One-Hit Wonders in Sports

[BRV]

We know there are one-hit wonders in entertainment, most notably in music. But who are some examples of one-hit wonders in sports? Examples could include one incredible game, one season for the ages, or one championship run.

Two examples that immediately spring to mind:

- Jonas Gray: Spent four seasons with five teams, 588 career rushing yards and 5 career touchdowns - but 201 yards and 4 touchdowns came in one Sunday Night Football game against the Colts in 2014.

- Timmy Smith: 602 career rushing yards over an unremarkable four-year career in the NFL. But on the biggest stage in the sport, he ran for a Super Bowl-record 204 yards to help Washington defeat Denver in Super Bowl XXII.

[UN PLOMBIER NIGHTMARE #blm]

NBA: Jeremy Lin
MLB: Mark Fidrych
NHL: Jonathan Cheechoo
NFL: Derek Anderson

[karl100589]

Trevor Bayne winning the 2011 Daytona 500. Bayne would only finish in the top five twice more in his career before leaving the cup series in 2018.

[jm]

David Freese.

[Perd]

On opening day of 1994, Tuffy Rhodes hits three home runs for the Chicago Cubs. Becoming the first player in National League history to hit three homers on opening day. He hit thirteen homers over his entire MLB career. He did have a long, successful career in Japan. But in MLB, he’s only known for that one magical opening day.

[Jedi-El of Tomorrow]

Sept 6, 2023 13:15:09 GMT -5 UN PLOMBIER NIGHTMARE #blm said:

MLB: Mark Fidrych

Wouldn't have been a one hit wonder if it didn't take 8 f***ing years for doctors to discover he hand a torn rotator cuff.

[Futureraven: Beelzebruv]

In (european) football: Michu

Came from a mediocre career in the Spanish 2nd tier to take the Premier League by absolute storm in 2012/13, even got a cap for the Spanish national team out of it. 18 goals in a season, amazing return for a midfielder.

Then injuries some, 2 goals the next season, is sent out on loan, sold, never does well again and retires in 2017 from all the injures.

[Toilet Paper Roll]

Buster Douglas

[Jaws the Shark]

Cricket has a few, including two remarkably similar ones.

Bob Massie on debut for Australia at Lord's in 1972 returned match figures of 16 for 137, the best ever figures for a bowler on official test debut (he'd previously played in three matches that later had their test status rescinded); he went on to only play another five tests without much fanfare. Fifteen and a half years later, Narenda Hirwani debuted for India at Madras and beat Massie's record with a return of 16 for 136; again, he soon faded away.

Upon being recalled to the England test side in 2009 (having been dropped fourteen months earlier after bagging a pair at Galle against Sri Lanka), Ravi Bopara became the first English batsman since Graham Gooch in 1990 to score three consecutive test hundreds; he was dropped again by the end of the 2009 summer and never passed 50 in test matches again.

[Doo Doo is Worse Than WCW 2000]

Malcolm Smith, Super Bowl MVP for the Seahawks

David Tyree

Chris Shelton for the Tigers hit 9 homers in the first 13 games of the 2006 season and did nothing after that

[Stone Coke Miami Watson 🥃]

Bob Welch....had a respectable career with the Dodgers and A's.

Kicked major ass in Oakland in 1990 (in his last year on his contract) and won 27 games with many wondering if he was going to be the next pitcher to win 30 games.

Then he signed a phat deal with the Royals and never reached an iota of success again....

But damn, did he dominate in 1990

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

Pastor Maldonado. Complete meme F1 driver for 99% of his career, except for the one time where he somehow won the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix from pole position, driving a Williams that hadn’t won in eight years and hasn’t won since. Only had one more top five finish in the rest of his F1 career.

[G✇JI☈A]

In Australian Football

Probably been lots.. but I will go with who I know .. Hawthorn’s Will Langford .. son of club legend Chris.. had a so so career.. but in 2014 he had a good year with some stand out moments… but had an absolute blinder in the 2014 Grand Final win, almost got the Norm Smith medal too (that’s like the Super Bowl MVP). But post 2014 never shown the form he had in 2014, did not play in the 2015 Grand Final win was eventually delisted (aka released) in 2017.

[RadcapRadsley]

Monica Puig -Tennis
Her winning Gold at the Summer Olympics is as WTF to if a Viking Raider or Dana Brooke won the royal rumble
Her highest ever ranking was #27,only had 1 year ending ranking in the top 50,never got to a Quarterfinal of a grand slam in a decade on tour

This was really just a streaky journeywoman playing the tournament of her life and actually winning it.

[Sicho100]

Sept 7, 2023 12:16:49 GMT -5 Doo Doo is Worse Than WCW 2000 said:

Chris Shelton for the Tigers hit 9 homers in the first 13 games of the 2006 season and did nothing after that

I was going to mention him. I think about Chris Shelton way, way too much.

Yermin Mercedes with the White Sox a couple of years ago is in a similar boat.

[Mid-Carder]

She may not always be one but Emma Raducanu won the US Open with ease and hasn't come close to winning anything since.

[tirtefaa]

If we're talking only literal one hit, here are the one timers for MLB;

Jeff Banister for the Pirates
Eric Cammack for the Mets
Roy Gleason for the Dodgers
Dave Liddell for the Mets
Chuck Lindstrom for the White Sox
Brandon Lyon for the Astros
Roe Skidmore for the Cubs
Tige Stone for the Cardinals
Charley Suche for the Indians
Ray Thomas for the Dodgers
Chuck Tompkins for the Reds
Lonnie Torian for the Giants
Matt Tupman for the Royals
Allie Watt for the Senators
Ed Wingo for the A's
Bill Wolff for the Phillies
George Yantz for the Cubs

[Push R Truth]

Matt Flynn got a 20 million dollar contract from the Seahawks because he started the last game of the season for the Packers vs the Lions and had 480 yards and six touchdowns, which I think is a Packer record.

[tenshi]

Sept 8, 2023 5:48:48 GMT -5 RadcapRadsley said:

Monica Puig -Tennis
Her winning Gold at the Summer Olympics is as WTF to if a Viking Raider or Dana Brooke won the royal rumble
Her highest ever ranking was #27,only had 1 year ending ranking in the top 50,never got to a Quarterfinal of a grand slam in a decade on tour

This was really just a streaky journeywoman playing the tournament of her life and actually winning it.

I still remember when a local sports show refused to cover Monica Puig games in tournaments because she never got out of the second round... and then she won Olympic gold and they acted like her biggest fans all along.

[Dr. T is an alien]

Sept 9, 2023 7:04:58 GMT -5 Push R Truth said:

Matt Flynn got a 20 million dollar contract from the Seahawks because he started the last game of the season for the Packers vs the Lions and had 480 yards and six touchdowns, which I think is a Packer record.

It wasn’t exclusively based on that game as he had been solid in other games, but I get your point.