Wednesday Night Open Thread

October 16, 2013 by Mike Axisa 39 Comments

Ten years. Ten friggin’ years ago today, Aaron Boone had the moment of a lifetime and sent the Yankees to the World Series (for the sixth time in eight years) with a walk-off homer in Game Seven of the ALCS against the Red Sox. The other day I said I remember pretty much nothing about the 1999 World Series, but this game is the exact opposite. It’s one of my most vivid memories as a fan. I remember where I was, who I was with, where everyone was sitting in the room, what everyone was drinking … all of that like it happened just yesterday. It was one of those moments you never forget.

I figure we’ve all seen the Boone homer a million times by now, so for the sake of variety, there’s the video of the game-tying three-run rally in the eighth inning instead. The video archive for the entire game is right here, so if you want to see Jason Giambi‘s two homers off Pedro Martinez or Mike Mussina’s first career relief appearance or Mariano Rivera‘s three innings of work or, of course, Boone’s homer, it’s all right there. Enjoy.

Once you’re done with that, use this as your open thread for the evening. The Cardinals are looking to advance to the World Series with a win over the Dodgers in NLCS Game Five, which is on TBS right now (Joe Kelly vs. Zack Greinke). At 8pm ET, the Red Sox and Tigers will play Game Four of the ALCS on FOX (Jake Peavy vs. Doug Fister). The Rangers are also playing. Talk about all of that and more right here.

dkidd

ten years

andy was right: it’s a shame you get old
Bob Buttons

Oh Grady Little. The anti-LaRussa.
- RetroRob
  
  Yet, if he had removed Pedro and then the pen blew it, wouldn’t he have been questioned for taking out Pedro? It was a no-win scenario for Little if the Red Sox lost the game. Either decision would have been questioned.
  - Bob Buttons
    
    Without hindsight I’d rather die with my pen partially because they can be easily replaced unlike a former ace/now goat.
    Pedro wasn’t exactly Mr. Durable, in the time where 200+ innings where the norm.
    - Kosmo
      
      Pedro was at 115 pitches when Little came to the mound. Time to yank Pedro. It cost Little his job. Little if he went to his bullpen at that point would not have been questioned. Anyway it was a great game.
cnp

10 year old me was at this game, and on TV right after the homerun. Still gives me goosebumps to watch!
Darren

Gettin chills thinking about Posada’s game tying double. When Little visited the mound and didn’t take Pedro out, everyone in the bar (Yankee Tavern!) had this look of wonder on their face, like holy shit, is this really happening? We KNEW that we were gonna tie it up. That was such an incredible moment. And of course, Mussina’s epic escape, Mo’s appearance which must have jsut demoralized the F out of Boston, and something else big, what was it?

Oh yeah, Boone’s home run wasn’t bad!
Art Vandelay

Jorge’s double and mattingly’s HR in the 95 playoffs are two of my favorite Yankee moments ever. That stadium was rocking !!
- Darren
  
  YES TO BOTH!!
Max

Do you all think there a way for the Yanks to sign Cano, Tanaka, Kuroda, Granderson, and Beltran (1 year) and stay under $189mm (assuming A-Rod comes off the books for a year)?
- Eddie from Ohio
  
  I don’t know if they can swing that, but it would make for a pretty legit lineup:
  
  Gardner CF
  Beltran DH
  Cano 2B
  Tex 1B
  Soriano RF
  Granderson LF
  Jeter SS
  Reynolds 3B
  Stewart C
  
  Bench: Ichiro, Nunez, catcher, infielder
  - ropeadope
    
    Who’s going to tell Jeter he’s batting 7th?
    - RetroRob
      
      …or that Stewart needs to report to Yankee Stadium as he is still the starting catcher.
RetroRob

Is Puig a poor defensive OFer? I’ve read where he has good skills and an arm, but I’ve seen quite a few clips of him diving and flopping around in the OF. Instincts seem off the few times I’ve seen him on tracking the ball and understanding when to dive or pull back. I suspect he has a few highlight-reel catches, and just as many disaster attempts that he misses.
Robinson Tilapia

Almost ten years since Mike Lamb was almost our third baseman.

Almost ten years since Alex first became a Yankee.

