Fourteen years ago, Derek Jeter made one of the most memorable plays in MLB postseason history.  On the anniversary of the famous ‘flip play,” we take a moment to look back at this outstanding play and remember how it totally changed the New York Yankees’ 2001 season.

The start of the 2001 American League Division Series didn’t go as planned for the Bronx Bombers, who lost the first two games at home against the Oakland Athletics. As the series shifted to Oakland for Game 3, the Yankees were on the brink of elimination, but Derek Jeter once again was there to save the day.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Yankees held a 1-0 lead, a lead in which starting pitcher Mike Mussina was trying to preserve. With a runner on first and two men out, Terrence Long stepped to the plate, hoping to at least tie the ball game up.

Long did his part, as he smacked a hard-hit ball down the right field line that rolled into the corner. Right fielder Shane Spencer fielded the ball cleanly, but overthrew two cut-off men (Tino Martinez and Alfonso Soriano), which resulted in his throw rolling towards home plate.

At this moment, it appeared as if the game was about to be tied up, but Jeter had other plans. Here’s the video of the full play from that ball game, you truly have to see it to believe it:

Seeing that Spencer overthrew the cut-off men, Jeter hustled from his shortstop position to the first base line (about 110 feet) to field the throw. On the run, he was able to flip the ball to his teammate Jorge Posada, who was able to tag out Jeremy Giambi, who represented the tying run.

The day after the game, the San Jose Mercury News featured this image to show how the exact play went down:

Some say that the “flip play” was a fluke, others say it was a play the Yankees practiced regularly, but one thing is for sure: the “flip play” changed the momentum of not only the series, but the entire Yankees season as well.

Not only did the Yankees win the game by that same 1-0 score, they also battled back to win the series. After defeating the Seattle Mariners in the American League Championship Series, the Bronx Bombers once again returned to the Fall Classic in 2001.

A memorable play by Derek Jeter turned out to be a huge difference maker in the team’s postseason run. If Jeter doesn’t make that play, it’s very possible that the New York Yankees’ 2001 season could have ended very differently.

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On Saturday, April 30, 2016, Nielson Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, and Ram of East Hanover, NJ held a free public signing and meet and greet with a New York Yankees fan favorite: Tino Martinez.  According to general store manager Rick Vrablik, 30 people were already waiting on line at 9am, when the dealership opened.  Clutching a 1998 World Series authentic cap and a white sharpie paint pen, I, myself, waited four hours in the line for my chance to meet him.

I was fortunate to be able to catch up with Martinez at the event, too.  Below is my one-take interview with him.  Martinez and I discussed: his thoughts about the upcoming ’96 team’s commemorative game, his experiences as a player in Old Timer’s Day, challenges he faced in replacing Don Mattingly at first base (after the Hitman’s 13 year tenure), advice to players in the same situation (specifically Didi Gregorius replacing Derek Jeter), his opinion, as a Cuban-American, of the MLB’s expansion to Cuba, what the fans’ appreciation means to him, and his favorite piece of championship hardware!

Frank from Bayonne, clutching an autograph and donning a ’90s Yankees batting practice jersey told me: “[the 90’s] teams were just so special.  I wouldn’t wait in line for anyone else but Tino Martinez. I actually came a little later hoping that the line would subside, but it just kept getting longer and longer …. when I got to the end of the line, they told me I may not make it, but I’d just be happy to say I waited on line for him even if I didn’t get a chance to meet him.”

Tino Martinez signs a ball for a lucky fan.

With the line steadily wrapped around three sides of the building for most of the day, the former Yankees first baseman and steady contributor in the dynasty years was scheduled to appear from 3pm-6pm.  In total, Vrablik estimated that 500-550 people came out to meet Martinez.  Actually, with the final visitors making their way through the snake line inside the dealership, Martinez wrapped up the signing around 6:20pm, ensuring each person that came to see him received an autograph.

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At the conclusion of the 1995 season, the New York Yankees had a void to fill at first base with the retirement of Yankees legend Don Mattingly.

For 14 seasons “Donnie Baseball” ruled the Bronx, but with his retirement, the Yankees were needing someone special to fill that hole at first. With the makings of a dynasty coming together, little did the Yankees know that they were about to fill that vacant position at first in a big way.

In the winter of ’95-’96, the Yankees made a trade that would prove huge in the club’s success moving forward. The Bombers acquired Tino Martinez, Jeff Nelson and Jim Mecir in exchange for Sterling Hitchcock and Russ Davis. Any Yankees fan from the 90’s knows that Jeff Nelson would be a valuable piece in a bullpen that would be key for the Yankees moving forward into the next decade and for several years to come. But when Tino came to the Bronx before the 1996 campaign, the Yankees had found a power-hitting first baseman to fill the void left by the departure of Mattingly.

For his career that spanned some 16 seasons with various teams including Seattle, Tampa Bay and St. Louis, Martinez’s time in the Bronx will be what he is most remembered for. He hit 339 homeruns (192 of those with the Yankees) with 1,271 runs batted in for his career along with a .271 batting average. He was a two-time all-star in 1995 and 1997. He had an MVP-caliber season in ’97, hitting .296/.371/.577 with 44 homers and 141 RBIs. Tino even won the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game in Cleveland.

What Yankees fans will remember the most about Constantino Martinez is two World Series home runs that he hit. The first was in 1998 in game one against the San Diego Padres, which came off of Mark Langston with the game tied and the bases loaded. The grand slam was part of a seven-run inning, which saw the Yankees go from down 5-2 to all of a sudden being up 9-5. The Yankees would never look back in the series, as they went on to sweep San Diego in four games.

His second historic World Series home run is probably considered one of the most famous in the history of the old Stadium. It came on Halloween night, 2001 and game four of the Fall Classic against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Yankees were one out away from falling into a devastating 3-1 series hole when they trailed 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth. With a runner on base, Martinez crushed a game-tying home run over the centerfield fence at Yankee Stadium off of closer Byung-Hyun Kim. The Yankees eventually won this game in extra-innings on a solo home run by “Mr. November”, Derek Jeter.

Tino came back with the Yankees in 2005 and carried their offense in the early part of the season, hitting 12 homers by May 15 before ultimately retiring at the end of the season. Tino ended up winning four World Series Championships with the Yankees, and was an intense leader both on the field and in the clubhouse.

As the Yankees prepare to honor the 1996 World Series Champions later this summer, we must remember that a huge part of that first championship in 18 years for the Yankees was Tino Martinez.

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Michael Priest Photography

On Monday, August 15, Scott Reinen, Rich Kaufman, and Andrew Rotondi attended the 1996 Yankees Dynasty event in Manhattan, hosted by Steiner Sports. The event featured Q&A with players, photo opportunities, a silent auction, and an open bar, all to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

New York City – Mariano Rivera with 11-year-old leukemia survivor and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) 2015 Boy of the Year Quinton Ward and Dwight Gooden at The Dynasty Event hosted by Steiner Sports on August 15th following LLS’s first ever Random Acts of Light.

Eleven year-old cancer survivor and LLS Boy of the Year Quinton Ward had the night of a lifetime when he was surprised with the chance to meet his Yankees heroes. Six key members of the 1996 championship team, including three Yankees legends, were in attendance: Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Tino Martinez, Cecil Fielder, Jim Leyritz, and Doc Gooden.

The Bronx Pinstripes crew arrived at the event a little after 6:00pm and fans were lined-up down the block. Yankees jerseys of 90’s legends like Tino, Bernie, and O’Neill were in abundance.

