As baseball players prepare for a game, some know exactly what they will be doing when they get to the ballpark.
It’s a routine for stars, but there are those players who are not regulars in a starting lineup that often can be put in an unexpected position.
Playing in 2,632 straight games, Cal Ripken Jr., was always in the lineup for the Baltimore Orioles from 1982 to 1998.
In 1982 on July 1, Orioles manager Earl Weaver moved Ripken from third base to shortstop permanently as the future National Hall of Fame inductee replaced Lenn Sakata. Ripken would go on to become the American League Rookie of the Year.
After the switch, Sakata then split time with Rich Daurer at second base for the Orioles.
The following season, all three players would contribute to the Orioles victory in the World Series over the Philadelphia Phillies as Ripken was named the AL Most Valuable Player.
With Daurer and Ripken entrenched at second and short, Sakata was relegated to 36 starts at second base. A native of Honolulu, Sakata played in 66 contests in 1983 posting a .254 batting average with three homers and 12 RBI.
Perhaps Sakata’s most memorable day that season was likely one of the more unexpected moments of his career.
Sakata wasn’t in the starting lineup for the Orioles when they faced the Toronto Blue Jays in Memorial Stadium on Aug. 24.
In the top of the eighth inning, Sakata entered the game as a defensive replacement at second base.
Baltimore trailed 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth. Sakata walked and scored one of the two runs the Orioles picked up to send the game into extra innings.
In his attempt to win the game in the ninth, Weaver created a difficult situation for himself having pinch-hit for catchers Rick Dempsey and Joe Nolan.
Apparently the team’s emergency backstop, Sakata moved behind the plate for the only inning in his career.
After Cliff Johnson gave the Blue Jays a 4-3 lead with a homer off Orioles reliever Tim Stoddard. Barry Bonnell followed with a single.
Weaver then called to the bullpen for lefty Tippy Martinez. Martinez didn’t retire a batter as he got out of the inning by picking off three Blue Jays at first base. Bonnell was officially caught stealing, while Dave Collins, who had walked, and Willie Upshaw, who singled, were eventually both nabbed after reaching base.
In the bottom of the 10th, Ripken tied the game with a home run off Joey McLaughlin.
Four batters later, Sakata hit a two-out, three-run walk-off homer to give the Orioles a 7-4 win.
That day certainly became one to remember for Sakata even though it didn’t start off as if it would be.
Another Walk-Off
Sakata played 11 years in the big leagues with the Milwaukee Brewers (1977-1979), Orioles (1980-1985), Oakland A’s (1986) and New York Yankees (1987).
In 565 games, he hit 25 homers with 109 RBI and a .230 average.
The previously mentioned walk-off homer was the second of his career.
In his first year with Baltimore in 1980, Sakata hit a solo shot as he led off the bottom of the 11th inning in a 9-8 win over the Brewers, who had traded him to the Orioles prior to the start of the season.
In a bit of irony, Martinez also was the winning pitcher for the Orioles in that contest as well. This time, Martinez actually retired a batter. He came into the game with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the 11th and fanned Ben Oglivie to get out of trouble setting the stage for Sakata.
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