MLB Baseball's Seasons: 2001

[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] welcome to baseball seasons 2001 lower than a game [Applause] [Music] I really felt that we had a role to fulfill in this whole healing process in the nation October 30th 2001 Game three of the World Series 49 days after the September 11th terrorist attacks [Music] Stadium series this is the year for that to happen I remember being out in the outfield you know running running sprints and just stopped him to watch him walk out on the mound and it almost like everything kind of just Stood Still [Music] a few moments earlier beneath the stadium the president had crossed paths with yeti captain Derek leader he said mr. president we'll be throwing from the man or from the front of the mound so what do you think Derek he said throw from the mound I said okay I'll throw from the map and then as he's walking out the room he looks over his shoulder and says but don't bounce it they'll booyah [Music] [Applause] when this country is under siege comes to the World Series mr. president there could not have been a more dramatic backdrop for what would become a fall classic for the ages Spring Training eight months earlier seemed like a world away though in those early months of 2001 as teams prepared for the upcoming season the Yankees were as usually viewed throughout the game as the team to be with four World Series titles in the previous five years [Applause] after winning at all in 2000 the Yanks actually came into 2001 and improved team courtesy of a reinforcements to their pitching staff right-hander Mike Mussina young Roger Clemens and Andy Pettit at the top of the rotation to me when you want win every year where we have everyone's going and was trying to knock you off your perch and for us the challenge is to stay hungry and keep that fire in your belly and it's like this is ours to defend the title so you have to take it personally and that little chip on your shoulder believe in God every day knowing that you got to be on top of your game [Music] while much attention was deservedly being paid to the Yankees outside of New York there were other headlines as well two icons of the game were winding down their careers in 2001 Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken and as they prepare to leave the diamond a player who had arrived from the other side of the world got set to enter the spotlight it was a season of new begins in many ways for the Seattle Mariners after losing the best player in baseball shortstop Alex Rodriguez to the Texas Rangers and free agency Seattle had done something completely unprecedented in the game signing a Japanese position player Ichiro Suzuki as their new right fielder I guess if you got loose your job somebody I guess turning giving it over through its rows not a bad fan huh so truth hurts [Music] ichiro came to the Mariners having won three MVP awards and seven consecutive batting titles in Japan expectations were high but surrounded by question marks obviously didn't know what he would be bringing through the club and I can remember a couple times in spring training guys we're kind of talking under their breath about just making a pull the ball can you get the ball to the infield so we saw the door Lou Pinella in spring training he said son he said can't you pull the ball police say well show me you can pull of all let's go let's go so he stepped in there hit three rockets into the right-field corner and one over the right deal wall loosen that's what I said hopefully more than 0 as spring training continued it appeared interim was settling it just fine as we got towards the end of spring training I think they really cheero stepped up and you know swung the belt a little more authority was a little more prepared and went into his rookie season running on all cylinders as Opening Day 2001 approached the excitement surrounding the new Japanese import Ichiro Suzuki continued to grow around the baseball there was something about Ichiro in terms of his persona he was a rock star in Japan and that came across I think in the US but as the newcomer got set to make his highly anticipated debut uncertainty linger over just how well he fare in the big leagues going into the 2001 season nobody really knew what to expect from this new guy coming over from Japan there was a bunch of people out there a little skeptical of how can God from Japan come in [Music] quite simply feature wasn't instant here [Applause] the newcomer made himself at home in Seattle immediately though it took time for some to get used to his unique style in the batter's box the biggest thing about Ichiro was the way he batted you know you never saw anybody just taking that step toward first place it's like what was he doing with his feet and he still would hit the ball and hit the ball again and hit it again for Ichiro he disrupted defenses because everyone learned quickly that he didn't get Ichiro with a clean hard throw no matter where he's hitting the infield he was gonna be on with an infield single is Ichiro was this game after game after game that they realized how good how special this guy was going to be johnathan each row came in and all of a sudden became the face of the franchise [Music] Ichiro with his first major league home Ichiro would hit 336 in his first month in the majors of blazing debut that jump-started the Mariners just kept winning [Music] there was a time in there where you know you look down and you say you know how are we ever gonna lose another game have won more games in April and any team in the history of baseball and that's the phenomenon from the flourish