2000 World Series
Team (Wins) Managers Season New York Yankees (4) Joe Torre 87–74, .540, GA:2+1⁄2 New York Mets (1) Bobby Valentine 94–68, .580, GB: 1
Dates	October 21–26
Venue(s)	Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees) Shea Stadium (New York Mets)
MVP	Derek Jeter (New York Yankees)
Umpires	Ed Montague (crew chief),Charlie Reliford,Jeff Kellogg,Tim Welke,Tim McClelland,Jerry Crawford
Hall of Famers	Yankees: Derek Jeter Mariano Rivera Joe Torre (manager) Mets: Mike Piazza
Broadcast
Television	Fox (United States) MLB International (International)
TV announcers	Joe Buck,Tim McCarver andBob Brenly (Fox) Gary Thorne andKen Singleton (MLB International)
Radio	ESPN WABC (NYY) WFAN (NYM)
Radio announcers	Jon Miller,Charley Steiner (Game 3) andDave Campbell (ESPN) John Sterling andMichael Kay (WABC) Bob Murphy andGary Cohen (WFAN)
ALCS	New York Yankees overSeattle Mariners (4–2)
NLCS	New York Mets overSt. Louis Cardinals (4–1)
World Series program
← 1999 World Series 2001 →

The2000 World Series was thechampionship series ofMajor League Baseball's (MLB)2000 season. The 96th edition of the World Series,^[1] it was abest-of-seven playoff between crosstown opponents, the two-time defending World Series champions andAmerican League (AL) championNew York Yankees and theNational League (NL) championNew York Mets. The Yankees defeated the Mets, four games to one, to win theirthird consecutive championship and 26th overall. The series was often referred to as the "Subway Series", referring to the longstanding matchup between New York baseball teams; it was the first World Series contested between two New York teams since the1956 World Series and the first since theNew York Giants and theBrooklyn Dodgers moved west toCalifornia (as the currentSan Francisco Giants andLos Angeles Dodgers, respectively) in1958 and the subsequent formation of the Mets in1962. This World Series that featured teams from the same city or state was the first of its kind since1989, which was between theOakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants. YankeesshortstopDerek Jeter was named theWorld Series Most Valuable Player.

The Yankees advanced to the World Series by defeating theOakland Athletics, three games to two, in theAL Division Series, and then theSeattle Mariners, four games to two, in theAL Championship Series; it was the third consecutive season the Yankees had reached the World Series, the fourth time in the past five years, and the 37th overall, making it the most of any team in MLB. The Mets advanced to the World Series by defeating theSan Francisco Giants, three games to one, in theNL Division Series, and then theSt. Louis Cardinals, four games to one, in theNL Championship Series; it was the team's fourth World Series appearance, making it the most of any expansion franchise in MLB and the Mets' first appearance since winning the1986 World Series.

The Yankees were the first team in baseball to win three consecutive championships since the 1972–1974 Oakland Athletics, and the second North American professional sports team in five years to accomplish the feat after the 1996–1998Chicago Bulls. This was the last World Series with a repeat champion until2025.

Although the Yankees were in the midst of a dynasty and not far removed from their dominant 114-win1998 season, the 2000 season was their weakest performance since1995. They won just 87 games in the regular season and lost 15 of their last 18.

Nonetheless, strong seasons byJorge Posada,Derek Jeter,Bernie Williams, andMariano Rivera were enough to secure the AL East by 2.5 games and the third seed in the American League. In the postseason, they defeated the #2 seedOakland Athletics in theAmerican League Division Series 3–2 and the fourth-seededSeattle Mariners in theAmerican League Championship Series 4–2 to reach the World Series. At the time, they were just the fourth team since 1960 to make the World Series after winning fewer than 90 games in the regular season.^{[note 1]}

Highlighted by MVP-caliber seasons fromEdgardo Alfonzo andMike Piazza as well as strong pitching performances fromAl Leiter andMike Hampton, the New York Mets won 94 games in the regular season. While it wasn't enough to win the NL East from their rival in theAtlanta Braves (who had 95 wins), the Mets won the Wild Card spot by eight games. By winning the 1999 and 2000 Wild Card, the Mets achieved their first back-to-back post-season appearances in franchise history, a feat they would match in their 2015 pennant season and 2016.

The fourth-seeded Mets defeated the overall #1 seedSan Francisco Giants in theNL Division Series, 3–1, and the second-seededSt. Louis Cardinals, 4–1, in theNL Championship Series. The 2000 World Series was the first World Series appearance for the Mets since their championship in1986 and their second post-season appearance since1988.

