The St. Louis Cardinals were mired in the depths of a disastrous season when rookie Alec Burleson almost hit a two-run, walk-off home run to beat the Chicago Cubs. Instead, Mike Tauchman leapt, glove outstretched, and crashed into the padded outfield wall. He landed in a summersault and by the time he stood, he was roaring in celebration. It was July 28 and the Cubs’ 3-2 victory — their seventh in a row — put them above .500 for the first time since May 6.
“Tauchman’s catch was obviously a highlight of the whole Major League season really, as far as drama,” Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said this week.