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This Page Was Last Updated On: Tuesday, October 31, 2000 |
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For the first time in 44 years, two New York baseball teams met to decide not only who is the best in the game, but also to see who is the best in New York.
The much anticipated Subway Series was here, and fans couldn't wait to see if the two-time defending champion New York Yankees would win their third championship in a
row, or be beaten by the two time champion New York Mets. Pitted as a battle of pin-stripe pride against the orange and blue, this world series was one of
the most amazing match-ups not only for baseball, but for the city as well.
To view the Yankee Victory Celebration, please visit our Yankee Parade Page.
To view results and recaps, please visit our Mets Playoff Pages.
To view results and recaps, please visit our Yankees Playoff Pages.
The teams have played 18 regular season games, and the Yankees lead the rivalry with 11 wins. |
| RESULTS FROM THE 2000 SUBWAY SERIES |
| YANKEES WIN SUBWAY SERIES (4-1) |
| Game |
Team |
Score |
Pitcher |
| Game 1 |
Yankees |
4 |
W - Mike Stanton |
|
Mets |
3 |
L - Al Leiter |
| |
| Game 2 |
Yankees |
6 |
W - Roger Clemens |
|
Mets |
5 |
L - Mike Hampton |
| |
| Game 3 |
Yankees |
2 |
L - Orlando Hernandez |
|
Mets |
4 |
W - John Franco |
| |
| Game 4 |
Yankees |
3 |
W - Jeff Nelson |
|
Mets |
2 |
L - Bobby Jones |
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| Game 5 |
Yankees |
4 |
W - Mike Stanton |
|
Mets |
2 |
L - Al Leiter |
Game 1 - Subway Series Begins with a Classic
In the longest game in World Series history, 4 hours and 51 minutes, the crowd at Yankee Stadium was treated to an electric atmosphere that best reflected the start of the first Subway Series in 44 years. Both teams gave the ball to their top pitchers--Al Leiter for the Mets, and Andy Pettitte for the Yankees. As the Mets entered the game, they feared a potent lineup that included Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter and David Justice. The most potent bat in the lineup, however, belonged to Jose Vizcaino, who started Game One because of his past success against Leiter (his career average against Leiter was .526 (10-for-19) coming into the game). In a game that appeared to be a pitchers' duel in the early stages of the game, Vizcaino provided an offensive surge going 4-for-6 including a number of clutch hits. Vizcaino's single in the sixth inning jumpstarted the Yankees' two-run rally to light up the scoreboard first. The Mets answered with a three-run seventh sparked by Bubba Trammell's two RBI pinch-hit single to help the Mets eventually take the lead. In the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees were down to their final two outs. After closer Armando Benitez walked Paul O'Neill and gave up a single to Luis Polonia, Vizcaino delivered again to load the bases for Chuck Knoblauch who tied the game on a sacrifice fly. The game took on the characteristics of a chess game as both managers responded to each other's moves while Saturday night became Sunday morning. Finally, the hero of the night, Jose Vizcaino, lined a game-winning single to left field in the bottom of the twelfth inning making the final score 4-3. |
Game 2 - Yankees Take 2-0 Lead in Series
It was the matchup that had been anticipated for the past four months. Ever since Mike Piazza was hit in the head by a Roger Clemens fastball in July, there has been added tension to the possibility of a Subway Series. The Yankee Stadium crowd saw their starter pitch eight masterful innings, striking out nine and limiting the Mets to only two hits. His performance was reminiscent of his one-hitter against Seattle in the ALCS. His actions in the first inning, however, were far from anything ever seen before. In his first at-bat against Clemens, Mike Piazza broke his bat on one of Clemens' devastating fastballs sending the bat spiraling towards Clemens. In an unexplainable moment, Clemens picked up the piece of lumber and hurled it into Piazza's path. The benches cleared shortly after the players exchanged words and many, both in the crowd and on the field, were left puzzled. Play quickly resumed after the umpires intervened and Clemens continued to shut down the Met offense. The game appeared to be well in hand as the Yankees took a 6-0 lead into the top of the ninth inning. Reliever Jeff Nelson was unable to finish the game for his team as he allowed a two-run home run by Mike Piazza and a base hit to Benny Agbayani. Manager Joe Torre wasted no time in bringing in the Yankees most dominant reliever, Mariano Rivera. Rivera struggled as a result of pitching two innings the night before. With two runners on base, Jay Payton hoisted a three-run blast to the opposite field to bring the Mets within one run. That was all the Mets had left in the way of a comeback. The final score of the game was 6-5 as Roger Clemens was the winning pitcher. |
Game 3 - Mets Fight Their Way Back Into Series