This series marked the second year in a row that a World Series matchup would be a repeat from the regular season. The Yankees had beaten the Mets 4–2 in six games from June 9–10 and July 7–9 (including a double header on July 8). This was also the first time a World Series champion would beat the World Series loser in both the regular season and the World Series.

New York (AL) won the series, 4–1.

The American national anthem was sung byBilly Joel. The opener fell on two anniversaries. Twenty-five years prior, Boston Red Sox catcherCarlton Fisk ended Game 6 of the1975 World Series with his famous home run off the left-field foul pole atFenway Park to beat theCincinnati Reds and force a Game 7.Twenty years prior, thePhiladelphia Phillies won their first World Series title, defeating theKansas City Royals in six games.

Game 1 was a match-up between postseason veteransAl Leiter andAndy Pettitte. Pettitte had been with the Yankees for each of their previous three World Series appearances to this point, while Leiter had won world championship as a member of the 1992 and 1993 Toronto Blue Jays teams and the 1997 Florida Marlins.

The two teams engaged in a scoreless tie with neither squad threatening much. Then in the sixth, with two outs and rookieTimo Perez in scoring position, Mets first basemanTodd Zeile hit a deep fly to left field. Perez misjudged the ball, thinking it was going to clear the fence, but it hit the top of the wall and bounced back into the field of play. Since it had not gone into the stands, the ball was still live and Yankees left fielderDavid Justice was able to relay the ball back to the infield just as Perez, who had been running at a trotting speed, was rounding third base. The relay fromDerek Jeter toJorge Posada easily beat Perez to the plate, and instead of scoring the first run of the game the Mets ended the sixth with nothing. Justice then responded in the bottom half of the inning with a double that scored Jeter andChuck Knoblauch to give the Yankees a 2–0 lead.

In the top of the seventh inning, the Mets loaded the bases against Pettitte with one out on two singles and a walk beforeBubba Trammell tied the game with a two-run single to left. AfterTimo Perez's sacrifice bunt moved up the runners,Jeff Nelson relieved Pettitte and allowed an RBI single toEdgardo Alfonzo to put the Mets on top.John Franco relieved Leiter in the eighth and held the Yankees in check, whileMariano Rivera staved off a rally in the top of the ninth to keep the score at 3–2.

Looking to secure the victory, the Mets called upon their closer,Armando Benítez, to finish the game. Benítez had had some trouble against the Yankees in the past, having faced them often as a member of theBaltimore Orioles, and this time would prove no different. After retiring the first batter he faced, Benitez walkedPaul O'Neill. Pinch hitterLuis Polonia followed with a single, as didJose Vizcaino, loading the bases. Knoblauch then drove in O'Neill with a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Benitez recovered to strike out Jeter for the last out, ensuring the game would require extra innings to decide.

Rivera retired the Mets in order in the tenth, and the Yankees got another chance to win the game when Justice andBernie Williams drew walks againstDennis Cook to lead off the bottom half.Glendon Rusch then came in and threw a wild first pitch, which enabled the baserunners to advance into scoring position. Rusch then gotTino Martinez to pop out, and after walking Posada he managed to escape further damage by inducing an inning ending double play from O'Neill.

Mike Stanton, the Yankees' left-handed relief specialist, entered the game in the eleventh and set the Mets down in order again. Rusch took the mound again for the Mets and retiredLuis Sojo to lead off the inning. He walked Vizcaino, then got Knoblauch to pop out. Jeter drew a walk, but ball four got away fromTodd Pratt and the runners advanced to second and third. Rusch then left in favor ofTurk Wendell, who retired pinch hitterGlenallen Hill on a fly ball to keep the game going.

After Stanton once again retired the side in order in the twelfth, Wendell came out to try and keep the Yankees from scoring. With one out, back to back hits by Martinez and Posada put both men in scoring position and brought O'Neill to the plate. Wendell put him on intentionally, then got Sojo to pop out to Pratt for the second out. This time, he would not get out of the inning as Vizcaino lined a single into left field to drive in Martinez to give the Yankees a 4–3 win.

