Nine years ago today…

October 16, 2012 by Mike Axisa 119 Comments

We all need some positive vibes this afternoon, so let’s take a quick look back at something that happened nine years ago today. I’m talking about this…

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And this…

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And finally this…

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Aaron Boone had three hits in his previous 27 at-bats prior to that. All it takes is one swing.

A Fucking Twit

The Yankee Tavern was amazing during this game. Jorge’s bloop double was otherworldly.

Don’t forget Mussina’s stellar relief performance! (although of course he had to grumble about it like a douche)
Eddard

And it was against another all time great pitcher, Pedro. It can be done and they will shock the world tonight and win 6-3. First untuck of the postseason for Soriano.
- Winter
  
  Unfortunately Jim Leyland isn’t Grady Little.
  - Rocky Road Redemption
    
    You’re right. He’s much worse.
    
    (I figure a positive post is a good time to comment).
http://www.camillecampinsadams.com Camille

This game me the chills.
Rey22

Still get chills every time I watch that video.
- MannyGeee (Give Philip some run support)
  
  goosebumps… just insane. like it was yesterday, man.
http://www.twitter.com/matt__harris Matt :: Sec110

I was a sophmore at SUNY Cortland…I remember that day like it was yesterday. I dormed in a tower, that was next to another tower, the building physically was shaking and you could hear people screaming, it was great!
- nsalem
  
  I was in my 6th year at Sing Sing on an 8-12 armed robbery rap. I remember it like yesterday also. I dormed in a cell with Bubba and Petey. The Cellblock was physically shaking. Even the guards were celebrating with us.
  - Sad Sack
    
    Yes, I remember. I was preparing to jump off the GW Bridge. I cried out, Lord, show me a sign! Suddenly, a huge cheer came up from Yankee Stadium. It shook the whole bridge. I got down off the bridge and walked home.
BigBlueAL

Ive been fortunate to have been born in 1980 so I was able to fully appreciate and remember all the great games and teams from 1995 til now but of all the great wins Ive seen this game is still my favorite of them all even though it didnt come in a season where the Yankees won it all.

Never been happier and more excited as a Yankee fan than when Boone hit the HR.
- Graig not Craig
  
  But you missed 1978. Bucky Dent. Reggie Jackson.
  - nsalem
    
    I remember it like it was yesterday. I was at Dodger Stadium then known as Chavez Ravine. Catfish was awesome, Reggie hit a homer and Goose closed it out. The Dodger fans were super friendly and gracious. They were almost all gone by the seventh inning and the final 3 innings were played in front of about 20,000 people. Then went out and partied hard with other New Yorkers in the balmy LA night.
    - sevrox
      
      I remember when Chambliss hit his pennant winner of Mark Littell of the Royals. Had to tell my arguing grandmother and great aunt to pipe down so I could hear the game. Then I found God.
Yank the Frank

Well played Mauer.
Graig not Craig

So, you can use a closer for more than one inning? Who knew?
Adam

It is kind of remarkable that the play-by-play on the Boone home run isn’t the satirical clip of Joe Buck dispassionately calling incredibly exciting sports moments.
billy

does giambi get no love for his two homeruns, the yankee who led them offensively and didnt let the game get to far out of reach
- vicki
  
  after being dropped to seventh in the lineup.
  
  that game had EVERYTHING.
  
  jorgie, you are missed.
Anthony

This is one of the few Yankee moments that I vividly remember from my childhood. So damn awesome.
Mike

Seeing this made me realize a few things:

Wow, MO and Jetes look so young!
Mo was simply money!
Wow, I miss the old Stadium; the place was rockin’
Zack

Too bad about what happened afterwards. Yanks lost to a team no one cares about then or now.
Little CANOlli

Even when I’m a senile old-man with full-on Alzheimer’s I’ll still remember that game. that series. and that entire season.
- vin
  
  I’m just glad they decided to not even play the WS that year. Ending the season after the LCS’s was Selig’s best move as commissioner.
  - vicki
    
    it was up there. gotta love his cancelling the alcs the following year.
    - Little CANOlli
      
      and cancelling the playoffs in ’08
    - vin
      
      Excellent point!
HW7

Mo looks so young. There goes that cyborg theory.
- Peter North
  
  No, it still holds true. He’s a cybernetic organism: living tissue over a metal endoskeleton. The living tissue ages only to make the cyborg appear human.
Eddard

