| 2001 World Series | ||||||||||
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| Dates | October 27 – November 4 | |||||||||
| Venue(s) | Bank One Ballpark (Arizona) Yankee Stadium (New York) | |||||||||
| MVP | Randy Johnson andCurt Schilling (Arizona) | |||||||||
| Umpires | Steve Rippley (crew chief),Mark Hirschbeck,Dale Scott,Ed Rapuano,Jim Joyce,Dana DeMuth | |||||||||
| Hall of Famers | Diamondbacks: Randy Johnson Yankees: Derek Jeter Mike Mussina Mariano Rivera Joe Torre (manager) | |||||||||
| Broadcast | ||||||||||
| Television | Fox (United States) MLB International (International) | |||||||||
| TV announcers | Joe Buck andTim McCarver (Fox) Gary Thorne andRick Sutcliffe (MLB International) | |||||||||
| Radio | ESPN WABC (NYY) KTAR (AZ) | |||||||||
| Radio announcers | Jon Miller andJoe Morgan (ESPN) John Sterling andMichael Kay (WABC) Thom Brennaman,Greg Schulte,Rod Allen andJim Traber (KTAR) | |||||||||
| ALCS | New York Yankees overSeattle Mariners (4–1) | |||||||||
| NLCS | Arizona Diamondbacks overAtlanta Braves (4–1) | |||||||||
| World Series program | ||||||||||
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The2001 World Series was thechampionship series ofMajor League Baseball's (MLB)2001 season. The 97th edition of the World Series,[1] it was abest-of-seven series between theNational League (NL)championArizona Diamondbacks and theAmerican League (AL)champion (and three-time defending World Series champion)New York Yankees. The Diamondbacks defeated the Yankees, four games to three, to win the series.[2][3] Considered one of the greatest World Series of all time,[4][5]its memorable aspects included two extra-inning games and three late-inning comebacks. Diamondbacks pitchersRandy Johnson andCurt Schilling were both namedWorld Series Most Valuable Players.
The Yankees advanced to the World Series by defeating theOakland Athletics, three games to two, in theAL Division Series, and then theSeattle Mariners in theAL Championship Series, four games to one. It was the Yankees' fourth consecutive World Series appearance, after winning championships in1998,1999, and2000. The Diamondbacks advanced to the World Series by defeating theSt. Louis Cardinals, three games to two, in theNL Division Series, and then theAtlanta Braves in theNL Championship Series, four games to one. It was the franchise's first appearance in a World Series.
The Series began later than usual, as a result of a delay in the regular season after theSeptember 11 attacks, and it was the first to extend into November. The Diamondbacks won the first two games at home, limiting the Yankees to just one run. The Yankees responded with a close win in Game 3, at whichU.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush threw out theceremonial first pitch. In Games 4 and 5, the Yankees won in comeback fashion, hitting game-tyinghome runs off DiamondbackscloserByung-hyun Kim with one out remaining in consecutive games, before winning in extra innings. The Diamondbacks won Game 6 in a blowout, forcing a decisive Game 7. In the final game, the Yankees led in the ninth inning before the Diamondbacks staged a comeback against closerMariano Rivera, capped off by awalk-off, bases-loadedbloop single byLuis Gonzalez to clinch Arizona's championship victory. This was the third World Series to end in a bases-loaded, walk-off hit, following1991 and1997, and to this date, the last Series to end on a walk-off of any kind. This series held the record for the latest date that a Series ended (November 4), until that record was broken during the2022 World Series.
Among several firsts, the 2001 World Series was the first World Series championship for the Diamondbacks; the first major professional sports championship won by aPhoenix-based team (and the first World Series championship for aWestern state other than California); and the earliest an MLB franchise had won a World Series (the Diamondbacks were in just their fourth year of existence). The home team won every game in the Series, which had only happened twice before, in1987 and1991, both won by theMinnesota Twins. The Diamondbacks outscored the Yankees, 37–14, as a result of large margins of victory achieved by Arizona atBank One Ballpark (now known as Chase Field) relative to the one-run margins the Yankees achieved atYankee Stadium. Arizona's pitching held powerhouse New York to a .183batting average, the lowest ever in a seven-game World Series. This and the2002 World Series were the last two consecutive World Series to have game sevens until the World Series of2016 and2017, and the last two consecutive ones where Game 7 was won by the home team.[6] The 2001 World Series was the subject of anHBO documentary,Nine Innings from Ground Zero, in 2004.