The venue, Hudson Terrace in Midtown, was more intimate than imagined which worked out perfectly for fans to easily meet and take pictures with players.

BP’s goal was to speak with as many players in attendance as possible, understanding of course that their time was in high demand. The first player spotted was Doc Gooden, who was taking pictures with fans. Soon after interviewing the New York pitching legend, more players strolled in, including Andy and Tino who, as you can imagine, were mobbed by fans.

Credit: Michael Priest Photography

By the time 7:00 rolled around, BP was able to speak with Jim Leyritz and Cecil Fielder, in addition to Andy, Tino, and Doc about their playing days and what they remember from the ’96 season. (Video Interviews Coming Soon) Later in the night, an audience Q&A with the players touched on highlights from the World Series like Leyritz’ big home run in game 4 and Pettitte’s dominant game 5.

The night was a continued celebration of the weekend at Yankee Stadium that honored the 1996 champions and Mariano Rivera. It was fitting that on the day the Yankees honored the team that started a dynasty, youngsters Aaron Judge and Tyler Austin made their debuts. The buzz that filled a steamy Yankee Stadium on Saturday and Sunday translated to the Steiner Sports event on Monday — what a weekend for the fans!

Pictures and Live Video

Check out more pictures and the Facebook Live stream of the Q&A with Mariano, Andy and Tino, and Leyritz, Cecil and Doc below.

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Last week, we attended The Dynasty Yankees event hosted by Steiner Sports. While at the event, we got exclusive interviews with five 1996 Yankees legends: Andy Pettitte, Tino Martinez, Doc Gooden, Cecil Fielder, and Jim Leyritz. Check out the video below!

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They say this time of year is the “Season of miracles”. However, no matter what time of year it is, you hear about miracles all the time when it comes to sports…”It’s going to take a miracle to win this one…” Whether it was the 1980 U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team and Al Michaels’ query of the television audience, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” or the Pittsburgh Steelers’ “Immaculate Reception” against the Raiders in an NFL playoff game.

Whether you believe there is divine intervention in sports or a higher power has more important things to think about than who wins the World Series, here are some baseball miracles that the Yankees have been a part of.

I’ve got it! I’ve got it! No, I don’t.

The rivalry between the New York Yankees and New York Mets is one of the most iconic in sports. And, the rivalry between their fans is even more intense than the rivalry between the two teams. Until interleague play came along, the Yankees and Mets only played one another in Spring Training or in the annual Mayor’s Trophy Game.

The two finally had their ultimate showdown in the 2000 World Series, with the Yankees winning their third title in four years. Since then, the once-six, now four games played in annual interleague play have been the only times the two teams have met.

June 12, 2009, is a date that will definitely live in Mets’ infamy. The Mets led the Yankees 8-7 with two outs in the bottom of the 9th inning with closer Francisco Rodriguez on the mound. The Yankees had runners on first (Mark Teixeira) and second (Derek Jeter), with Alex Rodriguez up at-bat. It all came down to a K-Rod vs. A-Rod showdown.

K-Rod fell behind in the count, 3-1, but A-Rod popped up on the next pitch. As he trotted towards first base, A-Rod slammed his bat down in frustration. Mets’ second baseman Luis Castillo drifted back onto the outfield grass for what appeared to be an easy game-ending out. Moments later, the ball popped out of Castillo’s glove as he attempted to make a one-handed catch, and it fell to the ground. Jeter scored easily with the tying run and Teixeira chugged around third and headed for home.

That’s when Castillo’s second mistake on the play occurred. Instead of throwing the ball home to prevent Teixeira from scoring, a clearly flustered Castillo threw to second base. Teixeira slid home with the winning run, well ahead of shortstop Alex Cora‘s throw to the plate. A-Rod’s frown turned upside down.

That didn’t just happen

Though the Yankees lost the 2001 World Series in heartbreaking fashion, Games 4 and 5 were classics. On consecutive nights the Yankees were down to their last out in the bottom of the 9th inning. On both nights, the amazing happened.

The Yankees entered Game 4, on Halloween, down two games to one and desperately needing a win. The Yankees hitters were in a slump and trailed 3-1 in the 9th. Arizona closer Byung-Hyun Kim had entered the game an inning earlier. In the 9th, he allowed a one-out single to Paul O’Neill but struck out Bernie Williams. With the game on the line, Tino Martinez swung at Kim’s first pitch and sent it into the bleachers in right-center field to tie the game at three apiece. One inning later, Jeter became Mr. November when he hit a two-out walk-off solo home run off Kim.

Mike Mussina pitched a gem through eight innings in Game 5. His only bad inning was the 5th when he gave up solo home runs to Steve Finley and Rod Barajas. But, the Yankees were held scoreless and once again found themselves down two runs in the 9th inning. Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly went to his closer again despite Kim having pitched in three innings the night before.

Jorge Posada reached on a leadoff double, but Kim got Shane Spencer to ground out and struck out Chuck Knoblauch. But, then “it was Deja vu all over again”. Brosius sent Kim’s 1-0 deep into the night sky and into the left field seats to tie the game 2-2. The game played on until the bottom of the 12th when Alfonso Soriano‘s one-out single scored Knoblauch with the winning run. The Yankees went ahead three games to two and headed back to Arizona. We’ll just skip the rest of that story.
Brosius

Good Day Sunshine

If you are a Yankees fan, the 1978 season was one for the record books. The team overcame injuries, a bad start, and a 14.5 game deficit in the AL East to win the World Series. But, before the champagne was uncorked in the locker room, the Yankees had to beat the Red Sox at Fenway Park in the 163rd game of the season.

October 2nd in Boston was a bright and beautiful Fall day. While Bucky Dent‘s unexpected three-run home run was the big offensive blow of the game, a significant defensive play sometimes gets overlooked. Without it, the Yankees might not have won the game.

The Yankees were up 5-4 in the bottom of the 9th inning after closer Rich Gossage had allowed a pair of runs in the 7th inning. He retired the first hitter in the 9th but then walked shortstop Rick Burleson. Second baseman Jerry Remy followed with a hard hit ball to right field.

Right field was awash in the glare of the late afternoon sun. Despite wearing sunglasses, right fielder Lou Piniella had trouble picking up the flight of the ball.  He stretched his arms outward from his body in hopes the ball would hit him. Burleson saw Piniella’s actions and thought he had a chance to catch the ball. At the last moment, Piniella picked up the flight of the ball and snared it on one hop.

Burleson took a big turn at second base but retreated back to the bag. Had the ball gotten past Piniella, Burleson would have scored easily with the tying run and Remy, at a minimum, would have made it to third base. Piniella’s play and Burleson’s base running changed the dynamic of the inning and the entire game. Had Burleson picked up the flight of the ball immediately, he would likely have advanced to third on Remy’s hit.

When Jim Rice followed with a deep fly out to right, Burleson could only advance to third instead of scoring the tying run. Carl Yastrzemski then hit a foul pop out to third baseman Graig Nettles to end the game. Burleson has unfairly taken some heat over the years from some teammates and fans. Just as Piniella couldn’t see the baseball, neither could Burleson and he was completely faked out by Piniella’s unintentional bluff.

Enough is Enough

The Yankees teams of the late 1980’s/early 1990’s struggled to win baseball games. They bottomed out with 67 wins in 1990. It was the first non-strike season that the Yankees failed to win 70 games since 1925. But, in 1993 the team had begun to take on a different look.

