Nomar’s professional career would have began in 1991 as he was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers.  After he elected to not sign and attend college, Nomar was drafted again in 1994 by the Boston Red Sox.  By 1997, Nomar had achieved every young man’s dream and reached the major league’s as Boston’s shortstop.

1997 would bring a Rookie Of The Year award to Nomar, as well as an All-Star appearance, a silver slugger, and an eighth place finish in the MVP voting.  It was a fitting beginning to what would be an outstanding career.

Nomar’s career would gain momentum over the next few seasons.  He would finish second in the MVP voting in 1998 posting a .323 Batting Average, 35 Home Runs, and 122 RBI.  1999 would bring Nomar’s first batting title on the heals of a .357 batting average.  The following season Nomar would prove that his hitting was no fluke, posting an amazing .372 batting average and winning a second consecutive batting title.  Nomar would make another All-Star appearance in a game that would see four shortstops on the American League roster.  Derek Jeter, in one of the most memorable moments of that game, would come to the plate and imitate Nomar’s unique batting ritual, tapping his toes and adjusting his batting gloves in what can only be described as a nervous twitch.  2001 would hit Nomar with his first injury shortened season, as he would be limited to 21 games.  In 2002, Nomar would return to All Star form, playing in the Mid-Summer Classic and posting a .310 Batting Average.

2004 would change the landscape of Nomar’s career.  In shocking news in July, the Boston Red Sox traded Nomar to the Chicago Cubs in a four-team trade that would bring Doug Mientkiewicz and Orlando Cabrera to the Red Sox organization.  The Boston Red Sox would go on to beat the St. Louis Cardinals for the World Championship that season without the shortstop that had helped them achieve so much.  In a private ceremony that speaks to the level of teammate and player that Nomar was, a group of Red Sox led by Jason Varitek would meet Nomar in Chicago the following season and present him with a World Series ring as a member of that 2004 team.

Nomar would begin a journey through teams that would see him play an additional year with the Cubs, three years with the Los Angeles Dodgers and 2009 with the Oakland A’s.  Through these years, Nomar would battle through injuries and begin playing the corner infield positions as well as some time as a designated hitter.  He would reach his sixth and final All Star appearance in 2006 with the Dodgers.

Nomar was a player many will not forget.  He was a classy ball player that many teammates looked up to.  He played in an era marred with discussions of performance enhancing drugs and was never linked to them himself.  He finishes his career as a lifetime .313 hitter with 229 home runs, 936 RBI, and 1747 hits.  His fourteen year career does not appear to be one that will yield a Hall Of Fame induction, but for many baseball fans, he has inspired many memories and discussions for years to come.

Drop by the Baseball Digest Bleachers and discuss Nomar Garciaparra’s career by clicking here!

Curry, a 1986 graduate of Fordham (also the alma mater of noted media personalities Vin Scully, John Andariese, Michael Kay, Mike Breen and dozens of others) joined The Times in 1987 and became the Yankees beat writer in 1991. He was the newspaper’s national baseball writer from 1998 until he departed late last year. While at The Times, Curry authored more than 4,500 articles, covering 18 World Series, 11 All-Star Games, 10 MLB Winter Meetings and two World Baseball Classics. The New Jersey native also was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service Reporting at The Times in 1999 for co-writing a series on the demise of New York high school sports, and won multiple Publisher Awards at The Times, monthly awards that recognize the best journalism at the paper. Curry has also been the chairman of the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

“I look forward to this new chapter of my career, and am eager to contribute to YES on air and online,” said Curry. “Through my work on Yankees Hot Stove and its pre-game shows, I am already very familiar with YES’ high quality of work. I’m eager to provide insight and information to our television viewers and Web readers.”

“Jack has earned an impeccable reputation at The Times over the past two decades, and his arrival enhances our already impressive talent roster,” said John Filippelli, president of production and programming at YES. “He boasts a superb knowledge of the game, has tremendous sources throughout the league, and has earned the respect of everyone in the game. He will be a tremendous addition to our Emmy Award-winning multi-platform Yankees coverage, and will complement Bob Lorenz, our pre- and post-game host, extremely well in the studio.”

Curry, who began his broadcasting career at WFUV while a student at Fordham, has been a regular contributor the YES’ Yankees Hot Stove show since November 2005 and has also appeared as a guest on YES’ Yankees pre-game shows. His television experience extends back to 1991, when he began contributing to Madison Square Garden Network’s Yankees pre-game show and weekly baseball magazine show.

In addition, he was a featured panelist on MSG’s Angles roundtable show, was a frequent guest on WCBS-TV’s Baseball Insider weekly studio show, and has also provided expert baseball analysis and commentary on television and radio programs such as ESPN’s Outside The Lines, MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann, ESPN Radio’s The Michael Kay Show and various WFAN Radio programs.

Curry also co-wrote a book with Derek Jeter entitled Life You Imagine: Life Lessons for Achieving Your Dreams, which was a New York Times best-seller. Curry resides with his wife Pamela in New Jersey.

Perhaps that is why the Thurman Munson Awards Dinner, benefiting the AHRC New York City Foundation, which assists children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is still such a hit.  The 30th Anniversary event, held on Tuesday night at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York, sold out again, as attendees had the chance to meet the 2010 Award winners, including Joba Chamberlain, Lou Piniella and Darryl Strawberry, as well as other New York sports stars such as Knicks starting point guard Chris Duhon and Yonkers Raceway’s leading driver Jason Bartlett, who also won awards.

Champions all, which was the the theme of the evening.

Piniella was presented with the Legend Award for his “long and meritorious service to baseball.”

“It’s unbelievable,” said Piniella of the event’s staying power.  “Usually when somebody has an accident like Thurman did, maybe it goes on for a while and then things sort of drift away a little bit. But 30 years later, the charities that are benefiting from this event and the people that are honored here, it speaks volumes of how this city loved and respected this guy.”