The Arizona Diamondbacks began play in1998, along with theTampa Bay Devil Rays, as the youngestexpansion team in Major League Baseball (MLB).[7] After a mediocre debut season, the Diamondbacks finishedthe following year first in theNational League (NL)West with a100–62 record, but lost to theNew York Mets in theNational League Division series.[8] With severalAll-Star players likeRandy Johnson andMatt Williams, the Diamondbacks had high expectations for the2000 season, but finished third in the NL West with an85–77 record.[9] During theoffseason, team managerBuck Showalter was fired, and replaced bysportscasterBob Brenly.[9] The Diamondbacks acquired several notablefree agent players during the offseason, includingMiguel Batista,Mark Grace, andReggie Sanders.[10] Most of the Diamondbacks players were above the age of 30, and had already played on a number of teams prior to the 2001 season.[11] In fact, the Diamondbacksstarting lineup for the World Series did not include a player under the age of 31, making them the oldest team by player age in World Series history.[11] With several players nearing the age of retirement,Luis Gonzalez noted that the overall team mentality was "there's too many good guys in here to let this opportunity slip away".[12]
Although the Diamondbacks were only one gameabove .500 by the end of April,[13] Gonzalez had a particularly memorable start to the season, in which he tied the MLB record with 13home runs during the month of April.[12] The Diamondbacks found greater success in May and June, and at one point had a six-game lead in the NL West. During this span, the team won nine consecutive games, and Johnson tied the MLB record with 20strikeouts in a nine-inning game.[12][13] The six game lead did not last long however, and by the end of July, the Diamondbacks were a half game behind theLos Angeles Dodgers in the West.[13] A resurgent August pushed the team back into first place, a spot they maintained for the rest of the season.[13] By the end of the season, several Diamondbacks players had put up exceptionalstatistics:Curt Schilling had the most wins of any pitcher in MLB that year with 22, while Johnson nearly broke the single season strikeout record with 372.[12][14] Johnson and Schilling also had the two lowestearned run averages (ERA) in the NL, with 2.49 and 2.98 respectively.[14] Gonzalez ended the season with a .325batting average and 57 home runs, and finished third in voting for the NLMost Valuable Player Award.[15] The Diamondbacks were also one of the best defensive teams in MLB that year, second in fewesterrors committed, and tied with theSeattle Mariners for the bestfielding percentage.[16]
The Diamondbacks entered the postseason as the #2 seed in theNational League, and played the #4 seedSt. Louis Cardinals in theNational League Division Series.[14] Schilling threw ashutout in Game 1 to give the Diamondbacks an early series lead,[12] but the Cardinals won Game 2 thanks to a two-run home run fromAlbert Pujols.[17]Craig Counsell hit a three-run home run late in Game 3 to give the Diamondbacks a 2–1 series lead,[12] but the Cardinals won Game 4 with strong pitching performances fromBud Smith and theirrelief pitchers.[18] The Diamondbacks clinched the series in Game 5, whenTony Womack hit a game winningsingle that scoredDanny Bautista.[12] They then faced the third seededAtlanta Braves in theNational League Championship Series.[14] Johnson also threw a shutout in Game 1,[12] while the Braves hit three home runs in Game 2 to tie the series at one game apiece.[19] Schilling threw acomplete game in Game 3,[20] and the Diamondbacks scored 11 runs in a Game 4 victory to take a 3–1 series lead.[21] The Diamondbacks clinched the series in Game 5 with another strong performance from Johnson.[14] With the win, they became the fastest expansion team to reach the World Series, in just their fourth year of play.[12]
In contrast to the Diamondbacks, the New York Yankees were one of the oldest and most recognized teams in all of North American sports.[12] The Yankees had built adynasty in the late 1990s that extended into 2000, which included winning three consecutive World Series' and four of the last five.[12] These teams were led by a group of talented young players that became known as theCore Four:Derek Jeter,Andy Pettitte,Jorge Posada, andMariano Rivera.[22] Following the Yankees win over the Braves in the1999 World Series, sportscasterBob Costas called the Yankees "the team of the decade, [and] most successful franchise of the century."[12]
The Yankees finished the 2001 season in first place in theAL East with a win–loss record of95–65 (a winning percentage of .594),13+1⁄2 games ahead of theBoston Red Sox, good enough to secure the #2 seed in theAmerican League playoff bracket. The Yankees then defeated the fourth seededOakland Athletics 3 games to 2 in theAL Division Series, after losing 2 games athome, and the top seededSeattle Mariners 4 games to 1 in theAL Championship Series to advance to their fourth consecutive World Series, and fifth in six years.