They had brought in hard-nosed players like Paul O’Neill, Wade Boggs, and Mike Gallego, and things began to turn around.  The California Angels didn’t care. On July 25, 1993, they pounded Yankees’ starter Melido Perez and reliever Rich Monteleone for eight runs in the 2nd inning. A lot of teams might roll over and give up when down that much that early in a game. That 67-win team by might have, but not the 1993 squad.

The comeback against Angels’ starter Hilly Hathaway began slowly. Mike Stanley hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 2nd inning. In the bottom of the 3rd, Danny Tartabull and Bernie Williams singled in a run apiece. Angels 8 Yankees 3.  Meanwhile, Monteleone held the Angels in check after the 2nd inning.

In the 4th, Gallego, who had made a costly error in the Angels’ big inning, led off with a single and eventually made his way over to third base. Boggs brought him home with a ground out to cut the lead in half.  Jim Leyritz started the 8th with a double off of former Yankee Gene Nelson and came around to score on a pair of ground outs. Stanley followed with a single and Williams walked. O’Neill followed with a line-drive double to plate both runners and cut the lead to a single run.

The Yankees’ bullpen continued to do its job. Monteleone got the team through the 6th inning. Paul Gibson struck out three in 2.1 innings and John Habyan retired both runners he faced in the 9th. The Halos called on Steve Frey to work the bottom of the 9th inning.

Frey walked Tartabull to start the inning, and the Yankees got a break when shortstop Gary Disarcina misplayed Stanley’s grounder for an error. A passed ball by Ron Tingley advanced both runners into scoring position. To set up a double play scenario, Williams was intentionally walked to load the bases. O’Neill skied to left field to bring home Tartabull with the tying run.

After Gallego flew out, Kelly lined a single through the left side of the infield to bring home pinch-runner Hensley Meulens with the winning run. The victory was the Yankees’ fourth straight and gave them a 56-44 victory after 100 games. Though they would miss out on the playoffs, the team’s competitiveness was on the rise.

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This season will be the 20th anniversary of the remarkable 1998 Yankees championship team. The 2018 season comes on the heels of an unexpectedly successful regular season in 2017 that has fans looking forward to the coming year. But, before moving forward, it’s time to look back at one of the most remarkable teams in Major League Baseball history.

1997 Disappointment

Before the success of the ’98 campaign could take place, the Yankees had to get through the disappointment of the 1997 postseason. Looking to defend their 1996 World Series championship, the Yankees lost in the first round to the Cleveland Indians in the best-of-five Division Series.

The Yankees appeared to have things wrapped up with Mariano Rivera coming in to close out Game 4 in the ALDS.  However, the Indians’ Sandy Alomar had other ideas and hit a game-tying home run. The Yankees lost in extra innings, 3-2, and then lost the finale, 5-4. The offseason mindset was full of “what ifs”.

The Long Winter

The Yankees’ front office quickly got to work for the 1998 season after coming up short in October. On November 7, the Yankees traded pitcher Kenny Rogers to the Oakland A’s for third baseman Scott Brosius. Rogers had been a major flop in the Bronx for a pair of seasons and put up an ugly set of numbers – 5.11 ERA, 1.497 ERA, and 4 BB/9 IP. Brosius was coming off of a season in which he hit .203/.259/.317.  Just one year earlier, Brosius had set personal bests with a .304 average, 22 HR, 71 RBI, and a .909 OPS. The Yankees traded away Charlie Hayes and let free agent Wade Boggs walk, so they hoped for the best with Brosius.

In December, the Yankees added DH Chili Davis to the roster, and a month later re-signed free agent outfielders/DHs Tim Raines and Darryl Strawberry. And shortly before the team was set to report to Spring Training in February, the Yankees swung pitcher Eric Milton, infielder Cristian Guzman, outfielder Brian Buchanan, pitcher Danny Mota and cash to the Minnesota Twins for second baseman Chuck Knoblauch.

The 1991 AL Rookie of the Year, “Knobby” took home Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards, and was an AL All-Star selection in 1997.  The Yankees wanted an upgrade over the ’97 crew of Pat Kelly, Rey Sanchez, Luis Sojo, and Andy Fox.

In early February, the Yankees also promoted Brian Cashman to General Manager.

A Slow Start

The sure-fire way to keep owner George Steinbrenner’s negative comments at bay was to win. Apparently, the ’98 squad didn’t get that memo. Opening on the West Coast, the Yankees dropped their first three games and four out of five. There were already rumblings that manager Joe Torre was in trouble. The team heard that warning loud and clear.

The Yankees won the final two games of the road trip and took six straight at home for an eight-game win streak. At 9-4, they sat a half-game back of the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East. The seventh victory took place in Shea Stadium against the Anaheim Angels.

A freak accident necessitated a shift of the Angels series to another venue. On the afternoon of April 14, a 500-pound chunk of concrete had fallen in Yankee Stadium. Thankfully, the game was still hours away, as the concrete landed on a seat and also damaged the concrete support beneath it. The Yankees and Angels played one game at Shea Stadium with the rest of the series postponed until August.

Here Come the Yankees

Despite typical chilly April weather in the northeast, the Yankees got red hot at the end of the first month of the season and moved into first place in the division. They took six of seven games from the Blue Jays and Tigers and then reeled off eight straight wins to improve to 23-6 (.793) on May 8.

In May, the Yankees put together winning streaks of three, four, and five games and exited the month with a 37-13 (.740) record. Second-place Boston topped the Yankees in back-to-back games after losing the first two games of a month-ending four-game series, but they were still 7.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL East. The rest of the division was disappearing faster than beers at the ballpark.

Rock ’em Sock ’em Robots

One factor that unified the team in May was a brawl that broke out between the Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles. After surrendering a three-run home run to Bernie Williams, Orioles closer Armando Benitez drilled first baseman Tino Martinez right between the shoulder blades.

Benitez then ignited an already tense situation and gestured to the Yankees’ dugout to “come and get me”. Both benches emptied, relievers raced in from the bullpen and a melee ensued. The two teams pushed and shoved, wrestled, and threw wild haymakers at one another. While some players and coaches tried to play peacemaker, the action spilled into the Orioles’ dugout. Strawberry landed a punch to Benitez and emerged with a bloody lip of his own. The league came down with an eight-game suspension for Benitez’s act of cowardice, and Martinez missed time with a sore back.

27 Up, 27 Down

On Sunday, May 17, David Wells took the mound at Yankee Stadium to face the Minnesota Twins. Attracted by a “Beany Baby” promotion, nearly 50,000 fans filled the seats. They were able to witness Wells at his very best…despite the fact that he was reportedly suffering from a hangover.

It took Wells just nine pitches to retire the Twins in order in the 1st inning. He breezed through the 2nd with 13 pitches and picked up his first strikeout when Ron Coomer swung and missed at strike three. After stranding a runner in scoring position in the home half of the 1st, the Yankees scored a run in the bottom of the 2nd on LaTroy Hawkins‘ wild pitch. Wells had all the run support he needed.

In the 3rd inning, Wells struck out the side, getting Jon Shave and Javier Valentin looking and got Pat Meares swinging. An inning later, Wells fell behind Matt Lawton 3-1 to start the inning before he retired him on a popup. 10 pitches later, he had retired all 12 batters he had faced in the game.

The Yankees tacked on a run in the bottom of the 4th on Bernie Williams’ solo home run and Wells dispatched the Twins quickly in the 5th with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout. Wells was halfway home to a perfect game and no-hitter. In the top of the 6th, Wells got Shave and Valentin again on strikeouts and Meares on a routine flyball.

