The 25 Most Memorable Moments In The History Of Major League Baseball

Mike Trout practically hasn’t stopped breaking records since the Los Angeles Angels drafted him in 2009. The Millville Meteor is in the MVP conversation year after year, and he boasts the highest combined on-base and slugging percentages among active players. But Trout’s arguably most memorable feat came when he achieved the greatest rookie season ever in 2012, which saw him bat .326, smash 30 homers, and steal 45 bases.

Baseball icon Babe Ruth was renowned just as much for his trash talk as his skills on the field. But he put his money where his mouth was in the World Series of 1932 when he gestured towards the center of Wrigley Field. Ruth then propelled the ball above that exact same spot as he hit a home run. However, some believe that Ruth was actually pointing at Chicago Cubs pitcher Charlie Root.

The late Roy Halladay also entered the record books numerous times. He’s one of just six pitchers to receive the Cy Young Award for excellence in both the National and American Leagues. He’s also among the five pitchers to have thrown more than one no-hitter during an MLB season. In 2010, the Phillies ace achieved his first in his perfect game against the Florida Marlins in May; his second, meanwhile, arrived six months later against the Cincinnati Reds when he struck out eight batters and walked just one.

Incredibly, it took nearly half a century before a Black player was allowed to join the MLB. Though he wasn't the very first, the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Jackie Robinson, who first showcased his talents in the segregated Negro Baseball League, was the man who paved the way when he walked out onto Ebbets Field in 1947. That same year he was crowned the National League Rookie of the Year, and in 1962 he was honored with a Baseball Hall of Fame induction.

“The shot heard around the world” refers to the New York Giants’ Bobby Thompson’s winning three-run home run in the 1951 National League pennant playoff. It was given its nickname thanks to Giants commentator Russ Hodges’ highly excitable reaction to the unlikely victory. The Giants had been regarded as a lost cause earlier in the season before finding their form to beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in the definitive underdog triumph.

Lou Gehrig left everybody speechless when he suddenly announced his retirement midway through the 1939 season. A few weeks later, the “Iron Horse” left everybody in tears when he gave an emotional farewell speech at Yankee Stadium. Gehrig described himself as “the luckiest man on the face of the Earth” in front of thousands of fans. And yet at the time, he was battling the disease ALS, which would lead to his death two years later.

Despite his forced retirement, the legendary Gehrig kept his record of successive games played for 56 years. It was eventually broken in 1995 by Cal Ripken Jr., who had started his streak back in 1982. In fact, the shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles didn’t just break the record; he went on to smash it. While Gehrig’s tally stood at 2,130, Ripken, Jr. clocked up an astonishing 2,632 games, eventually ending his run in September 1998.

“I don’t believe what I just saw!” said broadcaster Jack Buck during the 1988 World Series’ first game. And viewers at home agreed. With injuries to both of his legs, Kirk Gibson looked a sorry sight as he hobbled up to the plate for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ match-up with the Oakland Athletics. And yet, somehow, Gibson still managed to guide his team to victory with a walk-off home run, while his fist-pumping celebration became the stuff of legend.

Enos Slaughter not only guided the St. Louis Cardinals to the 1946 World Series, but he also introduced a new term into the baseball lexicon while doing so. The outfielder took advantage of the Boston Red Sox’s slow reaction time in the seventh game to score a winning run by coasting across the home plate. His move was subsequently dubbed “The Mad Dash.”

A no-no may be a pretty regular occurrence, as there are a few every season these days, but the one that Dock Ellis threw in 1984 was truly special. That’s because the pitcher was high on his own supply during the whole game. And the reason? Ellis had taken LSD without realizing that he was pitched that same day. The sportsman later admitted that he’d been under the influence of one substance or another every time that he had thrown a ball.

Grover Cleveland Alexander appeared to be asleep in the bullpen during the 1926 World Series between the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals. According to legend, the pitcher was nursing a hangover when he was roused and called upon in the seventh inning of the decisive seventh game. With a one-run lead and the bases loaded, "Old Pete" had no margin for error. Amazing, he struck out the powerful Tony Lazzeri with four pitches. And after throwing run-free eighth and ninth innings, Alexander guided the Cardinals to victory.

