National League 'Wild Card' Elimination game a wild one

Hundreds of cans, bottles, cups, and other assorted projectiles litter the Atlanta field in first ever 'Wild Card' Playoff for 2012 this was the first time the litter reigned down onto the field

Rarely does a game that is 'under protest' get turned over and the results changed what has happened in a game that is declared final. That's just what happened though in the first year of the 'extra' wild card team into the playoffs in the MLB.

The Wild Card winner used to just work their way into the baseball playoffs and play the team with the most wins in the League for the Division Series. That has all changed now that this was the first year for the 'Wild Card' do or die game. 2012 is the first year that allows 2 wild cards to face off in a one game all or none game as the Cardinals and the Braves did in Atlanta on Friday night.

The Braves struck first with a 2 run home run. Matt Holliday put the Cards up by 4-2 with a home run of his own. The play that the Braves had a problem with happened when an infield fly rule was in effect by the umpires, even though the ball was midway to left field.

The Atlanta Braves have put this first ever Wild Card elimination game under protest. The play involved an interpretation of an infield fly hit by the Braves. The ball was being called for by the Cardinals shortstop, Pete Kozma, who either heard footsteps or just lost sight of the ball.

The call for the catch came from Cardinals SS Pete Kozma who then lost track of the ball

The ball fell to the turf as Braves runners didn't advance further than one base because of it

Chipper Jones, who is supposed to be retiring at the Braves conclusion in the playoffs, can probably do that as the conclusion happened on Friday night when the Braves fell to the red hot Cardinals. Chipper even made the Braves last inning played this year an interesting time, as with 2 outs, he fought off a pitch by braking his bat and scampering to first for an infield hit that pulled the first baseman off the bag.

The last out was made, and items again rained onto the field as fans threw full soda cups, and other items onto the field as the Cardinals ran straight off the field without any celebration. The celebration happened in the clubhouse though with the Braves season over and the Cardinals continuing on to play the Nationals.

This display by the fans in Atlanta has earned them a spot in all-time hooliganism perhaps worse than any such incident in Philadelphia that has ever happened. Phillies fans wouldn't have gone that crazy, but you never know, things can change real fast with a crowd of fans, and sometimes for the worst.