“In the seventh inning, I started getting really nervous. I knew what was going on, I was hoping the fans would kind of shush a little bit. They were making me nervous.” – David Wells

Wells pitched into trouble in the 7th inning, with full counts on Brent Gates and Paul Molitor, but retired both on the sixth pitch of the at-bat to end the inning. With 21 straight retired, the tension in Yankee Stadium was palpable. It wasn’t’ much better for fans watching on TV or listening on the radio.

“I told him it was time to break out the knuckleball, he let out a big laugh. That told me he needed it.” – David Cone

Strawberry and Chad Curtis added an RBI each in the bottom of the 7th to give Wells a 4-0 cushion. Marty Cordova, Coomer, and Alex Ochoa worked 2-1 counts against Wells, but each was retired on the next pitch. 24 up and 24 down.

It couldn’t have helped Wells to relax in the bottom of the 8th when the Yankees put a man aboard and Twins’ manager Tom Kelly made a pitching change. When the inning finally ended, Wells strode out to the mound to face the 7-8-9 hitters in the Twins’ lineup.

Shave got into a 2-2 count before flying out to Paul O’Neill in shallow right field. Moments later, catcher Jorge Posada squeezed strike three in his glove as Valentin swung and missed. With the count 0-1, Meares lofted a fly ball towards the right field foul line. O’Neill deftly moved over from where he was stationed and recorded the final out of the game. He punched the air for emphasis as Wells and Posada embraced on the mound. They were quickly joined by their teammates who hoisted Wells up on their shoulders…no easy task.

Billy Crystal walked into the clubhouse after the game, approached David Wells and said, “I got here late, what happened?”

Wells’ perfecto was the Yankees first since Don Larsen in the 1956 World Series and it was the team’s first no-hitter since Dwight Gooden’s in 1996.

It is High, it is Far, it is Gone!

The 1968 baseball season became known as “The year of the pitcher”. One year after Carl Yastrzemski captured the AL Triple Crown and AL MVP Award by hitting .326 with 44 home runs and 121 RBI, “Yaz” was the only AL hitter to hit over .300. And he barely made it, leading the AL with a .301 batting average.

Flash forward to 1998, and an explosion of home runs in the Major Leagues. In the three decades between the offensively-challenged ’68 season and the barrage of offense in ’98, Major League Baseball lowered the pitcher’s mound, added the designated hitter in the AL, and increased the number of teams in both leagues. All of these factors tilted the advantage to hitters over pitchers.

On top of that, Performance Enhancing Drugs were being used by many more players than Commissioner Bud Selig and others (supposedly) knew. At the time, after the strike-canceled 1994 World Series, baseball had become fun again due to the uptick in home runs and the chase at Roger Maris‘ single-season record of 61 home runs.

Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa made for an exciting summer that saw both players surpass 61 home runs and McGwire come out on top with a record 70 home runs. In addition, Ken Griffey Jr. (56) and Greg Vaughn (50) also topped the half-century mark. Nine more players hit between 40 and 49 home runs.

5,064 total home runs were hit, the first time in Major League history that the 5K total was reached. The Yankees hit 207 home runs in ’98, good for seventh in the Majors, but they finished first in run scored with 907.  But the Yankees were much more than just an offensive machine.

The Emergence of El Duque

A rotation that featured David Cone, David Wells and Andy Pettitte could go head to head with any team. Imagine then adding another steady veteran to the mix, albeit an unproven one.

The story was told many times before Orlando Hernandez‘s June 3rd debut. “El Duque” left his wife and children behind in his native Cuba and took a boat to freedom. El Duque’s group was stopped by the Coast Guard in Bahamian waters and everyone aboard was detained. Eventually, agent/liaison Joe Cubas and the Cuban-American National Foundation convinced U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno to allow El Duque and some of the others into the U.S. on humanitarian (and athletic) grounds.

To hasten Hernandez’s MLB debut, fate interceded on his behalf. David Cone was bitten on the finger by his Mom’s dog. With Cone unable to pitch, the Yankees recalled Hernandez from the minor leagues. El Duque’s much-anticipated debut against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays went off without a hitch. He picked up his first Major League victory after he allowed a run on five hits over seven innings in a 7-1 romp.

Though not a true rookie, Hernandez finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting after going 12-4 in 21 starts. His 3.13 ERA, 1.170 WHIP, and 8.4 K/9 IP made him indispensable in the Yankees’ rotation.

Summer Heat

While much of the United States was focused on the McGwire-Sosa battle during the Summer, the Metropolitan area was talking Yankees baseball. The Yankees were firing on all cylinders to start the month of June, winning their first nine games to improve their winning percentage to .780.

The Yankees actually sputtered after that, dropping six of 11 games. No matter, they still led the AL East by nine games. They finished the month 56-20 (.737) and increased their divisional advantage back to 10 games. When the calendar turned to July, the Yankees blew the doors off, winning the first nine games of the month for an overall 10-game winning streak.

During the stretch, the Yankees outscored their opponents 52-23 with eight of their opponents’ runs coming in one game.  Cone (3 wins), Pettitte (2), Wells, Hernandez, Mike Stanton, Hideki Irabu, and Mike Buddie all picked up victories along the way. In doing so, the Yankees’ winning percentage rose to 76.1%.

The Kid From Left Field

Back in 1998, there wasn’t a whole lot to read about on minor league prospects. So when Shane Spencer got a few cups of coffee (April, June, and July) in the Majors in 1998, the majority of fans didn’t know much, if anything, about him. Outside of a two-home run, five-hit game against the Royals in July, he was 4-24 (.167) and was returned to the minors for a third time on August 12.

But when the rosters expanded in September, Spencer pushed himself to the forefront with a blistering final month of the season. A 20th-round pick out of Granite High School in 1990, Spencer hit a solo home run on September 4. Two weeks later, he hit a grand slam.

On September 22, he hit a pair of solo home runs. The next day, he had three hits including a three-run home run, and the day after that he hit another grand slam.

After an 0-2 day at the park on the 25th, he came back the next day with a solo shot. He smacked yet another grand slam in the season finale. In 14 September games, Spencer hit eight home runs and drove in 21 runs. His splits for the month were .421/.476/1.105. That adds up to a 1.581 OPS in 42 plate appearances.

Down the Stretch

The final two months of the season were a cakewalk for the Bronx Bombers. On August 17, they extended their division lead to 20 games and they ended the regular season with a seven-game winning streak, easily winning the AL East by 22 games. To top it off, they broke the Cleveland Indians’ AL record for wins (111) with number 112 on September 25. The unlikely trio of El Duque, Pettitte, and Mariano Rivera dominated the Devil Rays in a 6-1 win.

The next day, the Yankees beat Tampa Bay again as Cone picked up his 20th win, marking the first time Cone accomplished that feat since he was a member of the New York Mets in 1988. Bernie Williams won the AL batting title with a .339 average and Derek Jeter topped the AL with 127 runs scored.

The acquisition of Brosius turned out to be a major coup. Had the Comeback Player of the Year Award existed back then, Brosius would have made a strong case for himself. He hit .300 with 19 home runs and a career-high 98 RBI. He also reached career-bests with 11 stolen bases, 159 hits, 86 runs scored, and a .472 slugging percentage. On top of all that he played outstanding defense and made it to his first and only All-Star Game.

The Postseason

The Yankees started the playoffs in fine fashion with a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers in the best-of-five Division Series. The Yankees and Cleveland Indians then met for the second straight year, this time in the ALCS.

