Throughout baseball's rich history, there as always been one goal for every young boy to have picked up a bat or a ball—make it to "The Show."
"The Show" is, among baseball players and purists, code for Major League Baseball.
Although there are three other professional levels in baseball, making it to the big leagues is the gold standard for baseball success. Of all the players that have made it to their ultimate goal, 1,480 have appeared in only one game.
This list takes a look at who made the best, and the worst, of their one shot at glory.
The Best
5. PH Dutch Schirick, St. Louis Browns—Sept. 17, 1914
0/0, 1 BB, 2 SB
Even though he had only one AB and never played defense, Schirick earns his spot in history not because of his glove, arm, or even bat—he should be remembered for his swift feet.
In the middle of a 12-2 loss to the Washington Senators, Schirick was given a chance at his one and only MLB plate appearance.
He drew a walk, but that wasn't enough for him. He proceeded to steal second base, and then made his way over to third.
His two steals in that game gives him the most steals out of anyone with a one-game career, and his effort to make the best of his chance earns him a spot on this list.
4. RHP Chris Saenz, Milwaukee Brewers—April 24, 2004
6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Called up from AA to make an emergency start against the division rival St. Louis Cardinals, Chris Saenz did everything his big-league ball club could have wanted him to do and more.
Things got off to a strong start for Saenz, as he struck out leadoff hitter Bo Hart swinging. After loading the bases with two walks and a single, Saenz got a break when Edgar Renteria hit a home-run ball—only it went to the deepest part of the field for the third out.
After the scary start, Saenz settled down and went through the next 14 batters without allowing a hit. He didn't do anything flashy, and he didn't show dominating stuff—he just pitched efficient baseball.
With a two-run lead and the tying run at the plate, Saenz forced an inning-ending—and perhaps career-ending—double-play for his last pitch of the game.
He later suffered a sever arm injury, forcing him to have Tommy John surgery in September of 2004. It just so happened to be the last year on his contract, and he was unceremoniously non-tendered, and he hit the free-agent market.
Saenz then signed with the AA-affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, but he walked 31 batters in 46 innings, leading to his release. He is still looking for a team to give him another shot.
3. 3B Ed Irvin, Detroit Tigers—May 18, 1912
2/3, 2 3B, .667 BA, 1 E
While the NFL strike is well documented, the players strike that took place in MLB in 1912 is by far the more interesting.
When Ty Cobb was suspended for jumping in the stands and attacking a handicapped fan who was yelling racial slurs in New York, the members of the Detroit Tigers protested by refusing to play.
As the Tigers headed into Philadelphia to play the A's, manager Hughie Jennings was ordered to fill out a replacement team. He did so by fielding eight replacement players from a neighborhood in North Philadelphia.
Irvin was one of those eight, and he was the only one to make the best of his time.
In an expectantly woeful effort, the Tigers lost their first game against the A's, 24-2. Irvin was the only one of the replacement players to field a hit, and, in fact, he recorded two triples.
While no other players recorded a hit, two members of the coaching staff, Deacon McGuire and Joe Sugden, were forced to play, and each recorded a single.
His fielding, according to replacement pitcher Allan Travers, was not as good as his hitting.
"I was doing fine until they started bunting." said Travers. "The guy playing third base had never played baseball before."
The regular Tigers returned for the next game, and Irvin's career was effectively ended.
2. RHP Kid Keenan, Cincinnati Kelly's Killers—Aug. 11, 1891
CG, 6 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
Of the 78 players whose only game pitched was a complete one, Kid Keenan has to be the unluckiest.
Despite going the distance, striking out five batters, and working out of jams to make sure none of the runs scored would be on his hands, Keenan wound up on the losing side of the equation.
Playing his first major league game at just 16 years old, Keenan seemed poised to have a major league victory under his belt before becoming an adult. His surrounding teammates seemingly wanted anything but that to happen.
While Keenan did not give up an earned run, a whopping total of nine runs were scored while he was still in the game.
Perhaps Kennan should have seen it coming. When the season reached its conclusion, eight players had committed over 20 errors, with their shortstop, Jim Canavan, accounting for 85.
Cincinnati lost to the Boston Reds, 9-3, and Keenan's sparkling, complete game landed him in the "L"column.
1. RF John Paciorek, Houston Colt .45's—Sept. 29, 1963
3/3, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 RBI
John Paciorek, called up for the roster expansion in September of 1963, got his one chance to play with the best on the last game of Houston's disappointing, 66-96 season. He was placed in right field, and he forced the 3,889 Houston faithful to learn who he was.
Batting in the seventh spot in the lineup, Paciorek stepped up for his first professional at bat in the bottom of the second, facing off against Mets pitcher Larry Bearnarth. He drew a walk, his first of two, and was promptly driven in by John Bateman's triple into right field.
In his next AB, it was Paciorek's turn to drive in the runs.
With his team down 4-2 in the fourth, Paciorek put a single into left field, driving in two runs, tying the game.
The addition of the 18-year-old sparked the Houston club to the most runs scored all season, as Pacioreck would go on to drive in two more runs and score three more times in a 13-4 blowout victory.
Despite his sparking 1.000 batting average in his MLB career, Paciorek could never reach the pinnacle again. After having back surgery in 1964, his batting average never reached near .300 in his next six years of minor league baseball, with his best season being with the Single-A Reno River Sox, a year in which he hit .275 with 17 home runs.
He was able to live vicariously through his family, as his brothers Tom and Jim each had extended careers, but his one turn in the major leagues, as short as it may seem, puts him in the limelight as the greatest one-game career in MLB history.
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