2001 World Series: Agony and Ecstasy

The Teams
National League: Arizona Diamondbacks (92-70) - First World Series
American League: New York Yankees (95-65) - 38th World Series (Won 26 previous times) 

What Happened

Is sad

It's a heartbreaking picture. And it says everything that needs to be said. For the second straight game, Arizona closer Byung-Hyun Kim had been one out away from giving his team their third win of the 2001 World Series. And for the second straight game, he had given up a game-tying two-run home run. And it was too much to take. Kim simply didn't want to be there any more. So he crouched down as low as he could get, burying his head in his hands, trying to hide in plain site in the middle of Yankee Stadium. The picture of agony.

That image of Kim crouched on the mound had to be haunting the Diamondbacks as they entered the ninth inning of Game 7. Trailing 2-1, facing the best closer in baseball history, Arizona had to be regretting their blown chances in Games 4 and 5. They had taken a lead into the ninth inning of five of the first six games of the series, but they had only won three of those games, and now they were trailing with Mariano Rivera on the mound. They'd had every chance they could want to win it, and now they were going to lose.

But then Mark Grace led off the ninth with a single to right. And then Damien Miller laid down a bunt that Rivera fielded cleanly but, trying to get the lead runner, he threw it into center field. And the World Series winning run was on first base with nobody out. The unthinkable suddenly seemed possible.

But then Jay Bell laid down a sacrifice. Rivera fielded it cleanly. Again, he tried to get the lead runner. This time, he did, and it all seemed lost again. The Diamondbacks had thought they were on the doorstep, only to find that the door was still locked. Sure, they were a double from possibly winning the World Series, but they were also a double play from losing it.

Tony Womack hit the double - the good kind, from Arizona's perspective - and while it didn't win the series, it tied the game and put the winning run on third base. For the third time in the series, a closer had blown the save in the ninth inning. But this one felt different. This one was heavier. It was Mariano Rivera, after all, the unflappable, unhittable legend. And it was Game 7, the ultimate stakes. Most of all, it was the Yankees, the three-time defending champions and 26-time World Champions, who were throwing it away.

Runners on second and third, one-run game, first base open. It would normally be an automatic intentional walk situation, but the weak-hitting Craig Counsell was up and the powerful Luis Gonzalez was on deck, so Rivera pitched on. The decision became moot when Rivera hit Counsell, loading the bases and bringing up the Diamondbacks' best hitter.

Is happy

Here Yankee manager Joe Torre did something curious. He told the infield to come in, to cut off the run at the plate. It was strange move considering a double play would get the game to the 10th inning, but it was especially strange because of Rivera's cutter. The most famous and devastating pitch in baseball, the cutter had made Rivera what he was. Everybody knew it was coming, yet few could hit it. When it was at its best, it looked like it would be right over the plate before breaking hard in toward left handed batters. If a righty hit it, the best he could hope for was a soft dribbler to the right side. If a lefty hit it, the best he could hope for was ...

... well, exactly what Luis Gonzalez got: a broken bat blooper to medium-deep shortstop. Only Derek Jeter wasn't playing medium-deep. He was playing in. The ball drifted over his head, landing almost exactly where Jeter would have been standing had he been playing at double-play depth. And Gonzalez started jumping up and down and waiving his arms in the air, and Bell threw his arms in the air as he crossed home plate, and Arizona celebrated its first World Championship, the first championship of any kind for the city of Phoenix. The picture of ecstasy.


MVP
For the second time, there were multiple MVPs, but this time it made sense. Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson had carried Arizona all season, and they were the primary - possibly sole - reason Arizona won. Schilling started three times, winning Game 1 9-1, handing the ball over to Kim with a 2-0 lead in Game 4, then pitching into the eighth inning of Game 7 before giving up the Alfonso Soriano home run that almost became the series winner. Johnson was just as good, pitching a shutout in Game 2, completely controlling the Yankees in Game 6, then dramatically coming in to relieve in Game 7. Schilling started three games, Johnson won three games, and they were equally brilliant.

