As much as I try to hate the New York Yankees, there is one reason why I can’t. Derek Jeter. Last night was the last game in the series between the Yankees and Red Sox. The Yankees had won the first 2 games and were going for the sweep with rookie Brad Halsey on the mound. The Red Sox countered with Pedro Martinez.
The first two games were very intense so you expected the third to be the same as well. Well, it was intense alright. Not only was it intense, it was probably the greatest regular season game played by teams other than my hometown Toronto Blue Jays.
Let’s start from the beginning…Bottom of the 1st inning, after Gary Sheffield twice called for time when Pedro was in his windup, the very next pitch, Pedro plunked Sheffield right between the shoulder blades. Both teams moved to the top of the steps but did not empty the dugout. Either the action or the reaction prompted the Umpire to issue warnings to both benches which a very smart thing to do. He simmered the situation right away. From there on in, there wasn’t any trouble.
The Yankee’s grabbed a 3-0 lead thanks to a 2-run homer by Tony Clark and a solo by Jorge Posada.
In the 6th inning, Manny Ramirez hit a 2-run homer to pull the Sox within one and knock rookie Brad Halsey out of the game, who left to a standing ovation. Then in the 7th inning, Boston tied it up and it stayed tied until the 13th inning. Not that both teams didn’t have chances to tie it up.
For instance, in the 9th inning, the Yankees had the bases loaded and 1 out, but Boston pitcher Keith Foulke struck out Ruben Sierra(what the hell he was swinging at I have no idea) and got Kenny Lofton to ground out to end the inning.
In the 10th inning, Boston pitcher Allen Embree got Bernie Williams to line out to end the inning with runners on the corners.
The Red Sox had a chance to put the Yankees away in the 11th inning. They had the bases loaded and nobody out when Kevin Millar hit a hot shot to Alex Rodriguez at third base. A-Rod showed why he's a superstar, snaring the bullet groundball, stepping on third for the force and then firing home to get Gabe Kapler for the unusual but spectacular double play. Then the Yankees got David McCarty to fly out to left field for the third out.
The symbolic play of the evening was performed by Derek Jeter, who kept the Yankees alive by making an almost unfathomable catch on Trot Nixon's pop fly in the top of the 12th inning. With 2 out and runners on the corners Jeter raced over to snag the ball in fair territory and his momentum carried him well into the stands. He somehow came up with the ball, and a bruised and bloodied face to boot. Jeter left the game and was taken to the hospital for X-rays.
I sat there open-mouthed. I couldn’t believe what I just saw. Derek Jeter has now assured himself for the Hall of Fame if not Yankee lore. Songs will be sung of how he intercepted an offline throw to the plate and with his momentum carrying him away from the plate threw a relay back-handed to Jorge Posada to nail Jason Giambi (of all people) at home plate during the 2002 playoffs. Songs will be sung of how he dived into the stands after preventing a Boston run to score. Throwing caution into the wind by risking his matinee idol looks while going after a ball that was definitely going to drop into fair territory.
That’s what gamers do. That’s what captains do. That’s what Hall of Famers do. That’s what Legends do. They don’t sit on the bench afraid to fail. Jason Giambi failed when called upon to pinch-hit in extra innings. Ravaged by parasites, he was sapped of any strength and it showed during his at bat but he wasn’t scared. And if he was, he didn’t show it. He showed up. Nomar Garciaparra didn’t show up and that will mean the end of his Red Sox career at the end of the season, if not sooner. If Derek Jeter is a War Hero to his team-mates, then Nomar is a coward. And there is no room for cowards in baseball, especially against the Yankees.