On Friday, the sport found Jerry Hairston of the Milwaukee Brewers.
In the second inning of Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, the third baseman who played for the Nationals this year before being traded to Milwaukee, made one of the most spectacular plays of his 14-season journeyman career, diving headfirst, parallel to the ground, to snare a line drive and steal a two-run single to left field.
On the next pitch, the very next pitch, the opposing pitcher slapped a routine grounder at Hairston that should have ended the inning with the Cardinals ahead just 1-0 and the game very much undecided. Instead, the ball scooted untouched between his legs — the unthinkable play of all our nightmares — and darted into left field as those two runs scored.
Brewers pitcher Zack Greinke, who badmouthed Chris Carpenter, the St. Louis Cardinals’ star pitcher, as “a phony” last week, added to Hairston’s indignity by showing up the veteran, spiking the ball in disgust near home plate.
St. Louis took control of the game, 3-0, and little drama remained as the Cards won, 7-1. Hairston, in shock for a second after his error, wandered around third base and was even called for interference on a St. Louis runner who would have been awarded home plate had he not scored anyway.
In the next half inning, naturally, Hairston, who was hitting .365 in what had been a spectacular postseason, came up with Brewers runners at the corners and one out — a perfect spot to atone. He struck out.
Sometimes, baseball’s sense of humor evades me. This was one such night. At the moment when Hairston made his diving catch, he was not simply a veteran utility player who was having the month of his life. In fact, he was having the month of his whole family’s life, including five Hairstons over three generations who have played in the major leagues — none famous, all playing a part, in 38 seasons. Neither his grandfather Sam (White Sox, 1951), nor his father Jerry Sr., who played 14 years in the majors, nor his uncle John nor his brother Scott, an eight-year big leaguer, had ever experienced more than a thimble full of postseason play.
So, Jerry Jr., was representing them all. This October, he was, suddenly, playing every day and hitting (15 for 41, with five extra base hits). At third base, where he filled in admirably for Ryan Zimmerman for two months in Washington, he could do no wrong.
On Thursday, he was in the interview room here explaining his heroics when his artful, graceful headfirst slide around Cards catcher Yadier Molina plated perhaps the most pivotal run of the Brewers’ 4-2 win in Game 4.
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