Also on hand were three of Munson’s teammates, Graig Nettles, Goose Gossage and Ron Guidry, as well as Brooklyn Dodgers legend Ralph Branca and his son in law, former Mets manager Bobby Valentine.

Ron Guidry presents the 2010 Thurman Munson Award to Joba Chamberlain (Photo: Tom Berg)

Chamberlain, entering his fourth year in the Majors, was born six years after Munson’s death, but feels his presence as a Yankee.

“If you don’t know who he is, you’re not really a fan of baseball,” said Chamberlain.  “Just to see the things that he did and the passion that he played the game of baseball with and the passion for life and his family was truly incredible.”

“This guy was a professional with the way he played and the way he carried himself,” said Piniella of his former teammate and close friend.  “He was named the captain of the team and I think Derek Jeter is right after him, they haven’t had one since, so I think that speaks volumes.  We had such a good time with the guys we played with like Nettles and Sparky [Lyle] and Catfish [Hunter], Roy White, Willie Randolph…what a group of professionals we had over there…Gossage, I know I’m leaving a few out, I’m not doing it intentionally.  Bucky Dent, Mickey Rivers…what a group. I wear my championship ring with pride. It was a lot of fun and a lot of hard work. I’d pay to do those years over again.”

In addition to winning his 5th World Series ring, Jeter passed Lou Gehrig as the Yankees’ all-time hitter leader, won the Roberto Clemente Award for his off the field work, the Henry Aaron Award for his offensive exploits, and Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards.

It was that combination of on- and off-field achievement that helped make Jeter this year’s Sportsman. Said Sports Illustrated Group Editor Terry McDonell, “Derek Jeter has always presented himself with class; he does numerous good works for the community with his Turn 2 Foundation, which is one of the most efficient, effective foundations of its kind; and he’s extremely generous with not just his money but with his time, which in many cases is more valuable. He also had another signature year on the field.”  Source: SI.com

A key play came in the top of the fifth inning when a run scored for the Yankees on a potential double play ball. Johnny Damon hit a grounder to Howard at first base, and Derek Jeter was on his way to second, but Ryan Howard still can’t throw to second base with confidence, so he stepped on the first base bag to get the second out, and he let the runner from third score on the play. Howard made a smart play up by five runs to get the out at first. He could’ve saved that one run, but then again, it could’ve been a lot worse for the Phils and a big inning for the Yankees. Raul Ibanez would add a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh as well to give the Phils a little more breathing room at 8-2. However, Cliff Lee stayed in the game for the top of the eighth inning, which in my mind made absolutely no sense at the time. The Phils had a six run lead, and they should have gone to the bullpen at that time, especially if they are even considering pitching Lee in game seven on only two days rest.

Therefore, my “goat” of the game is Charlie Manuel. Luckily it did not cost the Phillies the game, but Lee staying in the game at that point was a big mistake. The Yankees ended up putting up three runs to make it 8-5. Instead of Lee going 7 IP, only giving up 2 earned runs, he goes 7+ IP, and he is charged with 5 ER. Manuel should have gone to his bullpen for the beginning of the 8th inning and the 9th, but he thought he could ride Lee a little longer, and he was wrong. Drama came in the 9th inning with the Phils up 8-5 and in a save situation. This time, Manuel made the right decision to go with Ryan Madson, and he hung on for the save, as the Phillies won 8-6 in a heart wrenching game. So, what this all means is that the Phillies will be going back to New York for game six on Wednesday night, and they have extended this series. The likely pitching matchup is Pedro Martinez verses Andy Pettitte. Stay tuned.

Add another player ticketed for Cooperstown to that distinguished list, as the Yankees’ Derek Jeter was selected the 2009 winner of the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevy.

Jeter was honored on the field prior to last night’s World Series Game Two at Yankee Stadium, where he was met by Vera Clemente, wife of the late Hall of Famer, and their son Luis.  Following a video that highlighted the Award and this year’s nominees, Jeter emerged from the dugout to a thunderous ovation.

Bestowed annually, the Roberto Clemente Award recognizes the Major League Baseball player who combines a dedication to giving back to the community with outstanding skills on the baseball field. Major League Baseball has presented this Award each year since 1971. In 1973, the Award was named in honor of Clemente, who died on December 31, 1972, during a humanitarian mission to assist earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

“Major League Baseball is proud to honor Derek Jeter for the lasting impact the Turn 2 Foundation has made on youth in communities across the country,” said Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. “In a year of career milestones for Derek, receiving the Roberto Clemente Award will inspire future generations of ballplayers and fans to give back to those in need.”

Jeter was selected from a list of 30 nominees, one from each Major League Club, by a panel of dignitaries that included Commissioner Selig and Vera Clemente. Additionally, fans were able to log on to mlb.com and cast a vote for one of the 30 nominees. The winner of the fan vote was tallied as one vote among those cast by the selection panel.

Jeter joins a distinguished list of national Roberto Clemente Award recipients, which includes 13 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which can be seen here.

“This is a very special day for everyone involved with the Turn 2 Foundation,” said Jeter. “Thank you to everyone at Major League Baseball, Chevy, and especially the Clemente family for this recognition. The Steinbrenner family and the Yankees organization have supported my work in the community my entire career, and I am very grateful for their encouragement. It is truly an honor to be mentioned alongside Roberto Clemente and the others who have won this Award over the years.”

In 1996, Jeter turned a lifelong dream into reality as he established the Turn 2 Foundation to give back to the various communities that are a part of his life, including Western Michigan, Tampa (FL) and New York City. Since its launch, the Turn 2 Foundation has awarded more than $10 million in grants to create and support signature programs and activities that motivate young people to turn away from drugs and alcohol and “TURN 2″ healthy lifestyles. Through these ventures, the Foundation strives to create outlets that promote academic excellence, leadership development and positive behavior. Turn 2 is managed on a day-to-day basis by the Jeter family with Derek in a hands-on role as Founder. In addition to contributing his own funds, Jeter hosts the annual “Derek Jeter Celebrity Golf Classic” and the “Turn 2 Foundation Dinner” to raise funds needed to successfully continue programs including “Jeter’s Leaders”, “Turn 2 Us Healthy Lifestyles”, “Turn 2 After School”, “Turn 2 Baseball Clinics”, “Proud To Be Me”, “Turn 2 Smart Moves”, “Holiday Express”, and the “Turn 2 Endowed Scholarships”. Recently, the Turn 2 Foundation donated $500,000 to launch the “Derek Jeter Academy at Phoenix House” in Tampa, an outpatient counseling center for troubled teens combining individual and family substance abuse treatment.