The American national anthem was sung byRobert Merrill.Roger Clemens started for the Yankees. Earlier in the year, duringInterleague play, Clemens had hit Mets catcherMike Piazza in the head with a fastball that resulted in a concussion and Piazza going on the disabled list. Early in Game 2, during Piazza's first time up, a Clemens pitch shattered Piazza's bat. The ball went foul, but a sharp edge of the bat came towards Clemens. He came off the mound and threw the bat towards the baseline, almost hitting the running Piazza. Piazza appeared baffled by Clemens' actions, but both benches cleared as a physical altercation nearly ensued. After the game, Clemens would say he did not see Piazza running and threw the bat because he was pumped up with nervous energy and initially charged the incoming broken bat, believing it to be the ball.

The Yankees struck in the bottom of the first when Mets starterMike Hampton walked two with two outs before RBI singles byTino Martinez andJorge Posada put them up 2–0.Scott Brosius's leadoff home run next inning made it 3–0. Martinez doubled in the fifth and, after an intentional walk, scored onPaul O'Neill's single. In the seventh, relieverGlendon Rusch allowed a one-out single to Posada and subsequent double to O'Neill.Rick White relieved Rusch and allowed a sacrifice fly to Brosius. In the eighth,Derek Jeter doubled with one out off White, who was relieved byDennis Cook and allowed an RBI single to Martinez. Clemens pitched eight shutout innings, allowing just two hits (both singles byTodd Zeile) while striking out nine. In the ninth,Jeff Nelson relieved Clemens and allowed a leadoff single toEdgardo Alfonzo before Piazza homered to make it 6–2. AfterRobin Ventura singled,Mariano Rivera relieved Nelson. He retired Zeile, allowed a single toBenny Agbayani and then, afterLenny Harris hit into a force-out at home,Jay Payton's three-run home run cut the Yankee lead to 6–5. Rivera struck outKurt Abbott looking to end the game, and give the Yankees a 2–0 series lead heading to Shea Stadium.

The Yankees' Game 2 win tied the longest AL winning streak in the World Series at ten games (the AL had previously won ten straight 1927–29 and again 1937–40).

The American national anthem was sung byNSYNC. In Game 3,Robin Ventura's leadoff home run in the second offOrlando Hernandez gave the Mets a 1–0 lead, but the Yankees tied it in the third whenDerek Jeter singled with two outs offRick Reed and scored onDavid Justice's double. Next inning,Tino Martinez hit a leadoff single and scored onPaul O'Neill's one-out triple, but the Mets tied the game in the sixth whenMike Piazza hit a leadoff double and after a walk, scored onTodd Zeile's double. In the eighth, Zeile singled with one out and scored onBenny Agbayani's double. AfterJay Payton singled,Mike Stanton relieved Hernandez and allowed a sacrifice fly toBubba Trammell to pad the Mets lead. CloserArmando Benitez pitched a scoreless ninth despite allowing a leadoff single toChuck Knoblauch as the Mets' 4–2 win ended the Yankees' fourteen-game winning streak in World Series play dating back to the1996 World Series.

Yankee hurler Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez earned the loss, snapping his previous undefeated postseason record of 6–0.

The American national anthem was sung bySheryl Crow. Before Game 4, some analysts felt the tide had changed, that the Mets (down 2–1 in the Series) were now geared with enough momentum to make a comeback. That momentum lasted only until the first pitch from Mets starter Bobby Jones, which Jeter hit far into Shea Stadium's left-field bleachers. It was the 16th leadoff homer in World Series history, also extending a 13-game hitting streak in the World Series for Jeter. The Yankees added to their lead whenPaul O'Neill tripled with one out in the second and after an intentional walk, scored onScott Brosius's sacrifice fly. In the third, Jeter hit a leadoff triple and scored onLuis Sojo's groundout.Mike Piazza's two-run home run offDenny Neagle cut the Yankees' lead to 3–2, but neither team would score after that.Jose Canseco made his only Yankees playoff appearance in the 6th inning, pinch-hitting forDavid Cone and striking out. The Yankees secured a dominant 3–1 lead in the Series, with elite pitchers Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens poised for Games 5 and 6 (if necessary).

A now-iconic moment in Yankees lore, footage of Jeter's leadoff home run currently serves as the background for the title screen of YES Network'sYankeeography series.^[7]

The American national anthem was sung byMarc Anthony. Looking to clinch, the Yankees scored first on aBernie Williams home run in the second inning. In the bottom half, however, with runners on second and third and two outs,Andy Pettitte's fielding error onAl Leiter's bunt attempt allowed the Mets to tie the score.Benny Agbayani's RBI single then put them up 2–1. In the top of the sixth inning,Derek Jeter homered to tie the game at 2–2. Jeter's home run was the last of the 20th century.

