MLB.com is currently running a promotion they have dubbed “”Actober.”” The point is to “”show the world what a real fan looks like”” by showing fan-re-enacted postseason plays, submitted for a chance to win World Series tickets.
If the UA ran a similar promotion encouraging fans to re-enact their favorite plays in recent history, which ones would make the cut? Which plays will go down in history as being the most unforgettable? Here’s a sampling of a few:
1. March 5, 2005
Guard Salim Stoudamire’s apparent shuffle of the feet went undetected, and his double-pump 14-foot jumper tickled the twine with six-tenths of a second to play to give the then-No. 11 Arizona men’s basketball team a 70-68 victory over ASU in Tempe. It was good timing in many ways, as the basket was Stoudamire’s only field goal of the second half and gave Arizona head coach Lute Olson his 305th Pacific 10 Conference victory, surpassing UCLA legend John Wooden, and the team its 11th
conference title.
2. May 26, 2007
In a season full of heart, determination, and overall hustle, Arizona softball center fielder
Caitlin Lowe pulled the wagon. She was chasing down a long drive in the first inning of a postseason game against Cal State-Fullerton when right fielder Adrienne Acton began yelling, warning Lowe that she was closing in on the wooden fence at Hillenbrand Stadium.
Lowe, in full stride, went face first into the wall, right where the years of Arizona’s regional championships are painted on the blue fence. She hit “”1994,”” creating a horrible thud that was heard in the stands. She recoiled onto the outfield grass as the ball bounced away and two more runs were scored. Suffering a broken nose, Lowe was in the lineup the next night, wearing a facemask on her batting helmet and a protective mask in the field. It doesn’t matter what sport, they don’t get much
tougher than that.
3. Dec. 30, 2006.
Leading 85-75 in the final seconds of the game, the Arizona men’s basketball team closed out the game against Stanford with back-to-back fast-break dunks, the first by Mustafa Shakur and the second by Marcus Williams via an off-the-backboard pass from Jawann McClellan.
Presumably upset at the dunks because the outcome of the game had already been decided, Stanford head coach Trent Johnson repeatedly said, “”That’s chicken-shit,”” while pacing the sidelines.
4. April 2, 2006
Talk about drama. In the inaugural Challenge at Chase Field between the Arizona and ASU baseball teams, freshman designated hitter David Plante launched a grand slam in the eighth inning to put the Wildcats ahead for good in a 12-8 win. The Wildcats went on to beat ASU the following year in the same contest, 6-5.
5. Dec. 3, 2005
Nice game, fellas. Not. It was a dramatic ending to say the least, as the Arizona Icecats swept No. 6 Weber State at the Tucson Convention Center. The postgame handshaking turned into a brutal melee when Wildcats from both teams covered the ice with blood and broken hockey sticks, giving the home crowd an encore show. You know what they say: “”If you can’t play nice … play hockey.””
6. May 20, June 2, 2007
You can call him the recycler. Outfielder Bill Rhinehart completed his final season with the Arizona baseball team on fire. He put Arizona’s first cycle since 2001 in the record books in his final home game of the regular season May 20 against Washington. What’s more amazing is that he then became the first Wildcat to pull off the feat in the postseason when he cycled against New Orleans on June 2 at the Wichita Regional. Rhinehart is the only player in school history to hit for the cycle twice in a career, let alone a single season.
– compiled by Lance Madden
Got another Wildcat play on your mind that’s not on this list? Let us know at sports@wildcat.arizona.edu.
