Another game I had no idea was a classic until I stumbled across a listing for it one day.  Now that Joe's gone and given the way he left, it's a good bet this one will be locked up tight in the YES vaults for a long time.  Maybe if Joe goes to the Hall, they might dust it off, but that's really the only scenario I can envision where this game will see the light of day ever again.

It actually wasn't a bad game.  A 3-2 nail biter against a Seattle team when the Yankees-Mariners rivalry was still pretty bitter.  Hey, I just used biter and bitter in the same sentence.  That's weird if you look at it.

Anyway, David Wells outdueled Dennis Martinez.  Wells went 7.2 innings, walking none (as usual for him) and striking out 9, allowing seven hits on his way to his second win on the young season.

Martinez was just as tough.  After allowing a Tim Raines HR to lead off the bottom of the first, the Yankees could only plate another run in the sixth thanks to a Russ Davis error of a Cecil Fielder grounder to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead.

Wells left with two-out, none on in the 8th to make way for Jeff Nelson, brought in to face Yankee Killer Edgar Martinez.  Nelson would strikeout Martinez to preserve the Yankee lead.

The only other note...Jay "Bonehead" Buhner, also known for hurting and hating the Yankees, connected for a solo HR off Mariano Rivera (still getting his feet wet as a closer) to open the ninth and close it to 3-2.  Naturally, Mariano retired the next three batters without breaking a sweat to preserve Torre's 1,000 career win.