that the Mariners on top in the AO there was also a rookie turning heads in the nationally 21 year old Albert Pujols [Music] he had that presence right out of the gate I mean 2001 came on the scene started off from the beginning as an impact player after watching his kid and batting practice and that swing right there it pulip instantly supplanted the fading mark mcgwire as the prime power source in st. Louis with a remarkable first woman Albert played the game from the first day in the major leagues as if he had been in the major leagues for ten years consistency was amazing he didn't go through those slumps of rookie tends to do [Applause] is eighth of the year I'm not sure we'll ever again see anything like the arrival of Albert Poole while poo holes look the part of a future MVP the only player in the majors with three most valuable player awards the Giants Barry Bonds began 2001 on the cusp of a milestone [Music] [Applause] judge hit me a story [Music] number 500 turned out just to be a warmer back as it quickly became clear bonds was embarking on a chase at the single-season building bonds at 11 homers in April and 17 he swings and and while his power display was tremendous so two verses selectivity every single game we would get one pitch just one I'm gonna get there one pitch it was gone deep right field one of the keys b3 and one can look for a pitch to drive to drive it a long way buns mistress power quickly led teams to stop potato on which led to walks lots of walks thing is probably most unbelievable about the whole scenario was his patience after what you're gonna one swing and walking frustrates everybody especially when you're a hitter this guy might go two or three at-bats without even seeing a pitch and then you get that one pigeon [Music] he was single-handedly destroying picture after picture when they weren't even making pictures that should be hit while buzz set a record with 39 holders before the all-star break his power of the plate was being matched on the mound as Roger Clemens rocketed up the all-time strikeout this responsibility to Yankee fans they don't come to VU they come to cheer don't boo if they don't like what they see but they come to cheer and they come to see strike ass nasty pitches one nastier than the other he certainly is remarkable you know his age late 30s and still can be that power pitcher behind an ever-present swagger Clemens won 12 of his 13 first half decisions Roger has that defiant look on his face like mush up this team he just has a competitive tenacity that I've never seen another flyer he's just amazing and he wants to win every single time he goes out the same could have been said about the ankles New York surges into first just before the all-star break and there was little doubt anywhere they'd be around come October the Yankees had established by 2001 that the World Series did go through the props is about the team and it's about you know just representing what it is to be a Yankee it just seemed to be the destiny that the Yankees were playing the season to find out who they were playing in the World Series in 2001 the Diamondbacks were eyeing an NL West title thanks in large part to the strong start of their outfield slaughter Luis Gonzalez the streak that I got off in April just kept carrying on because of the confidence factor that's it hey here's Randy Johnson he's raising the roof to TV show we're doing yeah Gonzalez was a huge component of the Diamondbacks strong start but the team's biggest weapons were its arms starting with the towering presence on the mound they called the big you [Applause] he's one of the most dominant left-handers of this era so you already felt like you had a mental edge or the teams coming in between the nearly 100 mile-an-hour [Music] the oxen had surprised some two years earlier when he had signed with the fledgling Diamondbacks franchise a lot of people are wondering why the Diamondbacks this team is not the same team that lost last year this team is already much better I believe this team's gonna win Johnson was immediately proven correct in 1999 as the siyoung winner led the Diamondbacks to a division title in just their second season of existence a young season from Johnson in 2000 the d-backs knew that rotation had little depth behind them so they made a move that gave them perhaps the best one to pitching pipe in the game it'll be the Arizona debut of heard Schilling recently acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies horse the first I was safety 19 games out of first place about 10 minutes later I was in first by a game who's mowing through lineups right and left lower he faced it was just they were scratching the quantity of the rock when we acquired heard we were getting another number one pitcher vomiting rosters good votes a Randy Johnson Curt Schilling with one-two punch both those guys were two aces on our staff the best one-two starting pitchers of the modern era it was great for us because what they did was they motivated each other and push each other that was a dynamic of do roles you could ever have in baseball you talking about to premiere strikeout pitchers in the National League Schilling and Randy Johnson those guys they have a chance to go to the world's three and as the first half ended the firebombing pair had Arizona atop it no West as baseball convened for the 2001 all-star game the locale was fitting Safeco Field in Seattle home of the best team in the game Seattle's great eight were led by Ichiro hitting a league-leading 345 while the other Mariner all-stars had also played a huge part in driving the team for the best record in baseball