One of the sport’s most infamous brawls occurred during a 1993 game between the Texas Rangers and the Chicago White Sox. Having been struck by a pitch from the Ranger's Nolan Ryan, Robin Ventura charged the mound. He soon regretted his decision when Ryan grabbed him in a headlock and began hitting him. George W. Bush, who was in the audience, bizarrely described the incident as “a fantastic experience for the Texas Rangers.”

Sadly, it took nearly 30 years after Robinson's debut for a Black man to take charge of an MLB team. Former All-Star Frank Robinson achieved the feat when he was appointed boss of the Cleveland Indians in 1975. And as manager, Robinson would go on to win over 1,000 with various organizations. Of course, his first game was made all the more significant by the fact that Jackie Robinson’s wife, Rachel, had the first pitch.

The New York Mets may have been dismissed as a joke during their early years, but they had the last laugh in 1969. The team was slated as a 100-1 outsider to triumph in the World Series at the start of the season. But after making it to the annual championship, the Mets stunned the Baltimore Orioles in five games. Left fielder Cleon Jones later said, “Some people still might not believe in us. But then some people still think that the world is flat.”

The Oakland Athletics’ Jeremy Giambi looked certain to score a run when the New York Yankees’ Shane Spencer threw an errant ball during a 2001 American League Division Series game. However, Giambi didn’t count on Derek Jeter’s quick thinking. The shortstop sprinted to pick up the ball and in the blink of an eye flipped it from the first base line to catcher Jorge Posada, who subsequently tagged out an incredulous Giambi.

The game of baseball changed forever in 1935 thanks to the simple but pivotal move of staging a game in the evening. Even the White House got caught up in the moment when President Roosevelt was tasked with switching the lights on at Crosley Field. And the teams involved, the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies, lived up to the occasion, too, with the former winning 2-1 in a faultless home game.

It’s fair to say that the 1960 World Series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Yankees ended with a bang. With the crucial seventh game tied at nine runs, the Pirates’ Bill Mazeroski stepped up to the plate and, with a single swing of his bat, secured victory for his team. It was the first time a walk-off home run had decided the World Series.

In 1968 Denny McLain became the only pitcher in 34 years to win more than 30 games; Hall of Famer Dizzy Dean had been the first to hit those heights in 1934. And the Detroit Tigers legend achieved the feat in style thanks to a remarkable game against the Oakland Athletics at Tiger Stadium. McLain ended the season with a 1.96 ERA, having pitched 336 innings and 28 complete games.

Harvey Haddix must have broken a few mirrors in his time given the turn of events in a 1959 game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Atlanta Braves. The pitcher for the Pirates wasn’t expected to make much of an impression, but surprised everybody when he threw 12 innings that could only be described as perfect. However, a fielding error from teammate Don Hoak in the 13th meant that Haddix ended up on the losing side.

The Boston Red Sox’s Carlton Fisk inadvertently changed how baseball was broadcast during the 1975 World Series. With the score level in the sixth game against the Cincinnati Reds, the catcher hit a pitch that initially appeared to be heading for foul territory before it bounced off the foul pole. And Fisk’s reaction as he frenetically waved the ball fair became an iconic image and inspired cameramen to focus more on players’ reactions.

As the 1961 World Series rolled on, Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees suffered an “abscessed hip.” The all-time great attempted to play through it, leading to this very candid snap. Mantle looked to be in utter agony! Anyway, he eventually departed the baseball field before the game concluded in Cincinnati, Ohio.

If you’re a sports photographer, it’s imperative to stay focused throughout the event you’re covering. You never know when something memorable might happen. Well, Greg Olson provided snappers with an incredible shot at the 1991 World Series. The catcher flipped upside down as he got close to tagging Minnesota Twins’ star Dan Gladden.

During the summer of 1951, Eddie Gaedel took to the field for the St. Louis Browns as they faced the Detroit Tigers. Now this moment was particularly special because Gaedel had dwarfism. He was the first individual with this condition to compete on the grand stage of Major League Baseball.

