Catches of a Lifetime: Astros Fan Snagged 2 HRs in Game 4

Shaun Dean made two big catches from his spot in the stands during the record-setting, 18-inning Game 4 of the National League Division Series between the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros.

He caught both Lance Berkman 's grand slam and Chris Burke 's series-winning homer Sunday, which gave Houston a 7-6 victory and ended the longest postseason game in baseball history.

"I never caught one in a game before," said Dean, 25, of Porter, Tex.

Berkman's eighth-inning homer was toward Dean, who was sitting in the second row of the boxes above the left field wall at Minute Maid Park.

"It came right at me," he said in a story in Monday's online edition of the Houston Chronicle. "I just reached over and caught it."

The second catch, which came about three hours later, was a little bit harder to make. He said the ball "came more toward my father-in-law, and he just leaned over and I reached down and caught it."

Dean, comptroller at a construction firm, isn't keeping the balls. He will present them to a representative of the Hall of Fame on Friday.

In exchange, the Astros are giving him four box seats for Saturday's Game 3 game against St. Louis and are inviting him to their workout on Friday, team spokesman Todd Fedewa said.

"It's cool to be able to give them back," Dean said. "It's awesome. Without the home runs, these baseballs would mean nothing. They hit them. I just caught them. I've got no interest in cashing in."

Dean said that as he left the park, people were congratulating him.

"I had several people say I should buy a lottery ticket or go to Vegas," he said.

-- From News Services