Also looked over in that same 18th inning game was Berkman's grand slam to put us within one run. I mean it wasn't as critical as the ausmus and burke home runs, but it was still awesome!!
Hatcher's was so special because the Astros had *never* in their history had a moment like that. *Still* hate the Mets.
The game where Kent hit his walkoff was probably the most exciting Astros game of all time. I'll also never forget seeing Beltran appear to fly, making that Superman catch. That said, I voted for Ausmus'. One, because it was Brad friggin' Ausmus. Anytime he doesn't hit into a double play, I'm shocked. The Astros truly needed a miracle and he was in the right place at the right time. Of course it set the stage for another nine innings and Clemens coming out of the bullpen and then Burke. It was all-around awesome. But without Berkman, who did his job, and Ausmus, who performed the impossible, it would have just been another playoff choke job.
Bring back the rainbow unis!!!!!! So, are you referring to the depth of the park, the alleged lack of steroids, the superior quality of the uniform, or something else?
Look up August 3, 2005. It was in Arizona, not Detroit, and look where the ball hits the upper deck. It says 450 feet, but I say closer to 500 . http://houston.astros.mlb.com/multimedia/tp_archive.jsp?c_id=hou&ym=200508
at the time i'd say nothing could beat kent's. him throwing his helmet off coming home is one of the greatest scenes in astros history. but considering we lost that series i'll have to go with the burke or ausmus blast.
The burke HR was off some scrub that occurred in the 18th inning when few of the major stars were contributing. It's KENT'S Homerun by far. Brandon Backe pitched a shut out with a 2 run saving catch from Carlos Beltran that to this day, is the best catch I have ever seen. Bottom of the ninth, St Louis's CLOSER was on the mound. They walk a guy to GET to Kent. I still remember the sound the ball made off the bat. Forget seeing the ball. Just by that sound, you knew it was out of there. "WE ARE GOING TO ST. LOUIS WITH THE ASTROS UP 3 GAMES TO 2" http://houston.astros.mlb.com/multimedia/tp_archive.jsp?c_id=hou&ym=200410 I don't think it matters what happened in the series. The moment it self was unparalleled.
Yeah, it had to be more than 450. Sometimes it seems like these scorekeepers just throw out random numbers.
Now that I watch it again, knowing the fence was 407 feet and seeing where the ball hit the facade, I'd have to say it may have been a 535 foot blast. From home plate to second is 127 feet and that's the distance I think I may have traveled past the centerfield wall, maybe even further. What do you figure? Do you agree? Maybe it WAS 550 feet !!!
That guy was Lance Berkman. I remember the FOX guys talking about how Kent had too much pride because they walked Berkman to get to Kent, and how Kent might do something.
It's hard to tell on the video exactly where the ball hit the wall. If they showed a side view, I might be able to figure it out, but it was definitely over 500 feet. Oh Mo, what happened to you?
It has to be Kent's homerun. I have never see MMP like that ever again. Burke's homer was awesome, but remember some of the crowd had left. I know people in our section left. At Kent's homerun everyone was there and standing. The roar of the crowd as soon as he made contact has never been matched. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.
Not to mention that it put us one freaking game away from the World Series. I know looking back that feeling is tempered by us winning the NL in 2005, but we were down 0-2 coming back to Houston in 2004, needing to win all three to have a realistic shot at winning a series against a division opponent who had controlled the rivalry throughout the 2000's... and they did so with that one swing of the bat (in a game that looked like it could easily go either way). In the Braves series, the Astros held a 2-1 series edge... a loss in game 4 would have been tough, but definitely not devastating (especially given the fact that they had just won game 5 in Atlanta one year before).
I voted for Ausmus' homer. I remember, when he got to two strikes, thinking "hit it as hard as you can" and then he smashed it. I started screaming but got a little worried when Andruw Jones jumped for the ball. I thought it was a triple until Ausmus slowed after passing second. I wondered if he was hurt but then I saw the ump start making the circle motion with his finger. That homer bought me so much good will towards Ausmus it's not even funny. I also remember a home run by Ensberg in 2005 that was pretty sweet. He got pitch below the chin that knocked him down. He picked himself up, dusted himself off, and proceeded to homer on the next pitch. I wonder what happened to that man.
I remember that! One of my favorite Astro homers all time (but not nearly of the magnitude of those on this list) is a two-run shot Ausmus hit in late 1997 in the game that clinched the division (iirc). It wasn't even the ninth inning, but it was huge. The Astros hadn't been to the postseason in eleven long years.