Goddamn.
JCK

I had the pleasure of watching this game with a roomful of Red Sox fans (I live in New England, so most of my close friends are). After Boone’s home run, they all got up, silently left my house (except for my roommate, who was the only other Yankee fan in the room), and I didn’t see or talk to them for a few days.

It was amazing.
- Bob Buttons
  
  Made my evening with this anecdote =)
- Chris in Maine
  
  I can totally relate.
https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries

It’s one of the greatest shames that the World Series loss to the Marlins, a series the Yankees had no business losing, takes a lot of the great joy out of that home run, in hindsight.

For shame. For friggen shame.
- Wheels
  
  The World Series losses to the D’backs and Marlins will always be sickening.
  - Pat D
    
    +the rest of my life
  - WhittakerWalt
    
    There’s a big difference, though. The Yankees weren’t as good as the D-Backs. It took miraculous homers to get us back in that series. We had NO offense that year.
    The Marlins should have been our bitch. Yet we lost two games to Brad Penny.
    - Wheels
      
      Just the way that they lost though, in the context of the aftermath of 9-11 with Mo blowing the save in a game 7. It would have meant so much for the tri-state area to win that series, to experience a celebratory respite during those dark times. We were so close.
      - Pat D
        
        Exhibit A as to why there is no god*.
        
        *This is my own personal opinion that I use in a half-joking manner, but it fits my beliefs very well, so I tend to say it. I’m not trying to start a debate on that subject. Honest.
      - I’m a looser baby so why don’t you kill me?
        
        All of this.
        
        That flare by Gonzales is one of the most sickening memories I have. And bc of 9/11 not just of sports. It was like some moment where god and karma either were asleep at the switch or worse, don’t exist.
    - Kosmo
      
      “No offense “ ? NYs offense in 2001 was every bit as good as the D-Backs. Most all their offensive numbers were on par with the D-Backs. The big difference maker in the 2001 WS was Randy Johnson and in the final game a few not so stellar defensive plays by NY when it counted. NY gave away outs ALL thru the game.
      Yanks ERA for the season was 4.02, the D-Backs 3.87 and that´s with Unit and Schilling having CY seasons and sub 3.00 ERAs
      Oh yeah Pettitte stunk big time in the series.
lee

that’s one big neighborhood there at 2B — instant replay is going to be interesting next year.
Wheels

Don’t blow another 5-run lead, Tigers.
- RetroRob
  
  They’ll have to blow a seven-run lead now.
  
  If but for one pitch to Ortiz, the Tigers should be on the way to a 3-0 lead in this series.
  - RetroRob
    
    3-1 lead.
Kenny

It’s pretty hard to watch this game. They just did their variety show bit, interviewing Verlander (who started this showbiz shit?). He called the Tigers and Sox the 2 best teams in the AL. Made me sick. Oh, he’s right, of course, and it’s pretty clear the Yanks have a helluva lot to do–several years worth maybe–to catch up to them.

The other annoying thing is “post-season” stats. It was always a point of pride when “World Series” records mattered because that was Yankee Heaven. Now, it’s all just “post-season this and post-season that.” For some of us (of a certain age), these league playoffs are still the undercard and shouldn’t be allowed to take the shine off the World Series (which is still Yankee Heaven).,
- pat
  
  IS it really a stretch to say they’re the two best? They had the two best run differentials and they beat the team with the 2nd best record in the ALDS.
- lee
  
  to Joe Buck’s credit, earlier he did wonder aloud just how gaudy Mantle’s post-season stats would have been had there been two extra series back in his day.
pat

Pedrioa with an error on the unnecessary dive. Cano takes three steps and fields that blindfolded.
- RetroRob
  
  He has not looked particularly good in the field tonight.
- lee
  
  i think they scored that a hit, but i am enjoying see the elf having one terrible night in the field!
  - pat
    
    They probably did, but replays will show he dove forward and to the side, instead of going directly sideways or even back and to his left like Cano would have done (and made look easy).
lee

gotta love one-legged Cabrera stealing a base against the Sox!
mick taylor

if the umpires had screwed the red sox like they screwed yanks in last years series against tigers the sox would be down at least 3-1. that first game against tigers last year was stolen by umps. if yanks win that game, the whole series changes. but red sox never get calls against them under selig’s regime. in fact, sox would not have won in 2004 if umpired do not reverse call on arod at first, which they never did in a playoff game