Gardner leading off and in LF! Chavy at 3rd! Nunie at SS! Benched are Swish and Alex. We need speed in that lineup and Joe delivered. Great lineup.
El Tigre

Has anyone seen the lineup!!?? Hahahahaha. Nunez at SS. Insanity. Girardi has to be working for the Tigers. Tonight is going to be hilarious.
- Eddard
  
  Great move. They need speed and offense. Defense isn’t much of an issue with Fly ball Phil on the mound. It’s not sinkerball Kuroda starting, it’s a fly ball pitcher in a fly ball park. Nunie and Gardy will get us jump started.
  - El Tigre
    
    Do you know how bad Nunez is at SS? He’s a clown out there.
    - TCMiller30
      
      Do you know that Phil Hughes is an extreme fly ball pitcher?
- DT
  
  We’re going to score 0 runs and the defense is going to give up 5 unearned.
  - hogsmog
    
    OH.
http://www.nesn.com/2011/01/2011-red-sox-will-challenge-1927-yankees-for-title-of-greatest-team-in-major-league-history.html wilk

tonights lineup:
gardner 7/suzuki 9/ teixeira 3/ cano 4/ ibanez DH/ martin 2/ chavez 5/ granderson 8/ nunez 6

i like making the fact that joe is making big changes, and i like the speed in the lineup. however, i would have made two changes: first, raul has to be hitting ahead of cano at this point. has to.

second, i like the way nix has been playing, and am leery of nunez’s defense.

however, that’s more nitpicking, and i think joe has put out a good lineup tonight.
- El Tigre
  
  I don’t mind any of the moves other than Nunez over Nix. Nix has been playing well and I trust him to play defense.
  
  Girardi has put the nail in ARod’s coffin. This relationship is probably irreparable after this. How quickly things change…
- Little CANOlli
  
  It’s the risky, but smart move. It doesn’t really matter how many errors they make if they can’t put some pressure on Verlander
Cano fan #1

No swisher and no A-ROD tonight in the lineup I just saw it
stuart a

the nunez move is shocking.

i would have given aroid one last chance, they simply believe he cannot hit a righty hard thrower…

wow….

swisher out I like, arod I am ambivalent about…
- Eddard
  
  Swisher went against the family, the NY fans. That’s a no no. Jeter would never do that. Even ARod didn’t and he always gets bashed. Swisher’s done as NYY. If Gardner does well tonight he’s in for the rest of the playoffs.
  - Little CANOlli
    
    I kind of feel bad for Gardner, he’s had what 3 ABs since he’s been back? Now he gets to face Verlander down 0-2 in the LCS
  - Robinson Tilapia (I Believe in Run Support!)
    
    I’m at a loss for words, even by Eddard criteria.
    
    That first sentence may be the dumbest thing I’ve ever read.
  - Neil
    
    Swisher can’t vent but Yankee organization disses the fans on a regular basis with their high regular and post season ticket prices and the low regard it shows for partial plan ticket holders
    - JMK
      
      Agreed.
- MannyGeee (Give Philip some run support)
  
  “arod I am ambivalent about”
  
  I am not sure you know what “ambivalent” means… you are clearly not ambivalent about Alexander.
gerlando

I miss when the stadium used to be that loud. I woke up an entire dorm building with that hit.
DT

Why Eric Chavez…series why. He’s the one o the few guys struggling worse than Alex and he gets to pay over him? Arod has good numbers against Verlander.
The Guns of Navarone

This might as well have been a lifetime ago. That was at the Yankee Stadium where fans actually stood up and did something called cheering. This team is dead.
- Little CANOlli
  
  So, is that a Wu Tang or movie reference?
- Rocky Road Redemption
  
  Wow…never mind about posting in a positive thread. You guys make me want to shoot myself. See you all if they win today AND tomorrow (if they just win today people won’t be satisfied).
  
  Geez guys, relax. It’s playoff baseball, it’s supposed to be fun. Enjoy the games, it’s not over yet-not even close.
  - Rocky Road Redemption
    
    Whoops, this was supposed to be a stand alone post, not a response. Oh well.
  - Robinson Tilapia (I Believe in Run Support!)
    