Babe Ruth’s baseball legacy can’t be questioned, as he dominated the sport in days gone by. Then again, one of his landmarks was eventually surpassed in 1974. Yes, Hank Aaron scored the 715th home run of his career that year, beating the number previously posted by Ruth. Aaron’s smile says it all really. He would go on to reach a grand total of 755 — a number that has yet to be (legitimately) broken.

While there have been some jaw-dropping catches in baseball throughout the decades, few can top this one. Sprinting at maximum speed toward the outfield wall, Willie Mays plucked a ball out of the air for the New York Giants. This unbelievable moment occurred during the 1954 World Series. Imagine if it happened now! It would’ve been an online sensation in minutes.

And across the pond, another viral-worthy moment happened at the 1986 World Cup quarter-final in Mexico. England were up against Argentina and their star player, Diego Maradona. After a goalless first half, things erupted in the second. The ball flew into the box, where Maradona connected with it and scored — with his fist. The goal that would come to be known as the “Hand of God” stood and became infamous. But the wildest thing is that Maradona’s next contribution to this same match is almost as renowned as this moment.

The Netherlands are playing Sweden at the 1974 tournament, and Johan Cruyff has just received the ball for the Dutch. Pressure is being applied by defender Jan Olsson, who seems to be in control of the situation. But all of a sudden, Cruyff drops his left shoulder ever so slightly. Olsson thinks the attacker is about to head back towards the center line — but he was wrong. Instead, Cruyff turns in the opposite direction towards the byline, his subtle shoulder-drop having been a dummy all along. This move has now been immortalized as the “Cruyff turn.”

As the 1958 World Cup rolled around, the world was intrigued by what it had heard about some 17-year-old kid called Pele. Sure enough, he soon set the competition alight. His first goal came in the quarter-final, but it just got better from there. He scored a hat-trick in the semis, but this wasn’t even his crowning achievement. That came in the final versus Sweden, who were the hosts of that tournament. He scored two that game, and was generally irresistible. He helped his country to a 5-2 victory and their first ever World Cup.

It was 1954 and World War II was very much in living memory. The newly established state of West Germany had made it to the World Cup final in Bern, Switzerland, but now their unlikely run was set to come to an end. They were playing Hungary, probably the best team on Earth at the time. And sure enough, Hungary went 2-0 up within ten minutes. A drubbing seemed inevitable. But then, Germany scored one, then another, then another. Somehow, they’d turned things around to become champions. It was an inconceivable triumph, and one that restored a sense of pride to a nation still reeling from the war.

Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp’s goal against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup was, plainly, sublime. A long ball was launched into the box, which Bergkamp killed with a sumptuous first touch. This allowed him to cut inside, past his defender, and it was only the keeper to beat now. His shot with the outside of the boot flew into the back of the net. Everything had been perfect.

England had made it to the 1990 semi-final, and they were playing bitter rivals West Germany. In the English team was Paul Gascoigne, who was in great form. But everything soon went wrong. After the game had gone to extra-time, Gascoigne went in for a challenge. The whistle went, and the ref took out a yellow card. Gascoigne had been booked in a previous game, so this latest card meant only one thing: if England made it to the final, Gascoigne wouldn’t be allowed to play in it. When this realization hit the player, the tears started to flow. It’s an image with a distinct potency that’s endured in England to this very day.

One of the greatest footballers of his generation, Frenchman Zinedine Zidane had the opportunity to end his career in style. His last ever game as a player was in the 2006 World Cup final versus Italy, where he was captaining his team. And everything initially seemed to be going right — he opened the scoring! But fate soon took a turn. Italy later pulled one back, forcing the game into extra time. Then the infamous moment came: Zidane, in a flash of fury, headbutted Marco Materazzi. It was one of the most shocking moments in World Cup history, and it saw Zidane sent off. His team then lost on penalties, and his career came to a close.

