You might not realize it, but baseball as we knew it was changed forever 10 years ago today.

On Oct. 1, 2007, the Colorado Rockies played host to the San Diego Padres in a one-game tiebreaker to determine which team would secure the one and only NL wild card. What played out was one of the most dramatic — and perhaps even controversial — games in MLB history. It’s the night the seeds were planted for two changes that are now staples: the wild-card game and instant replay.

For 13 pulse-pounding innings, the division rivals used every player on their 40-man roster (it was considered an extension of the regular season) and traded their best shots. Then, in an ending typically reserved for Hollywood, the Rockies won by the skin on Matt Holliday’s chin. Literally.

The Rockies outfielder was ruled safe after chugging down the third-base line on Jamey Carroll’s shallow fly ball. The crowd was euphoric. The Padres were gutted. And baseball fans in general were some mixture of exhilarated, confused and mostly disappointed that it had to end.

End it did, but all of these years later it’s still part of baseball’s fabric because of the moments it provided and the questions it left behind.

BIRTH OF THE WILD-CARD GAME

At the time, no one could have guessed what this single game could mean for the future of baseball, particularly as it relates to the postseason format. There had been classic tiebreaker games before. Most notably, in 1978 the Yankees and Red Sox played a Game 163 to determine the AL East. That’s more commonly referred to as the “Bucky Dent game” for his game-winning home run.

There was another classic in 2008, where the White Sox topped the Twins 1-0, to win the AL Central. Then another in 2009, where the Twins rebounded to down the Tigers 6-5 in 12 innings at the old Metrodome. But none of them were quite like Rockies-Padres.

Part of that’s because it was a game that never should have happened. The Rockies were basically afterthoughts two weeks prior, before going on to win 13 of their final 14 regular season games. Even then, they needed help from the Milwaukee Brewers on the last weekend of the season just to draw even with San Diego.

In one of baseball’s most ironic twists of fate, it was Tony Gwynn Jr., son of Padres Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, who delivered the most crushing blow to San Diego. His two-out, game-tying triple against Trevor Hoffman on Sept. 29 led to the first of three straight gut-wrenching losses.

By the time the Padres arrived in Denver, it was clear these were two teams going in opposite directions. The outcome seemed almost inevitable, yet somehow their paths crisscrossed all night long and sewed a classic before settling at their destination.

It was the blueprint for which MLB hopes the wild-card game to be. It’s one shot for two good teams to win a lottery ticket. It’s a chance for two teams to prove themselves or redeem themselves. It’s about imagining something crazy, something magnificent, or even something ridiculous, deciding a team’s season. It’s about anticipating the drama as much as it is creating it.

As we’ve seen, some wild-card games have been hits. Others have missed the intended mark since becoming part of the postseason in 2012. What Rockies-Padres told us then and reminds us now is that we’re always just one game away from witnessing something crazy and wonderful.

View photos Matt Holliday slides around Padres catcher Michael Barrett during the 2007 tiebreaker game. (AP) More

THE INSPIRATION FOR REPLAY

If you want the definition of memorable, it’s the chaotic scene around home plate in the moments after Holliday’s slide. It’s waiting for umpire Tim McClelland to make a call — any call — so we could react.

The visual of Matt Holliday’s bloody chin afterward only told us one thing — his slide hurt every bit as much as it appeared to. What we couldn’t tell was whether he’d actually touched home plate. Even McClelland seemed hesitant, only signaling after catcher Michael Barrett fumbled the ball.

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