Derek Jeter andTino Martinez led the Yankees offensively during the 2001 season. Jeter batted .311 with 21 home runs and 74 RBI in 150 games, while Martinez batted .280 with 34 home runs and 113 RBI in 154 games.Roger Clemens andMike Mussina were the leaders of the Yankees' pitching staff. Clemens who won the Cy Young Award, his sixth of a career total and major league record 7, finished with a win–loss record of 20–3, anearned-run average (ERA) of 3.51, and struck out 213 batters in 220.1 innings pitched and was by far the Yankee's best starter in the World Series. Mussina finished with a win–loss record of 17–11, an ERA of 3.15, and struck out 214 batters in 228.2 innings pitched.
After MLB games were postponed as a result of theSeptember 11 attacks, the World Series began on October 27, 2001,[23] which was, at the time, the latest-ever start date for a World Series. The last three games were the first major-league games (other than exhibitions) played in the month of November.[23] This was just the fourth time that no World Series champion was decided within the traditional month of October.[24] The previous three occurrences were in1904 (no series),1918 (series held in September because of World War I), and1994 (series cancelled by theplayers' strike).[25][26] Game 7 was played on November 4; at the time this was the latest date a World Series game was played, and still tied with Game 6 of the 2009 Series for the second-latest date of a World Series game (only behind2022's Game 6, played on November 5).[27]
Additionally, the Series took place in New York City only seven weeks after the attacks, representing a remarkable boost in morale for the fatigued city.[23] A tattered and torn American flag recovered from the wreckage at Ground Zero, which had been used at funerals of fallenPort Authority police officers after the attacks, was flown over Yankee Stadium during the series.[28] According to Port Authority sergeant Antonio Scannella, "We wanted a place America could see this flag so they could see the rips in it, but it still flies."[29]
PresidentGeorge W. Bush threw out theceremonial first pitch before Game 3 at Yankee Stadium.[23] Bush had been counseled by security officials to appear before Game 1 in Phoenix because they believed it would be more secure there, but Bush thought it would be better for the country to do it in New York.[30] Security was extremely tight at Yankee Stadium before the game, with bomb sniffing dogs sweeping the property, snipers positioned around the stadium, and vendors screened by federal agents.[31] ASecret Service agent dressed as an umpire and stood on the field with the other umpires before the game, briefly appearing on the TV broadcast.[32] Bush wore a bulletproof vest underneath an FDNY sweater. Having been counseled by Derek Jeter to throw from the rubber on top of the pitcher's mound rather than the base of the mound, Bush strode to the rubber, gave a thumbs up to the crowd, and fired a strike over home plate as the crowd chanted "U-S-A".[30] Bush later reflected, "I had never had such an adrenaline rush as when I finally made it to the mound. I was saying to the crowd, 'I'm with you, the country's with you' ... And I wound up and fired the pitch. I've been to conventions and rallies and speeches: I've never felt anything so powerful and emotions so strong, and the collective will of the crowd so evident."[33]
Arizona won the series, 4–3.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 27 | New York Yankees – 1,Arizona Diamondbacks – 9 | Bank One Ballpark | 2:44 | 49,646[34] |
| 2 | October 28 | New York Yankees – 0,Arizona Diamondbacks – 4 | Bank One Ballpark | 2:35 | 49,646[35] |
| 3 | October 30 | Arizona Diamondbacks – 1,New York Yankees – 2 | Yankee Stadium (I) | 3:26 | 55,820[36] |
| 4 | October 31 | Arizona Diamondbacks – 3,New York Yankees – 4(10) | Yankee Stadium (I) | 3:31 | 55,863[37] |
| 5 | November 1 | Arizona Diamondbacks – 2,New York Yankees – 3(12) | Yankee Stadium (I) | 4:15 | 56,018[38] |
| 6 | November 3 | New York Yankees – 2,Arizona Diamondbacks – 15 | Bank One Ballpark | 3:33 | 49,707[39] |
| 7 | November 4 | New York Yankees – 2,Arizona Diamondbacks – 3 | Bank One Ballpark | 3:20 | 49,589[40] |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 9 | 10 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Curt Schilling (1–0) LP:Mike Mussina (0–1) Home runs: NYY: None AZ:Craig Counsell (1),Luis Gonzalez (1) Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Series commenced on October 27, which was the latest a World Series had started, beating the previous record by four days (1999 World Series, October 23). The Yankees struck first in Game 1 whenDerek Jeter was hit by a pitch with one out in the first and scored onBernie Williams's double two batters later. However, Arizona'sCurt Schilling and two relievers,Mike Morgan andGreg Swindell held the Yankees scoreless afterward. They managed to get only two walks and two hits for the rest of the game,Scott Brosius's double in the second andJorge Posada's single in the fourth, both with two outs.
Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks tied the game onCraig Counsell's one-out home run in the first off ofMike Mussina. After a scoreless second, Mussina led off the third by hittingTony Womack with a pitch. He moved to second on Counsell's sacrifice bunt beforeLuis Gonzalez's home run put the Diamondbacks up 3–1. A single and right fielderDavid Justice's error put runners on second and third beforeMatt Williams's sacrifice fly put Arizona up 4–1. AfterMark Grace was intentionally walked,Damian Miller's RBI double gave Arizona a 5–1 lead.
Next inning, Gonzalez hit a two-out double off ofRandy Choate.Reggie Sanders was intentionally walked before Gonzalez scored onSteve Finley's single. An error by third baseman Brosius scored Sanders, put Finley at third, and Williams at second. Both men scored onMark Grace's double, putting Arizona up 9–1. Though the Diamondbacks got just one more hit for the rest of the game off ofSterling Hitchcock andMike Stanton (Williams' leadoff single in the seventh), they went up 1–0 in the series.
The Diamondbacks' win in Game 1 was the first World Series game won by a non-New York City team since 1997. In every World Series between 1997 and 2001, either both teams were from New York City or a New York City team won in a sweep (1998 and 1999).
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| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | X | 4 | 5 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Randy Johnson (1–0) LP:Andy Pettitte (0–1) Home runs: NYY: None AZ:Matt Williams (1) Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arizona continued to take control of the Series with the strong pitching performance ofRandy Johnson. The Big Unit pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing only four baserunners and three hits while striking out 11 Yankees.Andy Pettitte meanwhile nearly matched him, retiring Arizona in order in five of the seven innings he pitched. In the second, he allowed a leadoff single toReggie Sanders, who scored onDanny Bautista's double. Bautista was the only Arizona runner stranded for the entire game. In the seventh, Pettitte hitLuis Gonzalez with a pitch before Sanders grounded into a forceout. After Bautista singled,Matt Williams's three-run home run put Arizona up 4–0. They won the game with that score and led the series two games to none as it moved to New York City. This was the 1,000th game played in the history of theMLB postseason.[41]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| New York | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | X | 2 | 7 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Roger Clemens (1–0) LP:Brian Anderson (0–1) Sv:Mariano Rivera (1) Home runs: AZ: None NYY:Jorge Posada (1) Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The game was opened in New York City by PresidentGeorge W. Bush, who threw theceremonial first pitch, a strike to Yankees backup catcherTodd Greene. Bush became the firstincumbent U.S. president to throw a World Series first pitch sinceJimmy Carter in1979. He also threw the baseball from the mound where the pitcher would be set (unlike most ceremonial first pitches which are from in front of the mound) and threw it for a strike. Chants of"U-S-A, U-S-A" rang throughout Yankee Stadium. Yankees starterRoger Clemens was outstanding allowing only three hits and struck out nine in seven innings of work. Yankees closerMariano Rivera pitched two innings for the save.
Jorge Posada's leadoff home run off ofBrian Anderson in the second put the Yankees up 1–0. The Diamondbacks loaded the bases in the fourth on two walks and one hit beforeMatt Williams's sacrifice fly tied the game.Bernie Williams hit a leadoff single in the sixth and moved to second on a wild pitch one out later before Posada walked.Mike Morgan relieved Anderson and struck outDavid Justice beforeScott Brosius broke the tie with an RBI single. That would be all the scoring as Morgan andGreg Swindell pitched the rest of the game for the Diamondbacks while Clemens and Rivera shut down the D'Backs. The Yankees cut Arizona's series lead to 2–1 with the win.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | R | H | E | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| New York | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Mariano Rivera (1–0) LP:Byung-hyun Kim (0–1) Home runs: AZ:Mark Grace (1) NYY:Shane Spencer (1),Tino Martinez (1),Derek Jeter (1) Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Game 4 saw the Yankees sendOrlando Hernández to the mound while the Diamondbacks elected to bring backCurt Schilling on three days' rest. Both pitchers gave up home runs, with Schilling doing so toShane Spencer in the third inning and Hernandez doing so toMark Grace in the fourth. Hernandez pitched6+1⁄3 solid innings, giving up four hits while Schilling went seven innings and gave up one.
With the game still tied entering the eighth, Arizona struck. AfterMike Stanton recorded the first out of the inning,Luis Gonzalez singled andErubiel Durazo hit a double to bring him in.Matt Williams followed by grounding into a fielder's choice off ofRamiro Mendoza, which scored pinch runnerMidre Cummings and gave the team a 3–1 lead.
