Yankees Playoff Memories: Reflection On The Old Yard

(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Starting in 1995 the New York Yankees have made the playoffs 14 out of 15 times.  With Yankee Stadium II having ended operations after 2008, I felt it fitting to reflect and list my top 12 playoff moments at The House George Renovated before they christen the new yard with post season baseball for the first time.  With apologies to Reggie Jackson and Chris Chambliss, I'm naming the moments I've seen in my lifetime.

# 12.) 2001 ALCS Game 4, Seattle Mariners @ New York Yankees: After getting blown out in game 3 of the series at home 14-3, the Yankees led the best of seven 2-1.  In game 4 the Yankees had been held scoreless for seven innings, while the Mariners got on the board with a run in the top half of the 8th on a Brett Boone solo HR making it 1-0 M's.  However in the bottom of the 8th with one out, Bernie Williams took Arthur Rhodes deep to knot it at 1-1. 

  Then in the bottom of the 9th with one out and one on, Alfonso Soriano homered off of Kaz Sasaki to win the game 3-1, putting the Yanks up 3-1 in the series.

With their 116 win season on the line, the M's were clearly pressing, prompting manager Lou Pinella to boldly state they would be going back to Seattle for game six. 

# 11.) 2001 ALCS Game 5, Seattle Mariners @ New York Yankees: After this game the M's would be going back to Seattle, however there would be no game six.  New York which had suffered through the horrific attacks of 9/11/2001, seemingly let out all off their emotions and grief and the Yankees took it out big time on the Mariners.  The Yankees sent the Mariners packing 12-3 on the back of three homers by Bernie Williams, Paul O'Neill and Tino Martinez.  The Yankees won their 4th AL Pennant in a row, the first and only AL team to do so in the modern playoff era.  It was the last HR for Paulie, but not for Tino... that's later down the list.

# 10.) 1999 ALCS Game 1, Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees: The first playoff series ever for the two blood rivals.  Seemingly tamer than recent years but intense nonetheless.  The Red Sox led most of the way, 3-2 going into the 7th until the Yankees tied the score.  The two sides then took it to the bottom of the 10th without scoring, until Bernie Williams went boom, leading off the 10th with a walkoff solo shot to dead center for the 4-3 win.  Other than a blip on the radar in game 3 at Fenway Park, the Yankees rolled up the competition in 1999 going 11-1, but their walkoff magic wasn't done as you'll see down the list.

# 9.) 2000 World Series Game 1, New York Mets @ New York Yankees: The first Subway Series, World Series game since the New York Yankees defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers in game seven of that series at Ebbets Field.

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