what it means to Seattle is this is the baseball cap right now with the eighth all-star that has a 63 and 24 record at the break it could not be better this is something else setting this Midsummer Classic a bargain was the presence of two legends both making their final appearances at all-star game it's cool I think I'm glad Tony Gwynn who is the uniform for the last time at an all-star game if that's not that I don't know what is the San Diego Padres fielder [Applause] [Music] he led the way example brawlers I can remember many in all-star games in half the kids lined up all the way up the stairs in dealing with those kids one at a time and he was just being himself and so for me he always sent the great exam both Ripken and moon had set examples as the longtime faces of their franchises crossing pads only occasionally but memorably at all-star games over the years he's been at American League I've been internationally you know we butted heads a few times here at the all-star games 91 the all-star game in Toronto and that was the MVP of that game so that was a storybook year and a storybook all-star game for me 1994 in Pittsburgh sworn a winning run that was my throat now your eyes [Applause] and I swear you don't put still fakes I was out I got a chance to jump around at the end when I was saved that whole play you know we've had instances where we've been in the middle of stuff but we really haven't had an opportunity to really compete against each other in a regular season type at once they're linking with win an honorary member of the NL roster Ripken was left to take the spotlight for both of them albeit at times unwilling Junior what can I do to make this event better and really honor him for the great short stuff that he's been and he thought this year should be the year that Cal Ripken jr. should finish as an all-star and start this game as a shortstop I really wanted to tell them something else but I realized that I had a mic on was going on and I was scared at first I said this is not the time or place to actually do that I don't want to do I looked in the dugout I realized that everybody else knew about it but me I kind of yelled out to Roger Clemens now you're gonna strike him out in a sort of a joking way just to put myself at ease I didn't get a play at shortstop so that's how the last all-star game started [Applause] down to my scoreboard I guess when Ripken returned to third he quickly readjusted when it was time to hit [Applause] the shadows on the wall were so difficult I think they had a comment to Mike Piazza saying this is worse than I thought it would be the reception I felt from everyone in Seattle was pretty overwhelming [Music] [Applause] standing ovations [Music] so thank you and the best way I could and then I had to try to focus and I just started to say calm yourself down look for the ball put a nice easy swing on it and good things might happen [Music] [Applause] it was almost like having your first home run all over again I wanted to kind of go out doing something a single have been fine but that home rotten catapults I mean I came in and I was really well received by all the other guys prior to the 16th the game was paused to honor the to future Hall of Famers they gave Cal and I both the commissioners award and that trophy says prominently in my trophy case is one of those that you're very proud of the most meaningful things I thought it's really nice his last 50 years greatest pride I think you can ever be on it see how I hit that homerun him that was pretty impressive ripken would become the first American Laker to win a second all-star game MVP and in the 2001 season there were many more dramatic moments to come so far 2001 had laid the foundation for a tremendous finish and as this season continued the milestones began to roll in in August Roger Clemens phenomenal start became truly historic for Randy Johnson's dominance reached unprecedented proportions that season you know he was so dominant that you know nobody could touch it Randy Jackson becomes the first player in history of baseball to record for consecutive 300 strikeout seasons Ichiro continued his torrid rookie pace reaching the 200 hit plateau before Labor Day while Barry Bonds entered the ultra-exclusive 60 home run Club [Music] [Applause] with only a few weeks left in the season fans had already enjoyed an extraordinary number of moments but they were all forgotten suddenly on a haunting Tuesday morning in 911 we were in Houston that turns TV on and damn I got a phone call from my wife and she said turn the TV on something horrific has just happened [Music] I felt this whole sense of panic you know what are they gonna do next you know is this gonna be a bomb you know it's just going to be a nuclear attack you know what's what's going to happen now [Music] I know a couple of young people who had relatives and fiancees you know the went in Tower and the the psychological effect that it had on a lot of people [Music] as the country struggled to comprehend what had happened the baseball season was suspended indefinitely this is such a horrific tragedy worrying about games now is really quite unimportant in New York amid the shock and sorrow there was work to be done and as thousands of volunteers began the recovery effort they were joined by Yankees and Mets finding small roles to play Shea Stadium was a place where they were kind of serving supplies and things back to Ground Zero and we contributed and did what we could to to help what are the things that we could do was support all the volunteers the firemen and all the policemen doctors and nurses and know trying to go to