With the Yankees winning the opener, the team had an excellent chance to take both home games before heading to Cleveland. Cone pitched a superb game, but the Yankees trailed 1-0 until the 7th inning when Brosius’ RBI double tied the game. The teams battled to the 12th inning when the Indians put a man aboard to lead off the inning. Enrique Wilson pinch-ran and Travis Fryman looked to move him into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.

Fryman laid down a beauty and ran towards first base. Martinez fielded the ball cleanly and attempted to throw to Knoblauch, who was covering the bag. Because Fryman was running in fair territory, Martinez’s throw clipped him in the back and ricocheted past Knoblauch.

Instead of chasing the ball down, Knoblauch began to appeal to the umpiring crew to call for interference. While his teammates and every Yankees fan in the Stadium yelled for Knoblauch to get the ball, Wilson stumbled his way across home plate with the go-ahead run. Torre argued, to no avail, despite the obvious incorrect call. The Indians tacked on two more runs for a 4-1 win and Knobby became a laughingstock.

The Indians won Game 3, putting the Yankees in trouble for the first time all season. They relied on El Duque to deliver them a money start and that’s just what he did. His masterful performance against former Yankee Dwight Gooden didn’t come without a first inning scare, however.

The Indians loaded the bases with two outs and slugger Jim Thome at the plate. Thome crushed a Hernandez pitch to right field and it appeared it would be a 4-0 Indians’ lead. But, the ball died at the outfield wall and fell into the glove of O’Neill, who had hit a solo home run in the top of the inning.

The Yankees won 4-0 and took the next two games, advancing to their second World Series in three years.

Lord of the Rings

The Yankees faced the San Diego Padres in the World Series, just the second time the Pads had won the NL pennant. Game 1 at Yankee Stadium was a wild classic. With the game tied 2-2 in the fifth inning, Tony Gwynn smacked a two-run home run off of Wells. Greg Vaughn, who had hit a two-run home run earlier in the game, followed with a solo blast to put San Diego up 5-2.

Meanwhile, Padres starter Kevin Brown limited the Yankees to two runs and five hits through the first five innings. But, with one out in the 7th, Posada reached on a single and Ricky Ledee walked. Padres manager Bruce Bochy called on reliever Donne Wall to face Knoblauch.

The Yankees’ second baseman entered the World Series in a 6-36 (.167) postseason slide, but hit Wall’s 2-0 delivery into the left field seats for a game-tying home run. Jeter continued the inning with a single and moved into scoring position on lefty Mark Langston‘s wild pitch.

Langston retired O’Neill, but after Bochy elected to intentionally walk Williams, Langston then issued a free pass to Chili Davis as well. That brought left-handed hitter Tino Martinez to the plate. Like Knoblauch, Martinez entered Game 1 in a major postseason slump (5-30). With the count even at 2-2, Langston delivered a pitch that determined the direction the Series would take.

Martinez froze on Langston’s slider for what appeared to be a called third strike to end the inning. But home plate umpire Richie Garcia called the pitch a ball. Moments later, Yankee Stadium exploded with sound as Martinez drilled Langston’s pitch into the upper deck in right field for a go-ahead grand slam.

After a 9-6 final in Game 1, The Yankees romped in Game 2, 9-3. Back at their home park, the Padres got three runs early against Cone, and ex-Yank Sterling Hitchcock blanked the Bronx Bombers through six innings. In the 7th inning the Yankees scored a pair of runs, one of them on a Brosius home run.

Down 3-2 in the top of the 8th, Brosius crushed a three-run home run to dead center field off of All-Star closer Trevor Hoffman. The Yankees held on for a 5-4 win and a 3-0 lead in the Series.

Game 4 was a microcosm of the Yankees season – great pitching, hitting, and defense. Pettitte (7.1 IP), Nelson (0.2 IP) and Rivera (1 IP) combined on a 3-0 shutout. Brosius drove in another run, and captured the Series MVP Award and fittingly fielded the final out of the ballgame.

The Yankees won 11 games in the postseason for a total of 125, and to this day they are compared to the greatest teams of all time.

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We are finally in the midst of this year’s Spring Training schedule and Thursday, James Paxton (aka “The Big Maple”) turned in another good Grapefruit League start. Paxton was acquired from Seattle early in the offseason for prospect Justus Sheffield and two other minor leaguers.

It was the latest deal between the Yankees and Mariners, two teams who have had no problem swapping big and promising names over the years.

Here’s a look at the most notable transactions between the two franchises:

George Costanza is dead

“What the hell did you trade Jay Buhner for?!? He had 30 home runs, over 100 RBIs last year, he’s got a rocket for an arm, you don’t know what the hell you’re doin’!!” An exasperated Frank Costanza shouted at the fictional George Steinbrenner on the Seinfeld episode, “The Caddy”.

It took that January 1996 airing of Seinfeld to finally allow Yankees fans to laugh hysterically over the controversial July 1988 trade that sent Buhner (310 career home runs, of which just three were hit as a Yankee) to Seattle for DH Ken Phelps.

To say that the trade was not well received in the tri-state area is a monumental understatement. On paper, Phelps’ numbers were good at the time of the trade – a .982 OPS with 14 HR and 32 RBI in 244 plate appearances. He also had more walks (51) than strikeouts (35). However, Phelps was a gap hitter, not a left-handed pull hitter whose swing could take advantage of the short porch in Yankee Stadium’s right field.

Unfortunately, the deal came at a time when the real George Steinbrenner had no problems dispatching prospects for aging veterans.

Phelps had an .899 OPS (pumped up by walks) with 10 HR and 22 at-bats in 127 plate appearances after the trade but his contributions did little for a team that needed a lot more tweaking.  The Yankees finished in 5th place in the AL East (85-76) and Phelps was dealt to the A’s the following season after a first-half flop.

Meanwhile, Buhner earned folk hero status in Seattle and on prime time TV.

The Bamtino Delivers

One of the best deals the Yankees ever made with the Mariners was, of course, their swap of pitcher Sterling Hitchcock and third baseman Russ Davis for first baseman Tino Martinez, and relievers Jeff Nelson and Jim Mecir.

The trade, which took place on December 7, 1995 (Martinez’s birthday), swung heavily in the Yankees’ favor.

“The Bamtino” became a mainstay in the Yankees’ lineup from 1996 – 2001. He overcame the challenge of replacing icon Don Mattingly, slugged .435, became a team leader and won four World Series rings.

Besides a power-bat, Martinez also provided superb defense and certainly lost out on any Gold Glove Awards due to the squirrely nature of the voting process.

Nelson became one of the best set up men in the game for closers John Wetteland and Mariano Rivera. Hitchcock had a serviceable career, which included a second stint in New York and captured the NLCS MVP Award in 1998, but he was far from outstanding.

Davis had three solid seasons (1997 – 1999) with the Mariners but was out of baseball after the 2001 season. He was just 31-years old at the time.

Montero and Pineda: dual disappointment

At one time, Jesus Montero was one of the highest rated prospects in all of baseball and was the Yankees’ top prospect. He tore things up in an 18-game September 2011 call-up, hitting .328/.406/590 with four home runs and 12 RBI in 69 plate appearances.

Mouths watered in the Yankees Universe thinking of all the havoc that Montero would wreak on the American League in 2012.

But, rumors of attitude and work-ethic issues followed Montero during his minor league career and may have played a part in the trade that winter that sent to him to Seattle for starting pitcher Michael Pineda.