With his team on the verge of taking a commanding 3–1 series lead, Diamondbacks managerBob Brenly elected to bring in closerByung-hyun Kim in the bottom of the eighth for a two-inning save. Kim, at 22, became the first Korean-born player to play in the MLB World Series. Kim struck out the side in the eighth, but ran into trouble in the ninth.
Derek Jeter led off by trying to bunt for a hit but was thrown out by Williams.Paul O'Neill then lined a single in front of Gonzalez. AfterBernie Williams struck out, Kim seemed to be out of trouble withTino Martinez coming to the plate. However, Martinez drove the first pitch he saw from Kim into the right-center field bleachers, tying the score at 3–3. The Yankees were not done, asJorge Posada walked andDavid Justice moved him into scoring position with a single. Kim struck Spencer out to end the threat.
When the scoreboard clock in Yankee Stadium passed midnight, World Series play in November began, with the message on the scoreboard "Welcome to November Baseball".
Mariano Rivera took the hill for the Yankees in the tenth and retired the Diamondbacks in order. Kim went out for a third inning of work and retiredScott Brosius andAlfonso Soriano, but Jeter hit an opposite field home run on a 3–2 pitch count from Kim. This home run gave the Yankees a 4–3 victory and tied the Series at two games apiece which guaranteed a return trip to Arizona and made Jeter the first player to hit a November home run and earning him the tongue-in-cheek nickname of "Mr. November".
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | R | H | E | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Sterling Hitchcock (1–0) LP:Albie Lopez (0–1) Home runs: AZ:Steve Finley (1),Rod Barajas (1) NYY:Scott Brosius (1) Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Game 5 saw the Yankees return toMike Mussina for the start while the Diamondbacks sentMiguel Batista, who had not pitched in twelve days, to the mound. Batista pitched a strong7+2⁄3 scoreless innings, striking out six, and relieverGreg Swindell got the last out of the eighth inning. Mussina bounced back from his poor Game 1 start, recording ten strikeouts, but allowed solo home runs in the fifth inning toSteve Finley andRod Barajas.
In the top of the ninth, the soon to be retired Paul O'Neill was honored by Yankee fans who chanted his name to which O'Neill, who was visibly in tears, tipped his hat. With the Diamondbacks leading 2–0 in the ninth,Byung-hyun Kim was called upon for the save despite having thrown three innings the night before.Jorge Posada doubled to open the inning, but Kim gotShane Spencer to ground out and then struck outChuck Knoblauch. As had happened the previous night, Kim could not hold the lead asScott Brosius hit a 1–0 pitch over the left field wall, the second straight game tying home run in the bottom of the ninth for the Yankees. Kim was pulled from the game in favor ofMike Morgan who recorded the final out.
Morgan retired the Yankees in order in the 10th and 11th innings, while the Diamondbacks got toMariano Rivera in the 11th.Danny Bautista andErubiel Durazo opened the inning with hits andMatt Williams advanced them into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Rivera then intentionally walkedSteve Finley to load the bases, then gotReggie Sanders to line out andMark Grace grounded out to end the inning.