the hospitals and try to offer some support I felt good doing it but at the same time you know he really puts you a lot your whole life in perspective this had been unspeakable tragedy and I agonized for the next three or four days talked to a lot of people in Washington did a lot of things and finally deduced on that Friday that we ought to come back Monday I believe that in a spirit of national recovery Major League Baseball can best be helpful by resuming play at the most appropriate time I believe that time is Monday the world had changed everything had changed and to try to reimburse the same energy the same enthusiasm for anything was very very difficult for most Americans and the baseball players were were no different I urge people to go to their businesses on money I understand Major League Baseball is gonna start playing again it is important for America to get on about its life yes it's my job and I'm coming back because the president wants that it'll be playing baseball in a day you know I'm in it but then again a part of it is not here so it's gonna be interesting to see how baseball mattel we were basically questioning ourselves you know why do we need to play baseball now I knew there were some people who thought we could have come back before it should have come back later turned out to be perfect and I'll tell you how I knew it it's a great jackpot I don't know about you but as for me the question has already been answered should we be here yes should we show others how to demonstrate our resolve yes and we shall do it here this evening he was very emotional the crowd was emotional it was really one of fun I I cried this intimate [Music] [Applause] I just have a lot of emotions going on right now you know we try to just perform those difficult thing but it's everyone's trying some point started making sense I went a hundred and eighty degree change to really feel very proud and honor to be part of the whole healing process baseball was playing a small part as the country moved on though the biggest snap a return to New York was still to come one thing that I've been really missing and I'm gonna really break down tonight I never go to a med game tonight we've come together for the first regular season professional sporting event in New York City since Tuesday September 11th [Applause] [Music] [Applause] even for us it went to a different place emotionally it really turned out to be an unbelievable night to hear and feel the emotion of how it all played out we had to win and here's Piazza with a runner at first one out Braves leading to that's 2 to 1 bottom of the 8th here's the bandits ten days after the attacks fans had Filch a stadium at night in search of something to cheer for Mike Piazza [Music] for that split moment thought well you know what there's a little divine intervention this was meant to be stars were aligned everything was in place winning that game or losing that game was not the single most thought that you had before you went to bed [Music] [Applause] is one of the few defeats especially in a pennant race we agreed we kind of wrote it off pretty quickly why is baseball back those firefight [Music] after the mets memorable return four days later the Yankees came back to the Bronx for another emotional night I just kept saying hi to everybody that I could it was our duty to at least bring some sense of normalcy that night the Yankees immediately returned to some form of business as usual clinching their fourth straight division [Music] a few days earlier 3,000 miles across the country the attacks had also been front and center when the streaking Mariners had clinched the AL West that's the first time I have ever seen a flying boy wearing a tenant punching game everybody's thoughts are in the same place there was feelings of the exact same and everybody was together what a season for one of the greatest teams in baseball history with 106 wins at County [Music] [Applause] [Music] 2001 came absolutely out of nowhere no one in forecasting anything like 116 wins then one of America's spectacular season had thrilled Seattle fans the performance had overshadowed a rival also enjoy a big success they were young brash and in the second half red-hot the Oakland A's had taken the wild-card lead early in August behind the promising pitching trio and a powerful collection of bats Heys one out away from the clinch a postseason berth [Music] to force it quicker [Music] five hundred for the second consecutive year when the wild card 2001 I'm just so proud of everybody in this room not giving up and not giving in we wanted to keep that that winning attitude and keep going and we're back in the playoffs [Applause] [Music] [Applause] as September turned to October and the 2001 season headed for the finish one player zoned in on history it was like he was seeing the ball in prisoners almost I was like man how does this guy do this [Music] [Applause] six days became such a ferocious hitter that we saw teams avoiding pitching like we'd never saw in the history of the game and bonds walks for the 170 for his time a record that was sent by the babe 78 years ago but if he had one or two pitches during game to hit he squared those up [Applause] [Music] the last week of the season began with no homers and ten walks and none of this [Applause] seventy there was so much anticipation for him catching everybody who had come before but you knew it was going to happen [Music] [Applause] three [Applause] here's the set lightbulbs flashing everywhere [Applause] history in San Francisco [Applause] bonds hit a level not just that he had never shown before but I think that no one