NYC SPORTS: MOST UNBELIEVABLE MOMENTS
NYC SPORTS: MOST UNBELIEVABLE MOMENTS
By: Matthew Blittner
The City of Champions. The City that never sleeps. Frank Sinatra once sang, "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere."
With all the teams that have called New York City home, it's no wonder that the linage of sports moments runs deep.
In order to be eligible for the following list the event must have some importance to its' respective sport or team, and MUST have taken place with the geographical limits of New York City.
With out any further preamble here is the list from 12 to 1.
12. FAREWELL MARIANO
The New York Yankees are the winningest franchise in North American professional sports history. 27 World Titles and counting, have led Yankees' fans to be spoiled by their team's success.
One player who was integral to their last five championships was Mariano Rivera. The All-Time Major League saves leader, Rivera was a rock in the Bombers' bullpen for 19 seasons.
When Rivera's career was coming to an end, teams around the league paid tribute to the man known as Mo with gifts honoring his tremendous career.
The last team to honor him was of course the Yankees. So, on a late September day in 2013, the Bombers' brass put together a ceremony befitting the career of an All-Time great player. From having the rock band Metallica perform their hit song Enter Sandman -- Mo's entrance song -- to retiring his number 42, the day was filled with unforgettable moments. But once the game began, nobody knew if the Yankees would be in position to hand Mo one final save situation.
To avoid leaving Rivera on the bench, Yankees' manager Joe Girardi brought Mo into the game during the 8th inning. After breezing through the 8th, Mo came out to the mound for the 9th, and what would be his final inning in pinstripes.
With two-outs in the top of the 9th-inning, Girardi pulled one last play out of his book. To give Rivera one final sendoff Girardi sent Rivera's longtime teammates Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte out to the mound in order to take Rivera out of the game. Upon seeing his fellow "Core Four" members coming to take him out of the game, Rivera broke down crying into their shoulders on the mound.
An unforgettable moment that brought tears to the eyes of the fans watching, both at the Stadium and at home on television. It was a stirring tribute that nobody will soon forget.
11. FAREWELL DEREK
One season after the Yankees faithful said good-bye to Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte, the Bronx fans said farewell to their beloved captain, Derek Jeter. A season that saw a farewell tour comparable to Rivera's a year prior, the Yankees once more saved the best for last.
A ceremony that was befitting of a returning war hero, Derek saved his most memorable moment for the end. A career defined by big moments was summed up in one final at-bat.
After closer David Robertson blew the save in the top of the 9th-inning, Jeter was due to bat third in the home half of the 9th. After the lead off hitter reached on a single, the Yanks bunted him over, setting the stage for one last magical Jeter moment.
As former-manager Joe Torre and former-teammate Jorge Posada remarked later on, "there was some worry that Orioles' manager Buck Showalter would intentionally walk Jeter." Torre would later go on record saying, "Well Buck can't do that. If he does, we'll fine him or suspend him." While Torre was in fact jesting, Showalter never gave it a thought. Buck would later say, "I knew that if we walked him that we would never make it out of New York alive."
Jeter would then punch a single through the right-side of the infield like he had done so often throughout his career. The hit would be his last in pinstripes and gave the Yankees a walk-off win. An appropriate Stadium sendoff for one of the greatest Yankees of All-Time.
10. "BACK, BACK, BACK, BACK, BACK!"
The Original Yankee Stadium opened in 1923, and while it under went renovations from time to time, the Yankees never once thought to move to a new stadium. That is, until the 2000's when now deceased owner George Steinbrenner made it his mission to build a brand new ballpark for his team.
So it was, and with their new home set to open in 2009, 2008 became the last season of the old Yankee Stadium.
As a means to honor the House that Ruth Built, Major League Baseball granted the Yankees the 2008 All-Star Game. Along with the All-Star Game comes all of the festivities, including the annual Home Run Derby.