Arizona went to midseason trade acquisitionAlbie Lopez in the 12th, and in his first at bat he gave up a single to Knoblauch (who had entered the game as a pinch runner). Brosius moved him over with a bunt, and thenAlfonso Soriano ended the game with an RBI single to give the Yankees a 3–2 victory and a 3–2 series lead as the series went back to Phoenix. Lopez would not pitch again in the series.Sterling Hitchcock got the win for the Yankees after he relieved Rivera for the twelfth.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona | 1 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 15 | 22 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Randy Johnson (2–0) LP:Andy Pettitte (0–2) Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
With Arizona in a must-win situation,Randy Johnson pitched seven innings and struck out seven, giving up just two runs, andBobby Witt andTroy Brohawn finished the blowout. The Diamondbacks struck first whenTony Womack hit a leadoff double off ofAndy Pettitte and scored onDanny Bautista's single in the first. Next inning, Womack's bases-loaded single scored two and Bautista's single scored another. The Yankees loaded the bases in the third on a single and two walks, but Johnson struck outJorge Posada to end the inning. The Diamondbacks broke the game open with eight runs in the bottom half. Pettitte allowed a leadoff walk toGreg Colbrunn and subsequent double toMatt Williams before being relieved byJay Witasick, who allowed four straight singles toReggie Sanders,Jay Bell,Damian Miller, and Johnson that scored three runs. After Womack struck out, Bautista's single scored two more runs andLuis Gonzalez's double scored another, with Bautista being thrown out at home. Colbrunn's single and Williams's double scored a run each before Sanders struck out to end the inning. In the fourth, Bell reached first on a strike-three wild pitch before scoring on Miller's double. Johnson struck out before Womack singled to knock Witasick out of the game. WithRandy Choate pitching, Yankees second basemanAlfonso Soriano's error on Bautista's ground ball allowed Miller to score and put runners on first and second before Gonzalez's single scored the Diamondbacks' final run. Choate andMike Stanton kept them scoreless for the rest of the game. Pettitte was charged with six runs in two innings while Witasick was charged with nine runs in1+1⁄3 innings, the most runs allowed by any pitcher in a World Series game since Hall of FamerWalter Johnson also allowed nine runs in Game 7 of the1925 World Series. The Yankees scored their only runs in the sixth on back-to-back one-out singles byShane Spencer andLuis Sojo with runners on second and third, but by then the score had become so far out of reach that it didn't do the Yankees much good. The Diamondbacks hit six doubles and Danny Bautista batted 3-for-4 with five RBIs. The team set a World Series record with 22 hits and defeated the New York Yankees in its most lopsided postseason loss in 293 postseason games, since surpassed by a 16–1 loss to theBoston Red Sox in Game 3 of the2018 American League Division Series.[42] The 15–2 win evened the series at three games apiece and set up a Game 7 for the ages between Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling. The Diamondbacks’ thirteen-run margin of victory in Game 6 was the largest in a World Series game sinceGame 6 of the 1982 World Series, and is tied for the second largest margin of victory in a World Series game overall.[43]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Randy Johnson (3–0) LP:Mariano Rivera (1–1) Home runs: NYY:Alfonso Soriano (1) AZ: None Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
It was a matchup of two 20-game winners in the Series finale.Roger Clemens, at 39 years old, became the oldest Game 7 starter.Curt Schilling had already started two games of the Series and pitched his 300th inning of the season on just three days' rest. The two aces matched each other inning by inning and after seven full innings, the game was tied at 1–1. The Diamondbacks scored first in the sixth inning with aSteve Finley single and aDanny Bautista double (Bautista, trying to stretch it into a triple, was called out at third base). The Yankees responded with an RBI single fromTino Martinez, which drove inDerek Jeter who had singled earlier. Brenly stayed with Schilling into the eighth, and the move backfired asAlfonso Soriano hit a home run on an 0–2 pitch. After Schilling struck outScott Brosius (who, like O'Neill, would also retire following the series), he gave up a single toDavid Justice, and he left the game trailing 2–1. When Brenly came to the mound to remove Schilling, he was heard on the Sounds of the Game microphone telling his clearly upset pitcher, "love you brother, you're my hero" and assuring him that "that ain't gonna beat us, we're gonna get that back and then some." He then brought in Game 5 starterMiguel Batista to get Jeter out and then in an unconventional move, brought in the previous night's starter and winnerRandy Johnson, who had thrown 104 pitches, in relief to keep it a one-run game. It proved to be a smart move, as Johnson retired pinch hitterChuck Knoblauch (who batted for the left handedPaul O'Neill) on a fly out to Bautista in right field, then returned to the mound for the top of the ninth where he gotBernie Williams to fly out toSteve Finley in center field and Martinez to ground out toTony Womack at shortstop, and then struck out catcherJorge Posada to send the game to the bottom of the ninth inning.
With the Yankees ahead 2–1 in the bottom of the eighth, managerJoe Torre decided to relieve setup man Mike Stanton, who had got the last two outs, to his ace closerMariano Rivera for a two-inning save. Rivera struck out the side in the eighth, including Arizona'sLuis Gonzalez,Matt Williams, and Bautista. Although he was effective in the eighth, this game would end in the third ninth-inning comeback of the Series.
