6. Mark Teixeira - 2010 ALDS Game One
Another year, another Division Series meeting with the Twins. The Yankees had beaten Minnesota in the first round in 2003, 2004 and 2009 and they played again in 2010. This time the series would start in Minny, but the result would be the same.
New York trailed 3-0 early before scoring four in the sixth to move in front. The Twins tied it in the bottom half, but Mark Teixeira came up with one on and one out in the seventh.
The Yankees won 6-4 to begin a three-game sweep that improved the Yanks' playoff record against the Twins to 12-2.
New York trailed 3-0 early before scoring four in the sixth to move in front. The Twins tied it in the bottom half, but Mark Teixeira came up with one on and one out in the seventh.
The Yankees won 6-4 to begin a three-game sweep that improved the Yanks' playoff record against the Twins to 12-2.
5. Joe Collins - 1953 World Series Game One
Yanks first baseman Joe Collins batted .163 in seven World Series, but he made his hits count, like this one in the opener of the '53 Series. The Dodgers came back from 5-1 down to tie the game in the top of the seventh, but with two away in the bottom of the inning, Collins homered to put the Yanks on top again.
Reliever Johnny Sain, who threw three and two-thirds innings of one-run ball, also drove a two-run double for insurance in the eighth. Collins knocked in Sain and New York had themselves a 9-5 win. The Yankees won the series in six games to claim their fifth straight championship, a big league record that hasn't been approached and probably will not be for a long time.
Reliever Johnny Sain, who threw three and two-thirds innings of one-run ball, also drove a two-run double for insurance in the eighth. Collins knocked in Sain and New York had themselves a 9-5 win. The Yankees won the series in six games to claim their fifth straight championship, a big league record that hasn't been approached and probably will not be for a long time.
The 1928 Yankees weren't as dominant as the '27 club, but they still swept the World Series. Their opponent this time was the St. Louis Cardinals team that beat them two years earlier when Babe Ruth was thrown out stealing second for the final out of Game Seven.
New York outscored the Redbirds 20-7 in the first three games. Although Ruth homered in the fourth inning, St. Louis was in front in the fourth game 2-1 in the seventh. With one out, Ruth smacked another home run to tie things up. Lou Gehrig homered next as the back-to-back jacks gave the Bombers the lead for good.
Up 6-2 an inning later, Ruth faced Pete Alexander, the Hall of Fame pitcher who closed out the 1926 Series for the Cards. He ripped his third home run of the game to put the icing on the cake and finish a Yankees sweep.
Hitting three homers in a World Series game had been a feat accomplished only by Ruth (1926 and 1928) until Reggie Jackson did it in 1977. Now it's an annual event, with Albert Pujols doing it in 2011 and Pablo Sandoval doing it in 2012.
New York outscored the Redbirds 20-7 in the first three games. Although Ruth homered in the fourth inning, St. Louis was in front in the fourth game 2-1 in the seventh. With one out, Ruth smacked another home run to tie things up. Lou Gehrig homered next as the back-to-back jacks gave the Bombers the lead for good.
Up 6-2 an inning later, Ruth faced Pete Alexander, the Hall of Fame pitcher who closed out the 1926 Series for the Cards. He ripped his third home run of the game to put the icing on the cake and finish a Yankees sweep.
Hitting three homers in a World Series game had been a feat accomplished only by Ruth (1926 and 1928) until Reggie Jackson did it in 1977. Now it's an annual event, with Albert Pujols doing it in 2011 and Pablo Sandoval doing it in 2012.
3. Chuck Knoblauch - 1998 World Series Game One
The 1998 Yankees won 114 games in the regular season, but in order to place themselves among the greatest teams of all time, they needed to win 11 more in the postseason. They rolled through Texas in the ALDS and recovered from a 2-1 ALCS deficit against Cleveland to earn a World Series meeting against the Padres.
