Joe Hietpas never wanted to be the living embodiment of a trivia question. He never wanted to be symbolic of human tragedy. He was just a ballplayer earning his chance.
It was the final day of the 2004 season, and the New York Mets were playing the Montreal Expos at Shea Stadium in the last game the Canadian ballclub would ever play. With the Mets leading 4-1, Todd Zeile came up with two men on in the sixth inning. It was the last game of his career.
Claudio Vargas, pitching for the Expos, fell behind 3-0.