The 2024 MLB playoffs had many riveting moments

While I was spending the month of October walking down memory lane from hitting the 20-year mark of writing columns, the actual world of sports kept right on marching along. I thought they might take a break while I reminisced, but alas…While you were watching current sports, so was I. There is some catching up to do and I will start that process today. Eventually I hope to write about events as they happen. Please bear with me.The 2024 version of the major league baseball playoffs took place last month and several columns could be written about specific games, plays or decisions. I will try to recap the playoffs however in a single column. To suggest there were memorable moments would be an understatement. I will focus on four events that grabbed my attention.First of all, as a Cleveland Guardians fan, it was a wonderful season. Being involved in a pennant race is a treat for us. How many seasons did I endure growing up where "we" were out of playoff contention by the time July rolled around? Trust me, there were too many to count. Just getting to the playoffs is a big deal for Cleveland fans even if we don't win the World Series, which, by the way, we have not done in my lifetime!Top of the fifth inning in Game 5 of the World Series… Probably the most inept half inning in the history of the Fall Classic, it will be remembered for a long time. With a runner on first a simple fly ball was hit to Aaron Judge in center field.Inexplicably he dropped the ball. He may never do that again, but this one opened the proverbial floodgates. The next Dodger hitter hit a ball into the hole at shortstop. Anthony Volpe fielded the ball and attempted to force the runner at third base. Not an easy play, but one that has been made thousands of times. This time it wasn't to be as the throw handcuffed Jazz Chisholm and the bases are now loaded with no outs.One would have felt sorry for Yankee starter Garret Cole except that he struck out the next two hitters including a hurting Shohei Ohtani and was on the verge of getting out of the inning unscathed protecting a 5-0 lead.When Mookie Betts hit a ground ball to first base, Cole pointed to the bag where Anthony Rizzo could record the final out of the inning. There was only one problem… Rizzo was too far off the bag to beat Betts there and Cole was still pointing when he realized he SHOULD be covering first base. Ouch. Then a single and double and by the end of the inning the score was tied 5-5. That half inning will go down in baseball lore as where the Yankees blew the World Series, but that is not totally accurate. There was a lot more baseball to be played that night. However that will not stop fans from criticizing that moment and many more.That brings me to my third observation. Whenever a team lost in this postseason the next days headlines on the internet invariably pointed out the reasons why. Over and over again it was the three players that cost the team the victory or the managerial decision or the umpire's call… For some reason people are obsessed with placing blame. Perhaps it's human nature, but it still rubs me the wrong way.In any given sporting event there is one primary reason for a team losing. It very seldom is pointed out however. So here is a scoop for you… The main reason a team loses is this: "that darned other team is trying to win too!"For me, by far the best moment in the 2024 playoffs goes back to Progressive Field. Lane Thomas strode to the plate with the basis loaded to face the Tigers Tarik Skubal. When he launched a deep drive to left field that landed just over the wall it was madness in our house.The moment became more incredible when the story came out about the fan that caught the ball and quickly handed it to a man in a wheelchair. One sees these moments from time to time, but how often does it happen that you know the people that created the story.Calvert baseball coach Matt Coleman caught the home run ball and gave it to his cousin Patrick Steyer. Matt's dad LeRoy was my wife's first cousin. We see Matt at family reunions and have chatted with him more than once at Progressive Field. Patrick Steyer grew up across the street in New Riegel from the home my wife was raised in. I taught all of Patrick's siblings. He was well known as a fervent fan of New Riegel athletics in addition to being a big Guardians fan.A great story that could not have happened to two nicer people. If you have not seen any videos of the catch or the inspiring story, get online.One last comment. If you followed the World Series at all, you know that the MVP was the Dodgers Freddie Freeman. He hit home runs in each of the first four games including the walk off grand slam in game one. That led to one of the funnies signs I have ever seen in the sport.In game 4 in the Bronx, a Yankee fan held up a sign that read: Freddie – STOP IT! Maybe it wasn't just the Yankees that lost the Series...