“My heartfelt congratulations to Derek Jeter who truly embodies the purpose and spirit of the Roberto Clemente Award,” said Vera Clemente. “I also wish to thank all of this year’s Award nominees, Major League Baseball, Chevy and other members of our global baseball family for their tireless efforts. They exemplify the importance of community service and the profound impact that baseball continues to have in making the world a better place.”

Throughout his 15-year career, Jeter continues to be one of baseball’s most celebrated players on the field. Named the Yankee captain in 2003, Jeter is a four-time World Series Champion, a 10-time A.L. All-Star and the 1996 A.L. Rookie of the Year. Jeter was also named both the 2000 All-Star Game MVP and the 2000 World Series MVP – the only time this has happened in baseball history. In 2009, the 35-year-old shortstop collected 212 hits, marking the third-highest single-season total of his career, reaching the 200-hit plateau for the seventh time in his career – one shy of Lou Gehrig’s Yankee Club record. The seven 200-hit seasons are a Major League record for shortstops. On September 11, 2009, Jeter, who now has 2,747 career hits, surpassed Lou Gehrig (2,721) as the Yankees’ all-time franchise leader in hits. The sixth overall selection in the 1992 First-Year Player Draft ranks first on Major League Baseball’s all-time list with 167 career postseason hits, 95 postseason runs and 133 postseason games played.

Catcher-Carlos Ruiz slight edge over Jorge Posada because of his postseason performance offensively, and his defense, along with his ability to manage the pitching staff outweigh Posada’s offensive capabilities.

First Base-Ryan Howard has the slight edge over Mark Teixera because Howard performed better in the regular season and has performed better in the postseason as well. Teixera certainly has the edge defensively, but Howard’s 14 RBI, which leads all players this postseason, and his 2 HR will show up once again in the World Series. Plus, Howard will feast on the “short porch” in right-field at Yankee stadium.

2nd Base-Chase Utley and Robinson Cano are even. The way Utley has performed defensively this postseason and his record against lefty’s in the postseason makes me grade him down a notch. Although I believe Utley will step it up in the World Series, heading into this matchup, I grade it as even.

Shortstop-Jimmy Rollins and Derek Jeter are even. Jeter’s postseason resume continues to build, and even though Rollins defense is better, I rate these two players overall as even. Rollins is due for a homerun in this postseason though, because he has not hit one all postseason.

3rd Base-A-Rod easily over Pedro Feliz. Feliz might be slightly better defensively, but A-Rod has really performed well throughout this postseason, and he seems to have solved his postseason demons. We’ll see how he performs on the biggest stage though. Feliz might be due to come out of his slump hitting too.

Outfield-Phillies easily have the edge in all three positions because of their power numbers, their defense and their arms in the outfield. (Raul Ibanez over Johnny Damon, Shane Victorino over Melky Cabrera, and Jayson Werth over Nick Swisher).

Starting Rotations: I rate the first three game starters as even. C.C. Sabathia vs. Cliff Lee tonight should be a great matchup in which former teammates from the Cleveland Indians go at it. A.J. Burnett vs. Pedro Martinez in game two, you don’t really know what you’re going to get from either. And, finally, Andy Pettitte vs. Cole Hamels should be a great matchups of lefty’s as well. The savvy veteran vs. the young pitcher who is still trying to find his groove in the 2009 postseason. Hamels did win NLCS and World Series MVP last season don’t forget, so he might be due to turn it around. There’s the predictions, now let’s see what you think, and we’ll see how it all plays out on the field. Don’t forget to check back after every game for my thoughts on the game, my hero/goat for the Phils, depending on the outcome of the game, and any other criticism I might have. Mark Healey will be taking care of all the postgame recaps and Drew Sarver will be writing for the Yankees, so make sure to check out their stories too.

Pitching wins championship and that is the major difference between the current squad and the one five years ago that squandered a three games to none lead.  Mariano Rivera is the only hurler to be on both team’s rosters.  Had tonight’s Game 6 starter AndyPettitte taken the mound for Game 6 back then, there may have been a different outcome.  And while CC Sabathia , already 3-0 in this post-season, waits in the wings in the event of a seventh game, the Yankees had to go with a creaky Kevin Brown in the decisive ‘04 contest.

The ‘04 team hit with a vengeance through the first three games of their showdown with Boston, and then, to a man, completely stopped hitting.    DerekJeter, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, and Hideki Matsui are the only players left from the prior roster.  And while the current team has struggled throughout these playoffs to score without the aid of a home run, they’ve proven throughout the season that no deficit is too small.  Even before losing Game 5 Thursday night, the Yankees turn a 4-0 deficit into a 6-4 lead.

And this year’s opponent should not be overlooked. The Angels don’t have more than three-quarters of a century of losing hanging over the heads.  They’re an established winning franchise, with arguably the top manager in baseball at the helm.  They are a team capable of coming back from a three games to one deficit.

So while it remains to be seen if the Yankees will play for their 27th championship, there’s no question that this team has built its’ own reputation and will determine its’ own legacy.

Just as he had done in Game 2 and in the series with Minnesota, Girardi countered every move or non-move by the opposing manager with a pitching change.  While David Robertson was retiring Kendry Morales for the second out in the bottom of the 12th, Fox TV cameras caught Girardi checking his scouting reports.

