Freedom Bowl. Forgot all about that. The next year, I focused my whole pregame coverage of the Aloha Bowl on Gaston Green, who was from our circulation area. He didn't play because of a sprained ankle. And that game included a two future teammates on the Dallas Cowboys -- Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith.

 

Tuxedo Tony Sands rushing for 396 yards against Mizzou in 1991.

 

Anytime Serena Williams hits a tennis ball is the greatest achievement in sports since Jesse Owens won WWII before it started.

 

Francisco Cordova and Ricardo Rincon combine for a 10-inning no-hitter in 1997 at Three River Stadium. Cordova went nine, but the Pirates didn't score a run for him. Mark Smith won it with a pinch-hit, three-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning.

It was an unusually large crowd for that era in Pittsburgh for a couple of reasons. That was arguably the Pirates' best team between the 1992 playoff squad and the one that finally got back to the post-season three years ago. Also, it was fireworks night, which was a big draw at the time.

I remember Chris Holt pitched a beauty of his own for the Astros and Billy Wagner came on blowing people away to get it to the 10th, but Cordova was untouchable that night.

 

Some great answers here. I'm jealous, though I think the Machado game is on par. After he hit the third one, I gave him a one-man standing O. I'm probably on TV doing it. Everyone had barely settled in, I'm not sure everyone realized what has just happened.

I also saw Robin Yount hit for the cycle the day after I got braces. I was in horrendous pain.

 

Damn, I forgot one. I was in Baton Rouge the night a red shirt freshman ran for 291 yards against the Tigers.

 

Rebecca Rogerson in her barn in 1988.

 

July 28, 2001: I saw Vinny Castilla hit three home runs for the Astros. Should have been four, but Brian Giles made a leaping grab at the wall. Then, in the ninth inning, the Astros tied a MLB record by allowing seven runs in the 9th inning after two outs and nobody on base. Game ended on a Giles walk-off grand slam.

So impressed, I walked right into the souvenir stand and bought a Giles T-shirt no questions asked.

 

I was at the Kansas City Royals game a few years ago when Mike Sweeney had a straight steal of home.

It was the last time a Royals player accomplished the feat, I believe.

They made a flip book of it, which I found on eBay.

Other than a boys basketball league championship game that was 26-25 after the first quarter, that's all I've got.