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

[Dick Whitman]

A few weeks ago, I was at a game where Manny Machado hit three home runs in the first three innings of a game. That probably does it for me.

What was the best performance you've ever been on hand for?

 

[Michael_ Gee]

I thought this'd be easy, but it turns out I'm torn. Was it being there for Michael Jordan laying the playoff record 63 on the '86 Celtics or Michael Johnson shattering the almost 30-year old record in the 200 meters in Atlanta in '96?

 

[bigpern23]

Saw Mark Prior strike out 16 over eight innings back in 2003 against the Brewers. Sammy hit one onto Waveland. Then Borowski blew a 3-2 lead in the ninth. It was the perfect Cubs game.

Also a contender was David Wells pitching seven innings of perfect baseball against the A's in September 1998, just a couple months after pitching his perfect game earlier in the season. It got broken up by a Matt Stairs double, IIRC, but he was dealing.

Not nearly at the same level, but in my first year as a reporter, I covered a high school pitcher who threw a perfect game and a no-hitter in consecutive starts. The only reason the second wasn't a perfect game was because the catcher missed a third strike in the dirt and the batter reached.

 

[MisterCreosote]

Roy Halladay's playoff no-hitter. Just unreal. For my money, a better performance than his perfect game a few months earlier.

Also, a more collective answer: I got to go to several games during the Sixers' 2001 playoff run, and Allen Iverson's performance throughout was unlike anything I'd ever seen. He topped 50 twice, 40 six times, and 30 14 times. I'd put his run against Toronto in the conference semifinals up there with the best seven-game series performances of all time.

 

[User 1019]

Clemens and a Cardinals pitcher, and I can't think for the life of me who it was now, both took one-hitters into the 10th when he was with Houston. Best damn game I've ever seen.

Also, I saw Sammy Sosa hit the train one afternoon at MinuteMaid.

 

[Vombatus]

I suppose we are talking about athletic performances by pro athletes and not our own multi-hour sexual achievements.

 

[User 1019]

It had to have been Carpenter.

 

[Steak Snabler]

LSU wide receiver Josh Reed vs. Alabama in 2001: 19 catches, 293 yards — both still SEC records

 

[The Big Ragu]

First game I thought of. ... Day before my birthday, July, 1990. Royals-Yankees @ Yankee Stadium. Bo Jackson hit 3 home runs in 5 innings before hurting himself in the field and having to leave the game. He hurt himself diving for a Deon Sanders line drive where he almost made an amazing catch. The ball went to the wall for a Sanders inside-the-park home run.

Another one I just thought of. Yankees-Red Sox @ Yankee Stadium, August, 1985. Ken Griffey Sr. made this catch, the best I have ever seen in person. It stuck with me because my dad and I were sitting in the left field stands and the catch was right in front of us.

 

[Steak Snabler]

In terms of one play, I also saw this in person:

Also saw him shatter his leg against Florida about three weeks later.

 

[User 1019]

And I think Bama was up like 31-7 when he did it.

 

[jr/shotglass]

The late small-college star Dave Russell (Shepherd) hitting 22 of 23 from the floor in one game, mostly from outside 27 feet.

 

[expendable]

I can't think of anything on the college or pro level that stands out, but I once saw a high school volleyball player serve a perfect 25-0 set. She had a kill at the start of the match to gain the serve, and wound up scoring 31 straight service points. The opposing team was meh, not good by any stretch of the imagination, but not horrible. Not 0-32 horrible, anyway.

 

[champ_kind]

Clemens and a Cardinals pitcher, and I can't think for the life of me who it was now, both took one-hitters into the 10th when he was with Houston. Best damn game I've ever seen.

Also, I saw Sammy Sosa hit the train one afternoon at MinuteMaid.

Believe it or not, it was Mark Mulder. I think he threw 94 pitches in 10 innings.

Edit: here's the box April 23, 2005 Houston Astros at St. Louis Cardinals Box Score and Play by Play | Baseball-Reference.com

 

[HC]

Christopher Plummer as Prospero in "The Tempest" at the Stratford Festival.

 

[Songbird]

I was a pup in the biz covering the California State Track and Field Championships when Ricky did this on the anchor leg. Had no business winning that leg, which pretty much gave Compton the team state title even though the Tarbabes brought just 4 guys to the championships. It really was a moment of moments. The second leg, Ed Hervey, tweaked a hammy the night before, which made his performance that much more memorable. I covered a lot of great teams over the years but that Compton quartet is probably my favorite.

 

[User 1019]

Believe it or not, it was Mark Mulder. I think he threw 94 pitches in 10 innings.

Edit: here's the box April 23, 2005 Houston Astros at St. Louis Cardinals Box Score and Play by Play | Baseball-Reference.com

Hmm. Looking at that line, Clemens only went 7. I was almost certain both pitchers finished the game.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

I was in Arlington for two impressive moments: Bill Mueller hitting grand slams from each side of the plate in the same game; and Beltre hitting for the cycle.

 

[micropolitan guy]

Gary Payton dropping 58 points on USC.

 

[Songbird]

I was in Arlington for two impressive moments: Bill Mueller hitting grand slams from each side of the plate in the same game; and Beltre hitting for the cycle.

Was anyone here at Dodger Stadium when Tatis hit 2 grand slams ... in the same ****ing inning?