No sooner had Howie Kendrick stepped in to face Robertson, then Girardi hopped out of the dugout, despite the fact that Kendrick had faced Robertson just twice.  Those match ups had produced one hit and one strikeout.  It was also despite the fact that Robertson has been pitching much better over the last several months than the fellow right-hander, Al Aceves, that Girardi opted for.

Kendrick ripped a single back up the middle in his first at-bat against Aceves.  Then light-hitting Jeff Mathis ripped a hanging fastball off the wall in left-center to score Kendrick with the game-winning run.  While there is no question that the Angels might have won the game anyway, Girardi did his best to help shift the momentum away from his own ball club.  The series now stands at two games to one in favor of the Yankees, with Game 4 scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday) night.

Making the loss all the more painful was the fact that Yankees blew a 3-0 lead, built on solo home runs by Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Johnny Damon.  The Halos cut the lead to 3-1 on Kendrick’s solo home run off Andy Pettitte in the 5th and tied the game an inning later when Vlad Guerrero belted a 2-run home run.

The Angels took their first lead of the night off of Joba Chamberlain in the 7th.  Kendrick accounted for another run scored when he came home on Maicer Izturis‘ sacrifice fly.  The Yankees tied things back up in the top of the 8th when Jorge Posada went deep off hard-throwing right-hander Kip Jensen.

The Yankees had a chance to break things open against Angels starter Jered Weaver in the 2nd and 4th innings, but the lower part of the order failed to produce each time.  Nick Swisher and Melky Cabrera went 0-9 and left 12 men on base.

The Angels had a chance to win it in the 10th when Mathis led off with a double against Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera made an errant throw off Eric Aybar’s bunt.  With runners on the corners and no one out, the Yankees brought the infield and outfield in.  Mark Teixeira made a diving stop off a Chone Figgins grounder for the first out and froze the runner at third in the process.

Rivera issued an intentional walk to Bobby Abreu to load the bases.  With the infield still in, Torii Hunter hit a bullet to Teixeira, who threw home for the force out.  Rivera then got Guerrero to ground out to Teixeira unassisted for the final out of the inning.

Game Notes

Due to all of the substitutions by the time the game was over, the Yankees had no DH, Jerry Hairston Jr. was in left field and batting 5th, and the pitcher’s spot was hitting second.  Girardi also wasted another roster spot when he used Brett Gardner to pinch-run for DH Hideki Matsui, but later pinch-hit for Gardner.

Bobby Abreu had his first two hits of the series, but is just 2-13 overall.  Kendry Morales (1-13, 3-23 in post-season), Mark Teixeira (1-13, 3-25) and Nick Swisher (2-10, 3-22) are among those slumping in October.

Sabathia came out firing bullets in the first inning and was still hitting 95-mph on the radar gun in his final frame.  He threw 113 pitches, 76 of which were strikes, in winning his fourth career post-season game. Sabathia allowed just four hits, a walk, and struck out seven.  His only difficulty came in the 4th inning with the Yankees up 2-0.  Torii Hunter reached on a one out double and scored two batters later on an RBI single by Kendry Morales.  But Sabathia retired Howie Kendrick on a line out to right to end the inning.

The Yankees jumped right on Angels’ starter John Lackey in the 1st inning.  Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon reached on back to back singles, and Juan Rivera contributed a throwing error, to put both runners in scoring position with no one out.  Lackey got a big out when Mark Teixeira popped out, but Alex Rodriguez flew to deep center for his 7th RBI of the post-season and a 1-0 Yankees’ lead.

The Yankees then got a huge break when Chone Figgins and Erick Aybar stared at Hideki Matsui’s pop up until it fell in for a gift RBI single.  Figgins appeared to at first call for the ball, but neither infielder took charge and the Yankees took advantage.

Lackey appeared to be getting stronger in the middle innings, but then the Yankees mounted another threat in the 5th.  Damon led off with a double and one batter later, A-Rod earned an unintentional intentional walk.  Matsui ripped a clean hit to left-center to score Damon, but A-Rod ran through the stop sign at third and was out on a hard collision at home plate with catcher Jeff Mathis.

In the 6th, Melky Cabrera reached on a two out walk and moved to second on Lackey’s errant pick off throw.  Jeter ripped a single back up the middle.  Any chance Hunter had of throwing Cabrera out at home went out the window when the ball kicked off the heel of his glove and shot past him for an error.

Joe Girardi didn’t hesitate at all in sending Sabathia out for the 8th inning, but there was no doubt he was going to Mariano Rivera in the 9th.  The Yankees closer walked Hunter to start the 9th, but retired the next three batters for his 36th career post-season save.

Game Notes

David Cone threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game after nearly not getting there on time.  As Cone relayed on the YES post-game show, he appeared this afternoon on Michael Kay’s radio show at a bar across from the Stadium.  Only Cone didn’t realize how late it was and nearly forgot his pre-game honor.  Luckily, he made it on time and threw a slider strike to Jose Molina.

It was the Yankees first ALCS victory since Game 3 of the 2004 series, exactly 5 yeasrs to the day.

Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the 9th, Mark Teixeira reached base with his first hit of the series.  Alex Rodriguez then hit a deep drive off Twins’ closer Joe Nathan that landed well beyond the fence in center field for a game tying home run.  Seconds after the ball left his bat, A-Rod looked over at his teammates and pumped his fist.  It was a “jump on my back boys” moment for a player who won’t be hearing about post-season slumps any time soon.  Oh, and A-Rod drove in the Yankees first run too.

Then after escaping a bases loaded, no out jam in the top of the 11th, the Yankees celebration began when Teixeira hit a bullet off left-hander Jose Mijares down towards the left field corner.  The ball hit the top of the wall and ricocheted into the stands for a game winning homer.  And yes, A.J. delivered hiscompensatory pie.

The victory ended a wild night at the new digs and put the Yankees up a commanding two games to none in the best of five series.  Starters A.J. Burnett and Nick Blackburn got into a good ol’ fashioned pitcher’s duel before the Twins broke a scoreless tie in the 6th.  Burnett, who walked five on the night, issued a one out free pass to Delmon Young, who stole 2nd base as Carlos Gomez struck out for the second out of the inning.

