Ernie Clement nearly wrote his name in the deepest legends of baseball history.
When he rocked a fly ball deep to left field on Saturday night in the Rogers Centre, needing just the runner from third to get home with two outs in the ninth inning, it looked like Clement may have delivered the biggest swing of his life.
Instead, Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages robbed the Blue Jays' infielder in a crazy collision play. Clement could only chuckle.
Rather than have his storybook World Series end in perfect fashion, Clement will go down as the name who wasn't actually written into walk-off history.
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That's not because he didn't put himself in position. Clement's 30 hits this postseason set a new MLB record.
He did it all while being an inspirational story, the guy cut loose by multiple teams before finding his way in Toronto. He's an everyman's ballplayer, with a smile and the high socks.
If anyone deserved that larger-than-life moment, it was Clement.
Baseball doesn't always work like that, though.
On this night, Clement and the Blue Jays were destined to come up just a bit short.
In time, the magical improbability of Clement's near-.400 postseason hitting will come into focus. He may never have a stretch quite like this ever again.
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But even if he does, there'll always be the deep, lingering fly ball in the backs of our minds. Is that ball dropping? Is the World Series about to end?
Clement took the best swing he could with a chance to be the hero. And even though the baseball gods denied that request, Clement will go down in history.
When people remember this World Series, they'll likely think of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
But hopefully they keep room in their mind for Clement, who was the unsung beacon of light in this already bright World Series.
Additional World Series updates:
- Andy Pages secured the most crucial catch of his career, ensuring the World Series victory.
- Bo Bichette confesses he considered departing Toronto following the World Series.
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto with insane Game 6, 7 history
- Will Smith's unlikely World Series streak continues for his namesake
- Ernie Clement with the most prolific hitting postseason ever
- World Series Game 7 reminds us why we love sports