Entering the top of the ninth, Mets ace Al Leiter had a pitch count that was approaching 140, but manager Bobby Valentine insisted that he would live or die with Leiter. After striking outTino Martinez andPaul O'Neill, Leiter walkedJorge Posada and allowed a single toScott Brosius. Yankees infielderLuis Sojo then hit a slow, seeing-eye single up the middle, and the throw from center fielderJay Payton hit Posada as he was sliding into home plate. The ball went into the Yankees' dugout, allowing both Posada and Brosius to score. In the bottom of the 9th inning, Agbayani drew a one-out walk from Mariano Rivera, and was on third when Mets' sluggerMike Piazza came up to bat with two outs. On an 0–1 pitch, he hit a cutter deep to center field that many thought would be a home run. Yankees manager Joe Torre said of the last at-bat:

It was probably the most scared I've been when Mike hit that ball ... I screamed, "No!" Because any time he hits a ball in the air, it's a home run in my mind. I saw Bernie trotting over for that. I said, "Wow! I guess I misread that one."^[8]

Yankees catcher Jorge Posada similarly said, years later:

I remember it was a loud sound ... It was a pitch that got too much of the plate. It was supposed to be inside. I remember the swing, I remember Mo's reaction. And then I looked at the ball and I see Bernie running after it, and then he stopped. And I'm like, O.K., we're good.^[9]

Bernie Williams drifted back and secured the final out of the series just in front of the track. After the game, with champagne pouring over him, Williams said, "I knew right away ... I knew he didn't hit it.^[10]" Likewise, Mariano Rivera in his last season (2013) was asked if he thought Piazza had hit a home run and answered, "No ... He didn't hit it with the sweet spot."^[11]

Game 5 was the final World Series game at Shea Stadium (1969,1973,1986 and 2000). This would also be the only time that a visiting team clinched a World Series at Shea Stadium (the Mets lost in 1973 in Oakland). This World Series provided some measure of revenge forRoger Clemens. He won the World Series in the same stadium he lost it at in 1986 while with the Yankees' fiercerival, theBoston Red Sox. Incidentally, members of the 1986 Mets World Series team threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game.^[12][13][14]

2000 World Series(4–1):New York Yankees (A.L.) overNew York Mets (N.L.)

The winning margin of three runs was the second-lowest for a five-game series; the1915 margin was two runs, and five runs in1933,1942, and1974. Later, just one-run would be the difference in the2024 World Seriess between the Dodgers and Yankees.

2000 would be the last World Series title the Yankees would win for nine years, though they would remain competitive each year.^{[note 2]} They lost the2001 World Series to theArizona Diamondbacks in a classic seven game series after being two outs away from a fourth straight title in Game 7, and the2003 World Series to theFlorida Marlins in six games.

The 2000 World Series was the last hurrah for this Mets core that consisted of Piazza, Leiter (left 2004), Franco (left 2004), Alfonzo (left 2002), Ventura (left 2001), and manager Bobby Valentine (left 2002). After four consecutive seasons of competitive baseball,^{[note 3]} the Mets would average just 74 wins in the next four seasons, including a 95-loss season in 2003 and two last-place finishes in the NL East (2002 and 2003). After 2002, Bobby Valentine and nearly all of the coaching staff were fired, and by 2005, Mike Piazza was the only remnant from the 2000 team; he would leave the Mets after that season. The Mets would not return to the playoffs until 2006, when they lost theNLCS to the eventual champions, the St. Louis Cardinals.

With theNew Jersey Devils winning the2000 Stanley Cup Finals the previous spring, theNew York metropolitan area was home to a World Series andStanley Cup champion in the same season or calendar year, a distinction it previously earned in 1928 and 1939–40 when the Yankees andNew York Rangers won the World Series and Stanley Cup respectively. New York missed out on a championship trifecta, however, when theNFLGiants lostSuper Bowl XXXV to theBaltimore Ravens.

This was the final World Series the New York Yankees won while playing at theold Yankee Stadium (as previously mentioned, they lost in2001 and again in2003) and the final World Series played atShea Stadium. Both stadiums closed at the end of the2008 Major League Baseball season. The first season at thenew Yankee Stadium (2009) ended with the Yankees winning their 27th; meanwhile, the2015 New York Mets hosted their first-ever World Series at Citi Field, where they lost to theKansas City Royals in five games.

Derek Jeter was the last active player involved in the 2000 World Series, as he retired following the 2014 season. However, Robin Ventura managed the White Sox from 2012 to 2016, andJoe McEwing operated in various coaching positions from 2008 to 2023, all but one year with the White Sox or their affiliates; he currently operates as special assistant to the President of Baseball Operations in the Cardinals organization.