In said Home Run Derby, Texas Rangers' slugger Josh Hamilton put on a performance of legendary proportions. With 28 home runs in the first round of the Derby, Hamilton wowed the Stadium crowd to the point where the always fickle Yankees' fans were actually cheering him as if he was their own.
9. FAREWELL TO THE CAPTAIN
The 1978 season saw the Yankees overcome a 14-game deficit during the middle of the summer to overtake the Boston Red Sox for the AL East Division crown, and eventually, they won the World Series against their longtime rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In 1979, the Yankees once more found themselves 14-games back in the division race as the summer heated up. But this time, there would be no miracle comeback. The Yankees' hopes were dashed when captain Thurman Munson died in an airplane crash.
The sports world was shocked to its' core. Munson was the face of the Yankees and the world seemed to stand still when the news broke about his death.
With a series against the Orioles on the docket, the Yankees lost the opener as they played with heavy hearts, knowing that the funeral was still to come. George Steinbrenner chartered a plane to take the team to the funeral, with teammates Bobby Murcer and Lou Piniella giving the eulogies.
Upon flying back to the Stadium for their game that night, Yankees' manager Billy Martin walked over to Murcer and told him to take the night off. Murcer though, pleaded with the manager to let him play, and Martin relented.
Munson's best friend on the team would go on to have an electric game.
With the Yankees down 4-0 early, Murcer came up to bat in the middle innings and walloped a three-run home run to bring the Yanks within one of the Orioles. Then, with two on in the bottom of the 9th, Murcer came up and lined a base hit down the left-field line for the 5-4 Yankees' victory. An emotionally drained player and team met at home plate as the fans let out their emotions in a never-ending curtain call.
Murcer would give the bat to Munson's widow Diane as a lasting tribute to her husband, and to his best friend.
8. AARON BLEEPIN' BOONE
2003 was finally the year. The Red Sox and Yankees met in the postseason for the right to go to the World Series for the second time in their combined history.
The first time -- 1999 -- was a let down, as the Yanks beat Boston four games to one enroute to their second consecutive World Series Title.
In 2003, both teams would once again meet in the ALCS, four wins away from the World Series. The teams would then face-off in the ultimate do-or-die scenario, Game 7.
An early 4-0 lead by the Red Sox led to worry amongst the Yankees' fans in attendance. The team would claw back within 4-2 thanks to two home runs by Jason Giambi.
A David Ortiz 7th-inning homer restored the Red Sox lead to 5-2. Then, a dose of 5 O'Clock lightning struck. The Yankees scored three runs in the bottom of the 8th off Sox ace Pedro Martinez to tie the game at 5.
Mariano Rivera came on to pitch the 9th, and after the Yankees failed to score in the bottom of the 9th, the game went to extra innings. A scoreless 10th lead to the fateful 11th-inning. A third straight shutout inning from Mo -- who hadn't pitched three full innings in a game since 1996 -- gave way to the bottom of the 11th.
Aaron Boone, who had entered the game as a pinch-runner a few innings earlier, stepped up the plate for his first at-bat of the game. A first pitch knuckleball from Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield resulted in a walk-off pennant-clinching home run off the bat of Boone. As the ball began its' descent into the left-field seats the entire Yankees' team met Boone at home plate to celebrate the 39th pennant in team history.
7. "IT GETS THROUGH BUCKNER!"
In 1986, the Mets and Red Sox engaged in a classic series, and classic series don't get that way without memorable moments.
In Game 6, at Shea Stadium, the Red Sox were on the verge of ending decades of futility. They were one strike away from winning the World Series for the first time since 1918.
Into extra innings the game went and the Sox were one strike away from winning it all. With Knight on base, Mookie Wilson squibbed a ground ball towards Sox first baseman Bill Buckner.
All Buckner had to do was field the ball and flip to the pitcher covering the bag and the Sox would be World Champions. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. The ball got through Buckner and Knight came around to score the winning run, sending the series to Game 7, where the Mets would win their second title in franchise history.