    Notice that you’ve never seen half these names before, although the Guns of Navarone has been around for a while.
    - Darren a/k/a Judd Nelson’s nostrils
      
      What about you DAD?. What about you??
  - The Irony Guy
    
    http://imgur.com/awexl
Ryan

I prefer the Sterling call on that last one. So much emotion and one of the few times his game ending call was appropriate for the moment.

“Top of the 9th, Yanks lead 12-0, annnddd the pitch.. HE STRUCK HIM OUT SWINGING. BALL GAME OVER, YANKEES WIN. THHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YANKEEEEEEEEEES WINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN”

Give it a rest, John.
Mike from Jersey

Chavez has good numbers against Verlander and Alex can call his new friends while sitting on the bench. Nunez is a better hitter than Nix and can be replaced in late innings by Nix for defense.

Ibanez offers Cano the rare chance of seeing more fastballs since he is locked in. Love the moves Girardi made – speed puts pressure on tough pitchers.

Go Yanks! It ain’t over!
- DT
  
  Alexis 4-7 with 2 homeruns off verlander this year. If you want to talk strictly postseason performance, Chavez has not had a hit yet and struck out over 50% of the time in place of Alex.
  - Little CANOlli
    
    The guy has been getting gassed-up by guys throwing in the low-90s the entire Bal series and against two sinker/2-seam guys the first 2 games of this series. How do you expect him to do with Verlander?? his timing is obviously fucked up, at least Chavy can get his bat out there in time and maybe run into one.
    - DT
      
      Really? striking out over 50% of the time is getting there in time? I think Arod is more likely to run into one than Chavez at this point.
      - Rocky Road Redemption
        
        Honestly, I think it’s a wash. It’s a matter of picking a name out of a hat at this point.
      - Little CANOlli
        
        Ok, but don’t act like his numbers off Verlander have any weight in this situation. Those were before the injury, and Alex hasn’t gotten a legit piece of a ball in like 3 weeks.
        
        DT
        
        Oh you mean like his last 2 ABs in the last game? What about Chavez and his swings on pitches 10 inches out of the zone.
        
        Little CANOlli
        
        Look, neither is a great option right now, and just watching Alex the last couple of weeks has led me to believe that he’s got no shot timing up anything that’s 95+. Sure, Chavez might not be any better, but I don’t think it’s appropriate to use Alex’s stats off Verlander in this situation because Alex hasn’t been Alex for 3 weeks now.
Marcy

I guess I’ll be watching the debate.
Nunez @ short? Gardner leading off? He had 1 at bat this postseason.
What’s going on?
- El Tigre
  
  It’s New York Yankees playoff baseball!!!!!
awesomeo

G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
17 58 53 4 9 1 0 2 4 2 1 1 15 .170 .196 .302 .498

Aaron Boone. Post seasson MVP. One big ass hit made that dude a legend. He has some of the worst post season numbers in yankee history.
vicki

we’re going the distance; we’re going for speed….
Pat D (The “D” is for Depression…Manic Depression)

And then Aaron Boone had 3 hits in his next 21 at bats.
Yank the Frank

Offensively they can’t do any worse than they did Sunday.
beachbum

Well, none of the bridge jumpers will be able to complain that Joe Binder didn’t listen to them. Let’s see how this works out . . .
dee dubs

where’s the lineup???
Electric nunez

I am shocked
No arod in the game where the only guy he can hit he sits.
Wtf arod has 2 homers this year over verlander and 333 against him
I am shocked
- Robinson Tilapia (I Believe in Run Support!)
  
  I’m still rather surprised by what’s happened there. I honestly don’t like it.
  
  I’d have played Alex and considered sitting Granderson, although that would have meant putting Ibanez out in the field.
  - TomH
    
    I’m with you about the lineup.
    
    Also, I think it’s a spiteful, not a thoughtful move. You watch, we’ll soon be hearing lots of conspiracy theories about it: e.g., a gang-up of Cash and Joe against ARod to drive him, via humiliation, somehow out of town. If so, it might as easily backfire if this weak lineup lays an egg. Yeah, Arod’s in hitter hell, but so is Chavez. As for Gardner–he’s going to do something in the lineup against 95+ (to start!) Verlander? “Speed is great,” we hear about Gardy and Nunez. It sure is, and Verlander’s the one who’s got it. Frankly, if I were the manager, I’d go down with ARod against this guy, not with a banjo hitter who can run.
    
