New York Yankees in Cleveland: The Site of Their Dynasty's First Blunder

As Yankees closer Mariano Rivera entered the ninth inning during Sunday's Subway Series finale, there was little doubt he would close the Mets out.

A two-out rally of opposite-field drives said otherwise, and Rivera blew the save as the Yankees eventually lost the game in 10 innings, 3-2. Now, as the Bombers play a three-game set with the Indians, they return to the site of what potentially cost them an immortal place in history as the greatest team ever.

The Bronx was alive in 1997, fresh off their first World Series in 18 years the year before. As they returned to the playoffs, their first matchup was against the Indians.

Unlike the current Indians, who scrap and pitch their way through games (and victories, as they lead the AL Central), the 1997 Indians were a juggernaut. Hall-of-Famers like Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez led the barrage behind fireballers, like a young Bartolo Colon.  

Up 2-1 in the series, the Yankees were locked in battle with pitching legend Orel Hershiser, barely scraping out a 2-1 lead in Game 4. Surely, the game was safe in the hands of Rivera who recorded 43 saves in the regular season. But in two outs in the eighth, Indians' catcher Sandy Alomar, Jr. launched a home run just over the leaping try of Paul O'Neill, tying the game at two.  

The Indians won the game in the ninth with a Omar Vizquel single and went on the win the series in Game 5, sending the Yankees home early. The Indians made it to the World Series but lost in heartbreaking, excruciating fashion with a walk-off hit by the Marlins in extra-innings of Game 7.   

The blown save by Rivera was one that stung him and many other teammates on that '97 club. Rivera's failure, however, was not his demise, but his strengthening. He would not blow another save in the postseason over the next three seasons and barely let up runs in October, solidifying his legendary playoff record.

It would not be until an even more epic blown save in the 2001 World Series against Arizona that would reveal his humanity, as he blew Game 7 on mainly his doing.

If not for the Indians, the Yankees could have possibly won five World Series in a row, a feat not accomplished since they did it themselves from 1949 to 1953. If not for Mariano Rivera, they could have won six in a row, minus his two enormous blunders.  

Of course, without Rivera, many teammates claim they would not have won any rings at all. His greatness is immeasurable and is made obvious by the shock when he fails to complete a save. But whether it's a regular season, three-run, ho-hum save in Cleveland or Game 7 in the World Series, Rivera will be given the ball confidently, and will more-than-likely do the job.