Read the arguments from Babe Ruthless and Loyal Homer about which game they believe was best in 2009.
With the number of sporting events that took place during the past 365 days, it can be difficult to single out the one game that stood above the rest. Therefore, when determining the “best” game of 2009, some criteria should be applied to help narrow down the list of candidates. The best game of the year should satisfy each of the following:
Postseason Clincher
The game MUST take place in a setting where at least one of the teams faces the possibility of seeing the season end with a loss. There may be worthwhile and exciting games that play out during a regular season of competition, but the increased drama of “win or go home” adds the mystique necessary to propel the game to “Best” status. And, with all due respect to the impressive performances of Cliff Lee, game one of ANY postseason series will NEVER compete with games six or seven.
History
There should be some kind of historical significance to the game. Whether it is seeing a feat that has never before happened or witnessing a legend as they accomplish some herculean task, the game MUST provide something that is not likely to ever be seen again. There is just something magical about the notion that a game will not only impact the current season, but will actually change the history books.
See-Saw
The “Best” game of the year should not be a one-sided affair. Instead, it should be an epic back-and-forth struggle between two equally matched opponents, where both have a real opportunity to leave the field victorious. The balance of power should shift several times throughout the course of play, ultimately building to a climax that is reached just as the clock strikes 00:00. If fans started leaving the game in the third quarter (sixth Inning, etc.), it probably wasn’t the best game of the year.
Those three elements make up the formula for designating which single sporting event of 2009 was THE best. If the game is missing just ONE of the key elements listed above, then it falls into the mundane realm of being “any other game,” no matter how special it may have been.
With those requirements in mind, a rundown of all the sporting events from the past year can be narrowed down to a very small list of candidates. And of those candidates, only ONE took place in a sport that the MAJORITY of sports fans care about (sorry Roger Federer and Andy Roddick) – the tiebreaker game between the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins.
Without a doubt, this game had everything. After a full 162 game season, the American League Central Division was still unable to crown a champion, ultimately requiring a one-game playoff. The winner would go on to face the New York Yankees in the American League Divisional Series, and the loser would find a spot on the couch next to the Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, and Chicago White Sox to enjoy the playoffs from their living rooms (note – Postseason Clincher requirement satisfied). In a league where the postseason is normally played out over a series of games, one-and-done scenarios are a very rare treat.
The tiebreaker almost didn’t happen. With less than a month of baseball to play, the Tigers held a seven game lead in the AL Central, and appeared to be on cruise control towards winning the division. Through the month of September the Tigers faltered but still managed to split a late-season series with the Twins to hang on to a three-game lead in the division with only four games remaining. Because no team had ever trailed by that many games so late in the season and come back to reach the playoffs, the Tigers seemed certain of a division championship. Miraculously, though, the Twins won each of their final four games while the Tigers lost three of their remaining games, resulting in the extension of the season to a 163rd game in order to crown the winner. The Twins pulled off what seemed impossible, and if the team managed to win game 163, the Tigers would lay claim of one of the biggest collapses in MLB history (note – History requirement satisfied).
With potential history in the making, these two teams took the field in a tiebreaker game where both teams were playing for their postseason lives. Not surprisingly, nine innings were still not enough to crown a champion. After a season of 162 games played out over more than six months, extra innings in an extra game would be required before the playoffs could be set.
The Tigers jumped out to an early lead, going ahead by a score of 3-0 in the top of the third inning, but the Twins would get one back in the bottom of the third, and another run in the sixth, closing the gap to a score of 3-2 as the teams entered the seventh inning. In the bottom of the seventh, Twins shortstop Orlando Cabrera hit a two-run homer that gave the Twins their first lead of the game at 4-3. A mere half-inning later, Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordonez tied the game again on a home run, making the score 4-4. The score remained 4-4 through the rest of regulation. The back-and-forth struggle between these two teams would continue into extra innings (note – See-Saw requirement satisfied).
Both teams would score an additional run in the tenth inning, but it was the Twins that would finally go on to win thanks to an RBI single by Alexi Casilla in the bottom of the 12th inning. After more than a half-year of drama, and facing seemingly insurmountable odds, the Twins had completed an historic come-from-behind quest and claimed the American League Central crown.
The game was an instant classic, and is without a doubt the best single sporting event of 2009!
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