Ron Gardenhire sent light hitting Brendan Harris up to pinch-hit for Matt Tolbert, who had to leave the game with a strained oblique.  Harris came through with a deep drive to left-center that eluded Johnny Damon and then caromed past Melky Cabrera for an RBI triple.  Burnett got out of further trouble by getting Nick Punto to ground out to end the inning.

The Yankees, who didn’t have a hit until Robinson Cano’s single in the 5th, came right back in the home half of the 6th.  Derek Jeter reached on a one out ground rule double and Damon followed with a walk.  Blackburn retired Teixiera on a pop up for the second out, but A-Rod singled to left to even the game at a run apiece.

The bottom of the Twins order had a big night and they came through in the clutch against Phil Hughes in the top of the 8th.  Gomez reached on a two out walk and moved to 3rd on Harris’ single to right.  Punto’s single to center put the Twins up 2-1 and knocked Hughes from the game.  Denard Span showed the top of the Twins order could be productive too when the lead off man singled off of Mariano Rivera for a 3-1 Minnesota lead.  Rivera kept it a two run game with a strike out of Orlando Cabrera.

Both teams blew big opportunities in the game due to base running mistakes.   Burnett hit both Young and Gomez with two outs in the 4th and Tolbert singled to right field. But Gomez rounded 2nd base too far and Nick Swisher alertly threw behind him to an awaiting Jeter, who applied the tag before Young could score.  A very “Timo Perez” moment in New York.

The Yankees had their own snafu as they appeared ready to win the game in the 10th.  Jorge Posada reached on a one out single and was replaced on the bases by Brett Gardner.  The Yankees top base stealing threat easily swiped 2nd base and then moved to 3rd when Nathan’s errant pick off throw sailed in center field.  Gardenhire elected to walk Jeter to set up the double play and the Yankees unwittingly obliged.

Damon hit a line drive that ticked off Nathan’s glove towards Cabrera at short.  Gardner misread the ball and took off for home.  Cabrera snagged the line drive and easily doubled Gardner off the 3rd as the Twins finally got a break.  But it was a break they couldn’t take advantage of, thanks in part to left field umpire Phil Cuzzi (pronounced Cuz-zee; and you know people in Minnesota will realize what that rhymes with).

Mauer sliced a fly ball down the left field line off of Damaso Marte and just out of the reach of Melky Cabrera, who had moved over from center field at the start of the inning.  The ball clearly landed several inches in fair territory before bouncing into the stands for what should have been a ground rule double.  But Cuzzi emphatically ruled it foul. Without a good angle to see it, no one from the Twins argued the call.

It seemed like it wouldn’t matter when Mauer and Jason Kubel stroked back to back singles, and David Robertson gave up another base hit to Michael Cuddyer to load the bases with no one out.  But with the infield playing in, Teixiera gloved Young’s hot smash for the first out.  Gomez then swung at the first pitch, as did Young, and grounded to Teixeira, who threw home for the force out.  Robertson and the Yankees were then able to breath again when Harris flew out to Gardner in center field for the final out of the inning.

And then the players took their roles and Yankees Stadium witnessed its’ 16th walk-off victory of the season.

Twice, Alex Rodriguez erased Minnesota leads with clutch hits, the last being a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to keep the Bombers alive.  Then, in the 11th inning, before anyone got a chance to realize that A-Rod was on deck, Teixiera won it with a home run of his own.

All in all, two eventful baseball games on the biggest stage in the world.  Not too shabby.

***

One of the more incredible things about postseason baseball in New York is the ability to find your way to Yankee Stadium, even if you have little idea of where you are going.

Sure, the throngs of people moving towards the Herald Square subway station is intimidating, but the sea of folks of all shapes, sizes, colors and languages all wearing some version of the interlocking “NY” is calming at the same time.

“Don’t worry,” they seem to say, “We’re all going the same way.”

Of course, that’s not the picture of Yankee fans that is perpetuated around the country (and in Flushing), and while their collective arrogance and sense of entitlement is matched by few, their demographic is as multi-layered as that of any team in all of baseball.

And a powerful tenth man as well.

***

Wednesday, Game One:  It was cold in the auxiliary press box above the right field stands in section 405.  Though a picture postcard sunset was breathtaking, and the view from our area was incredible (looking down at the ballgame with the frieze as a frame … are you kidding?), the wind whipping through Yankee Stadium made for a challenging assignment. (Yeah, I know, you could care less, but the wind was making my laptop close!).

The blustery conditions made for a less than effective beginning to the game for C.C. Sabathia, who seem to labor through the first few innings (and was certainly not helped by two passd balls by Jorge Posada).

Trailing 2-0in the third inning, Derek Jeter snapped the crowd out of their frozen state with a two-run blast, causing the capacity crowd to explode with a roar that officially christened the new cathedral inaugural postseason game.

Nick Swisher would rile everyone up again in the fourth, ripping an RBI double down the left field line to score Robinson Cano from first with the go-ahead run.   It was an important moment (despite the final score) and punctuated what has been a ongoing love affair between the Yankee fans and the fun-loving outfielder.

Though respectful (and appreciative) of the professional and reserved Yankees clubhouse of years past, Swisher has been a pleasure to interact with.

Swisher and Jeter weren’t the only offensive heroes on the night, as Alex Rodriguez rapped reliever Francisco Liriano’s first pitch into left field for an RBI single to ut the Yankees ahead 4-2, and Hideki Matsui delivered the death blow with a long two-run shot into the cutting wind.  The offensive explosion would not, however, be a theme for Game Two.

***

During the long train ride home on Wednesday, I appeared on the “The Scott Ferrall Show”, and was asked whether or not the move to bench Jorge Posada in favor of Jose Molina for A.J. Burnett’s Game 2 start was the right move.