Mark Grace led off the inning with a single to center on a 1–0 pitch. Rivera's errant throw to second base on a bunt attempt by catcherDamian Miller on an 0–1 pitch put runners on first and second. Jeter tried to reach for the ball, but got tangled in the legs of pinch-runnerDavid Dellucci, who was sliding in an attempt to break up the double play. During the next at bat, Rivera appeared to regain control when he fielded pinch hitterJay Bell's (who was hitting for Johnson) bunt and threw out Dellucci at third base, but third baseman Brosius decided to hold onto the baseball instead of throwing to first to complete thedouble play.Midre Cummings was sent in to pinch-run forDamian Miller, who had reached second base safely. With Cummings at second and Bell at first, the next batter, Womack, hit a double down the right-field line on a 2–2 pitch that tied the game and earned Rivera a blown save, his first in a postseason since 1997. Bell advanced to third and the Yankees pulled the infield and outfield in as the potential winning run (Bell) stood at third with fewer than two outs. After Rivera hitCraig Counsell unintentionally with an 0–1 pitch, the bases were loaded. On an 0–1 pitch, with Williams in the on-deck circle, Gonzalez lofted a soft floater single over the drawn-in Jeter that barely reached the outfield grass, plating Jay Bell with the winning run.[44]
Gonzalez's single ended New York's bid for a fourth consecutive title (and fifth in six seasons) and brought Arizona its first championship in its fourth year of existence, making the Diamondbacks the fastest expansion team to win a World Series (beating out the1997 Florida Marlins, who had done it in their fifth season at that time). It was also the first, and remains the only, major professional sports championship for the state of Arizona.Randy Johnson picked up his third win of the Series, becoming the first pitcher sinceMickey Lolich of the 1968 Tigers to win three games in a World Series. Rivera took the loss, his only postseason loss in his career.[45] Coincidentally, this was also the second World Series in a 5-year span (1997 to 2001) to end with a game-winning RBI single.Edgar Renteria hit the game-winner in the 1997 series, while Gonzalez hit it here, with Craig Counsell being on the basepaths for each. No other World Series has ended with a game-winning hit since 2001.
Two of the Diamondbacks' at-bats in the bottom of the 9th were rare "golden pitch" situations, by which either team could theoretically have won the World Series on the next pitch.Mariano Rivera threw six pitches toJay Bell (who bunted into a forceout on the first pitch) andTony Womack (who hit an RBI double on the fifth pitch of the at-bat) during the 10th and 11th golden-pitch plate appearances in baseball history.[46]
In 2009, Game 7 of the 2001 World Series was chosen bySports Illustrated as theBest Postseason Game of the Decade (2000–2009).[47]
In the years that have followed, many fans (regardless of team allegiance) consider Game 7 of the 2001 World Series to be one of the greatest games ever played in the history of professional baseball.
2001 World Series(4–3):Arizona Diamondbacks (N.L.) overNew York Yankees (A.L.)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | R | H | E | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 2 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 65 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
| New York Yankees | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 42 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total attendance: 366,289 Average attendance: 52,327 Winning player's share: $279,260 Losing player's share: $201,014[48] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For the second consecutive year,Fox carried the World Series with its top broadcast team,Joe Buck andTim McCarver (himself aYankees broadcaster). This was the first year of Fox's exclusive rights to the World Series (in the previous contract, Fox only broadcast the World Series in even numbered years whileNBC broadcast it in odd numbered years), which it has held since. This particular contract also had given Fox exclusive rights to the entire baseball postseason, which aired over its family of networks, but shortly after the World Series, Fox sold its cable outletFox Family Channel, on which it aired Division Series games, shortly after the World Series ended, toDisney, which renamed the channel to ABC Family; since this made the channel a corporate sibling ofESPN, Disney would move those games to ESPN in 2003 after airing them for one more season on ABC Family.
ESPN Radio provided national radio coverage for the fourth consecutive year, withJon Miller andJoe Morgan calling the action.
Locally, the Series was broadcast byKTAR-AM inPhoenix withThom Brennaman,Greg Schulte,Rod Allen andJim Traber, and byWABC-AM in New York City withJohn Sterling andMichael Kay. This was WABC's last broadcast of Yankees baseball after twenty-one seasons as the team's flagship, and also the last time Sterling and Kay broadcast together after ten seasons. Sterling and the Yankees joinedWCBS-AM the next season on the radio side, while Kay was promoted to television as theYES Network launched for 2002.
Buster Olney, who covered the Yankees forThe New York Times before joining ESPN, would write a book titledThe Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty, published in 2004. The book is a play by play account of Game 7 in addition to stories about key players, executives, and moments from the 1996–2001 dynasty. In a 2005 reprinting, Olney included a new epilogue covering the aftermath of the 2001 World Series up to the Boston Red Sox epic comeback from down 3–0 in the 2004 ALCS.
The official MLB Productions documentary film of the series was released in 2001.[49]
In 2004,HBO releasedNine Innings from Ground Zero, a documentary focusing on the special role that baseball, and particularly the Yankees, played in helping to heal New York after 9/11. The film features interviews with players, fans who lost family members, firefighters, sportswriters, and then United States President George W. Bush.[50]
In 2005, A&E Home Video released theNew York Yankees Fall Classic Collectors Edition (1996–2001) DVD set. Game 4 of the 2001 World Series is included in the set. In 2008,The Arizona Diamondbacks 2001 World Series DVD set was released. All seven games are included on this set.
