Awesome Win(d)

Playoff atmosphere can be completely electric. There’s just something about the “loser-goes-home, must-win” mentality that can drive the ordinary right into the realm of extraordinary. You can walk onto that field with still clinging to a thread of championship hope and if you fail to get the job done, you can enjoy that vacation a little sooner than you may have wanted. That’s nothing against vacation – it’s just a little sweeter when you can sit on the beach and drink your cool, frosty beverage out of the top of an ENORMOUS TROPHY.

I’ve been in a handful of playoff situations, and to my knowledge, I think I’ve even taken home a few league titles. And on a slow day where when my topic list is as dry as a Mormon kegger, I may relive some of that self-basking glory here at YAB. But in the meantime, we’ll have to focus on those who get paid to play out these magical events on the field – the pros.

On Sunday afternoon, the Atlanta Braves were playing for their playoff lives. To understand this scenario (listen up, Karen L. Yelito), you need to understand something about the Tomahawk Crew from Georgia. For the past 14 years, Bobby Cox’s team has managed to snatch the National League East title from the Phillies. Only once, however, in the last 14 have they gone on to take the ultimate prize – the World Series trophy. Instead they settle for making the playoffs, losing eventually to someone else, and head off to vacation with a lukewarm, perspiring beverage in a smaller, travel-size trophy. It’s like Stephen Spielberg having a Oscar-guaranteed script, but rather than going through the hassle of signing on Jack Nicholson to play the lead, he’s settles for Jack Black.

Atlanta came into the game ready to hold off the inevitable and planned on playing at least 9 more innings of baseball. And after 8 of those innings, they were coasting with a 6-1 lead. No problem? Maybe this was the year they’d get out of the NLDS unscathed. But then the winds changed at Minute Maid Park (formerly Enron Field.)

The Winds of Awesome.

Now Georgians, as it is well known in meteorological circles, are impervious to the Winds of Awesome. Ever since the place was founded by a guy named Oglethorpe, few from A-Town have ever felt the breeze that comes locked and loaded with luck and awe. And recently, Usher has used up most of it anyway.

Lance Berkman hits a grand slam in the eight inning to pull the Astros only one run back. Somewhere, Dale Murphy just went into cardiac arrest. In the ninth inning, Brad Ausmus hits a two-out dinger over the centerfield fence. This ties the game, and promptly reminds Atlanta that the Winds of Awesome are fickle; and we’re headed into extras.

In the 18th, 2nd-year 2nd baseman Chris Burke etches his name in playoff history, as the Winds of Awesome propel the 1-0 Joey Devine pitch into the left field seats. GAME OVER. Astros have a date in St.Louis Wednesday; Atlanta doesn’t have to cancel their annual “So Close” early October golf outing.While the Winds of Awesome affected Berkman, Ausmus, and Burke that Sunday afternoon, they reserved gale-force velocity for 25 year-old Shaun Dean.

In a major league season, roughly 77,760 balls go into the stands. 74 million fans go each year. Odds of catching a ball: 1 in 1000.

The playoffs at most are 41 games, normally end up around 35. That’s only 1,120 balls. And of that, only 70 will be home run balls.

Meet Shaun Dean – the fan who caught the Lance Berkman GRAND SLAM and the Chris Burke GAME WINNING HOME RUN.