I said then, and feel now, that any manager has to make difficult calls like that constantly in the postseason.  I am certainly not going to question Joe Girardi’s decision in this case, especially since, as a former catcher, he’s going to have a better grasp of the situation than any of us, be you media member or citizen.

In any event, the night was certainly milder, and it took 92 pitches before the Twins would score a run off of Burnett, a run-scoring triple off the wall in left center.

Then Aura and Mystique made their nightly appearance.

A-Rod had a pair of RBI singles and the New York Yankees spanked the Minnesota Twins, 7-2 to take a 1-0 lead in the best of five series. A-Rod wasn’t alone though in getting off to a good post-season start.

Derek Jeter reached safely in all four at-bats and belted the first playoff home run in the new Yankee Stadium. It tied the game at two apiece in the 3rd inning and fired up the home crowd that had been temporarily silenced when the Twins took a 2-0 lead.

Nick Swisher doubled in the 4th scored Robinson Cano all the way from first base to give the Yankees their first lead of the night. A-Rod’s RBI single off of rookie starter Brian Duensing an inning later put the Bombers ahead by two and the next hitter, Hideki Matsui, hit a long home run to straight away center field off lefty Francisco Liriano for a 6-2 Yankees lead.

CC Sabathia wasn’t spectacular, but was very good. He threw 113 pitches in 6 2-3 innings and allowed one earned run. The Twins put two runs on the board against him with two outs in the 3rd. Orlando Cabrera singled and Joe Mauer followed with a double to the gap in left-center. Michael Cuddyer’s single to right brought home one run and Mauer scored when Jorge Posada couldn’t handle Sabathia’s delivery for a passed ball.
Sabathia passed an immediate test in the 1st inning when Denard Span reached 3rd base with less than two outs. But the Yankees ace struck out Mauer and retired Cuddyer on a fly out to center. He exited with two on and two out in the 7th, but Phil Hughes stranded the runners when he struck out Cabrera.

Game Notes

Even with Hideki Matsui on deck, odd decision by Ron Gardnehire to pitch to Alex Rodriguez with Derek Jeter on 3rd base in the 7th. A-Rod delivered his second RBI single, this time off of Jon Rauch.

Admiral Eric Olson threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Derek Jeter’s home run was the 18th of his post-season career.

Mariano Rivera pitched the 9th inning, allowing a 2-out walk and a single before retiring Cabrera to end the game.

Jorge Posada had the dubious distinction of committing two passed balls.

While he didn’t come right out and say it, it appears  Girardi’s words indicate Chamberlain will be in the bullpen during the post-season.

“He’s had a lot of success out of the bullpen,” Girardi said. “I can’t guarantee that when you put a guy in situation that he’s going to revert back to his old form if we do put him in the bullpen, but he does have a lot of confidence coming out of those gates.”

For his part, Chamberlain said the unseasonably cool weather bothered him (better get used to October baseball) and would be willing to “fold towels” if it helped the team win.

As for the game itself, the Yankees nearly another come from behind win.  Trailing 4-3 in the 9th, Francisco Cervelli reached on a 2-out single against closer Joakim Soria.  Yuniesky Betancourt had to hurry his throw to get the speedy Freddy Guzman, who had grounded to short.  The throw was wild, putting runners on the corners with one out. But Soria got Ramiro “Catwoman” Pena to fly out to shallow left for his 30th save of the season.

The Yankees came back twice in the game.  Derek Jeter’s 18th home run off of Robinson Tejada tied the game at 1-1 in the 1st and Nick Swisher’s 29th home run, a 2-run shot, tied the game at three apiece in the bottom of the 5th.

Game Notes

The Yankees finished their home schedule with a 57-24 mark, best in the majors.  They have Thursday off before starting the final three game series on the road in Tampa Bay.  Their 45-33 road record is currently second best, along with the Los Angeles Angels, in the majors.  Philly has the top road record at 48-33.

Johnny Damon played his 140th game last night making him only the 5th player in major league history to play 140 or more games for 14 straight seasons.  Hank Aaron, Brooks Robinson, Willie Mays, and Pete Rose were the others.

Damaso Marte took the loss after Nick Swisher fell down on John Buck’s routine fly ball.  The miscue, scored a hit, resulted in an RBI triple to put KC up 4-3 in the 7th.

Derek Jeter (breaking Lou Gehrig’s team hit record) and Mariano Rivera (500 saves) were honored prior to the game for the new heights they achieved this season, but it was some first year Yankees that combined for the victory.  Robinson Cano had tied the game up at 3-3 with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly that scored rookie Francisco Cervelli from 3rd base.  Eric Hinske, who had singled earlier in the inning, stole 2nd base, and moved to 3rd when John Buck’s throw sailed into center field.  Former Yankee Kyle Farnsworth intentionally walked Johnny Damon in order to face rookie Juan Miranda.

The Cuban native entered the game in the top of the 9th for Mark Teixeira and had just 15 big league at-bats.  He hit a ball sharply back up the middle that ricocheted off of Farnsworth and into foul territory on the 1st base side.  Miranda reached 1st base uncontested and raised his arms in a victory salute as Hinske scored the game winner.  He was then mobbed by his joyous teammates and then got the special treatment of pie ala towel courtesy of starter A.J. Burnett, who had pitched impressively for the second straight start.

Burnett’s consistency is one of the Yankees biggest concerns entering the post-season, but his last two starts have done a lot to allay those fears.  Last night he allowed just three hits over 6 1-3 innings and struck out 8 before leaving with two men aboard and the game tied at one apiece.  Phil Coke’s physical and mental errors put the Yankees down 3-1 and would have saddled Burnett with the loss had the Yankees not come from behind.

Nick Swisher chipped away at the lead with a long home run off of rookie Anthony Lerew in the 7th to cut the deficit to one.  Teixeira had earlier hit his 39th home run, tying him with the injured Carlos Pena for tops in the American League.

