Following the death of Michael Jackson, understandably there was a cloud of darkness surrounding any mention of his name and family. As fans, however, we felt all the solemnity and commemoration was missing one thing: in his prime, Michael Jackson embodied fun above all else, able to spontaneously snatch a showstopping miracles out of thin air.

What a relief, then, when news hit the Interweb that Michael’s brother and band mate Jermaine Jackson had incongruously caught a foul ball at a Dodger’s game against Atlanta last Friday. According to published reports, the surreal event occurred when the team’s shortstop Rafael Furcal sent a foul flying into the dugout, where Jackson was sitting (and wearing, presciently, a catcher’s mitt himself). “Jermaine, a right-hander wearing a Manny Ramirez No. 99 jersey, made a nifty backhanded grab and celebrated the snatching of the souvenir,” wrote the account posted on the Dodger’s official website, which also used the occasion to goof mercilessly and cornily on the Jacksons theme (”Jermaine Jackson found a new meaning for the word “Victory” on Friday evening at Dodger Stadium”; “Not surprisingly, Jermaine caught the ball while wearing one glove. A baseball glove.”). The incident brought a little levity to the whole Jackson family’s experience of late, and that of the Dodgers. The Dodgers’ season has been dramatic enough, with the team currently in first place in their league and likely to go on to an especially exciting playoff run on the hunt to the National League pennant. That the team and the Jacksons are both still capable of a miracle, however tiny and ridiculous, felt like a cloud had lifted: even though L.A. lost to the Braves by three points in that game, Jackson’s unexpected catch seemed an auspicious omen of victory, indeed….