Scores 
(Home team shaded; winners in Bold)

New York	1	0	2	4 (10)	3 (12)	2	2
Arizona	9	3	1	3	2	15	3

The List
I'm ranking all the World Series, from worst to best. Here are the ones I've done so far:

4. 2001 - Arizona (N) def. New York (A) 4-3
5. 2011 - St. Louis (N) def. Texas (A) 4-3
6. 1912 - Boston (A) def. New York (N) 4-3 (1 tie)
7. 1992 - Toronto (A) def. Atlanta (N) 4-2
8. 1947 - New York (A) def. Brooklyn (N) 4-3
9. 1972 - Oakland (A) def. Cincinnati (N) 4-3
Numbers 10-19
Numbers 20-29
Numbers 30-39
Numbers 40-49
Numbers 50-59
Numbers 60-69
Numbers 70-79
Numbers 80-89
Numbers 90-99
Numbers 100-107

Game 7s
Simultaneously, I'll rank all the Game 7s. The ones that have appeared in my countdown so far:

2. 2001: Arizona 3, New York (A) 2
3. 1960: Pittsburgh 10, New York (A) 9
5. 1997: Florida 3, Cleveland 2
6. 1912: Boston (A) 3, New York (N) 2 (game 8)
7. 1946: St. Louis (N) 4, Boston (A) 3
9. 1925: Pittsburgh 9, Washington 7
10. 1926: St. Louis (N) 3, New York (A) 2
11. 1962: New York (A) 1, San Francisco 0
12. 1979: Pittsburgh 4, Baltimore 1
13. 1955: Brooklyn 2, New York (A) 0
14. 1952: New York (A) 4, Brooklyn 2
15. 1971: Pittsburgh 2, Baltimore 1
16. 1940: Cincinnati 2, Detroit 1
17. 1972: Oakland 3, Cincinnati 2
18. 1987: Minnesota 4, St. Louis 2
19. 1958: New York 6, Milwaukee 2
20. 1986: New York (N) 8, Boston 5 
21. 1968: Detroit 4, St. Louis 1
22. 1931: St. Louis (N) 4, Philadelphia (A) 2
23. 1973: Oakland 5, New York (N) 2
24. 2002: Anaheim 4, San Francisco 1
25. 1982: St. Louis 6, Milwaukee 3
26. 1947: New York (A) 5, Brooklyn 2
27. 2011: St. Louis 6, Texas 2
28. 1965: Los Angeles (A) 2, Minnesota 0
29. 1964: St. Louis 7, New York (A) 5
30. 1957: Milwaukee 5, New York (A) 0
31. 1967: St. Louis 7, Boston 2
32. 1945: Detroit 9, Chicago (N) 3
33. 1909: Pittsburgh 8, Detroit 0
34. 1934: St. Louis (N) 11, Detroit 0 
35. 1985: Kansas City 11, St. Louis 0
36. 1956: New York (A) 9, Brooklyn 0

2000 World Series: Throwing bat shards

The Teams
American League: New York Yankees (87-74) - 37th World Series (Won 25 previous times)
National League: New York Mets (94-68) - Fourth World Series (Won in 1969, 1986)

What Happened
OK, so you can't really talk about this series without talking about this:



My favorite part of that is reading Roger Clemens' lips after he threw what was essentially a spear at Mike Piazza's feet: "I thought it was the ball." Like that would have made it better? Giving Clemens the benefit of the doubt for a moment - which is pretty hard since, you know, a ball and a bat are two pretty different things - how is it acceptable to field what you think is a ground ball and, instead of throwing to first to get the out, throwing right at the runner who hit the ball? That's normal procedure?

Nobody will really know what happened inside Roger Clemens' brain during that moment in the first inning of Game 2 - well, unless you just assume it's uncontrolled 'roid rage - but it cast a shadow over the entire World Series in 2000. It was supposed to be a rebirth of the great New York baseball dynasty, the 14th Subway Series, but the first involving the Mets. But it was quickly overshadowed by Clemens' moment of insanity, and quickly forgotten.

It's a shame, too, because it was a series that shouldn't have been forgotten that easily. It's true it only went five games, but all five games were decided in the late innings or, in the case of the great Game 1, extra innings. And all the games were still in doubt when the final pitch was thrown, with the tying run - or better - at the plate when the final out was made.

Game 1 might have been the best game of the series, with the Mets scoring three runs in the 7th to take the lead, blowing the lead in the bottom of the ninth, then losing on a two-out, bases-loaded single by Luis Vizcaino. The Yankees won Game 2, too, but had to sweat it out as the Mets scored five ninth-inning runs to turn a laugher into a 6-5 loss.

After a day off for travel - the Triborough Bridge must have just been hellish that day - the teams continued their tight play. The Mets finally got on the board in Game 3, scoring twice in the eighth to claim a 4-2 win. All the scoring in Game 4 came in the first three innings, with the Yankees bullpen preserving a 3-2 victory. The Yankees wrapped it up in Game 5, clinching the title when Piazza flied out to center as the game-tying run to end the game.

