Top Moment #1: Doc’s Playoff No-Hitter
Posted by Pat Gallen, Fri, February 18, 2011 09:15 AM | Comments: 11
2010 Top Moments, Posts, Video
Well, we’re finally, finally done. We’ve gone through Opening Day, when Phillies Nation, along with Roy Halladay, rocked Nationals Stadium in D.C. We’ve passed along our stories on the perfect game, the Oswalt trade, an incredible J-Roll walk off, and another division title. We’ve presented to you the best moments from the postseason: the Fistpump, Oswalt running through the stop sign, and the “Groin Game.” But this is #1.
Roy Halladay’s playoff no-hitter is the #1 Moment of 2010, according to the contributors here at Phillies Nation. Beating out the perfect game by one measly vote – which seemingly was because of the postseason importance over the PG – Doc’s no-hitter was an amazing display of guts, guile, and confidence. Only one other person in MLB postseason history was able to do what Halladay did against the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the NLDS.
I was there. Lucky enough to witness the special moment from the press box – my first season and playoffs as a media member. Even that couldn’t stop my heart from thumping, my pulse from pounding as the ninth inning began. If someone had nails left in the building, they either had no rooting interest in the game or had fake nails. Even the vast array of writers, reporters, and whomever else they let in the box, were buzzing. I recall smiling to myself after out number one, like ‘is this actually happening?” It was. And it did.
It’s a moment, a game, a day I won’t soon forget. I was there. I was lucky. I got to witness Roy Halladay re-write the history books.
Here are a few videos from that historic evening that I shot with my trusty flip cam. I defy you to keep from getting chills. Impossible:
The final out, from my point of view:
Roy Halladay after the no-hitter:
Charlie Manuel after the game:
Dusty Baker on witnessing history:
Posts: 60 Captain Chaos
I was at this game with a friend of mine. Rocking the standing room only in centerfield. I had to spend the whole game interrupting this guy and his daughter who kept talking about the no hitter…
Isn’t that suppossed to be a rule everyone knows? When Halladay threw his perfect game a neighbor of mine stopped by she doesn’t know much about baseball, but I just told her “Something important is happening in the game you should sit down and watch, but we can’t talk about it.” No further info needed.
This was amazing to be at, I’ve never seen anything quite like it the hushed silence when the ball rolled along the bat infront of chooch and then the explosion of noice as the throw makes it to first in the nick of time. What more can you say about Roy Halladay?
Posted: 09:44 AM on February 18, 2011
Posts: 0 Derek
That was by far the most exciting game that I had ever been too. I was even able to witness it from the lower level thanks to the weekend warrior fans that decided to leave in the 8th just to be traffic but they were nice enough to give my friend and I there tickets to witness an amazing and possibly a once and lifetime event in person!
Posted: 10:01 AM on February 18, 2011
Posts: 1 Matt Hale
This is a date that I will never forget. I currently live in North Carolina and don’t get to see very many televised games down here until the playoffs start, other than the few nationally televised games during the season. So when they are on TV I never miss a game, except I did miss most of this one. I only ended up being able to see about the first four innings because I was at the hospital for the birth of my son. I remember trying to look into any room I could to try to get a glimpse of a TV so I could get an update of the score and the no-hitter situation. Unfortunately down here in NC there are not too many other Phils fans, especially in the labor and delivery ward at the hospital. We finally got put into a room about ten minutes after the game ended so I was able to see all of the post-game hoopla, but missed the last at-bat.
Even though I didn’t get to see all of the game I cannot wait until the day my son asks me if anything important happened the day he was born and I can tell him about this. By then he will undoubtedly be as big a Phils fan as I am (at least he better be or he might be living with a relative, just kidding) and it will be a really cool story for him to tell his friends. I even bought a t-shirt sold at a Phils fan site that has the date written on it that I can hang onto and give to him someday. It was a great day to be a Phils fan and one that I will never forget! Go Phightins!!
Posted: 10:16 AM on February 18, 2011
Posts: 222 tavian
This was the ultimate in clutch performances. Absolutely awesome. What a great pitcher !!!
Posted: 11:56 AM on February 18, 2011
Posts: 3 Best Phillies Blogs
A treat to watch. Wish I was there. Still have it on the DVR. Instant Classic! Took pictures of my son in front of the TV. I’m a loser.
Posted: 12:07 PM on February 18, 2011
Posts: 1099 Manny
And if I recall correctly, he only had ONE walk… which was a BS call by the umpire (he had the batter K’d with his next-to-last pitch of that at-bat)
Anyway… this was definitely the No.1 moment (especially when you consider that there were a couple other Perfect Games during the regular season).
Posted: 12:11 PM on February 18, 2011
Posts: 3566 Lefty
That was some great managing Charlie! Seriously I think Doc is the most poised pitcher in the game today. I was screaming about that walk you mentioned Manny, but I don’t think Roy even blinked, just kept on about his business. That’s as good as you can get in such an important high pressure game. Roy Halladay was unbelievable this night, the perfect game, all year long really. He quickly made me forget how bad I felt about losing Clif… :) :) :)
Posted: 12:52 PM on February 18, 2011
Posts: 0 Some Links | BlueClaws Blog
[...] Pat from Phillies Nation on the top Phillies moment of 2010, Halladay’s No-Hitter. If someone had nails left in the building, they either had no rooting interest in the game or had fake nails. [...]
Posted: 01:01 PM on February 18, 2011
Posts: 14 phillygirl17
I was at a bar in Arlington, VA with a couple good friends. There were a couple other groups of Phillies fans there too. My one friend knows close to nothing about baseball (though I am quickly fixing that.) After the Phillies scored in the first, I leaned to the group of guys sitting behind us (that I didn’t know) and asked them if any of them think that is all the runs that Doc needs for the night. As the game went on and I was paying attention to what was happening, I couldn’t talk about it. I started freaking out in the 5th and my one friend wanted to know why, but I couldn’t talk about it. My other friend explained when I left the table for a few minutes and warned her not to say anything to me. After that last strike, the bar was going crazy! Absolutely insane. Best experience ever.
Posted: 02:53 PM on February 18, 2011
Posts: 2593 Chuck A.
I was there. And it was an UNBELIEVABLE experience. Yeah, Manny….that one walk was total BS…
Posted: 03:32 PM on February 18, 2011
Posts: 31 Kate
I’m thinking that Jay Bruce walk was a make-up for that called strike three on Rolen that was iffy at best. While I enjoyed seeing Rolen rung up, I knew he was right when he turned to the ump after that call.
It was my aunt’s birthday and we were waiting for her to call us to let us know she had gotten home so we could go up for cake, presents, and ice cream. I think we broke some land-speed records trying to get up there between the seventh and the eighth, all the while listening to the game.
It was a great night.
Posted: 12:50 PM on February 19, 2011