Italian Paolo Rossi’s successful footballing career seemed finished when he was implicated in a corruption scandal. He was banned from the game for a couple of years, but immediately after the ban had ended, he was included in Italy’s 1982 World Cup side. That raised a few eyebrows, but he soon justified the decision. After a slow start, Rossi unexpectedly found his form and scored a hat-trick against favorites Brazil. Thanks almost entirely to the striker, Italy won the game and later won the whole tournament. In a flash, Rossi had recovered his reputation.

Portugal had never been to a World Cup before, but their debut campaign in 1966 was an unexpected triumph. They beat two of the favorites in Brazil and Hungary, with their attacker Eusébio really beginning to shine. His crowning achievement, however, came in the quarter-final against North Korea, who overwhelmed Portugal and quickly took a 3-0 lead. Things looked bad, but Eusébio pulled out an outstanding performance. He scored four goals in that game, leading his country to a 5-3 victory. Portugal ultimately lost in the semis, but Eusébio had already established himself as a legend.

Brazilian Ronaldo was expected to lead his country to glory at the 1998 World Cup. But not long before his team was set to face France in the final, the striker had a seizure. He still played in that game, but he obviously didn’t perform well — and he was vilified for it. His international career could have faltered from that point on, but, of course, the 2002 World Cup eventually rolled around. He played outstandingly throughout the competition, scoring more than any other player. His crowning achievement was scoring twice in the final, leading his team to victory and securing his place in the history books.

Newly established as an independent state, Croatia were hardly expected to do especially well at the 1998 World Cup. Yet they passed through the group stages and ultimately made it to the quarter-finals, where they were set to face footballing giants Germany. The Germans were firm favorites, yet goals from Robert Jarni, Goran Vlaovic, and Davor Suker sent the underdogs through to the semis. Croatia ultimately lost their next game, but their triumph over the Germans put them on the world football map.

Brazil hosted the 2014 World Cup, and their odds of taking the trophy weren’t looking too shabby. But when they met Germany in the semi-final, everything went terribly, terribly wrong. Thomas Mueller opened the scoring for the Germans in the 11th minute, but then goal after goal after goal flooded in. Thirty minutes into the game, Brazil were 5-0 down. The second half was a more muted affair, with Germany getting two more and Brazil pulling one back at the very end. But the damage had already been done: it was a total humiliation.

In 1978 Scotland needed to achieve victory against the Netherlands by three goals or more. If they failed, they’d be dumped out of the competition at the group stages. Well, for one special moment during the game, it seemed like it just might be possible. Archie Gemmill went on a run and tucked away a fine finish, giving his team a 3-1 lead. It was such a remarkable goal that deserved to send the country through, but the Netherlands later scored again and Scotland ultimately failed to make it. Even so, the goal is still legendary in the country and it was even referenced in the movie Trainspotting.

Not many casual football fans will necessarily recognize the name Hakan Sukur, but the Turkish international has quite the claim to fame. At the 2002 World Cup, he scored the quickest goal in the history of the competition. It came against South Korea, and it took only 11 seconds for Sukur to find the back of the net.

The player everyone remembers best from the 1958 World Cup is undoubtedly Pele, but he wasn’t the highest scorer that year. That honor went to Frenchman Just Fontaine, who racked up 13! That 13th strike was a record-breaking moment, marking the most goals scored by one player at a single World Cup. Fontaine still holds that record today.

The date was June 29, 1950, and one of football’s greatest upsets was about to unfold. England, who were among the favorites to take home the World Cup, had come up against the United States, a team consisting of semi-professionals who had barely qualified. This could only go one way — or so it seemed. In the end, the U.S. overcame their English rivals with a 1-0 victory: an astonishing result.

When South Korean Ahn Jung-Hwan put the ball away against Italy in 2002, the world went nuts. It was a golden goal that knocked out the heavily favored Europeans and sent his own country to the quarter-finals — further than they’d ever gone before. Even the British commentator speaking over the match couldn’t contain his excitement. “Goal!” he exclaimed. “Golden Goal! Has ever a goal been more golden?”

Who are the greatest football team in history? That can never be definitively answered, of course, but for many it’s undoubtedly the Brazil side of 1970. Stacked with stars including Pele, Rivelino, Jairzinho, and Carlos Alberto, this team beat Italy in the World Cup Final. The moment the final whistle blew on that game was the culmination of a perfect run. They’d become the only team to ever win every single game of a World Cup and its qualifying campaign. No other team has ever managed that feat.