The Yankees had won their third straight title, and America yawned. Maybe the fact that it was New York vs. New York. Maybe it was the fact that every game ended after 11:30 eastern time. Maybe it was just that people were sick of the Yankees always winning. Whatever the reason, the only thing people seem to remember about the 2000 Series was Clemens' moment of insanity. It's too bad. There were only five games, but they were five pretty good ones.

MVP
Paul O'Neill batted .474/.545/.789 in the series, just jaw-dropping numbers. But Derek Jeter won the MVP award. Sure, he led off Game 4 with a home run, then hit the game-tying home run in the clincher. But that seems like the voters were picking the Captain, picking Mr. Yankee as a sort of lifetime achievement award more than anything else. But that could be just me.

Scores (Home team shaded; winners in Bold)

N.Y. Mets	3	5	4	2	2
N.Y. Yankees	4 (12)	6	2	3	4

The List
I'm ranking all the World Series, from worst to best. Here are the ones I've done so far:

10. 2000 - New York (A) def. New York (N) 4-0
11. 1986 - New York (N) def. Boston (A) 4-3
12. 1962 - New York (A) def. San Francisco (N) 4-3
13. 1926 - St. Louis (N) def. New York (A) 4-3
14. 1995 - Atlanta (N) def. Cleveland (A) 4-2
15. 1960 - Pittsburgh (N) def. New York (A) 4-3
16. 1952 - New York (A) def. Brooklyn (N) 4-3
17. 1997 - Florida (N) def. Cleveland (A) 4-3
18. 1993 - Toronto (A) def. Philadelphia (N) 4-2
19. 1956 - New York (A) def. Brooklyn (N) 4-3
Numbers 20-29
Numbers 30-39
Numbers 40-49
Numbers 50-59
Numbers 60-69
Numbers 70-79
Numbers 80-89
Numbers 90-99
Numbers 100-107

October 31, 2001: Mr. November

BRONX, N.Y. - It had already been a great game. Curt Schilling, pitching on only three days' rest, and Orlando Hernandez, one of the greatest postseason pitchers of his era, had locked horns in a classic pitchers' duel in game 4 of the World Series. Both pitchers had pitched into the seventh and left with the game tied 1-1. Arizona had taken a 3-1 lead in the 8th, and were seemingly in control entering the bottom of the ninth.

With two outs and a runner on first, Tino Martinez hit the first pitch he saw from Byung-Hyun Kim for a game-tying home run, and absolutely devastating blow for Arizona. Instead of being one out from a 3-1 series lead, the Diamondbacks had instead given all the momentum in the series back to New York.

The Yankees got two more runners on base in the ninth before Kim got out of it. Mariano Rivera came in to put the Diamondbacks away 1-2-3 in the top of the 10th. A shaken Kim returned for the 10th, getting the first two outs quickly.

And then the clocks changed. Midnight came on the east coast, and with it, the first Major League pitches ever to be thrown in the month of November. The crowd stood and cheered, proud to have witnessed history. They had no idea what was coming next.

The 2001 World Series had been pushed back to November because of the 10-day layoff following the September 11 attacks. When the season resumed, the Yankees became the official team of 9/11, honoring the firefighters and policemen involved in the attacks at every opportunity and providing a needed respite for the city. New Yorkers turned to the Yankees looking for a magical ride to help them forget what happened.

After two losses in Arizona, the Yankees struck back to win game 3 2-1. Now it was game 4, and the magic had started. Tino Martinez had started the excitement with his blast. Now that the series was shifting to November, it seemed like something special was going to happen.

The next batter, the first man to ever bat in November, was Derek Jeter, the heart and soul of the Yankees. He fell behind Kim 0-2, then began a clinic in keeping at bats alive. After taking a ball, he fouled off two pitches. Two more balls came, followed by another ball. He had seen eight pitches so far in the at bat. The ninth pitch came. Jeter didn't let that one go to waste.

Jeter's line drive into the bleachers in right-center field sent Yankee Stadium into delirium. The Yankees had won a truly magical game. Despite the fact that the series was still tied 2-2, the Yankees had all the momentum. They had the dramatic win, and they had knocked Arizona's closer out with two huge blasts. And as Jeter rounded the bases and greeted his teammates at home plate, he forever earned a new nickname: Mr. November.