While Montero continued to show promise at the plate in 2012, (in 515 at-bats, he hit 15 HR, legged out 20 doubles, and knocked in 62 runs) his Slugging Pct. was under .400 and his On-Base pct. was only .298.

Still, it easily topped the 2012 season for Pineda. “Big Mike” didn’t appear in one Major League game in 2012 or 2013.

Pineda’s 2011 rookie campaign displayed a ton of promise and prompted the Yankees to give up Montero to make the deal. Pineda, who finished fifth in the year’s AL Rookie of the Year Award voting, posted a 3.74 ERA (with a 3.42 FIP), struck out 9.1 batters/per 9 IP, allowed less than a home run per game, and finished with a respectable 2.2 WAR.

But, Pineda’s numbers from July on were below his first-half performance and may have been an indicator of what was to come – surgery.

The newest Yankees pitcher struggled in 2012’s Spring Training and complained of shoulder soreness. An MRI revealed a torn labrum in Pineda’s right shoulder, leaving no choice but to surgically repair the injury.

At that point, it appeared the Mariners came out on top in the deal, but things soon changed.

After a terrific rookie year, Montero’s career started a downhill slide. He started slowly at the plate in 2013 and struggled behind the plate as well. The Mariners demoted him after 29 games and started using him at first base. Meniscus surgery on his left knee soon followed as did a 50-game suspension for the catcher’s participation in the Biogenesis PED scandal.

During a minor league rehab assignment in 2014, Montero hit rock bottom. Not in the lineup, he was the team’s first base coach that night. Mariners’ scout Butch Baccala, seated in the first base-side stands, heckled Montero about his lack of hustle and his weight.

Baccala, a team cross-checker, turned things up a notch when he ordered an ice cream sandwich and had it delivered between innings to Montero in the dugout. Montero was not amused.

Armed with a baseball bat, the 24-year old began screaming and spitting at Baccala and eventually threw the ice cream at him. As a result of the incident, the Mariners let Baccala go. Montero played in just six Major League games in 2014 and 38 a year later, his last in the bigs.

Montero played in the Toronto organization in 2016 and had a brief stint in the minors for Baltimore in 2017.  He was out of American baseball in 2018, playing briefly in the Mexican League.

By then, the deal had swung in the Yankees favor. Pineda returned in 2014 and made 13 starts. He produced a very good 2.71 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) mark and a fabulous 0.825 WHIP.

Pineda built off of that success in the 2015 season. In 17 first-half starts, Pineda struck out 111 batters and walked just 13 while compiling a 2.76 FIP.

His starts included a seven-inning, 16-strikeout game against the Orioles in May at Yankee Stadium. After a couple of bad starts in June, Pineda seemed to right himself with a pair of starts to begin July in which he allowed one earned run in 13.1 innings pitched.

The same could not be said for his next two starts, which were miserable. Pineda struck out just six hitters in the two games combined. Soon after he landed on the disabled list with a strained forearm, a worrisome injury for a pitcher.

Pineda missed 30 games and was not the same pitcher when he got back. His second-half FIP rose to 4.67.

The 2016 season continued to be a search for consistency for Pineda. He struck out a career-high 10.6 batters/ 9 IP and topped 200 strikeouts for the first time in his career. But many starts saw Pineda appear to be having trouble loosening up his back, right shoulder and/or right arm.

Pineda seemed to bounce back in 2017 and was having a decent season when things once again fell apart as Spring turned to Summer. He made his last start as a Yankee on July 5, a three-inning fiasco in which he gave five runs and nine hits to the Blue Jays.

Ichiro

The deal didn’t have a huge impact on the Yankees but it’s noteworthy anytime you acquire a player such as Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro’s resume shows more than 3,000 hits in the US alone, a future Hall of Fame member, and one of the best defensive outfielder’s of all-time.

Ichiro was well past his prime, but the Yankees acquired the legendary hitter for the stretch-run in 2012. He surprised many by hitting .322 and played two more seasons in the Bronx. After a return to the Mariners and a brief retirement in 2018, he returned this year to the team with which he gained stardom. He’ll be the target of the spotlight as the Mariners and A’s open the season in Japan.

Ironically, Ichiro was acquired by the Yankees for Danny Farquhar (and former first-round pick D.J. Mitchell). Farquhar returned to the Yankees’ organization this season in an attempt to return from a near-life ending brain aneurysm he suffered while with the White Sox in 2018.

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SECAUCUS, N.J. — Doing my job. That’s how Derek Jeter described being able to pull off the “flip play” from Game 3 of the 2001 ALDS in Oakland, to Harold Reynolds at MLB Network headquarters.

The flip play

Hall of Famer Derek Jeter reminisces on that iconic moment. pic.twitter.com/y629GAmC0M

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 23, 2020

“We work on this in spring training,” Jeter explained.

The New York Yankees Hall of Fame shortstop went deeper into the play breakdown.

“My job is to watch the runner. The runner at first was Jeremy Giambi, and I saw the ball down the line and my job is to, 1. see if there’s going to be a play at third base right? But once you see Giambi is going to go home, my job is to turn into the third cutoff man to redirect the throw to third base,” Jeter noted of the potential to nab a runner getting greedy for third base.

“Now we don’t actually practice shuffle passing the ball to home plate but my job if you look at the replay if I actually wanted to throw the ball to third base we could’ve got Terrance [Long] at third,” Jeter added on what could’ve been the third out but with a game tied at one.

Yet, Jeter astutely knew exactly who was running around the bases with a piano on his back.

“I said this before and I say this very respectfully, the Giambi family is not very fast, so I knew we had an opportunity to get him at the plate,” Jeter joked, acknowledging Giambi’s speed or lack thereof.

“If you see that Spence[er] throws the ball over two cutoff men. If he would’ve actually thrown that to one of the two, [Giambi] would’ve been out by a long time,” Jeter said regarding the airmailed throw above Alfonso Soriano and Tino Martinez.

“If he actually hits one of the first two cutoff men then he’s out at home plate by about 10 feet,” Jeter added.

Reynolds asked Jeter when exactly he knew he’d have to spring into action as the third cutoff man.

“As soon as he threw it,” Jeter said.

“I didn’t look at the arm angle man I looked at the ball,” Jeter noted of what tipped him off.

Jeter then described how he calculated that he had a play on Giambi at the plate.

“I do because I looked at Giambi to see where he was before I actually got to the throw. So when I was about right here (behind the mound) I could see that we had an opportunity to get him,” Jeter remarked.

“Now, still, you see the ball in the air and it still has to be a clean exchange to throw him out at home. The worst-case scenario if you look at the replay it could’ve gone to third,” Jeter added on the perfect flip to catcher Jorge Posada.

Reynolds and Jeter fast-forwarded to a game in 2011 at Tampa, where Jeter shifted to the same spot on a similar play but minus an airmailed throw from right field.

“I prided myself on being prepared,” Jeter noted of being in the right place at the right time as usual.

The flip was the top play on our Bronx Pinstripes Show Podcast countdown.

Derek Jeter's Hall of Fame Moments: #1 – The Flip | #Yankees

Read here: https://t.co/0veJkhvUY6 pic.twitter.com/dRb5aqEftX

— Bronx Pinstripes (@BronxPinstripes) January 21, 2020

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BRONX, N.Y. — On this date in 2001, the Bronx Bombers marked Opening Day at Yankee Stadium with some fireworks and the Rocket’s red glare. The three-time defending World Series champion New York Yankees shook off a meaningless nine-win spring training with a 7-3 thumping of the Kansas City Royals.

