2001: Favorite Moments in Sport

The 2001 World Series already has a leg up on any other sports moment with President Bush throwing out the first pitch, in Yankees Stadium, not even 2 months after the events of September 11th. He threw a perfect strike in front of 100s of millions of people watching on TV. It was exactly what the country needed at the time, and what the Yankees and Diamondbacks would do over the next week-and-a-half would be almost as uplifting as that seminal moment in our history.

It all started with Game 1 as Curt Shilling led the way for the DBacks as they won 9-1.

In game 2, a pattern was starting to take shape as Arizona rode the back of Randy Johnson’s complete game shutout to a 4-0 win.

In game 3, back in NY, with all of the emotion in the air, Roger Clemens and Mariano Rivera worked a 3-hitter for the Bombers as they won 2-1.

In game 4, Arizona manager, Bob Brenley, took a risk by starting Shilling on 3 days rest and it paid off with 7 strong innings of 1 run ball. The Diamondbacks took a 3-1 lead into the 9th inning. After working a shut down 8th, and getting the first 2 outs in the 9th, DBack reliever Byung-Hyun Kim gave up a game-tying homer to Tino Martinez. Kim got out of the inning, and Brenley stuck with his closer in extra innings. The scoreboard clock hit midnight, and for the first time ever the World Series was being played in November. This would be serendipitous to one Mr. Derek Jeter or as he would later be known, Mr. November, as he hit a walk off shot off of Kim in the 10th inning.

This was the game that signified that this series was going to be one for the ages.

In game 5, the DBacks got another strong game from a starter as Miguel Batista threw a scoreless 7 2/3 innings and Arizona took a 2-0 lead into the 9th. Wanting to lift up the spirits of his closer, Brenley went with Kim. He again got 2 outs in the 9th, but with a man on 2nd, Scott Brosius hit a colossal home run to left field to tie the game. Yankees stadium erupted into a cheer probably never topped since.

For the second straight night, the game went into extra innings. It took 12 innings, but the Yankees won the game on a Alfonso Soriano’s walk-off single, and the Yankees took a 3-2 series lead.

Game 6, back in Arizona, saw the Diamondbacks in a must-win situation. Randy Johnson threw 7 solid innings, but a minor leaguer could have been out there because Arizona put up 15 on the board. This set up an epic game 7 match up; Roger Clemens v. Curt Shilling (again on 3 days rest).

Game 7, saw a match up of two 20 game winners. Clemens, the oldest starter in Series history versus Shilling, pitching his 300th inning of the season. What would transpire would be for the ages.

The two legends went jab for jab, each going 7 innings and giving up 1 run. Brenley, in his first World Series appearance, made another move that backfired as he left Shilling in the 8th. On a 0-2 pitch, Soriano went yard to give the Yanks a 2-1 lead.

In the 9th, Brenley made one last move, this one proving to be very wise. He brought in the previous night’s starter, Randy Johnson (who threw 104 pitches), to work the 9th and he threw a 1-2-3 inning.

So the moment was set. New York brought in Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer of all-time, to work a 2 inning save and win the Yank’s 4th straight championship. The 8th proved to be no challenge, as he stuck out the side. However, the 9th would be a different story.

Mark Grace led off the inning with a single up the middle. Trying to move the runner over, Damien Miller put down a sac bunt. The ball came right to Rivera, and trying to turn a double play, threw to 2nd. However, his throw was off-line and both runners were safe.

On the next play, the DBacks put down another bunt, again going right to Rivera. This time he was able to throw out the runner at 3rd, but 3B Brosius held onto the ball instead of trying for the DP at 1st.

With 2 men on and 1 out, Tony Womack send a double down the RF line that evened the game at 2. After Rivera hit Craig Counsell (who already had a WS Game 7 Walk-Off) on a 0-1 pitch, Luis Gonzalez came up to the plate.

Yankee Skipper Joe Torre brought the infield in, hoping for a double play. On a 0-1 pitch, Gonzo hit a soft liner over the head of Jeter that plated the championship winning run. The Arizona Diamondbacks were the World Series Champions!

This series had everything, great pitching, clutch hits, 3 walk offs, and a whole lot of history. The Yankees were deprived of their 4th straight title, while the DBacks won their first, and only in their 4th season of existence. If you based it merely on the games, this may go down as the best Series of all time, but put into the context of what the country was going through at that time, and I don’t think it can get any better.

-Ryan Hoffman

A Second Opinion

Movies, wars, and lame American pins emerged because of it, but you still cannot deny the significance of September 11, 2001. Although its scope covers much more than sports, the day of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and a crashed plan near Pittsburgh caused something that nothing – save petty labor disputes – ever to occur.

The games stopped.
Both the NFL and MLB suspended play after the attacks. Players, coaches, and owners all took stock in what was really important – baseball and football weren’t it. Yes, the nation would eventually need the recreational distraction sports provide, but directly following 9/11, we needed to reflect.

It’s odd that inaction merits applause but both professional leagues made the right call to halt play. When each league started up again, appropriate tributes took place. But one thing I’ll always take away from 9/11 is the momentary pause our nation – one defined by its hustle and bustle – took. If even for a brief instant, America came together.

And it wasn’t for Super Bowl Sunday. It was somber solace.

-Sam Fran Scavuzzo