Game Notes

Brian Bruney had another effective outing, retiring four of the five batters he faced.  He also picked up the victory to improve to 2-0.

Yogi Berra, Tino Martinez, Reggie Jackson, David Cone, Bernie Williams, Tim Raines, Andy Pettitte, and Jorge Posada were among the current and former Yankees that helped honor Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.

David Robertson pitched for the first time since September 5 after sitting out with elbow trouble.  He faced three hits, retiring two and issuing a walk.

The Yankees conclude their regular season home schedule tonight with Joba Chamberlain going up against Robinson Tejeda.

Jesus turns water into wine

US hockey beats Russia in the 1980 Winter Olympics

The Yankees beat the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim

While that last miracle may not be up to the caliber of the previous ones, the Yankees did indeed finally beat the Angels on their home turf last night, 6-5.  Of course the victory wasn’t stress free as the Yankees blew a 5-0 lead before winning it on an Alex Rodriguez sacrifice fly in the 9th inning.  The Yankees also clinched a playoff berth last night when the Texas Rangers lost to the Oakland Athletics. The Yankees also increased their lead in the AL East to six games ahead of the Boston Red Sox when the Sox lost to the Kansas City Royals for the second straight night.

The Yankees borrowed from the Angels’ aggressive play book to pull out the triumph.  Brett Gardner singled off Matt Palmer and stole 2nd base, his 23rd successful theft in 28 attempts.  A walk to Derek Jeter allowed Joe Girardi to play small ball, and it worked effectively when Johnny Damon bunted the runners over.  A-Rod, who earlier had his his 580th career homer, hit a fly to center field off lefty Darren Oliver to bring home Gardner with the go ahead run.

Mariano Rivera, whose 36-game consecutive save chance streak ended in Seattle on Friday, walked Kendry Morales to start the 9th.  But the Yankees closer then struck out Juan Rivera and Jorge Posada threw out would be base stealer Reggie Willits at 2nd base for a “strike ‘em out/throw ‘em out” double play.   Rivera then retired Erick Aybar on a ground out to Robinson Cano for his 41st save.

It appeared that the Yankees might actually be in for cake walk when they jumped out to a 5-0 lead on home runs by Rodriguez, Posada, and Hideki Matsui.  Chad Gaudin had relatively breezed through the first four innings in his best performance as a Yankee to date.  But in the 5th he surrendered a solo home run to Yankees killer Chone Figgins, and two hits, a walk, and a run later he was out of the game in favor of Al Aceves.

Aceves was on the hill for the first time in eight days and it showed an inning later.  Three singles in four at-bats, the last by Gary Matthews Jr., cut the Yankees lead to 5-3.  Aceves than walked former teammate Bobby Abreu with the bases loaded to force in a run and Vlad Guerrero appeared to produce the go ahead hit when he ripped a ball down the 3rd base line.  But Rodriguez dove to his right, snared the baseball and threw Guerrero out to save two, and possibly three runs.

The Yankees defense saved them in the 6th, but it came back to bite them in the 8th.  A Cano error allowed Howie Kendrick to reach 1st base safely and then Jorge Posada threw a one-hopper into center field when Kendrick stole 2nd base.  Just like that, the Angels had the tying run on 3rd with nobody out.  Hughes retired Figgins on a pop up, but Maecir Izturis singled to right to the game at five apiece.

With the Yankees already 0-5 with runners in scoring position Rodriguez put the Yankees on the board in the 3rd when he followed Mark Teixeira’s single with his 27th home run of the season off of Halos’ starter Ervin Santana.  Two batters later, Posada went deep with Hideki Matsui aboard for a 4-0 lead.  Then it was Matsui’s turn in the 5th.  Godzilla smoked his 28th home run of the season, with the total being evenly split before and after the All-Star break.

Game Notes

Derek Jeter picked up his 200th hit when he singled in the 4th inning.  He now has seven 200-hit seasons, one shy of the team record held by, you guessed it, Lou Gehrig.

Alex Rodriguez is now three home runs by Mark McGwire for 8th place on the career home run list.

The Yankees will try to take the series tonight when they send A.J. Burnett to the mound against left-hander Scott Kazmir.

On the even brighter side, Pettitte who missed his last start with shoulder fatigue, allowed 3 runs in an effective six effective innings and felt good afterwards. Unfortunately for the Yankees, Angels’ starter Joe Saunders was even better.  The left-hander was 9-7 with a 5.33 ERA when he went on the DL after his August 7th start.  But since then he’s gone unbeaten, posting a 5-0 record in six starts, while posting a 2.11 ERA.  He came within two outs of throwing a complete game despite having to pitch with a sore patella tendon in his left leg.

The Yankees put two men aboard in the first but Chone Figgins defense helped Saunders escape trouble.  With Johnny Damon on 1st, Mark Teixeira hit a bullet down the 3rd base line that was ticketed for extra bases.  But Figgins made a diving stop and fired to 2nd base for a would be force out. But 2nd baseman Howie Kendrick dropped the throw allowing both runners to reach.  (Somehow the official scorer ruled it a fielder’s choice rather than a hit or error). Saunders picked up his teammate with a swinging strikeout of Alex Rodriguez and then retired Nick Swisher on a lazy fly.  After that the Yankees rolled over, except for solo home runs by A-Rod and Hideki Matsui in the 7th and 8th innings.

The Angels jumped right on Pettitte in the home half of the 1st, though it looked like Pettitte would escape unscathed when Jose Molina threw Figgins out attempting to steal 2nd base for the second out of the inning.  But Bobby Abreu singled and scored on Vlad Guerrero’s gapper to right-center.  Torii Hunter then followed with a double of his own for a 2-0 lead.

The Yankees’ home runs got them back to 2-run deficits each time, but the Yankees pen let the Angels extend their lead in each instance.  Kendry Morales hit a pinch-hit solo home run, his 31st (and RBI #99) off of Brian Bruney in the 7th and Jonathan Albaladejo allowed another run in the 8th.