6. THE WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR IS OVER!
For decades the Brooklyn Dodgers struggled. After quite some time they became perennial World Series contenders, but just as they rose to prominence in the National League, the Yankees were kickstarting the most dominant run in Major League history.
The two teams would face off in the World Series on a number of occasions: 1941, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1955, and 1956.
The Yankees won the first four of these confrontations, thus inspiring the phrase, "Wait Till Next Year," for the Dodgers. Well, in 1955, the wait was over. The series went a full seven games for the umpteenth time and in Game 7, Dodgers' pitcher Johnny Podres threw a complete game shutout for the 2-0 win, and the Dodgers' first triumph over the Yankees.
5. LIGHTNING STRIKES NOT ONCE BUT TWICE
The 2001 Major League playoffs saw many unbelievable moments. From Derek Jeter's now iconic "Flip Play" to Jeter's Game 5 dive into the stands, to the 116-win Mariners getting manhandled in the ALCS, and many more.
In the 2001 World Series, the New York Yankees took on the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks. Normally, everybody outside of New York would be rooting against the Yankees, but in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks, the pinstriped faithful were cheered throughout the league as they had become "America's Team" almost by default. Arizona meanwhile, was filled with veterans, many of whom had never even sniffed the World Series. So, how does this series begin? Arizona's vets manhandled the defending three-time champion Yankees and took a two games to none lead heading to New York for Game 3.
A gusty win in Game 3 cut Arizona's lead to 2-1, but Game 4 was another story. The Yankees found themselves down two-runs with two-outs in the bottom of the ninth.
For historical perspective, no team in baseball history had ever been down two-runs with two-outs in the bottom of the ninth in the World Series and comeback to win the game. So, when Tino Martinez stepped to the plate in that exact scenario with a runner on base against Diamondbacks closer Byung-Hyun Kim, history wasn't on his side. Tino then laughed in the face of history as he deposited Kim's offering over the wall in right center field to tie the game. When Derek Jeter victimized Kim with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th-inning the Bombers had done more than just tie the World Series, they had made baseball history.
Game 5 in any best-four-of-seven series is the classic "swing game," and this time was no different. A dominate Curt Schilling tamed New York's offense and once more Kim took the mound with a two-run lead for the ninth inning. With two-outs, down by two, and with a runner on base, Scott Brosius, stepped to the plate looking for some more late inning magic.
Now, what happened in Game 4 was remarkable, but it couldn't happen again, could it?
With a mighty swing, Brosius skied the ball deep down the left field line and into the seats, tying the game in the most improbable fashion. When Alfonso Soriano knocked in Chuck Knoblauch with the winning-run in the bottom of the 12th, New York had pulled off another miracle, thus proving that lightning can indeed strike twice.
4. BASEBALL RETURNS TO A GRIEVING CITY
When many people think about the year 2001, the first thought they have is of 9/11. America was attacked by terrorists and the City of New York, as well as the world, would never be the same again. Initially, everything was put on hold, and that included baseball. But, just like it always has, baseball returned, and lifted the city of New York.
The first team to return to the Big Apple was the Mets, and in their first game back, against the rival Atlanta Braves, the Mets, their fans, and the city, were given a dramatic heartfelt moment, thanks in large part to their star catcher Mike Piazza.
Locked in a tight affair in the eighth inning, Mike Piazza stepped to the plate with a runner on base against the Braves Steve Karsay. With the count 0-1, Piazza crushed Karsay's offering over the wall in center field and the Mets went on to win the game 3-2. The euphoric moment is still remembered 16 years later, and will endure for all eternity.
3. "MATTEAU! MATTEAU! MATTEAU!"
Looking to shore up his Rangers team for the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs, GM Neil Smith and Coach Mike Keenan could not agree how to go about this. Eventually, Keenan won out, and Smith pulled off three trades that had significant impacts on the team.
The most significant trade would be when he traded star-to-be Tony Amonte to Chicago for Stephane Matteau and Brian Noonan.
