The day an unknown David Ortiz beat Ken Griffey Jr. and A-Rod in a surprise home run derby

Almost three decades ago: An historic day in baseball no one saw coming on July 29, 1996.

Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez were at the height of their powers, and they were young -- back then, so was “cub reporter” Gary Horcher.

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Mariners - 1996 home run derby

This was was his first reporting job in Appleton, Wisconsin for WBAY-TV in Green Bay. The assignment that day: to cover a rare promotional exhibition game between the 1996 Mariners and their lowest level minor league team, the Appleton Timber Rattlers who had built a new stadium just in time for this anticipated game.

But there was a big problem that day. It rained so hard that the field was soaked and unplayable. But when the fans arrived, the sun came out.

Mariners manager Lou Piniella said his players would not play a game that day, for fear of injury on the boggy playing surface. But the fans had planned on this for years. They were not going home. After all, they were also Packer fans, used to enduring far more challenging weather than a little rain.

So Mariners catcher Dan Wilson and the Timber Rattlers’ staff hatched an idea.

“What if we played home run derby?” they posited.

Wilson grabbed Ken Griffey Jr and Alex Rodriguez, and they told the Timber Rattlers to bring out their best three hitters to give these fans a show!

Ken Griffey Junior whiffed on his first swing. The crowd started jeering him, and he really struggled that day.

He was overheard saying, “Hey, this is so hard!” to his teammates. This was the most famous baseball player in the world at the time, and he could only giggle at his struggles.

Then, a 21-year-old A-Rod did everything he could. He hit a respectable three out of 10 pitches over the wall.

And then, something happened that day that baseball fans are still buzzing about to this day.

“Coming up next.. the all-star home run hitting champion from the Midwest League All Star Game, first baseman, David Arias!” the announcer declared over the loud speaker.

This 20-year-old lanky kid named David Arias who was playing A-ball with the Timber Rattlers stole the entire show.

None of the Mariners had ever heard of this kid, but his display of jaw dropping power astounded their star players.

This unknown natural hit seven of 10 pitches out, and two landed on a freeway, out of sight. At one point A-Rod said he had no chance.

Rodriguez knew what he was watching was different. It was special.

This unknown phenom’s final launch went way out. And Arias dropped his head and walked away before the ball landed.

Neither Ken Griffey Jr. nor Alex Rodriguez could keep up. The two of them combined didn’t hit as many as this minor leaguer playing lowly A-ball with an uppercut, who would never play for the Mariners.

It was only years later that he would change his name after being traded to the Twins... to David Ortiz, and become the iconic Big Papi, a 10-time All-Star and a MLB Hall of Famer.

When Gary found this rare tape 20 years later, the story would be told again. Ortiz later said that day, nobody knew him, but they would get to know him. And the rest as they say, is history.

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