San Diego led 5-2 thanks to back-to-back homers from Tony Gwynn and Ken Caminiti. Ace Kevin Brown carried that lead into the seventh, but a Jorge Posada one-out single and Ricky Ledee's four-pitch walk convinced Bruce Bochy to go to the bullpen and bring in Donne Wall. Knoblauch got ahead in the count before hammering a 2-0 pitch out to left for a game-tying three-run homer.
That knock is third on this list, but it wasn't even the biggest home run of the inning...
San Diego led 5-2 thanks to back-to-back homers from Tony Gwynn and Ken Caminiti. Ace Kevin Brown carried that lead into the seventh, but a Jorge Posada one-out single and Ricky Ledee's four-pitch walk convinced Bruce Bochy to go to the bullpen and bring in Donne Wall. Knoblauch got ahead in the count before hammering a 2-0 pitch out to left for a game-tying three-run homer.
That knock is third on this list, but it wasn't even the biggest home run of the inning...
2. David Justice - 2000 ALCS Game Six
The Mets had clinched the N.L. pennant the night before, so the only thing left for the Yankees to do to set up a Subway Series was knock out the Mariners in the sixth game of ALCS.
The M's ran up a quick 4-0 lead in their bid to push the Yanks to a seventh game, but New York scored three in the fourth inning to draw closer. With runners at the corners and one out in the seventh, Lou Piniella called upon southpaw Arthur Rhodes to face lefty David Justice:
Mariano Rivera had his postseason-record streak of 33 1/3 scoreless innings snapped in the eighth, but he closed out a 9-7 pennant-clinching win that gave New York its Yankees-Mets matchup.
1. Tino Martinez - 1998 World Series Game One
Back to the #3 entry on the list...Knoblauch's homer tied the game, but this one won it. The Yankees loaded the bases with two outs against Mark Langston and Tino Martinez faced a 2-2 count. The pitch looked pretty good, but it was called a ball. With new life on the payoff pitch, Martinez drilled a grand slam into the upper deck:
The Yankees won the game and the next three as well for a sweep.
Monday, September 30: First Inning
Tuesday, October 1: Second Inning
Wednesday, October 2: Third Inning
Thursday, October 3: Fourth Inning
Friday, October 4: Fifth Inning
Monday, October 7: Sixth Inning
Tuesday, October 8: Seventh Inning
Wednesday, October 9: Eighth Inning
Thursday, October 10: Ninth Inning
Friday, October 11: Extra Innings
The Mets had clinched the N.L. pennant the night before, so the only thing left for the Yankees to do to set up a Subway Series was knock out the Mariners in the sixth game of ALCS.
The M's ran up a quick 4-0 lead in their bid to push the Yanks to a seventh game, but New York scored three in the fourth inning to draw closer. With runners at the corners and one out in the seventh, Lou Piniella called upon southpaw Arthur Rhodes to face lefty David Justice:
Mariano Rivera had his postseason-record streak of 33 1/3 scoreless innings snapped in the eighth, but he closed out a 9-7 pennant-clinching win that gave New York its Yankees-Mets matchup.
1. Tino Martinez - 1998 World Series Game One
Back to the #3 entry on the list...Knoblauch's homer tied the game, but this one won it. The Yankees loaded the bases with two outs against Mark Langston and Tino Martinez faced a 2-2 count. The pitch looked pretty good, but it was called a ball. With new life on the payoff pitch, Martinez drilled a grand slam into the upper deck:
The Yankees won the game and the next three as well for a sweep.
Monday, September 30: First Inning
Tuesday, October 1: Second Inning
Wednesday, October 2: Third Inning
Thursday, October 3: Fourth Inning
Friday, October 4: Fifth Inning
Monday, October 7: Sixth Inning
Tuesday, October 8: Seventh Inning
Wednesday, October 9: Eighth Inning
Thursday, October 10: Ninth Inning
Friday, October 11: Extra Innings
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