When Italy and West Germany met in the semi-final in the summer of 1970, a good game could reasonably have been predicted. What actually unfolded, though, far exceeded anyone’s expectations. After a 1-1 draw took it to extra time, things just went crazy. Five more goals suddenly followed, with Italy picking up three and the Germans two. Italy made it to the final, where they lost to Brazil. A disappointing end, but they’ll always have the memory of that heady victory in the semis.

When North Korea showed up in England for the 1966 World Cup, nobody expected them to go far. The British government didn’t even recognize the territory as a nation, and they weren’t exactly known as footballing heavyweights. Yet when it came down to it, the North Koreans surpassed everyone’s expectations. After a mixed bag of results, they needed to beat Italy in their final group game. Italy were huge favorites, yet they were knocked out by their North Korean opponents, who made it to the quarter-finals.

To this day, English football lionizes its national team, who secured their only World Cup triumph to date in 1966. But that victory wasn’t achieved without controversy. The final against West Germany had gone to extra-time when Geoff Hurst took a shot. The ball smashed against the crossbar, hit the ground, and bounced out again. It wasn’t at all clear whether the ball had crossed the line, but a goal was still awarded. Hurst would go on to complete a hat-trick and England would lift the trophy — but the debate rages on as to whether or not that particular goal should have stood.

The World Cup isn’t especially known for absurdly high-scoring, one-sided games, but there are exceptions. Most notably, we have the time in 1982 when Hungary destroyed El Salvador 10-1 in the group stages. No other team has ever managed to score ten or more in a single World Cup game.

When referee Esse Baharmast awarded a penalty to Norway against Brazil at the 1998 World Cup, everyone was baffled. Almost nobody recognized that a foul had taken place, but Norway took their penalty and scored. After that, the press absolutely slaughtered Baharmast for his terrible decision. A few days after the game, though, footage of the foul from a different angle emerged — and it proved the referee had been right all along. In the face of all the abuse he’d been forced to endure, Baharmast was now vindicated.

No territory better encapsulated the tensions of the Cold War better than Germany. Split into East and West, the two states had a fractious relationship — and then they ended up facing each other at the 1974 World Cup, which was being held in West Germany. As expected, the atmosphere during the game was intense, and things went wild when the East scored. They ended up winning 1-0, but ultimately the West went on to win the whole competition.

With ten, Hungary hold the record for scoring the most goals by a single team in a World Cup match. But the highest number in total during a game is 12. That happened in 1954, when Austria scored seven to Switzerland’s five. That game has come to be dubbed “Hitzeschlacht von Lausanne” in German, which in English is something like “The heat battle of Lausanne.” That’s a reference to the soaring temperatures in which the game was played in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

When Russia came up against Cameroon at the 1994 World Cup, their forward Oleg Salenko managed to etch his name into the history books. No other player has ever scored more in a single game. How many did he get? Five. Imagine his ecstasy the moment the ball hit the back of the net that fifth time.

When Uruguay made it to the 1950 World Cup final versus the hosts Brazil, it was a big deal. So many people wanted to watch the game, leading to an astonishing 173,850 tickets being sold. But that’s not all, as even more people made it inside the stadium without tickets. In total, an estimated 200,000 people were there that day. That was a huge amount of people watching Uruguay upset the favorites with a 2-1 victory.

Before 1990 no African team had ever made it past the World Cup group stages. But that all changed after Cameroon beat the defending champions Argentina in their first game. Argentina had Maradona on their team, but they were frustrated by the Cameroonians, who ultimately went on to the quarter-finals. Their success went a long way towards encouraging people to view African teams and their talented players with more respect.

It was France versus Kuwait in 1982 and Frenchman Alain Giresse was through on goal. As he ran forwards, a whistle sounded from the crowd. The Kuwait players stopped playing, presuming it was the ref’s whistle. It wasn’t. Giresse, meanwhile, tucked the ball away and added to the French lead. The Kuwaiti players were appalled, as was Sheikh Fahid Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the head of the country’s football association. He ordered his team to cease playing, and even ran onto the pitch to argue that the goal shouldn’t have stood. And the amazing thing is that he was successful: the goal was reversed.