    I’ll close my eyes when the ball goes to Nunez.
mustang

The lineup:

Brett Gardner, LF
Ichiro Suziki, RF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Raul Ibanez, DH
Russell Martin, C
Eric Chavez, 3B
Curtis Granderson, CF
Eduardo Nunez, SS

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!
- mustang
  
  Love tonights line-up
  
  Joe Girardi your the man!!!!!!
  - DT
    
    You’re going to hate it when you realize Gardner hasn’t really had an AB in 4 months and Nunez hits .205 off righties… Oh yea Chavez is 0-11 with 6Ks this postseason.
    - mustang
      
      Gardner has hit Verlander better then “Mr. Fan” Swisher and right now could he be worse? I will give you Nunez, but with Jeter out does it really matter. As far as Chavez look at A-Rod so please.
      
      This shakes thing up rather then just sending the same shit out there.
      - DT
        
        Arod actually got a hit this postseason though.
        
        mustang
        
        Are you seriousLOL?
        
        After how many ABs?
        
        Please just stop now.
- Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle AKA True Yankee(TM)
  
  I think it’s a mistake that Alex isn’t in the line up…Chavez has been just about as bad as Alex in the post season and Alex has great numbers against Verlander in his career.
  - mustang
    
    Maybe, but how many more AB has A-Rod had?
    
    Now Alex as more time for his social life during the game.
    
    http://www.usatoday.com/story/.....e/1636911/
    - Little CANOlli
      
      they find a cure for jerkoff-itis yet?
    - Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle AKA True Yankee(TM)
      
      Ugh…I hate that people are trying to make a story out of this. 1st of all, it’s probably not true. Secondly, even if it is who gives a fuck? He had already been pinch hit for, so it’s clear he wasn’t coming back in the game, and it’s not like after he got their number (again IF it happened) he went and sat on the bench with his head down sneaking texts to them, he was right there on the top step rooting his team on.
      - Little CANOlli
        
        I can’t believe that USAtoday has the balls to even print this. Guys in the big leagues do this shit every day, and I don’t blame them one bit
        
        Neil
        
        It’s ARod so it’s always a story. That’s why he has never been a fit here. You now what Boras said when he was a free agent 24 + 1. Despite that I still think he should be in the lineup. What does Joe think when they bring in Coke after Verlander throws 150 pitches ARod is going to do his Rustry Staub imitation and get a pinch hit!
        
        mustang
        
        A-Rod is always the story because he makes himself the story. Simply look to the left next season for a good example.
        
        Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle AKA True Yankee(TM)
        
        No the media makes A-Rod the story, because he’s easy to make a story out of. Going for a jog in the park, and gonna lay on a rock that 1000s of people lay on everyday? Cover of sports section. Gonna sit quietly in the dugout? (headline) Alex doesn’t support the team. “I want to be like Derek.” (headline)Alex is obsessed with being Derek Jeter. “Me and Derek are our own people.” (headline) Rift in clubhouse, Jeter and A-Rod at Odds Again. I hate giving anybody a pity party, but regardless of what Alex says or does it will be cast in a negative light for the remainder of his contract. Why? Because it’s easy. Journalists no longer report the truth or the most compelling story (even sports journalists) they report the easiest story that the public wants to read the most.
      - mustang
        
        Your right, but its FUCKING STUPID!!!!!!
        
        Maybe just maybe during game 1 of the ALCS might not be the best time to pick up dates.
        
        BTW- multiple sources and witness.
        
        Little CANOlli
        
        Maybe if you knew what it felt like to be in sum pussy you would have a different opinion
        
        mustang
        
        And Maybe if you weren’t an asshole you might realize that pussy wasn’t the point timing was.
      - vicki
        
        i’m not going to say the story’s true; just that i go spring training every year. and he does have a type.
- JobaWockeeZ
  
  Why are you so happy? Because you think the only offensive struggles belong to Alex Rodriguez?
  - mustang
    
    Because this is better then running the SAME SHIT out there waiting for “The homerun” Yankees to show up!!!!
    
    And I’m sorry A-Rod is not the only one out of the line-up.
    - JobaWockeeZ
      
      But the home run Yankees are still there. The useless AB’s from Swisher, Cano, Granderson are still going to be there.
      
      And Jeter’s done for the postseason. I’ll admit I was incredibly wrong with Jeter as he’s clearly our best hitter right now.
      
      But no lineup changes will make this team hit more. It’s up to them to stop striking out every damn AB.
- mustang
  
  I just don’t get some people!
  