On Tuesday, October 24th, the World Series shifted from the Bronx to Queens, as Shea Stadium was the site for Game Three. After losing the first two games of the series "on the road", the Mets found themselves in a "must win" situation. With Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez on the mound for the Yankees, unbeaten in the postseason with an 8-0 record, the Mets had their work cut out for themselves. Despite striking out twelve Mets batters, "El Duque" could not stop the Mets from handing him his first loss of the postseason. The Mets attacked early as Robin Ventura belted a home run over the right field wall to get the Mets on the scoreboard first. The Yankees responded in the third and fourth innings by scoring a run in each, giving them the 2-1 lead. Rick Reed, the Mets' starter, gave the Mets the opportunity to stay close in the game as he pitched six innings while allowing only those two runs. Todd Zeile tied the game in the sixth with an RBI double, driving in Ventura. Just as the first two games resembled chess matches, Game Three took on the characteristics of a boxing match as both team battled back and forth. The Yankees threatened again as Dennis Cook walked Tino Martinez, who represented the winning run, in the top of the eighth. Bobby Valentine immediately brought in his most seasoned veteran in the Mets bullpen, John Franco. Franco ended the threat and kept the game tied for his team. Although the Mets were unable to take the lead after loading the bases with nobody out, their biggest clutch hitter delivered again in the eighth inning. Benny Agbayani, playing the role of "hero" for the second time this postseason, drove a laser shot off of Hernandez for a double, scoring Todd Zeile and giving the Mets the 3-2 lead. They were able to tack on another run to give some breathing room to their closer, Armando Benitez, who earned the save as the Mets took Game Three by a score of 4-2. The Yankee loss also ends their World Series winning streak at 14 games. |
Game 4 - Yankees Win Game Four in Another One-Run Battle
On a night where the New York Mets looked to even up the Series at 2-2 after winning the night before, the Yankees pounced early on the Mets' starter Bobby Jones. In fact, the Yankees were on the scoreboard after the first pitch. Derek Jeter, leading off for the first time this series, drove the first pitch over the left field fence. Jeter is the first player to homer on the first pitch of a World Series game since Pete Rose did it in 1972. The Yankees added to their lead by scoring runs in the second and third innings. Down by the score of 3-0, the Mets bounced back in the bottom of the third inning when Mike Piazza drilled a two-run bomb into the left field bleachers off of Yankee starter Denny Neagle. In the fifth inning, Yankee manager Joe Torre decided to go to his bullpen and bring in former Met David Cone to face Piazza. Cone delivered by getting Piazza to popup and end the inning. The Yankees' bullpen took over the game from that point on. The Mets were unable to get any runners past first base against relievers Jeff Nelson, Mike Stanton, and Mariano Rivera. Rivera closed out the game earning his sixth World Series save, tying the record held by Rollie Fingers. The Mets now find themselves down three games to one in the best-of-seven series. Only six teams out of forty have ever come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series. |
Game 5 - Yankees Win Game Five and 26th World Title!!
On Thursday, October 27th, the New York Yankees entered Game Five with a three games to one lead on the New York Mets. Facing elimination, the Mets looked to Al Leiter to force a Game Six and send the series back to the Bronx. After a home run by Bernie Williams, his first hit in the series, the Yankees took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. The Mets responded in the bottom of the inning with some timely hitting and by capitalizing on Andy Pettitte's fielding error. With runners on second and third, Al Leiter bunted a slow roller that could not be handled by Pettitte. Leiter was safe at first as Bubba Trammell scored. The Mets were able to take the lead as the next batter, Benny Agbayani, reached on an infield single scoring Jay Payton. Their lead lasted until the top of the sixth inning when Derek Jeter, named the World Series MVP, came through for the second night in a row by driving a solo home run into the left field seats to tie the game up at 2-2. Both pitchers settled down after that point as both gave all they had. In the top of the ninth, Mets' manager Bobby Valentine made a decision that many questioned. With two outs and runners on first and second, Valentine elected to keep Leiter in the game to face Luis Sojo. Sojo, a midseason acquisition, delivered a sharply hit grounder into center field, the ball was perfectly played by Payton as his throw was right on target. The ball arrived just as Jorge Posada did, but the ball deflected off of Posada's leg and rolled into the Met dugout scoring another run. The score was now 4-2 and the Yankee faithful began to sense that history was about to be made again. In the bottom of the ninth, Yankee manager Joe Torre called upon his closer, Mariano Rivera, to secure the team's third consecutive championship. With two outs and a runner on first, Mike Piazza, the Mets' leader, stepped to the plate with hopes of keeping the Mets alive for another day. For a moment, those who were watching paused as Piazza drove a pitch to the deepest part of the stadium. Bernie Williams retreated back as the ball appeared to have a chance, but it stayed in the park as Williams hauled it in. The Subway Series belonged to the New York Yankees. They are champions for the 26th time in their storied history. They are also the first team to win three consecutive World Series since the Oakland Athletics in 1972-1974. This World Series, however, will go down as one of the most evenly matched in decades. This was the first time since 1915 that all of the series' games were decided by two runs or less. This series left many New Yorkers wishing that it would never end as it gave us a number of memories that New York City will cherish forever.
