MLB: Champions Of The World

The New York Yankees have completed the World Series, becoming World Champions for the third consecutive time. The win in Game 5 of the all New York World Series, also known as the Subway Series brought up their fourth win and notched up the series 4-1.

The Yankees are the first team since the Oakland Athletics in 1972-74 to win three Wold Series’ in three consecutive years. This year’s victory is the fourth in five years, and the twenty-sixth in the Yankee’s franchise history.

Game 5 was typical of the 2000 Series with neither team giving an inch, and the game being decided in the final inning. The New York versus New York series was indeed an epic struggle of supremacy, and the team from the American League won over in the end.

The game began with no sudden dramas. Unlike Game 4 there were no runs hit off the first ball of the game, nor were any pieces of bat shrapnel thrown at any players by the pitcher like Game 2. The game settled into a tight encounter however.

The first runs came in the 2nd inning, when the Yankees Bernie Williams homered to left field. At the bottom of the same inning however, the lead changed hands thanks to an error by Yankee pitcher Andy Pettitte and an RBI single by Game 3 hero Benny Agbayani. This gave the Mets a lead of 2-1.

The scores remained static for some time, as both teams were unable to score despite getting base hits. At the top of the 6th inning, Derek Jeter stepped up to the plate and equaled the ball game when he hit an almost identical home run to Williams in the 2nd. This got the crowd fired up and set the scene for a nail biter destined to go all the way. Jeter would later get named World Series MVP.

As Mets’ fans held up banners saying “I Believe” or “We Believe”, the next few innings passed. Time was slowly running out for the New York Mets, who lacked a hero of the moment. For the New York Yankees, this seemed like routine. After all they had been at this crossroads before.

The 9th inning beckoned. The Yankees began the 9th with two outs to Tino Martinez and Paul O’Neill. Al Leiter, the Mets pitcher looked in fine form. Then Jorge Posada stepped to the plate and was walked after nine pitches. Scott Brosius followed up with a single. This brought Luis Sojo to the plate.

On his 142nd pitch, Leiter was slapped up the middle by Sojo for a single. The Mets’ Jay Payton threw to home plate where Posada was running. The ball struck Posada’s knee as he was sliding in and he scored as the ball rolled off towards the dugout areas. Brosius followed in to make the score 4-2. Sojo was the hero with his final inning RBI.

Yankee pitcher Mariano Rivera cleaned up the bottom of the 9th, and the Yankees won the game when Piazza fly to deep middle was caught. The New York Yankees had now become champions of the world for a record 26th time.