#212---ATL @ NYN, 7/4/1999

 

This game may have been played on Independence Day, but it was not a celebration of America – it was a celebration of ‘90s baseball, in the final year of the decade, in all its glory:

* Stars of the ‘80s, still hanging around and in one case having his last great season (Rickey Henderson, Orel Hershiser)

* First-class stars of the ‘90s all over the place (Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, John Olerud, Mike Piazza, Robin Ventura, John Smoltz)

* Memorable ‘90s names all over the place (Bret Boone, Randall Simon, Edgardo Alfonzo, Benny Agbayani, Rey Ordonez, Armando Benitez to name just a few)

* A player whose son would take his name and far outshine his fame (Pat Mahomes)

* The best NL rivalry of the later part of the decade playing out between the Braves and Mets

* It’s the ‘90s, so there were lots of runs despite a future Hall of Famer pitching (13), and lots of homers (5)

* And a very entertaining game to boot