Outrageous Results of ESPN Poll

[Aristotle]

There is a poll in the baseball section of ESPN.com that I voted in and was then stunned by the results.

Q: What is your favorite moment in baseball history on ESPN?

Results:

Cal Ripken's consecutive game record: 33.0%

Mark McGwire's 61st home run: 49.8%

Barry Bonds' home runs No. 71 and 72: 17.1%

Total Votes: 93,978

Now, I was glad that Bonds was in the cellar. But as awesome as McGwire's 61st HR was, it was NOTHING compared to the amazement of Cal Ripken's consecutive game streak.

I remember that game vividly. The fans demanded that Cal come out and do a victory lap. The incredible emotion of the event put McGwire's 61st HR to absolute shame. It isn't even close.

[Quotox]

While I can remember all these events quite vividly, I think it goes to the famous Maddux and Glavine commerical--Chicks Dig the Long Ball!

In addition, the McGwire & Sosa chase together has become a rather mythic event. It involved two major and historical franchises in two huge baseball towns (Which always help polls). Also it was a the first post-strike event that made the sport momentarily in the same lime light as the NFL. Finally, it broke a record that was in people's mind for generations and a number that stat there in the concience... Just think about the pressure Pete Rose got when he was 2/3's of the way to breaking DiMaggio's consecutive game hitting streak.

Cal Ripkins feat speaks to a career and one that was quite prominent and succesful. It is clearly the more impressive of the two given the luck, skill and general human design it takes to get there. But I don't think as a singular event, it recieved near the fanfare. Also, how many could name off the top of their head Lou Gerhigs's streak versus Roger Maris's homeruns.

Anyway, I think you are right the results are wrong, but I get why people think it.

[Grantref]

I'd wager that the reason people voted for McGwire is that his feat was more recent than Ripkin's, so people remembered it better. That's all. What this says about the state of our society is left as an exercise for the reader.

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