We’ve already looked at Maradona’s controversial “Hand of God” goal against England in 1986. That one shouldn’t have stood, but there was absolutely nothing wrong with his next one in that same game. Maradona received the ball, ran past five opponents, and slotted home. It was one of the best individual goals the world has ever seen and is known as the “Goal of the Century.”

The World Cup final of 2010 was a tense affair. Both Spain and the Netherlands struggled to break the deadlock, and the game drifted into extra-time. And from there, it looked doomed to go to penalties. But then, four minutes before the end of extra-time, Andreas Iniesta stepped forward with the goods. He smashed the ball home and the Spanish erupted into a frenzy.

In an effort to make extra-time more attacking and exciting, the golden goal rule was introduced. That meant whoever scored first in extra-time instantly won the match. We saw the first ever golden goal at the 1998 World Cup, when Laurent Blanc scored and helped France overcome underdogs Paraguay. For all the issues with the now-scrapped golden goal rule, this moment undoubtedly proved it was exciting.

One of the greatest goals in World Cup history came from a player not many people remember. Saeed Al-Owairan was a forward for Saudi Arabia, who in 1994 ran the length of the pitch, past countless Belgian players, and tucked the ball into the net. It was a remarkable solo goal reminiscent of Maradona’s “Goal of the Century” two tournaments previously. In fact, it even earned Al-Owairan the moniker “Maradona of the Arabs.”

Going into the 2002 World Cup France had been on a roll. They’d won the last World Cup, plus the most recent European Championships. Their first game in this competition was against first-timers Senegal — a comfortable win would surely follow? That’s not what happened. In the 30th minute, Papa Bouba Diop struck to send Senegal into the lead. The rest of the game was a tense affair for the African side, but they somehow managed to hold out and send shockwaves through world football.

When Iran and the United States were drawn to play each other at the 1998 World Cup, everyone expected things to get nasty. Relations between the two nations were notably tense at the time, and there were fears the match could even descend into violence. But what actually occurred was a very sporting game, with America securing a 2-1 victory. All the players were respectful to one another, and there were no issues in the crowd. It was all about the game and politics was left behind.

What’s your favorite celebration following a goal? Nowadays, Cristiano Ronaldo probably has the most famous one, but it doesn’t quite match the sheer passion expressed in Marco Tardelli’s reaction to scoring at the World Cup final in ’82. When he got his goal on 69 minutes, he ran at full pelt around the pitch, screaming in ecstasy. The image of the man’s passion endures to this very day.

When Pele got on the end of a cross in Brazil’s 1970 World Cup game against England, his goal was all but assured. His header was arrowing straight for the back of the net — until keeper Gordon Banks intervened. Somehow, the English goal-stopper got down to knock the ball away to safety. To this day, it remains one of the greatest saves ever. Even Pele himself has spoken about how good it was.

Ireland had never been to a World Cup before, so making it to the 1990 tournament in Italy was a big deal. Led by manager Jackie Charlton, the team and its fans were delighted to be there — but nobody really expected them to go far. Yet the team made it through the group stages and met Romania in the last 16. That game finished goalless, as did extra-time. It would come down to penalties to see who’d make it to the quarter-final. Both teams scored their first four penalties, before Romania missed one. It came down to David O’Leary to send his country through. In the tensest moment in Irish footballing history, he found the back of the net.

Because of the injuries that blighted him, Michael Owen’s career didn’t quite pan out as expected. But at the 1998 World Cup, anything seemed possible for the young English forward. Perhaps his greatest moment came against Argentina, when he scored a spectacular solo goal. The instant the ball hit the back of the net, Owen was a global superstar.

Argentina have a definite claim on the best ever team goal scored at a World Cup. Facing Serbia and Montenegro in 2006 the South Americans started patiently stringing some passes together. Then some more. Then some more. All told, they wracked up an incredible 25 passes before Esteban Cambiasso slammed it home.