in baseball history had ever seen before [Music] [Applause] [Music] dambisa spam your fans we've come a long way we've had our ups and downs thank you [Applause] that was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen I don't know if we'll see that again is at the top of the list [Applause] as bonds historic season concluded so too did the careers of two longtime diamond legends there cannot be another time in baseball where you've had two icons go out at the same time got Tony Gwynn and a Cal Ripken jr. where they were universally loved it was just a nice magical time their accomplishments on the field were legend [Music] [Applause] as reach the unreachable star [Music] a star for the ages 420 win number 3000 [Applause] they have brought so much credit to the sport andin conducted themselves with such professionalism and everything else [Music] but just as important they were two of our really great citizens often the iconic pair enjoyed tributes bathed them during the final games of the season though in San Diego win ended up sharing the spotlight with another remarkable player approaching herself [Applause] my last day in the big league Ricky sitting on $29.99 he's one hits for 3,000 I say man you're not gonna ruin my day it's been beer date [Music] [Applause] just a few days earlier Henderson had broken the game's all-time mark a run scored and now the greatest leadoff hitter in history and set the table once more the woman's final send-off Cal Ripken jr. the ball Memorial and Tony Gwynn bowing out after long careers thank you thank you was tough to watch them officially step down respectively they gave so much to the game that that's what they're going to be remembered for to be remembered at all is pretty special [Applause] one month after 9/11 the 2001 postseason began the whole country went there fought out to the New Yorkers enter New York Yankees at that time I mean we're playing for more than the team obviously we were playing for the city I think the city really embraced the fact that we were playing in the postseason and in some senses it became America's team you know being from Boston I'm not sure that I was actually rooting for the Yankees but I think probably for the first time I wouldn't have cared if they won New York's first opponent though was no pushover the wild card athletics with a hundred two regular-season wins and apparently no regard for sentimental favorites on the diamond you almost felt the relief that you were able to leave New York unscathed and yet we still felt that hey wait a second this is the New York Yankees be careful and in Game three the Yankees would call on a higher power with a heavy assist from their brilliant shortstop [Applause] he's certainly read that Spencer threw the ball over the to cut off men head and he were there where he should have been we do not practice the old back can shuffle the quarterback for the University of Michigan it was unbelievable at that point in time realized that you know we have to win now [Applause] an answer the Yankees tied the series they brought back all the momentum to New York where number 2 sees the spotlight again [Applause] upwards into the seats [Music] we never give up that's what the Yankees are doing that's what the people in New York City are doing it's amazing the way we keep coming back and we don't give up [Applause] [Music] [Applause] new yorkese have risen from the dead from a to nothing deficit this is emotional demonstration up next for New York in the ALCS for the mighty Mariners winners of the most regular-season games in major league history this series opened MCM now the pitch swinging on a drive deep to right field going back is Ichiro he looks up this one is gone a home run and in Games one and two it appeared experience and some wits and faith would trump everything else like the three-time defending world champion it's tough to open a series in your home ballpark can lose the first two game as the entities rose they returned the home to a city also beginning to rise and they finished off Game four in dramatic [Applause] [Music] [Applause] for the to run toreano's blast but New York one went away from an emotional and meaningful World Series return the act is represented you know all those hopes to see the city come back and to see the team in the World Series [Music] [Applause] Championship Series over Yankees win [Music] the arizona diamondbacks rose out of the desert to excellence quicker than any expansion team ever winning the NL West for the second time in 2001 a meteoric rise for the franchise but an opportunity a long time coming for many of its players we got to the playoffs a lot of guys felt like this might be their last chance we felt like we're right there we're close enough we can't let this slip away one of those veterans 22 game here occurred Chile had set a strong tone in the division series opener against st. Louis [Applause] that was a key wave in a dramatic series that would go up on five days winning run at second two out the 2 2 pitch the wall here's next up were the Atlanta Braves a team well-acquainted with the value of strong arm is not to Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson were dominant your starting pitcher determines that the momentum it determines everything about a series [Music] like this nobody's gonna get a hit [Music] [Applause] season comes down to this [Applause] New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks kick off the 97th World Series in big-league history in just four seasons the Diamondbacks had risen from last place rookie franchise two national champions that's what we wanted to be - so meanwhile for the Yankees looking for their fourth straight World Series title the atmosphere was familiar we're ready to roll this is the first major championship to be played for on this soil since September the 11th for the Diamondbacks it was a daunting first trip to the World Series stage facing a team adopted by America that just happened to be a three-time defending champion [Music] he'll school [Applause] but shilling was able to limit the damage in that first to that one run and then Diamondbacks struck right back there's Craig Counsell [Music] [Applause] [Music] that just changed the whole momentum of this first game you could call most see it in their faces out in the field when he hit that home run it was like now these guys are here to play [Applause] led by their biggest er Arizona torched Yankee pitching for nine ones while shilling in the Diamondbacks bullpen shut down New York's offense the rest of the way to tame you want to certainly get off to a good start because it puts a little pressure on that other club knowing that hey we got to come back tomorrow we're down one to nothing and we got to face the big fellow tomorrow what do you think brandy Johnson here's a guy 38 years old he's never had a chance to pitch in the World Series was a game that essentially I've been waiting for all my life I knew what I want to do when I took the mound out there there's one thing to note you aren't do but now you have to go execute [Music] [Applause] 372 strikeouts during the regular season for tonight Schilling and Randy Johnson or they were really really dominant and we knew we'd have to face two or possibly three times during the course of that series [Applause] Randy Johnson strikes out the side he's retired all seven by strikeouts in the seventh Matt Williams 3-run Homer gave Arizona were nothing Lee which was more than enough for killers and photography even for the big unit it was an impressively win course first World Series start 11 strikeouts and a complete game shutout [Music] [Applause] after masterful performances by arizona's asus to start the 2001 World Series the teams traveled to New York for Game three and the Diamondbacks knew the series was far from over you go into New York City you're up two games to none you feeling pretty good about everything but we knew that there was gonna be a fight they were gonna give up easy and after President Bush's perfect striped Yankee pitcher who quickly took his lead from [Music] Roger Clemens and Mariano Rivera combined for 13 strikeouts to bring New York within a game of getting even in this series [Music] [Applause] Oh [Music] to prevent the engines from gaining more momentum the d-backs had called on Schilling to start Game four on short rest the right-hander was tremendous yet again giving up one run and striking out with a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of these Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly was faced with a tough decision let's say I say let's say in your that's good that's good it's a moot point become to be in a ball game and ask me if I'm alright cuz I'm always alright I always feel like whatever I've got left is better than we were gonna bring it makes his first World Series of parents and Curt Schilling is sitting on the bench and watching here in the eighth minute on three days rest work that is cut off misty struck him out swinging great ending for Kim three up three strike outs in the ninth Kim allowed a hit to Paul O'Neill but after the relievers fourth strikeout the eggs found themselves in the desperate situation here they were an out of the way from going up three games to one and in essence putting us away you know but we're not going to give up we're gonna go down with a fight [Music] [Applause] bottom of the night he kills again [Music] [Applause] Kim took the mound again in the tenth retiring the first two batters there was the clock struck midnight the World Series during the month of November the Yankees had long since anointed a mr. October but as the new month began another clutch star fittingly claimed November [Applause] I've never hit a walk-off on the dream with and your kids hit a homerun in a key situation in the World Series and get an opportunity to do that it's really the Yankees still knew how to win games [Music] a lot of world champions on that team [Music] now you're ready for more can there be more like we had in Game four the Yankees had refused to give up but the Diamondbacks also weren't about to slip it away in Game five they used early after giving up a leadoff double Kim retired the next two batters all that was left between the Diamondbacks and a command in three games to two series lead was Scott Brosius you're trying to tell yourself that you know this game isn't over yet I remember going into that at-bat and actually starting to feel a little bit more comfortable because I had seen him a couple of bats before [Applause] [Music] [Applause] going around the bases I'm thinking to myself no way it's just happening [Applause] [Music] to now it's the rookie already ended one here with a swing [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] didn't it work out perfectly we won the first two games in Arizona they won in dramatic fashion which New York needed bid off the lift of the city when I think of the World Series I think of those three games in New York that epitomize what playing in New York was all about with all signs pointing to destiny on their side the Yankees were one win away from a fourth consecutive title going into Arizona and we really felt that we had a great opportunity to be the world champions