Beginning with this World Series, the official logo would be revised annually (effective with the 2001 series) as opposed to previous World Series where the same logo would be recycled for several seasons. As of 2021, Major League Baseball is the only one of the"Big Four" leagues to change its championship tournament logos annually; theSuper Bowl in theNational Football League (since 2010), theStanley Cup Finals in theNational Hockey League, and theNBA Finals in theNational Basketball Association continue to use standardized logos with the year (or in the case of the Super Bowl,Roman numerals) updated annually. This also applies to the official logos used for theWild Card Round (starting in 2012),Division Series andLeague Championship Series, though in the2025 postseason, they mostly reused the postseason logos from2024 with the exception of theWorld Series logo, which took inspiration from the script World Series logos used between1987 and 2000.

On October 11, 2005,A&E Home Video releasedThe New York Yankees Fall Classic Collectors Edition (1996–2001) DVD set. Game 5 of the 2000 World Series is included in the set. The entire series was released in October 2013 byLionsgate Home Entertainment^[16]

• The 1998–2000 New York Yankees established a record of ten consecutive games won in consecutive World Series. The previous record was nine by the 1937–1939 Yankees. Overall, the Yankees had won 14 straight World Series games (starting with Game 3 of the1996 World Series) breaking the mark of 12 straight by the 1927, 1928 and 1932 Yankees.
• Mariano Rivera became the first and, to date, only pitcher to record the final out in three straight World Series. In 1998, he retired the Padres' Mark Sweeney to clinch the championship; in 1999, he retired the Braves' Keith Lockhart; and in 2000, he retired the Mets' Mike Piazza.

TheWorld Series telecast onFox was the first year of their exclusive coverage of the Fall Classic (although the new contract would technically begin the next year). As in previous World Series televised by Fox,Joe Buck called the play-by-play withTim McCarver (himself aYankees broadcaster and a formerMets broadcaster) andBob Brenly served as color commentators, with Brenly reporting from the stands in Game 4 only. Game 5 of the series was Brenly's last broadcast for Fox, as he left to become manager of theArizona Diamondbacks and, incidentally, go on to defeat the Yankees in the World Series the following year. Brenly returned to broadcasting in 2005 as part of theChicago Cubs broadcasts onCSN Chicago andWGN, and also has called postseason games forTBS. In 2012, Brenly returned to the Diamondbacks as a broadcaster.

ESPN Radio's coverage was withoutJoe Morgan for a second consecutive year for reasons that remain unclear. Instead,Jon Miller shared the booth withDave Campbell, ESPN Radio'sSunday Night Baseball color man. In 1999, Morgan was absent from ESPN Radio's World Series coverage because he was working the television broadcasts withBob Costas onNBC. During Game 3, Miller was forced to leave the booth after the top of the first inning due to an upper respiratory infection.Charley Steiner, serving as a field reporter for the network, filled in on play-by-play for the rest of the game; Miller resumed his duties in Game 4 of the Series.

John Sterling andMichael Kay also broadcast this onWABC and onWFAN,Bob Murphy andGary Cohen broadcast this series.

The World Series drew an average of 12.4 national rating and a 21% share of the audience, down 22.5% from the previous year. The Series drew well in theNew York metropolitan area, but nationally, it was, at the time, thelowest-rated World Series in history by a solid margin. Many contemporary analysts argued that the ratings slide was due to lack of interest outside of the New York City area.^[17] Others thought the ratings slide was related to thetelevision viewing audience becoming more fragmented in the wake ofcable television.

Three of the next four World Series (2001, 2003 and 2004) were all rated higher than the 2000 World Series. Following theBoston Red Sox' 86-year championship drought ending with a victory in the2004 World Series, the event has seen a decline in ratings; every World Series from2005 to2013 has drawn lower ratings (sometimes substantially lower) than the 2000 Series.

• 2000 Japan Series

• The subway series: the Yankees, the Mets and a season to remember. St. Louis, Mo.: The Sporting News. 2000.ISBN 0-89204-659-7.

• 2000 World Series atWorldSeries.com viaMLB.com
• 2000 World Series atBaseball Almanac
• 2000 World Series atBaseball-Reference.com
• The 2000 Post-Season Games (box scores and play-by-play) atRetrosheet
• History of the World Series - 2000 atThe Sporting News. Archived fromthe original in May 2006.
• World Series > Subway Series

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