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One of the Yes Network's most aired shows are
their Yankee Classics. Generally, during the
regular season on off days and mornings before a game
when there was none the day before, you can catch the
Yankees Classics. Then they fill up a lot of the
schedule with them during the off-season. As a
Yankee fan, I think it's a great idea, although the
ranking of some games as "Classics" can sometimes be
questions.
Well, this is an attempt to log as many of the
Yankee Classics that have been shown including some
commentary and rankings on whether they really are
classics or...not so much.
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| Regular Season vs. Cleveland Indians |
| A-Rod Walk Off 3-Run HR |
| Thursday, April 19, 2007 |
| Final Score: 8-6 |
| Yankee Classic Rating (1 low to 10 high):
7 |
A fitting companion to the April 7th, 2007 Yankee Classic against the Orioles. Both were boring as can be until the end of the game. Both featured furious and improbable two-out rallies in the 9th inning off the other team's closer. Most importantly, both ended on an Alex Rodriguez walk-off home run. Where the game a week and a half prior ended on a grand slam, this one was only a measly three-run job. Pish-posh.
Where the Baltimore game was A-Rods first "Yankee Moment," this one was the hint that this could be a special year for Alex. Enough of the failures in the clutch, this was a new A-Rod...one the Yankees fans had been waiting three years to arrive.
This game was not a blowout and probably a little less of a boring affair than the Baltimore game. The Yankees actually held a 2-1 lead going into seventh behind Darrell Rasner, Mike Myers and Brian Bruney. Torre then turned to Luis Vizciano in the 7th and he was bad. A walk to Jason Michaels was followed by a Grady Sizemore double. David Delucci followed with a ground out to first that plated Michaels, tying the game and sending Sizemore to third. Torre elected to set up a possible double play and intentionally walked the dangerous Travis Hafner. Unfortunately, Victor Martinez had something else in mind and deposited Vizcaino's fifth pitch over the right-centerfield wall, giving the Indians a 5-2 lead.
Not insurmountable in three innings, but a devastating blow to say the least. The Yankees went quietly in the 7th and 8th, managing only a Bobby Abreu 8th inning single. To make matters appear more bleak on this Thursday afternoon, the Indians added another unearned run in the top of the ninth on an Alex Rodriguez throwing error with two out.
So, maybe the Yankees decided to take out the blueprint from the Baltimore game. One again, the opposing closer entered the game. In this case, it was Joe Borowski and was not a save situation...which for some reason is often poison for a closer. But, it looked like the poison would not take effect on this day as he easily retired Robinson Cano on a fly to center to start the inning, and as in the Baltimore game, Melky Cabrera followed with the second out of the inning. Not a strikeout this time, but rather a grounder to short.
That's when the fun begins. Josh Phelps followed with a solo home run to left center, his first as a Yankee. A nice footnote, but seemingly harmless at the time. Not so. It broke the ice and might have shaken Borowski. Jorge Posada followed with a single to center and Johnny Damon drew a walk. Now things are interesting as the tying run has come to the plate. All you can ask for when you were 4 runs down with one out to go and nobody on. On this day, the Yankees didn't ask for, but demanded more.
Derek Jeter came through with a line drive single to left-center, plating Posada and sending Damon to second. Bobby Abreu followed suit with a line drive single to left, scoring Damon and sending Jeter, the tying run, to second. Once again, Alex Rodriguez was up with the game on the line. Time to either show whether the Baltimore game was a fluke or turning-of-the-tide. At first, a single would only tie the game until Borowski unleashed a wild pitch, putting the tying run at third and the winning run on second. No long ball or extra base hit might be needed a this point. A simple single could win the game. Alex left nothing to doubt as he sent Borowski's second offering over the left-center fence for his second dramatic walk-off homer in two-weeks.
Yes, this was indeed a different Alex Rodriguez in 2007. In the span of two weeks, he capped two amazing 9th inning comebacks with walk-off home runs, each time in a do-or-die situation with the Yankees trailing. Ultimately, the Indians would get their revenge, knocking the Yankees out in the ALDS, but for one April afternoon, it was the Yankees that were riding high with their eventual league MVP providing the icing on the cake. |
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