2000 World Series

After a forty-four year absence (1956) the Subway Series finally returned to the Big Apple matching the ever-present New York Yankees against their cross-town rivals, the New York Mets. The American Leaguers had continued to dominate the postseason, winning three out of the last four titles, and the Nationals were determined to finally end their reign. While manager Joe Torre's Yankees were focused on becoming the first team in twenty-six years to win three titles in a row, Mets skipper Bobby Valentine was spending time at St. Patrick's Cathedral looking for some divine intervention.

Game 1 opened in the "House That Ruth Built" with Andy Pettitte taking on Al Leiter. The contest remained scoreless (with two outs in the sixth) when the first break of the Series occurred. With Timo Perez on first, Todd Zeile drilled a 0-and-2 pitch to deep-left but it ricocheted off the top of the fence and was fielded by David Justice - who relayed to Derek Jeter - who pegged home plate to retire the runner. More of an offensive blooper than a defensive gem, Perez's inexperience on the base path clearly cost his team a prime run scoring opportunity. Aware that they had just "dodged a bullet", the Yankees responded with Justice launching a two run double to the left-centerfield gap (in the bottom of the inning) for the go-ahead score. The Mets' Benny Agbayani and Jay Payton answered back with singles in the seventh and Todd Pratt walked. Then Bubba Trammell hit a clutch, two run pinch-single that tied it up at three-all. Three innings later, Jose Vizcaino's single to left against Turk Wendell with two outs in the twelfth ended the longest game ever in the World Series (four hours, fifty-one minutes). The second meeting found the Mets still trying to catch up to their counterparts and they would come close - very close. Clemens started strong and threw two hit shutout ball for eight innings, striking out nine and walking none, but the Nationals threatened to comeback with a five run rally in the ninth. Ace closer Mariano Rivera struggled initially (surrendering a homer) but managed to regain his composure long enough to seal a clutch, 6-5 win that sent the heartbroken Mets crawling back home.

In Game 3 the Mets went ahead quickly (on Robin Ventura's leadoff homer in the second), but the visitors didn't stay behind for long. They tied it against Rick Reed in the third as Derek Jeter hit a two out single followed by a Justice double to the right-field corner. Then they sprinted ahead in the fourth as Paul O'Neill tripled to right-center driving home Tino Martinez. The Mets surged ahead and tied it at two in the sixth on a Todd Zeile double. Rick Reed (six innings, six hits, two runs, eight strikeouts) did his part to keep up with Orlando Hernandez who had always struggled at Shea Stadium. "El Duque" struck out twelve in 7 1/3 innings and was at the top of the game when he got out of a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the sixth without allowing another Mets run to score. However, the home team managed to add two more in the eighth and emerged with a clutch, 4-2 victory.

Both rotations earned their paychecks in Game 4 as a combined nine pitchers went at it on the mound. The night had a promising start and finish for the Yankees, who set the pace with Derek Jeter's homer on the first pitch and ended it with two scoreless innings by Rivera. Scott Brosius made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly that drove home Paul O'Neill in the second and Jeter led off the third with a triple to right-centerfield and came home on Luis Sojo's groundout. When the Mets Mike Piazza came up again (with two on and no outs in the fifth) Torre lifted the left-handed Denny Neagle in favor of the right-handed David Cone. The surprising move proved brilliant as the Yankees ace forced the All-Star catcher to pop-out. The American League champs bullpen continued to shine while holding the Mets quiet for 4 1/3 innings. The result was 3-2 decision that pushed the Nationals to within nine innings of elimination.

Pettitte, Mike Stanton and Rivera ended the Mets' misery in Game 5 allowing a meager two hits that resulted in two runs. Bernie Williams and Jeter both hit homers as the Yanks netted their third consecutive World Series and their fourth in the five years. A two out single in the ninth by Luis Sojo, was the deciding factor and led the Yankees to celebrate their twenty-sixth World Championship. Only three times in Major League history has any club won as many in a row (the Yankees won five straight between 1949 and 1953 and four straight from 1936 to 1939; the Oakland Athletics won three in a row from 1972-74). And only two other clubs won as many championships in as short a period of time; the Yankees won five of six from 1936 to 1941 and six of seven from 1947 to 1953.