October 9, 1996: Fan interference

BRONX, N.Y. - One out, bottom of the eighth. Baltimore is leading the New York 4-3, and a rookie is at the plate for the Yankees. It was only game 1 of the ALCS, but it was a key moment nonetheless, one that would go a long way in determining who would advance to the World Series.

Derek Jeter already had two hits in this game, continuing his great play in his first playoff appearance. The Yankees had expected big things from him - why else would they give a rookie the number 2, the last single-digit number available to Yankee players? It's a lot of pressure, but the 22-year-old Jeter had been up to it so far, winning the Rookie of the Year award and playing admirably in the postseason. Now he was up in his biggest situation yet.

Armando Benitez was just 23 years old in 1996, still a setup man for the Orioles. He only pitched in 14 innings for the Orioles that year, but he had shown flashes of talent that would eventually make him a closer for several teams in the majors. The fact that he was there on the mound trying to protect a one-run, eighth-inning lead in the ALCS showed just how much faith the Orioles had in his talent.

Jeter swung at Benitez's first pitch in their eighth inning meeting and hit a lazy fly ball toward right field. Tony Tarasco, having just entered the game as a defensive replacement in right field, drifted back, tracking it the whole way. Yankee Stadium's right-field fence was famously close to home plate, so it wasn't too surprising when Tarasco ended up on the warning track, his back against the wall. Still, though, he had the ball measured. As the ball came down, he felt for the wall, put up his glove, and ...

Jeffrey Maier was 12 years old in 1996. Growing up in New Jersey, he was a Yankee fan, so getting the opportunity to go to the first game of the ALCS must have been the thrill of a lifetime for him. Not only did he get to go, but he was in the first row of the right field bleachers, absolutely incredible seats. He was in perfect position to catch any short home runs hit to right. As Jeter's eighth-inning hit drifted toward him, he saw his opportunity. As it got closer, he got his glove ready, tracking it the whole way. As the ball came down, he stuck out his glove, getting his hand on the ball before it bounced away into the stands. As he followed where the ball landed, wondering if it would bounce back toward him, he didn't notice the man standing nine feet below him, directly underneath his glove.

Yankee fans went ballistic, celebrating the home run hit by their rookie that had tied the game. Tarasco went ballistic for a different reason, immediately claiming fan interference. Orioles manager Davey Johnson was already on the field before Jeter had crossed home plate, insisting that Maier had reached out over the field of play and robbed Tarasco of a chance to catch the home run. By rule, Jeter should have been out. But umpire Rich Garcia insisted it was a home run. Tie game.

The Orioles lodged an official protest to Major League Baseball, but it didn't stand a chance, as judgement calls can't be protested. Even though television replays clearly showed that Maier had reached out over the wall and deflected the ball with Tarasco right underneath him, there was nothing that could be done. Correct or not, it was a home run.

That home run had a lasting impact on the Yankees franchise. Inspired by their lucky break, the Yankees won the game in the 11th inning on their way to winning the ALCS in five games, advancing to their first World Series in 15 years. They won that series, taking home their first championship since 1978. Since that home run, the Yankees have won five championships and have been to seven World Series total. The beginnings of their recent run of dominance can be traced to one 12-year-old fan getting a little over anxious at the chance to catch a home run ball.

The play changes Jeter's career forever, too. The clutch home run was probably the moment where he transformed from a rookie shortstop with potential into a True Yankee. Eventually, he became known as the man who epitomized the Yankees franchise, the man who simply won, the man who always came through in the clutch. It's a reputation he still holds today, 14 years after Jeffrey Maier gave him a helping hand.

---

HONORABLE MENTION
October 9, 2005: HOUSTON - The Astros and Braves played two games on October 9. The first one, the regularly scheduled game 4 of the NLDS, ended tied 6-6, after a furious Houston comeback resulted in four eighth-inning runs and a game-tying home run by Brad Ausmus coming with two outs in the ninth. The second game ended several hours later, after the teams had played nine more innings, trading zeroes before Chris Burke sent the Astros to the NLCS with a game-winning home run ... in the bottom of the 18th. In all, the two teams combined to use 42 players, and 14 pitchers threw a combined 553 pitches. The winning pitcher for Houston was Roger Clemens, who entered in relief in the 16th and even came to bat twice after the Astros ran out of position players. The game was the longest in postseason history in terms of both time of game and innings played, beating the previous record of 16 innings set in game 6 of the 1986 NLCS - which the Astros lost.