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On the bump, in what would be a Cy Young campaign, Roger Clemens fired 8.1 frames, scattering seven hits, yielding three runs, one walk and fanning five. Among those five was a strikeout of Royals’ third baseman Joe Randa in the first frame. That strikeout moved the ‘Rocket’ to most all-time in the Junior Circuit with 3,509 K’s in his career, surpassing the ‘Big Train,’ Walter Johnson.

Blasting the baseball for the Bronx Bombers, Tino Martinez jumped the Yankees out to a 1-0 edge with a home run to right-center off Jeff Suppan in the fourth frame.

Trailing 2-1 in the sixth, the power surge returned. Bernie Williams went boom, drilling a 3-0 offering from Suppan to dead center for a two-run bomb.

Later in the frame, after Suppan issued consecutive free passes to David Justice and Martinez, Jorge Posada smoked a three-run tater to left-center off Tony Cogan, increasing the advantage to 6-2.

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SEATTLE, Wash — The 1997 season was a home run derby for Tino Martinez. Oh yeah, he won that too! Back at his old stomping grounds, the New York Yankees’ first baseman crowned the Kingdome on this date.

Embed from Getty Images

After dropping the road opener to the Seattle Mariners, 4-2, the Bronx Bombers bustled back with a barrage of blasts. It all added up to a 16-2 victory.

In the first frame, Martinez mashed a three-run homer to right off Scott Sanders, posting New York to a 3-0 advantage.

During third inning, Martinez topped a two-run tater to right off Sanders, making it 5-1.

In the fifth frame, Martinez got Sanders for the trifecta, a solo smash to right, increasing the lead to 6-2.

Tino would also add an RBI-walk in the ninth inning for good measure.

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The guys discuss news about suspensions and how a shortened or canceled season affects German, Cora, Hinch and Luhnow, the Yankees biggest mistake in free agency and alternate realities of not signing players like Cano, Tino, and Pettitte. Mailbag questions about starting the season in quarantine, MLBTV, why Paul O’Neill’s number is not retired, and Bernie Williams prime years in the 90s. Out of Left Field: Curb Your Enthusiasm season review. 

Today’s show is sponsored by:

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Intro/Outro music: One Way Ticket, by Anitek.

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BRONX, N.Y. — After a 3-3 West Coast swing, the New York Yankees returned to the Bronx for their home opener. Hosting the Texas Rangers at Yankee Stadium, the Bronx Bombers won their 2000 home opener by a final count of 8-6.

It wasn’t much of a pitching clinic as opposing starters Darren Oliver and David Cone posted nearly identical lines. Both pitchers toiled five frames apiece, scattering eight hits and yielding four runs.

Bernie Williams swung the pendulum in the Bombers favor in the fifth, booming a three-run homer into the Yankee bullpen in left-center for a 4-2 advantage.

As the two clubs jostled back and forth, New York battled back to take the lead for keeps in the seventh inning. Following consecutive singles by Paul O’Neill and Williams, Tino Martinez smoked a tw0-run, go-ahead triple to right off Mike Munoz, giving the Yanks a 7-6 edge. Ricky Ledee would add some insurance by plating Martinez with an RBI-single to right off Mike Venafro.

Jeff Nelson was able to settle things down with a perfect eighth.

Mariano Rivera whiffed Ruben Mateo to close out the ninth.

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We live in such a dark world. There is a lot of bad that happens, so much of it out of our control. There are natural disasters, mass shootings, war, terrorism, and tragedy and injustice shared in the news daily. Our own worlds have bad in them too, whether we want to admit or acknowledge that or not is beside the point, but we do. Life gets stressful. Money gets tight. Life gets hard. Work is long. Kids are tiring. Schedules are packed. So much to do, so many obligations.

We also live in a pretty great world, where a lot of good happens, miracles take place, lives are saved, illnesses are cured, people serving other people, heroes fighting for our country. We have family and friends and loved ones who care for us and our well-being. We have hobbies and skills and music and art and things that bring us joy.

We have sports. Oh, sports. We’ve always had sports.

As long as I can remember, the antidote to the darkness has been the light and distraction of sports. People love sports. People are obsessed with sports. People watched sports to escape reality, even just for a short time. It’s been true for a century now, especially with baseball. We’ve always had it, and even when we didn’t have it, a women’s league was created just to get it.

All these years, sports triumphed. Even after 9/11, we cried out for sports again. At least we have sports, we proclaimed. It’s what helped get us through such a horrific time. Ask anyone from New York. It brought us closer than ever before. The Yankees postseason run saved so many lives that year, so many hearts. It held us together when not much else could.

Yet now, here we sit, in yet another horrific time in our world. We are in a global pandemic, something none of us have ever gone through before. We’re in our homes, nowhere to go and looking for the light in the dark. We’re looking for sports. We’re looking for the distraction that has pulled us through in so many tough times that have come before us.

For the first time in however long you’ve been alive, no matter your age, baseball is not being played at the time it’s supposed to be played. You turn on the TV and there is nothing. NOTHING that even resembles sport on. All around the world, competition has ceased. Fans have nothing to cheer for. There are no roll calls in the Bronx, no See yas! from Michael Kay, no Why Susan I thank you from John Sterling.

The sports world is silent. Baseball isn’t here. And I have officially cried at least three times about it.

I miss baseball. I miss the Yankees. I miss sports. The Yankees have always been my go-to, my obsession, my secondary life after my actual one. I cannot fathom a whole year without baseball. I cannot imagine it. I cannot stress enough how much I love this game.

Which is why what I’m about to say will be all the more surprising to you.

I don’t want baseball to be played this year. Not like this. Not this way.

If we think long and hard about it, there would just be too many missing elements that won’t make the game what it should be. I want to watch baseball as much as the next person, and if it’s played, I will obviously watch. However, when we’re talking about a shortened season, games being played in certain locations, players being quarantined throughout, and no fans in the stadiums, we are going to be looking at extremely sub-par baseball.

We’re also going to be looking at players probably always on edge, and fans never satisfied.

Imagine Didi Gregorious’ three-run home run in the 2017 Wild Card game against the Twins with zero people in the stands.

Imagine Aaron Boone’s walk-off homer against Boston in 2003 to go to the World Series with not one person in the crowd.

Imagine Derek Jeter’s 3,000^th hit, his walk-off single to end his Bronx career, every championship we’ve watched. Who would Wade Boggs be waving to while riding around on a horse in 1996? Whose beer would have splashed into the grandstands after Tino Martinez’s grand slam in the 1998 World Series?

Does Tony Tarasco catch Jeter’s “home run” instead of Jeffrey Maier?

Do we really want this? Do we want to see the Yankees win this way? Where we couldn’t be there? We couldn’t celebrate with a parade? We couldn’t cheer them on in large crowds? We couldn’t even see one single game in the Bronx?

Is that satisfying? It isn’t to me. Not like this.

Yes, we’re Yankees fans. We’ve seen it all. We’ve seen championships. We’re spoiled to say, well hey, let’s just wait until next year. We always have a chance to win. We always compete. It’s always a memorable season.

But let me ask anyone out there who is a fan of, say, the Chicago Cubs or the Cleveland Indians.

Cubs fans, imagine the world we live in right now, in 2016. The Cubs winning the World Series was a historic moment in history. Can you imagine finally witnessing your Cubbies win it all for the first time in over 100 years and … no one being there for it?  No one outside the stadium for it ready to abrupt? No parties, parades, pandemonium? Cleveland, is that how you want to celebrate your first World Series championship since 1948? Is that how you want to witness history? Is that how we want to remember the 2020 baseball season?

