Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Top 10 Yankee Moments of 2009

So, I decided to step aside from my LA blog for a moment and discuss the Yankees 2009 season considering they were crowned World Series Champs a week ago. It was a fantastic season for the Yanks with many ups and downs along the way, but in the end, they were truly the best team in baseball. There were so many great moments along the way, but I narrowed the list down to the 10 that stick out the most in my mind. Let me know what you think. What's missing? What shouldn't be there? Should anything move up or down? I'd love to hear your opinion!

#10 - Yanks Open New Stadium


While the Yankee bullpen imploded and the bats were silenced by Cliff Lee, the opening of the New Yankee Stadium could not go unnoticed. The grand facility began a year marked by criticism for expensive tickets and empty seats, but also marked by pies in the face after walk-off wins and a tremendous amount of tribute to the Yankees history. It was the “House That George Built” and it would end up hosting the final game of the Yankees’ World Championship Season.

#9 - Yanks Sweep Away Sox


In early August, the Yanks were sitting in first place, but by just 2.5 games over the Red Sox when the rivals came to town. The Yankees had started the year 0-8 vs. Boston and needed at least a win or two to give them some credibility. What followed was a four-game sweep of Boston that featured a 13-6 blowout of John Smoltz in Game 1, a walk-off homer by A-Rod for 2-0, 15-inning win in Game 2, a masterful performance by CC Sabathia en route to a 5-0 shutout in Game 3, and a Mark Teixeira go-ahead homer in the 8th inning of a 5-2 win in the final game. The Yanks were now up 6.5 games in the east and cruised to the division title.

#8 - Mo Enters 500 Club and Adds 1st RBI


Against the cross-town rival Mets, and on National TV, Mariano Rivera came into the game with two outs in the 8th, needing 4 saves for #500. He gave up just one hit, struck out two, and joined Trevor Hoffman in the 500 club. Not only did he get that milestone, he also got career RBI #1 when he drew a bases-loaded walk against elite closer Francisco Rodriguez. It was the performance that elated Yankee fans and drove Met fans off the side of a bridge.

#7 - Pettitte is #1 on Playoff Wins List


After having to wait an extra day because of rain, Andy Pettitte took the mound in Game 6 of the ALCS looking to get the Yanks back to the Fall Classic. Not only did he win the game, but he won his 16th career postseason game, surpassing John Smoltz for first all-time. Andy threw 6 and a third innings giving up just 1 run and striking out 6 in the victory, sending the Yanks to the World Series, and moving him within four wins from Ring #5.

#6 - Game 2 Heroics




Game 2’s to me are always big momentum swingers. It could end with a team holding a commanding 2-0 lead or in a 1-1 tie, right back like it was at the beginning. In these two, the Yankees were looking to take that dominant lead, and they’d need extra innings to do so both times. In the ALDS against Minnesota, the Yanks were down 3-1 in the 9th. Up came Alex Rodriguez with 1 on, and he unloaded an A-Bomb into the right field bullpen off Joe Nathan to tie the game and send it to extras, beginning his exorcism of the playoff demons that haunted him since 2004. In the 11th, Mark Teixeira lined a bullet to left that hit off the top of the wall and skipped into the stands for another Yankee walk-off and a 2-0 series lead.

In the ALCS, the Angels had taken a 3-2 lead in the top of the 11th. Up came A-Rod again against another strong closer in Brian Fuentes. He hit another homer to right, just clearing the wall, and further exorcising the demons, and the game was tied up again. In the 13th, Maicer Izturis inexplicably tried to turn an impossible double play, threw the ball away at second, and Jerry Hairston Jr. scored the game winner.

Then in the World Series, after getting completely shut down by Cliff Lee in Game 1, the Yanks needed AJ Burnett to step up in Game 2 and shut down the Phillies. He tossed 7 innings of one-run ball, striking out 9, and allowing only 4 hits and 2 walks in a 3-1 win. Two excellent walk-offs, which was the Yanks theme of the year, and a masterful performance on the mound, turned the tide in each series.

#5 - Matsui's 6 in Game 6


Game 6 wasn’t a must-win situation, but after losing Game 5, the Yankees no doubt wanted to close out the Series rather than send it to a Game 7. Hideki Matsui was up to his usual tricks against Pedro “Who’s Your Daddy?” Martinez. Godzilla had a two-run homer, a two-run single, and a two-run double, knocking in 6 of the Yankees’ 7 runs to lead the Bombers to a 7-3 series clinching win and earning him World Series MVP honors.

#4 - A-Rod Returns in Style


After missing the first month of the season recovering from hip surgery, Alex Rodriguez made his first start of the year on May 8th in Baltimore. At the time, the team was 13-15 and terribly missing its power bat. With boos raining down from Orioles fans in regards to his steroids admission during the offseason, A-Rod stepped in to face Jeremy Guthrie with two on in the first. The result? A 3-run homer on the first pitch he saw. The Yanks won the game 4-0 and were the best team in baseball from there. This was no doubt the turning point of the season.

#3 - Damon's Double Dash


If there is one play Yankee fans and the media will remember from this postseason, Johnny Damon’s double steal in Game 4 of the World Series is it. The Yanks were up 2-1 in the series, but had just blown a lead in the late innings. After a 9-pitch at-bat, Damon lofted a single into left in one of the great at-bats in postseason history. Then, Damon took second easily on a horrible through from Carlos Ruiz, and with the Phillies infield shifted to right for Mark Teixeira, Damon instantly took off for third after noticing no one was covering the bag. It was the type of veteran, heads-up play that turned the Series around. Brad Lidge’s slider was taken away, A-Rod would later double Damon home, and the Yanks went on to a 7-4 win, their second straight victory in Philly, and a 3-1 series lead.

#2 - Jeter Becomes Yankees Hit King


On the 8th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, Derek Jeter once again lifted the spirits of New Yorkers when he became the team’s all-time leader in hits. Jeter’s third inning single gave him 2,722 in his career, moving him one ahead of Lou Gehrig for the top spot. The Stadium gave him a standing ovation, and he rightfully deserved it.

#1 - Title #27, For The Boss


You can’t really argue there was a better moment than this one. After 2000, the team endured a shocking loss to the D-Backs in 2001, an even bigger shocker to the Marlins in 2003, and the collapse in 2004. After missing the playoffs in for the first time since 1993 in 2008, the Yanks completely turned it around and are now at the pinnacle of the sports world: World Series Champions. The phrase “Boss, this one’s for you!” was up on the big scoreboard in centerfield, in a true display of what he means to the team.

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