In Game 3 of the 2001 ALDS, the Yankees led 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning. With two outs and Jeremy Giambi on first, Terrance Long lashed a ball into the right field corner. As Giambi rounded third, Shane Spencer fired the ball home, and it missed both of the cut off men. And then…Derek Jeter happened.
Giambi was out at the plate, and the Yankees went on to win the game 1-0. They’d roll to a 9-2 win in Game 4, and beat the A’s 5-3 in Game 5 to complete the comeback and finish off the ALDS with a 3-2 victory.
Here’s an infographic about Jeter’s legendary play (click to enlarge).
If Giambi slides into home, maybe Posada whiffs on the tag or drops the ball, and Jeter’s flip simply fades into history. Maybe if the A’s end up plating one of the runners they put on base in the eighth or ninth inning, Jeter’s play loses its relevance. But none of that happened, and Oakland lost the ALDS in five games for the second of four straight years. Oakland has also lost the ALDS in five games in each of the last two seasons, so maybe we’ll end up seeing that streak continue for two more years to keep the whole “symmetry” thing strong.
The NLDS begins on Fox Sports 1 next week, and maybe some play in either of those two series will go down in history like Jeter’s flip. Maybe Josh Harrison will save a run for the Pirates. Maybe Brandon Crawford will show off his ridiculous glove for the Giants. Maybe Hanley Ramirez will come up big in a huge moment for the Dodgers. Maybe Ian Desmond will make an impact for the Nationals. Maybe Jhonny Peralta will turn himself into the newest Cardinals playoff legend.
Anything can happen in the MLB Postseason, even things we’ve never seen before.
