Every few years, fans of a particular sports team are privileged to have this experience. At first, the sensation is so sweet and wonderful. Like taking a bite out of a dark red strawberry picked right from the patch. Soon this sweet sensation turns into something bitter and later into utter horror. Akin to when you turn over that deep red strawberry to find a worm crawling through it. The moment is when your team turns from victors and almost on their way to the big one to big time losers.

Certain sports teams are more apt to experience this sensation. Red Sox fans were until 2004, Cubs fans, any Cleveland sports fans, and now those loveable Astros. Albert Pujols hit a three-run homer last night to sink, at least for now, an Astro World Series trip.

Growing up in Cleveland, I had many sports sucker punching experiences. “The Drive” came first. On January 11, 1987, John Elway led his Broncos 98 yards and to the tying touchdown against the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Championship game. “The Shot” followed in 1989 when Michael Jordan hit a winning shot over Craig Ehlo, in game five of their playoff match-up. The worse part about both these incidents is people like to replay them over and over as motivational pieces. “The Shot” and “The Drive” invoke ill memories in my own mind.

The Indians blew their chance in the 1997 World Series. Game 7, extra innings, and the Indians couldn’t put it away at home. In all reality that was the worse sports sucker punch ever.

Maybe Albert Pujol’s homerun will be known as the “The Swing”. Regardless, it sucked the life out of Houston Monday night and Tuesday. The city and its fans were on the verge of tasting all kinds of victory and suddenly those dreams came crashing down. Astro fans had once again felt the pains of the sports sucker punch.