Game Notes

Derek Jeter had a pair of hits in the game to give him 199 on the season.  His next hit will give him 7-200 hit seasons.

The Angels reduced their magic number for clinching the AL West to 6 and won their 90th game for the 7th time in 9 seasons.

Francisco Cervelli got quite a thrill before the game when Reggie Jackson introduced him to fellow Hall of Fame member Frank Robinson.  Robby currently works for the commissioner’s office.

Chad Gaudin looks to get the Yankees back on the winning track tonight when he goes up against Ervin Santana.

The Yankees took a quick 1-0 lead in the 1st inning when Derek Jeter picked up hit number 2,724 and eventually came around to score on a Mark Teixeira sacrifice fly. But it was short lived as Burnett couldn’t get anyone out in the top of the 2nd. Nolan Reimold tied the game with a solo home run to start the frame and Robert Andino put the O’s ahead with an RBI single. With the bases loaded, Brian Roberts, who to that point hadn’t achieved the same success this season as he had in the past against the Yankees, belted a grand slam over the fence in right-center field for a 6-1 Orioles lead.

Burnett allowed just one hit over the next five innings, but the damage was done. Rookie Brian Matusz improved to 5-2 by allowing just a run on four hits over seven innings. The Yankees added a couple of meaningless runs in the 9th inning on RBI hits by Melky Cabrera and Jorge Posada.

Burnett was 5-0 with an ERA just over 2.00 from late June to late July, but since then he’s gone 1-5, 6.19 ERA in nine starts since. He’s also allowed a career high 24 home runs. In winning 18 games with the Toronto Blue Jays last season, Burnett was 10-4 after the All-Star break.

For a while it was unclear whether tonight’s Yankees-Orioles game would even be played.  Heavy rains fell most of the day in the metropolitan area, resulting in a one hour-25 minute rain delay before play got underway.

Jeter struck out in his first at-bat against Orioles rookie pitcher Chris Tillman, but hit number 2,722 put Jeter one ahead of Lou Gehrig and brought the rain drenched crowd, including Jeter’s family to it’s feet.  As he had when he tied the record, Jeter raised his helmet in salute to the fans, who serenaded him with chants of “Der-ek Jet-er”.

Jeter, who later added an RBI single, is 16th among players who lead their respective teams in base hits.

Andy Pettitte had his shakiest outing since July, but left with a 4-3 lead, most of which was built on an Alex Rodriguez 3-run home run.  But the Orioles belted Damaso Marte around in the 6th inning and it was all downhill from there.

Derek Jeter hit timeline:

1st Hit – 5/30/95 vs. Seattle, Tim Belcher
100th Hit – 7/17/96 vs. Boston, Joe Hudson
500th Hit – 7/20/98 vs. Detroit, Bryce Florie
1,000th Hit – 9/25/00 vs. Detroit, Steve Sparks
1,500th Hit – 8/16/03  vs. Baltimore, Rodrigo Lopez
2,000th Hit – 5/26/06 vs. Kansas City, Scott Elarton
2,500th Hit – 8/22/08 vs. Baltimore, Radhames Liz
2,721st Hit – 9/9/09 vs. Tampa Bay, Jeff Niemann
2,722nd Hit – 9/10/09 vs. Baltimore, Chris Tillman

The current captain was 3-4 and had a chance to break the record in the 8th inning, but walked on a 3-2 pitch from Grant Balfour.  But it was a still a historic night for Jeter, who is also the all-time hit leader at his position, having past Luis Aparicio earlier this season.

Entering the game in an 0-12 slide, Jeter laid a perfect bunt down the third base side to start the game with an infield single.  He grounded out to shortstop in the third, but doubled to center in the fifth inning.  That set up a dramatic 7th inning at-bat against Rays’ starter Jeff Niemann.  With the Yankees still trailing 2-0 and one out, Jeter ripped a first pitch fast ball past a diving 1ast baseman Chris Richard and into right field for the record tying hit.

The fans, including his parents, sister, and girlfriend (actress Minka Kelly) erupted in a long standing ovation.  Jeter acknowledged the tribute, doffing his helmet on two occasions.  After the game he self deprecatingly told ESPN, “I just tried to pull the ball, but as usual it went the other way”.

Jeter was stranded on third inning, as every other Yankees base runner had been to that point.  But the Yankees broke through against the beleaguered Rays bullpen in the 8th.  Alex Rodriguez‘ lead off single finally knocked Niemann from the game and Hideki Matsui greeted Lance Cormier with a single to right, putting runners on the corners with no one out.  Nick Swisher hit a potential double play ball to Richard, but the former Oriole, playing in his first major league game in six years, threw the ball into left field for a run scoring error.

One out later, Rays manager Joe Maddon sent for Balfour to turn pinch-hitter Jorge Posada around to the left side.  It was a mistake.  Posada hit a bullet into the right field seats for his 21st home run of the season and a 4-2 Yankees lead.  With two down and no one on in the inning, Jeter stepped up to the plate and another huge ovation as he tried to surpass Gehrig.  But after working the count full, he took a fastball well out of the zone for a base on balls.  Balfour then left the game to a loud chorus of boos.

Joba Chamberlain had his, now custom, three inning start and quickly fell in a 2-0 hole in the 1st inning.  Jason Bartlett led off the ball game with a home run and the Rays added another run in the inning on a Pat Burrell RBI single.  Chamberlain ended up striking out the side and pitched well over the next two inning, which included a talking-to from Jeter.

Game Notes

The Yankees have Thursday off before starting a 3-game series at home with the Baltimore Orioles.  You can see Derek Jeter try to break the record Friday night (7:05 P.M. ET) on YES and MASN in the area markets, plus the MLB Network will do live look-ins.

Jeter also stole his 300th career base, joining Rickey Henderson as the only Yankees to achieve that feat.

With Mariano Rivera unavailable last night, Brian Bruney and Phil Coke worked the 9th inning, with Coke picking up his second save.

The loss was the Rays 8th straight.