The duo ofCurt Schilling andRandy Johnson were awarded theWorld Series Most Valuable Player, the first players to split the award since1981, when Dodgers playersSteve Yeager,Ron Cey, andPedro Guerrero were declared co-winners, and last to do so, to date. This would not be the only award they split, as both were namedSports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year for 2001.
Rivera's blown save and the Yankees' loss proved to be life-saving for Yankees utility playerEnrique Wilson. Had the Yankees won, Wilson was planning to fly home to theDominican Republic for the winter onAmerican Airlines Flight 587 on November 12 after what would have been a Yankees victory parade down theCanyon of Heroes. But after the Yankees lost (and thus no parade occurred), Wilson decided to fly home earlier. Flight 587 would crash in Belle Harbor, Queens, killing everyone on board.[51] Rivera later said, "I am glad we lost the World Series because it means that I still have a friend."[52]
During the offseason, several Yankees moved on to other teams or retired, the most notable changes being the free agent departures of Martinez and Knoblauch to theSt. Louis Cardinals andKansas City Royals, and Brosius and O'Neill retiring. Martinez would later return to the Yankees to finish his career in 2005.
After winning the NL West again in 2002 theDiamondbacks were swept 3–0 bySt. Louis in theNLDS. From here they declined, losing 111 games in2004 as Bob Brenly was fired during that season. Arizona would not win another NL West title until2007. Schilling was traded to theBoston Red Sox after the2003 season and in2004 helped lead them to their firstWorld Series championship since1918. He helped them win another championship in2007 and retired after four years with Boston, missing the entire 2008 season with a shoulder injury. Johnson was traded to the Yankees after the 2004 season, a season that saw himthrow a perfect game against theAtlanta Braves, though he would be traded back to the Diamondbacks two years later and finish his career with theSan Francisco Giants in 2009. The last player from the 2001 Diamondbacks roster,Lyle Overbay, retired following the 2014 season with theMilwaukee Brewers while the last player from the 2001 Yankees,Randy Choate, retired following the 2016 season.[53]
From 2002 through 2007, the Yankees' misfortune in the postseason continued, with the team losing theALDS to theAnaheim Angels in 2002, theWorld Series to theFlorida Marlins in 2003, theALCS to theBoston Red Sox (in the process becoming the first team in postseason history to blow a 3–0 series lead) in 2004, theALDS again to theAngels in 2005, and then losing the ALDS to theDetroit Tigers and theCleveland Indians in2006 and2007, respectively. In addition, including the World Series loss in 2001, every World Series champion from 2001 to 2004 won the title at the Yankees' expense in postseason play, which is an AL record and as of2023 tied for the MLB record with theLos Angeles Dodgers from 2016 to 2019.Joe Torre's contract was allowed to expire and he was replaced byJoe Girardi in 2008, a season in which the Yankees would miss the playoffs for the first time since 1993. The Yankees won their 27th World Series championship in 2009, defeating the defending2008 championPhiladelphia Phillies in six games, but could not pull off another dynasty like they did during the late 1990s and early 2000s; in fact, they failed to reach the World Series during the entirety of the 2010s. The Yankees would finally return to the World Series in2024 only to fall in five games to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Since 2001, the Yankees have played in four World Series and lost three of them ('01,'03, '24)
This remains the only championship among thefour major North American men's professional sports won by aPhoenix-based team. TheNBA’sPhoenix Suns would make theNBA Finals three times in their history (1976,1993,2021), but lost all three in six games. TheNFL’sArizona Cardinals made theSuper Bowl in2009, but narrowly lost to thePittsburgh Steelers. TheNHL’sArizona Coyotes never made theStanley Cup Final. However, theWNBA'sPhoenix Mercury have won three championships since then (2007,2009, and2014).
The Diamondbacks and theBaltimore Ravens, who won theSuper Bowl earlier in 2001, created the first instance of two major sports teams winning a championship game or series on their first attempts. This would not occur again until 2019, when theToronto Raptors andWashington Nationals accomplished this feat.
The Diamondbacks would not return to the World Series again until2023; this time, they would go on to lose to theTexas Rangers in five games.
Floater, center field! The Diamondbacks are world champions!
— Joe Buck of Fox Sports callingLuis Gonzalez's series-winning RBI single
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