One For The Ages

Marissa ... It's daddy. Last night around 10:30 you were getting fussy so you and mom went upstairs for a late night snack and some sleep. But then both of you missed one of the greatest baseball games ever.

We were debating whether or not to feed you downstairs, this way mom could watch the last few innings of Padres/Dodgers game. But knowing your sleeping pattern, mommy and I figured you would fall asleep downstairs and as we carried you upstairs you would wake up. So up you girls went.

Typically we would not have even debated this, mom would just go upstairs and I could tell her how the game ends. But this game was different. Why? Well baseball in September is different. Baseball in September against division rivals, well that's just special. The Padres had a slim 1/2 game lead on the Dodgers with just 12 games to play. A win would have put them a 1.5 games ahead.

You actually watched a little bit with me, including the Padres bullet dodging sixth inning when Clay Meredith came in with the bases loaded and no outs. Meredith miraculously didn't allow a run and the score remained tied. I was holding you and you perked up when Kenny Lofton grounded into the inning ending double play.

Fast forward to the ninth inning, by now you were off in breast milk heaven, and the Padres had 9-5 lead going into the bottom of the ninth. Figuring the game was well in hand, I retreated to my office while Uncle Tyson stayed on the couch to watch the end. All of a sudden I hear him call out my name and I see Jeff Kent circling the bases. It's 9-6. No big deal, I go back to the office and then I hear again, "Justin." I run back into the family room and see JD Drew circling the bases. It's 9-7, no outs, things are getting interesting and the Padres bring in closer, Trevor Hoffman.

Hoff is 55-57 in save opportunities against the Dodgers. On his first pitch to Russell Martin he serves up a dinger, this time Uncle didn't need to call me in, I saw it with my own eyes. And then I missed something that surely will not happen again in either of our lifetimes.

Exicited to share this news with mom, I ran upstairs to her mom what was going on. While I was there, I heard Uncle yell my name again. I ran back downstairs and saw with the score 9-8, Marlon Anderson continued the home run derby and tied the game with another solo shot. The score is 9-9 and Hoff is now 55-58 in save opportunities against the Dodgers.

The game would go to the 10th and the Padres would manufacturer a run in their half, clinging to a 10-9 lead going into the bottom half. Of course this night could not end with a simple three up, three down. The Padres pitcher walks Kenny Lofton and up comes Nomar Garciaparra. Nomar works the count to 3-1, and then on one swing, this crazy night was over. Dodgers win 11-10.

Daddy has so many pre-Marissa baseball memories to tell you about. Like Ozzie Smith's 1985 NLCS game winning homer (coincidentally against the Dodgers), Cal Ripken Jr. breaking Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played record or they day mommy and I saw the Cubs play the White Sox on Fourth of July at Wrigley Field. But those were moments that we anticipated. No one in their right mind sits down with a four run deficit and says, "Maybe we can hit four home runs and tie this thing."

I'm sorry you missed it, but the beauty of this game is there's always something new and we have plenty of can't miss moments to share.

-- Justin