The acquisition of Matteau, would prove important, as he wound up playing the hero in both Game 3 and Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Devils.
Game 3 saw Matteau score, on a young rookie goaltender that you might have heard of before, Martin Brodeur, the double-overtime game-winning goal which gave the Blueshirts a 2-1 series lead.
Game 7 can stake the claim to being one of the greatest games ever played. In what can only be described as Deja Vu, Matteau again victimized poor Brodeur in double-overtime to send the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final.
Legendary announcer Howe Rose captured the moment with this iconic call: "Fetisov plays across ice into the far corner. Matteau swoops in to intercept, Matteau behind the net, swings it in front...he scores! MATTEAU! MATTEAU! MATTEAU! Stephane Matteau...And the Rangers have one more hill to climb baby, but it's Mt. Vancouver! The Rangers are headed to the Finals!"
2. "THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!"
The year was 1951. An intense pennant race took place over in the National League between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants.
A collapse in the standings lead to a best-two-of-three series between the arch rivals. The winner would face the Yankees in the World Series.
With rookie outfielder Willie Mays waiting on deck, Giants' hitter Bobby Thompson launched a game-winning, pennant-clinching home run over the left field wall that sent the fans at the Polo Grounds into a state of delirium.
The three-run home run was immortalized in New York City lore by the call of announcer Russ Hodges. "There's a long drive ... it's gonna be, I believe ... The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! Bobby Thomson hits into the lower deck of the left-field stands! The Giants win the pennant and they're going crazy! They're going crazy!"
1. "THE WAITING IS OVER!"
The 1993-94 NHL season was host to the most emotional moment in New York sports history.
Rangers' fans had been waiting 54 years to hoist the Stanley Cup. A curse that dated back to 1940 had become a part of the Rangers' legacy as it tortured fans and players alike. Finally in 1994 the Rangers had built a team that they believed, was capable of breaking the infamous curse.
After an emotionally draining seven-game series against the Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Rangers took a 3-1 series lead against Vancouver, only to be forced to play a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.
Rangers' defenseman Brian Leetch opened the scoring in the first period with a goal into Vancouver's exposed net for the 1-0 lead. Winger Adam Graves would soon add on to make it 2-0 New York.
In the second period Canucks' captain Trevor Linden scored to cut the Rangers' lead in half, but Rangers' captain Mark Messier would answer right back to make it 3-1 Rangers as the game headed to the third period.
20 minutes away from the franchises' first championship in 54 years the Rangers and their fans were holding a two-goal lead, but not for long. Linden would score early in the period to make it 3-2, and thus the tension at Madison Square Garden rose to pulsating levels.
Just moments earlier, fans had been chanting, "We want the Cup!" Now, they were dead silent. The Garden faithful was scared and the collective breathes of New Yorkers everywhere was being held.
As time wound down, the Canucks went on the attack and hit the post numerous times.
With under 30 seconds to go, reality began to set in, the Rangers were going to win the Cup. As they cleared the zone and sent the puck down the ice, it was finally their time, the Rangers were Stanley Cup champions! Not so fast, icing had been called and the clock had stopped with 1.1 seconds left on the clock. As Rangers' fans were screaming profanities at the refs, the Blueshirts prepared for one more face-off, deep in their zone. .5 seconds were added to the clock for a total of 1.6 seconds.
The puck was dropped, and play-by-play announcer Sam Rosen captured the moment to perfection.
"The waiting is over! The New York Rangers are Stanley Cup Champions! And this one will last a lifetime! No more curses, this is unbelievable!"
Commissioner Gary Bettman would then sum it up perfectly, as he came onto the ice to present Lord Stanley's fabled chalice.
"Well New York, your long wait is finally over...Captain Mark Messier, come get the Stanley Cup!"
Well, there you have it, the top-12 most unbelievable moments in New York City sports history. Feel free to comment down below.
Excellent writing
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