ILS1
10-10-2005, 08:01 PM
Updated: 8:37 p.m. ET Oct. 10, 2005
HOUSTON - Shaun Dean made two big catches from his spot in the stands during the record-setting, 18-inning Game 4 between the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros.
He caught both Lance Berkman’s grand slam and Chris Burke’s series-winning homer Sunday, which gave Houston a 7-6 victory and ended the longest postseason game in baseball history.
“I never caught one in a game before,” said Dean, 25, of Porter.
Berkman’s eighth-inning homer was toward Dean, who was sitting in the second row of the boxes above the left-field wall at Minute Maid Park.
“It came right at me,” he said in a story in Monday’s online edition of the Houston Chronicle. “I just reached over and caught it.”
The second catch, which came about three hours later, was a little bit harder to make. He said the ball “came more toward my father-in-law, and he just leaned over and I reached down and caught it.”
Dean, comptroller at Joslin Construction, said he probably would give Burke’s home run ball to the player because it made history.
Dean said that as he left the park, people were congratulating him.
“I had several people say I should buy a lottery ticket or go to Vegas,” he said.
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Fan Catches 2 HR Balls (www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9655669/)
HOUSTON - Shaun Dean made two big catches from his spot in the stands during the record-setting, 18-inning Game 4 between the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros.
He caught both Lance Berkman’s grand slam and Chris Burke’s series-winning homer Sunday, which gave Houston a 7-6 victory and ended the longest postseason game in baseball history.
“I never caught one in a game before,” said Dean, 25, of Porter.
Berkman’s eighth-inning homer was toward Dean, who was sitting in the second row of the boxes above the left-field wall at Minute Maid Park.
“It came right at me,” he said in a story in Monday’s online edition of the Houston Chronicle. “I just reached over and caught it.”
The second catch, which came about three hours later, was a little bit harder to make. He said the ball “came more toward my father-in-law, and he just leaned over and I reached down and caught it.”
Dean, comptroller at Joslin Construction, said he probably would give Burke’s home run ball to the player because it made history.
Dean said that as he left the park, people were congratulating him.
“I had several people say I should buy a lottery ticket or go to Vegas,” he said.
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Fan Catches 2 HR Balls (www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9655669/)