Witness to Greatness

For sixty two and a half years I have been a sports player and watcher. I would never call myself a fanatic but I love watching sports for the same reason I listen to music. There are moments in time when it is clear God exists and has touched this world with gifts. The gifts are skills that are transcendent. Voices like Whitney Houston and Andrea Bocelli, sax playing like John Coltrane or guitar playing like Stevie Ray Vaughan all a certain time bring an overwhelming emotional response to me hearing them sing and play. That we can return to that emotion again and again makes music so different and special.

Sports on the other hand can be watched over and over on replay also but for me there is something about the moment that cannot be captured on replay. I have the blessing to have attended live a couple such events, the Game Seven between the LA Kings and the Maple Leafs in ’93 which is considered to be Wayne Gretztky’s greatest game ever, and my brother in-law and I were a fairway widths away from Tiger Woods when he hit the six iron from the sand on 18 to clinch the Canadian Open, the shot that is arguably his best.

I have watched Tom Brady Super Bowl wins of which the Tampa victory will be most memorable to me. Not being a basketball fan I do not have the memories of transcendence such as Micheal or Larry or Magic, but I did watch the Raptors last few games during their playoff winning season and could not help but be amazed by the performance of Kawhi Leonard hobbled by injury as he led the team to victory.

Last night, October 27, 2025 a baseball game will be remembered as such an event. 18 innings of crazy good and not so good baseball. Shohei Otahni reaching base 9 times. Mad Max Sheerer at 41 years old out dueling one of the Dodgers great starters. And two bullpens that have been criticized heavily for their lack of performance coming through with a second ballgame of scoreless baseball.

I could not turn the game off and go to bed. The clock at midnight, 1AM, 2AM and then as 3AM need I had to keep watching. I mean in for a penny right? But that was not it. There was an awareness of just how special this game was. Mistakes and unlikely heroes, an unbelievable performance from the games best player, a human element with dramatic injury and efforts and through it all an awareness that sometimes Gods creation comes together in a way that his existence cannot be denied. Such was last nights game.

Some athletes move from a moment like this to greater ones. Tiger is an example, with his shot at sixteen during the Masters and his other worldly win at the 2008 US Open while playing on a broken leg. Others are never able to recapture it. Gretzky never was able to win a cup after that game 7 win, Kawhi has not been the same, Tom Brady tried but was unable to win number eight and quickly retired.

Last night’s game was one for the ages. But does it spell the end or the beginning. Only time will tell. The game tonight will be either another herculean effort from both sides or not. We do not know until the game is played.

All that I know was last night, once again I was witness to history.