It was one of the many things Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda loved to say when affectionately referring to Dodger fans. He called them “The Tenth Man.” And for those lucky enough to be at Dodger Stadium for Wednesday night’s exhilarating National League Wild Card game, Tommy’s legacy was in full force. You were ‘The Tenth Man.’

The instant – I mean the very millisecond – that Dodgers left fielder Chris Taylor‘s bat made contact with the 88-MPH slider thrown by St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Alex Reyes, every one of the 53,193 comprising ‘The Tenth Man’ knew, absolutely positive knew that the 31-year-old Virginia Beach, VA native and fifth-round draft pick in 2012 by the Seattle Mariners out of the University of Virginia ‘Got all of that one,’ as they say.

In addition to the eardrum-shattering noise, Dodger Stadium – and no doubt the surrounding neighborhood – shook like one of Southern California’s famous earthquakes. It was absolutely incredible and continued for a good ten minutes – or longer.

“It was incredible. I was telling Trea (Turner) when we were standing on the line for the Anthem; I said, ‘You know, you haven’t really felt Dodger Stadium until you’re here for a playoff game,'” Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, who also homered, said postgame. “I was like, ‘Just wait till you see a homer to see how loud this place gets.’ And then, obviously, it doesn’t get much louder than that swing, the walk-off homer. You see the fans going crazy, beers going flying, and everything on the field after the game. Just for 50,000-plus to be screaming, jumping on their feet up and down in excitement in one moment is just … it’s something you don’t forget.”

You can bet that Tommy Lasorda was looking down at ‘The Tenth Man’ with a huge smile on his face.

Play Ball!

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