that year down three games to two and with faith conspiring against them the Diamondbacks could have been overwhelmed instead they were confident sellout crowd at bank one ballpark we welcome you the game stick to the 2001 World Series [Music] to force a game seven tomorrow night [Applause] while the Big Unit began the game in trademark fashion on the hill for New York Andy pettite appeared uncomfortable from the outset we got out of the gates real good against Andy Pettitte in Game six had it just got destroyed in Game six and that was tough to sit through [Music] [Applause] Johnson cruised the Diamondbacks built up a staggering 15 to nothing lead after four Indians it would equal the most lopsided postseason loss in Yankee history and more importantly for siddhis Simon the intercept it should be a marquee matchup you know I think the fans will get a treat tomorrow night [Music] for only the third time in the last 14 years there is a game 7 the world series we are set for what should be a classic mansion fans inside back going crazy with anticipation one game all or nothing this was the opportunity we were looking for we didn't want to let it slip away [Applause] we had one guy that you wanted to start Game seven you know to a man everybody's a part and early on chilling got help from some dazzling Diamondback offense [Applause] meanwhile Roger Clemens is powering through the Arizona the star pitchers traded bass balls strikeouts any zeros on the scoreboard then in the sixth the Arizona bats finally showed signs of life one run they win this game [Applause] but just a happening later the Yankees began mounting a rally of their own it is chilly [Applause] [Music] after a Bernie Williams groundout move Jeter to third game for hero Tino Martinez stepped a little bit but Arizona had lost faith in its bullpen and a we leisurely was left in to start the eighth against Alfonso Soriano [Applause] Soriano I remember when he hit the ball I went running back to the wall knew it was gonna be a home run so the egapp believed in the eighth and they hand the different banks right where they wanted pehlivan at the big man here was this drug he was saying to himself I just lost the World Series for my team we're gonna get that back behaved he's needed just six more outs to win this series and they had the greatest closer in postseason history time to get them another title dominant closer Major League Baseball oriano Rivera was coming in to try to save the game and it didn't look good for our team at the time [Applause] and Rivera fans decide in the egg [Applause] bottom of the ninth-inning last chance for the Diamondbacks but just when everything had fallen into place for the team of Destiny it became apparent we need to be descriptive this serious wasn't just written as a New York story [Applause] we had the perfect people lined up to compete against even Mariano Rivera [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Womack's been some big postseason [Applause] first post-season blown save since nineteen [Music] the bases are loaded [Applause] walking up to the plate I was thinking this is a situation that every kid dreams of in their lifetime an opportunity to win the World Series it's a 50-50 either you do it or you don't Builders and builders delivery [Music] [Applause] it's an unbelievable feeling that I had and something I'll never [Music] for two in the bottom of the ninth inning and one of the truly great baseball moments for me it's it goes down as as one of the best ever play [Applause] [Music] [Applause] he was disappointed for us I guess he wasn't really meant to be our year they had let a title slip through their hairs but provided much more a reminder that a game could resonate even in the darkest of times it's great for baseball this has been a phenomenal world series years after Game seven in 2001 some observers would say the Yankee dynasty the loss in Arizona began a screaming player of disappointment for the Bombers Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn were inducted together to the Hall of Fame in 2007 thank you very much I really appreciate it [Applause] [Music] Barry Bonds meanwhile would continuously career bursts of awesome power and dominance [Applause] and in 2007 he broke and Linares career homerun record [Applause] [Music] on the mound Roger Clemens would also continue to dominate past a 40th birthday sports eventually winning 354 career games but along the way whispers about both players would turn to allegations of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs each of those record-breaking mass möhippa plane would only continue to inspire are in Seattle and beyond [Applause] [Music] [Applause] just a significantly Ichiro has become a pioneer assuring in a truly while today the game might be more international than ever I look back to 2001 is a reminder of what kind of foothold baseball has on the American conscience it feels good it feels right to be back here at the ballpark baseball in September October and the November of 2001 was as meaningful to the country as it ever had been before baseball has been asked to do what it was asked to do many years ago and that is be the national pastime Americans were in need of something that cheer for [Music] [Applause] you [Music] [Applause]

Channel: cacable7

Views: 57,333

Rating: 4.8464818 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: TfthJTJi_4k

Length: 68min 36sec (4116 seconds)

Published: Sat Feb 22 2020

Reddit Comments

[u/viscous_cree]

If your TV supports changing the aspect ratio to 4:3 then try doing that in settings so the old archival videos aren't so stretched out