With the MLB Postseason well underway, it got me thinking about some of the sports moments that I’ve witnessed that I still think about to this day. That’s one of the reasons we love sports, right? To feel connected to something, to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, to have something to look back on as nostalgia when the moments of life take over. With that being said, when I started reminiscing for this article, I came up with too many moments to use in one post, so let’s consider this part one. Let’s jump into it, shall we?

David Freese’s walk off home run in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series

There’s a reason I wanted to start here: this is probably the moment I think about the most. I was sitting in my dorm room on an October night during my freshman year at the University of North Florida. I was rooting for the Texas Rangers because I had friends from Texas that were heavily invested in the series, but I also loved Ron Washington. I was sitting at my desk watching the game on my 19” TV, dreaming of one day being in the position that Joe Buck and Tim McCarver found themselves in – calling a World Series game. Life was good.

In what turned out to be the best game of arguably the greatest World Series ever played, the score went back and forth all night, with Texas just one win away from their first title in franchise history. Funny thing about the Postseason: it’s where legacies are made, and the story in 2011 was St. Louis third baseman David Freese. On a team that included Lance Berkman, Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols, David Freese was far from the biggest bat in the lineup. But this where a local legend was born. Trailing 7-5 in the bottom of the 9th inning and down to their last out, Freese stepped up to the plate with two runners on and hit a line drive over the head of right fielder Nelson Cruz that ricocheted off the wall and driving in two with Freese sliding headfirst into 3rd for a game-tying triple. The inning would end there and go to extra innings.

In the top of the 10th inning, Josh Hamilton broke the tie with a home to right center, giving the Rangers a 9-7 lead. In the bottom of the inning, once again down to the final out, Lance Berkman single to tie the game once again.

Enter David Freese. In the bottom of the 11th, Freese steeped up to the plate with the bases empty and drilled a full count home run to dead center field. Then came Joe Buck’s iconic call to end the night that rings in my head every time I see any walk off home run: “We’ll see you tomorrow night!” The homer, the call, the image of the fans spilling over onto the center field berm to retrieve the ball. These are images that remind me why I love this great game.

Though Freese never reached the level of success he had in that 2011 Postseason, he forever has a place in World Series history. To make me like Freese even more, he was the top vote getter for induction into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2023. He politely declined, believing that he wasn’t deserving of the honor. One thing about baseball is – Postseason heroes are always beloved, and seeing as Freese’s heroics led the Cardinals to forcing – and winning – Game 7 of the World Series, it’s clear that David Freese is as deserving as anyone.

Plaxico Burress TD catch to win Super Bowl XLII

It was February 2008, and as a die-hard Peyton Manning fan, I was in my sports fan DNA to root against Manning’s fiercest rival, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Add on to that that the Patriots were in the midst of their dynasty, and the acquisition of Randy Moss prior to the season lead the Patriots to come into that game undefeated, and I was all set to root for the other Manning to win his first ring.

And yes, while the David Tyree catch with 1:15 left is one of the most iconic catches in NFL history, it’s not the memory I take away from the game. I remember that catch, and I love that catch, but the touchdown catch is on this list for a very personal reason.

I watched that Super Bowl with my father and older brother. They were sitting side by side on the couch, and I was sitting on the floor in front of them. What made this personal, is that the three of us never had a lot in common, even to this day. My brother was never what I would’ve referred to as a sports fan. He appreciated sports, but not in the same way my dad and I did. So, it was rare that the three of us would watch a game together, and I can’t think of many instances since. But in that moment, we were all huge Giants fans. As I mentioned, the Tyree catch was awesome, but when Plaxico Burress caught the go-ahead touchdown with 35 seconds left, both sealing the victory and ending the Patriots’ quest for an undefeated season, all three of us jumped to our feet, erupting in cheers. We celebrated, not just for the outcome we’d hoped for, but when I think back on it, it was the most in sync I’ve ever felt with both my older brother and my dad.

It was a unique moment in time – the kind of moment of unity that sports are so good at creating, and for that, I am forever thankful.

Curt Schilling’s “Bloody Sock Game” in 2004 ALCS

When it comes to playoff sports, one of the words we associate most with the big moments is grit. Overcoming adversity makes the biggest stages even bigger. When I think of adversity and grit, I think of Curt Schilling’s “bloody sock” game. It was Game 6 of the 2004 ALDS. The Yankees were up 3-2 and looking to close it out at home and earn a trip to the World Series.