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Todd Zeile (NYM) - Zeile batted .400 in the World Series. He had two doubles, an RBI and a run scored in the series. Todd had the best batting average among the Mets' regulars. |
Paul O'Neill (NYY) - With the highest batting average in the World Series (.474), O'Neill finished the series with two doubles, two triples and 2 RBI in four games. |
Derek Jeter (NYY) - Named 2000 World Series MVP, Jeter batted .409 with two doubles, a triple, and two home runs with six runs scored. Jeter extended his World Series hitting streak to fourteen games in Game Five as he belted a home run in the sixth inning. Jeter is the first player in Major League history to win both the All-Star Game MVP and the World Series MVP in the same season. |
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Chuck Knoblauch (NYY) - Despite scoring a run and having an RBI, the Yankees' designated hitter batted .100 in the World Series. Because of his defensive futility, Jose Vizcaino started Games Three and Five at second base while Luis Sojo has started Game Four. |
Bernie Williams (NYY) - Considered one the most potent bats in the Yankee lineup, Williams was far from stellar going 2-for-18 (.111) with five strikeouts in the series. |
Edgardo Alfonzo (NYM) - Despite being the Mets' most consistent hitter throughout the postseason, Alfonzo struggled to get it going in the World Series. Alfonzo batted .143 (3-for-21) in the series with five strikeouts and only one walk. |
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KEY MOMENTS IN THE SERIES
Game One
· In the top of the sixth inning, Todd Zeile drove the ball deep into left field off of the top of the wall. Believing the shot was a home run, Timo Perez neglected to run hard around the bases. As a result, the double scored only two runs as Perez was thrown out at home plate.
· With two outs in the bottom of the twelfth inning, Jose Vizcaino stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. Having already delivered three hits in the game including a clutch hit in the ninth, Vizcaino delivered the game-winning single to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the series.
Game Two
· In a game scarred by controversy, Roger Clemens delivers a masterful performance by pitching eight shutout innings allowing only two hits and striking out nine batters.
· In his first at-bat against Clemens, Mike Piazza broke his bat on one of Clemens' devastating fastballs sending the bat spiraling towards Clemens. In an unexplainable moment, Clemens picked up the piece of lumber and hurled it into Piazza's path. The benches cleared shortly after the players exchanged words and many, both in the crowd and on the field, were left puzzled.
· After a Mike Piazza two-run homer, the Mets began to mount a comeback. With a runner on base, Todd Zeile lifted another pitch towards the left field fence. Brought in as a defensive replacement, Clay Bellinger robbed Zeile of a home run by catching the ball at the top of the wall. The play proved to be pivotal as Jay Payton later hit a three-run homer to make the score 6-5. As a result, Zeile's drive would have contributed to a game-tying six-run comeback, rather than only five.
Game Three
· On a night where streaks came to an end, Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez had his postseason winning streak snapped at eight games despite striking out 12 batters. The New York Yankees streak of 14 consecutive World Series wins also ends as the Mets took Game Three.
· With a one-run deficit and runners on first and second base, Todd Zeile continued to wield a hot bat as he delivered an RBI double, driving in Mike Piazza, to tie the game in the sixth inning.
· With the game tied in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Mets looked to one of their rising stars, Benny Agbayani, to grab the lead in this important moment. With Todd Zeile on first base, Agbayani took on the role of "hero" as he drilled an RBI double to the left-center field wall scoring Todd Zeile. This moment gave the Mets the lead that they would never relinquish.
Game Four
· Setting the tone for the rest of the game, Derek Jeter led the game off with a first pitch home run off of Mets' starter Bobby Jones. Jeter is the first player to hit a first pitch home run in a World Series since Pete Rose accomplished the feat in the 1972 Fall Classic.
· Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the third inning, the Mets' most dominant hitter, Mike Piazza, got the Mets back into the game with a two-run bomb that sailed into the left field bleachers. This was Piazza's second home run in the World Series.
Game Five
· In a decision that was debated by many, Bobby Valentine elected to stick with Al Leiter with two outs and runners on first and second base. Prior to allowing the runners to get on, Leiter had struck out five in a row, giving Valentine cause to allow his starter to get himself out of trouble.
· Valentine's decision to keep Leiter in the game proved to be a costly one. With runners on first and second, Luis Sojo singled to center field setting up a play at the plate. As Jorge Posada rounded third base, Jay Payton played the ball perfectly and sent it rocketing toward home. Both the ball and Posada arrived at the same time, causing the ball to deflect off of Posada's leg and roll into the Met dugout. Another run scored on the play as a result, giving the Yankees the 4-2 lead.
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Last Updated On:
Friday, April 20, 2001 | |
