There are few things in sports better than the connective tissue that is baseball history.
Leo Rivas, 2025 Seattle Mariners' walk-off home run hero, meet Charles 'Old Hoss' Radbourn, the 1882 walk-off home run hero of the Providence Grays. A mere 143 years apart, and now linked.
Here's how: Rivas delivered a walk-off homer for the Mariners in the 13th inning on Wednesday night. It was his second career home run.
He's the 20th player in MLB history to walk a game off with a home run in the 13th inning or later for either his first or second career homer, according to MLB Network's Sarah Langs.
And the first to do so was Radbourn.
Radbourn's heroics came on Aug. 17, 1882, in a game that was entirely scoreless for 17-and-a-half innings. But in the bottom of the 18th, the 0-for-6 Radbourn launched a fly ball toward left field that just stayed fair.
He wasn't known for his hitting, of course. Old Hoss was the best pitcher of his day, and he won 59 games on the mound in 1882.
According to SABR, The Providence Evening Telegram called that "the most beautiful base ball game in the history of the League," and "one long to be remembered by those so fortunate as to be present."
Here we are, not having been present, remembering it, too, because that's the beauty of baseball.
The Mariners, trying to cling to a wild card spot, needed that big swing from Rivas.
Baseball extends from Radbourn to Rivas, and so many wonderful places in between.
MORE: Aaron Judge passes Yogi Berra in Yankees home run history