Prior to Game 6 Schilling required treatment on an ankle injury that hindered his availability leading up to the game. Schilling decided to tough it out, received several shots in his injured ankle and took the mound.

In a moment of sheer grit and determination, with his team’s season on the line against their rivals, Schilling dazzled, bloody sock and all. He went seven innings, only allowing one run on four hits and striking out four. The Sox won Game 6 4-2, evening up the series and forcing a Game 7. If you’ve been around the game awhile, you know what came next. Boston finished off the improbable, historic comeback, won Game 7 and went on to end their 86-year championship drought by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

I had just turn 12 years old and was the biggest baseball fan in the world. Some things never do. But everything seems bigger when you’re a kid. Every moment involving your favorite sports team feels like life and death. I hold the belief that the MLB Postseason is at its best when both the Yankees and Red Sox are playing, and this was where I formed that belief. During this point in my life, I was going through a short-lived and admittedly ill-conceived Yankees phase, so I was glued to this series already, pulling hard for the opposition.

But I remember very distinctly, even though I was pulling for the Yankees, I felt almost as though I could FEEL Schilling’s pain on the mound. That probably sounds silly, especially for a 12-year-old, but it’s not often in life that you get the opportunity to be in a moment, and recognize it for the weight that it holds, but there I was.

Curt Schilling took the mound again five days later in Game 2 of the World Series. Schilling pitched six innings of shutout ball as Boston won 6-2, despite committing four errors, and took a 2-0 series lead. The Red Sox completed the sweep and lifted the Commisioner’s Trophy, ending the ‘Curse of the Bambino’, but the Sox would not have been in that situation without the fortitude of Schilling and his bloody sock. The image of an injured Schilling on that mound will forever be a part of my memory.

LeBron James Drops 25 Straight Points vs the Pistons

Sometimes in life, you remember EXACTLY where you were in a given moment. This was one of those moments for me. If you’ve been a listener to the podcast for any length of time, you know I’m not the biggest LeBron fan. I tend to side with Jordan on all matters related to the GOAT debate. But just because I’m not a big LeBron fan doesn’t automatically classify me as a LeBron hater. I respect him and what he’s contributed to the game, and I marvel at his longevity and basketball IQ.

But to hit on the reason he’s included in this post, we need to go back to the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals. In a pivotal Game 5 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Detroit Pistons, a 22-year-old LeBron James had a night that many sports fans, including myself, won’t forget.

With the score 79-78 with just over six minutes to go in the 4th quarter, the King’s coronation began. James nailed a 17-jumper to give Cleveland a 3-point lead. From that point on, LeBron score 25 consecutive points and 29 of the final 30 to give Cleveland the double-overtime win and a 3-2 lead in the series.

Remember when I said I remember exactly where I was? I was 15 years old, watching the game on my bedroom TV on the second floor of my childhood home in Orlando. Why are those details important? Growing up in Orlando, I was a big Orlando Magic fan, who at this time were building to what would eventually be a trip to the NBA Finals two years later. But at this time, they settled for a first round exit at the hands of the rival Detroit Pistons. I HATED the Detroit Pistons, and I hated that they had won multiple titles in recent years, so it’s easy to see why I was rooting for Cleveland in the series.

Beyond that, once the flood gates opened in the 4th, I was mesmerized – literally sitting on the edge of my seat even though I was already sitting three feet from the TV. Once the game reached overtime, I even remember timing my bathroom breaks with the commercials so I didn’t miss a second, and shouting updates over the banister to my dad on the way back to my bedroom.

I often say, to this day, that that performance by LeBron in the 4th quarter and OT of Game 5 was the single greatest performance I’ve seen on any professional playing surface in my life. The announcers on the TNT broadcast that night even referred to it as Jordan-esque. It was pure dominance.

These are just a few of the moments that I look back on with pride. No, they weren’t my accomplishments, but each of these reminds me why I love sports: the big stages, the big moments, the legends, and the memories – both the ones we witness on the screen and the ones we make with those around us. As I took this walk down memory lane, I realized I had so many stories of moments just like these, so I hope you’ll indulge me if this isn’t the only post of its kind. Do you have any favorite sports memories? Share them in the comments!