"Sports Are Better Than Anything Else, Always"

*Note: Title credit goes to ESPN's Scott Van Pelt.

Wow. Last night was something, wasn't it. Dan Johnson? Who the hell is he? Robert Andino? Who the hell is that? Evan Longoria? Ok, might've heard of him. This kind of stuff isn't supposed to happen until late in October, long after the regular season's given way to the playoffs. But it did. And it didn't just happen. This wasn't just a "that's baseball" moment. This was the sports equivalent of poetry, of magic. It had underdogs and heavy favorites. It had nobodies becoming super heroes, and it had super heroes doing what they do best.

Derek Jeter didn't do anything impressive. Alex Rodriguez wasn't there to choke it away. Mariano Rivera wasn't out there to close it out. No one threw the game of their life, no dueling shutouts or strike out battles.The Phillies tied the Braves with a sacrifice fly. The Red Sox tied their game on a balk. A balk. Not a clutch base hit or home run. On a tiny little flinch by an Orioles pitcher. The guy who hit the game-tying home run for the Rays probably won't even make the post-season roster. I had to Google the guy who had the game-winning hit for the Orioles to find out his name. There won't even be a one-game playoff to determine a wild card spot.

But then the Rays scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull within a run of the Yankees. Then the Braves' unhittable closer was hittable and blew the save. Then Dan Johnson happened. Then the Braves lost. Then the Red Sox blew the lead in the bottom of the ninth. Then Robert Andino happened. Then Evan Longoria happened.

I know that in the grand scheme of things, last night wasn't one of the greatest moments in sports history. It probably doesn't even breach the top ten. It was more about being in the moment, rather than the moment itself compared to others. But you had to be there, glued to the TV, sitting on the edge of your seat, holding your jaw to keep it from hitting the floor. You had to be there, hoping the night wouldn't end.

It did, of course. We probably won't ever see another night of baseball quite like that, but that's ok, because you can't replicate perfection.

Until next time, Orange Hat Guy