  They are now 7 games into the playoffs and people want to still run out the same bums out there.
  
  At least if this fails they could say they try everything they could.
  
  I know 1996 was a different team, but history is all we have so take a look at the changes Torre made in game 3.
Jose M. Vazquez

I don’t remember Soriano being that slick a fielder, but he did an adequate job and was a 30-30 player. The lineup tonight may give us the result we want, that is, speed forcing hurried throws, bunt hits and the ability to score from second on a hit or from first on a double. I congratulate Girardi for having the fortitude to do this.
Electric nunez

Has a player ever been bought out of their contract?
Moo Shu Pork (Currently Eddard)

I just really like this lineup. 2/3 of the three stooges are benched. Now you don’t have that black hole, worm hole, and nothingness stacked up at 6-7-8. Nunie, Gardy and Ichy are a triple lead off and they’ll wreck havoc on the bases. This lineup would be the best we’ve run out there all postseason if it had Jeter instead of Nunie.
- Nigel Incubator-Jones
  
  In order to wreak havoc, they’ll have to get on base, first. Let’s hope they can.
- LK
  
  How would you describe Cano, considering he’s been worse than the black hole, the worm hole, and the nothingness?
stuart a

all the time, you joking?
Nigel Incubator-Jones

Ahh yes, I remember this well. I watched it on my brand new 42″ TV.. Sale price $3000+. It’s not 1996 anymore, but hopefully history can repeat itself.
- Nigel Incubator-Jones
  
  Sorry, 2003. 42″ TV in 1996 was probably over $10000 and weighed 1000 lbs.
- MannyGeee (Give Philip some run support)
  
  I watched it on the same piece of shit 27″ tube TV my dad bought in 1993 when he split from my mother. He bought it at Radio Shack before they stopped selling components and only sell plugs and shitty phones.
  
  That same piece of shit TV is still in my room today. Lets hope for the same fate.
BigLoving

I love this lineup. I fucking love it! Who cares if Nunez is a butcher with the glove? He has all the potential in the world any maybe he will put it all together with pressure like this. It’s Hail Mary time fellas! We can’t be looking at this next few days in a conventional manner. Girardi is throwing the dogs out there and begging for someone to step up and take control of this team. Jeter isn’t here and somebody has to step up big if we are going to win this. Fuck worrying about mistakes….if they are going to miss they might as well miss big!

Let’s go Yankees!!!!!
Thunder Road Runner

If they really want to roll the dice they should start A-Rod at SS and Chavez @3B
- vin
  
  Just run Jeter back out there at SS. Gotta keep DH open for Ibanez.
- Austin Aunelowitzky
  
  Francessa was pushing for Alex at SS. What a joke. I think Francessa, full of hubris and cocksure ignorance, said “Is anyone going to tell me that Nunez is a better SS than ARold right now?” Uh, really Mike? … that asshat is rather unbecoming.
Giancarlo Stanton 2017

Who was crunched over the mound as the yankees were celebrating with Boone at home?
- Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle AKA True Yankee(TM)
  
  This guy, Mariano Rivera…he’s a pretty useful piece out of the bullpen.
Little CANOlli

Anyone want to join me tonight and listen to the game from the edge of the QB bridge?
- MannyGeee (Give Philip some run support)
  
  This may be the best comment of the night. and the game has not started yet
Austin Aunelowitzky

Mikes a wee bit late with the game thread and/or lineup post. Perhaps the rumors are true that he has journeyed to the Oracle at Delphi and has accordingly sacrificed a virgin for the right to have a wish granted…
this space for rent

Can you imagine what A-Rod’s range is at this point?

He’s been embarrassed enough; making him look like a fool trying to range for balls at short would just be sadistic at this point.
- this space for rent
  
  Sorry for the reply fail. Meant for Thunder Road Runner.
Jorge

How could I ever forget that HR? I’m a die-hard Yankees fan from Mérida, Yucatán, México. By that time, Florida Marlins had already won the NL title. So, I was watching the game at home, and I was so nervous because I had already decided that if the Yankees won the AL pennant, I’d fly to Miami to watch games 3, 4 and 5 of the World Series. Miami is just 1:20 hours by plane from Mérida. So you can imagine how I began to scream when Boone homered. My dream came true, and I watched those 3 games of the 2003 World Series. My first and, so far, my only World Series games.