more than a feeling

As ridiculous as it is that the MLB All-Star Game “counts,” we shouldn’t diminish the significance of Brian McCann’s game-deciding hit on Tuesday night. MVP of the Midsummer Classic is a big deal. And it would be only fitting if McCann’s clutch knock translates into home-field advantage for the Atlanta Braves in the World Series come October. If the Braves get there, he’ll be a main reason why. Beyond that, McCann is a star who doesn’t act like one, unfailingly polite but driven to succeed. In one of his first interviews after arriving in Mississippi in 2005, he said that he wasn’t overly concerned about adjusting to Double-A pitching because the Double-A pitchers would also have to adjust to him. And he was right. In his short stay with the M-Braves (48 games), he demonstrated a sweet swing that you just knew would work at any level. He batted only .265 here, but had he stayed all year, he’d have been up around .300. And among the six homers he belted as an M-Brave was a ninth-inning, walk-off blast onto the cafe roof in right field that broke up not just a shutout but a no-hitter, as well. It will always stand as one of the great moments in Trustmark Park history. Afterward, he apologized for taking so long to get out of the shower room; his devious teammates had trapped him inside as a joke. McCann was the first M-Brave to be promoted to Atlanta and had two hits in his June 10, 2005, debut while catching John Smoltz. We never saw him again here. There was a strong sense when he left that he was headed for bigger and better things. So true. And he’s not nearly done yet.