An Autumn to Remember

October 1. The first crisp breeze of fall was in the air. It was football season, and for the southeastern United States, that meant Saturday pilgrimages to hallowed structures of iron, concrete and steel….with chorusing shouts and hallelujiahs.

It was Tuesday. I was still reeling from the 30-21 thumping that Tennessee had given the Auburn Tigers on Saturday, this a week after beating the Texas Longhorns 14-10.

We were living in rural South Georgia, and there was nothing else on television.

I remotely clicked it over to the Super Station. After all, it was the last week of the regular season.

It was late in the game. Jose Rijo was pitching. I don’t remember what inning it was, but the Reds were up 6-0. I thought to myself that I would just watch until it was over. After all, they had given it a good run.

Slowly, the Braves rallied.

It was reported in the Greenville, South Carolina newspaper that a local physician was watching the game as well.

David Justice came to the plate. I sat up on the edge of my seat, because there were two outs in the ninth inning. The Bravos were behind 6-5 with a runner on base. I don’t remember who it was.

The good doctor, so it was reported, was also sitting on the edge of his seat.

Reds reliever Ron Dibble got the sign. Fastball. Low and away. Justice can’t hold back on them, and he can’t hit them.

Skip Caray, the longtime Braves announcer who has now gone on to his reward in heaven, was announcing the game on the Super Station. Not too much verbiage. Only just enough.

He said, “Dibble winds and deals…..long fly ball…..”

The police were called to the physician’s house, according to paper. His wife thought someone was breaking in, and she dialed 911. It seems that when David Justice hit the Ron Dibble fastball that was low and INSIDE…not outside….he screamed at the top of his lungs, “Get Out!!! Get Out!!! Get Out!!!”

Fortunately, the two officers who arrived at his house with their blue lights flashing were Braves fans as well….after all, Atlanta’s “AA” farm team was located in Greenville at that time.

I am sure I was screaming also.
Caray continued “From Worst…to First! Listen to this crowd!!! Gotta borrow this one from you, Dad, ‘Holy Cow!’ After a David Justice home run in the 9th with the Braves down 6-5 and coming from the cellar with less than ten games to go in the season!!!”

I don’t believe I have ever experienced as much excitement about Baseball as I did that fall. Maybe it was because the Braves were all but written off. Maybe because it was all so unexpected.

I remember I stayed up late that night. I was riveted. I couldn’t sleep. All I could do was stare at CNN Headline News waiting for the west coast scores. “Twenty after the hour and Ten of” was when they would show the scores back then.

It was a bicoastal, late night pennent race, and it kept me, and many more like me, up until the wee hours of the morning….1:50 a.m…..ten of 2:00 a.m…..when the score came in. The Braves had done it.

It captivated the entire Southeast in the autumn of 1991.

Yes, it was the best of times…..it was the worst to first of times.

WJLaneSR