Walk-off celebrations are a pure form of joy. Grown adults reduced to childhood behaviors, some pre-planned and others spontaneous. In those fleeting moments of celebration you are reminded of what often gets lost in professional sports, that the foundation of the games we love were set long ago on much smaller diamonds and with a lot less attention.
But regardless of age or field, a sudden victory is meant to be celebrated. When DJ LeMahieu hit a line-drive single into center field on Sunday to win the game for the Yankees , it set off a series of theatrics that has come to define walk-off wins. Each walk-off hit follows a similar pattern, an artform that is unique to this game and these moments.
I felt a breakdown of what transpired was needed. The first thing I noticed watching LeMahieu see the ball get through the infield was the relief from a man who has struggled at the plate this season. LeMahieu isn’t exactly one to show emotion, so to see a slight bat flip and excitement proved just how much this moment meant to him.
There is something sudden about winning and losing. The beauty and the anxiousness that accompanies not knowing what is going to happen next. Then, the pressure of the moment is suddenly released, like an overfilled balloon that suddenly pops.
The bench reacts like a group of caged animals waiting to get out — realizing they have found their moment and are about to take advantage. Arms raised high, smiles from ear to ear, an intimate moment between t.