It always sounds cliché when players and ball clubs contribute their success to the fans or say “We are only here because of the fans” or “Without fans there would be no us.” But the thing about clichés is that they are often true. This one is true.

If it weren’t for the fans, the world of sports would be vastly different. It’d feel wrong and out of place, and in no way a welcoming distraction. It would be a daily reminder of the strange, unique, and scary situation we find ourselves in from a global pandemic.

I miss the game of baseball, but I miss normalcy more. I want normal again. I want traffic heading to the Bronx and billion-dollar hot dogs and beers, and fans making big plays into memorable ones because they were the soundtrack of history-making moments.

I want what baseball in 2020 cannot give us — witnesses to some of the most unscripted, unpredictable, and wildest stories in history: Sports.

Imagine the look and feel of Opening Day 2021 when the doors open to our favorite ballparks for the first time since 2019…

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BALTIMORE, Md. — On this date in 1996, Tino Martinez had his True Yankee moment. Replacing Don Mattingly at first base, Martinez erased the boo-birds with one big swing of the bat.

Embed from Getty Images

Facing the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the New York Yankees would win a wild 11-6 extra-inning affair. It would foreshadow a season of gritty gutty resiliency for this bunch.

The Yankees banged out 20 hits, including a team-record six by left-fielder Gerald “Ice” Williams. Bernie Williams would collect five of his own. Gerald, Bernie, and Tino would all go yard in this contest.

Gerald hit a two-run tater to left off David Wells in the second stanza. In the fourth frame later Bernie connected with a solo swat to right.

As the game progressed, it was far from a pitching clinic. Yet, Andy Pettitte, who was chased after a one-inning start the evening prior, settled things down so to speak with three scoreless frames in extras.

The turning point and dagger though came off the bat of Martinez during the top of the fifteenth frame. Facing Jimmy Myers with the bases juiced, Martinez smacked a grand slam to left, breaking a six all stalemate.

In a contest between two teams jostling for AL East supremacy, it was a seminal moment for Martinez with his new team.

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BRONX, N.Y. — On this date in 1996, Mariano Rivera recorded his first of many saves. In fact, Mo would end up with 652 saves before it was all said and done.

While Rivera wasn’t the official closer at that point, fittingly he registered the save for starter Andy Pettitte.

Facing the California Angels, Rivera struck out ex-teammate Randy Velarde. After Rivera’s future teammate Mike Aldrete singled to left, Rivera induced a 4-6-3 double-play ball from Garret Anderson, as Andy Fox flipped to Derek Jeter, who fired to Tino Martinez to seal the 8-5 victory.

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BRONX, N.Y. — After sparing the AL East standings the two previous years, the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles were clearly headed in different directions in 1998. The rivalry reached its boiling point on this date in 1998 and Armando Benitez was public enemy number one in New York.

Trailing 5-3 in the eighth inning, the Bronx Bombers stormed back. A three-run blast to right by Bernie Williams, off Benitez, made it 7-5 Yankees. The ensuing batter, Tino Martinez, was plunked square in the back. Martinez was incensed. Benitez was tossed. All hell broke loose.

Both benches and bullpens cleared for a full out brawl. Darryl Strawberry got hit cuts in. Seemingly the whole Yankee bullpen, Graeme Lloyd, Jeff Nelson, and Mike Stanton all took their swipes and swings at Benitez.

Whenever it appeared as though the scuffle was dying down, it reignited multiple times. It got so intense that Straw came over the top with a nice left hook and the teams poured into the Baltimore dugout. Ex-Yankee and O’s reliever Alan Mills punched Strawberry and had to be restrained.

Absolute pandemonium. Sheer bedlam in the Bronx. The camera shot panning to David Cone at the end is priceless because that brawl looked exhausting too.

When play finally resumed, Tim Raines took ex-Yankee Bobby Munoz deep to right for the 9-5 capper.

After the game, Benitez was suspended for eight games, Strawberry and Lloyd were handed three games, while Mills and Nelson got two.

An epic brawl and a reminder, do not throw at Tino!

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SEATTLE, WASH. — On this date in 1995, Derek Jeter collected his first career MLB hit. A night after making his debut at shortstop for the New York Yankees, Jeter finally got in the hit column.

Facing the Seattle Mariners at the Kingdome, Jeter grounded a single to left off Tim Belcher to lead off the fifth inning.

A fun fact only I care about, both Jeter and Belcher played their Double-A ball in Albany 10-years apart but I digress.

The coolest moment, not only does Luis Sojo flip the ball in but Jeter is chatting it up with Tino Martinez at first base, all future teammates.

During the seventh inning, Jeter collected his second hit, a single to center, chasing Belcher from the game. Jeter would also score his first run that inning, on a Paul O’Neill single to left. An inning later, Jeter would record his first walk, off another future teammate, Jeff Nelson.

This game also featured Don Mattingly sporting a goatee and wearing shades inside. Plus, Melido Perez pitched a gem, retiring 16-straight until running out of gas in the eighth. The Yankee bullpen would cough up a 3-2 lead, as the Mariners scored five unanswered in the eighth (foreshadowing for the postseason) to hand the Yankees a 7-3 loss.

Anyhow, this was the first of 1,014 multihit games for Jeter. Only three hitters had more such games in the live-ball era, Pete Rose, Stan Musial, and Hank Aaron. Jeter finished his career with 3,465 hits, sixth all-time in MLB history. Plus, he’d collected 200 more hits in the postseason. Not too shabby.

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BRONX, N.Y. — On this date in 2001, Derek Jeter became, ‘Mr. November.’ At Yankee Stadium, Game 4 of the World Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Yankeees began on Halloween and ended in November. It marked the first time a World Series contest had been played into November.

Setting up the moment was a huge home run by Tino Martinez in the bottom of the ninth inning. With one on and two outs and the pinstripes trailing 3-1, the New York first baseman slugged a game-tying homer to center off Byung-Hyun Kim.

As the game moved to the tenth inning and the clock struck midnight, Jeter rose to the occasion. With two down, Jeter battled in a nine-pitch at-bat before smashing an opposite-field walk-off home run to right for the 4-3 Yankee victory.

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BRONX, N.Y. — On this date in 1995, the New York Yankees traded for first baseman Tino Martinez. The deal brought Martinez, 28, and relief pitchers Jeff Nelson and Jim Mecir to the Bronx. In exchange, the Yankees sent third baseman Russ Davis and starting pitcher Sterling Hitchcock to the Seattle Mariners.

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At initial glance, this trade crushed me as a kid when I saw it flash across the local 6 p.m. sportscast. Martinez just crushed the Yankees in the ALDS. Plus, growing up watching the AA Albany-Colonie Yankees, I was a big fan of Davis, who earned the 1992 Eastern League MVP. It also meant the official end of Don Mattingly’s playing days in pinstripes. Quite the whirlwind of emotions.

It was also a pretty wild birthday for Tino, whose daughter Victoria was also born that day.

Yet, I’d say it worked out pretty well for the Bronx Bombers. Martinez signed a five-year, $20.25 million deal and provided a bonafide punch at first base.

Between two tours and seven years in the Bronx, Martinez swatted 192 home runs and provided a multitude of postseason moments, helping the Yankees win four World Series titles. The 1998 World Series grand slam. Hitting .364 in the 2000 World Series. His epic home run in the 2001 Fall Classic.

I saw equally sad to see him go after 2001 but thrilled when he came back for his final season in 2005, as he retired in pinstripes.

Happy birthday Tino!

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