Jim Leyritz has the last pinch-hit home run to date. That also means the New York Yankees have both the first and last home runs from off the bench. Both home runs were in Fall Classics that were eventually won by the Bronx Bombers.
But Leyritz and his teammates would need just four games to beat the Atlanta Braves in the 1999 World Series. New York simply had all the tools needed for an easier time then they'd had with the same Braves in 1996.
New York obviously won the first three games. Game four was in the Big, Bad, Bronx, and it time for the Yankees to end it. They rushed out to a 3-0 lead after seven innings. Atlanta scored a run in the top of the eighth (Walt Weiss touching home), and actually knocked Roger Clemens out of the game, so there was plenty of hope. Mariano Rivera had to be brought in early to get the last out of this frame. Then, Leyritz came to the dish in the bottom of the eighth, and the game was suddenly over.
Terry Mulholland, who'd pitched against the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1993 Fall Classic, was on to pitcher after John Smoltz had left. And he was having an easy time, for a while. Bernie Williams led off the inning and was retired on a pop fly to second. Tino Martinez then followed with the second out of the inning on a pop up to the catcher. Would the mighty Yankees get the ball out of the infield this inning?
Jim Leyritz batted for Darryl Strawberry. With that, Darryl's career was over, although nobody knew it at the time. Leyritz and Mulholland had quite an at-bat. The count went full, and then Jim fouled off a pitch. But on another payoff pitch, Leyritz launched one to left, over Gerald Williams and the fence, to make it a 4-1 Yankee lead. All in a New York minute, eh?
Rivera took over from there, as he got the side out 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth for the save. New York had the sweep. There have been no pinch-hit home runs since, but this one served the Braves and anyone notice that the explosive firepower of New York has been around a while, and will continue to be!
References
http://www.baseball-reference.com/
http://www.retrosheet.org/
http://www.mlb.com
http://www.youtube.com
But Leyritz and his teammates would need just four games to beat the Atlanta Braves in the 1999 World Series. New York simply had all the tools needed for an easier time then they'd had with the same Braves in 1996.
New York obviously won the first three games. Game four was in the Big, Bad, Bronx, and it time for the Yankees to end it. They rushed out to a 3-0 lead after seven innings. Atlanta scored a run in the top of the eighth (Walt Weiss touching home), and actually knocked Roger Clemens out of the game, so there was plenty of hope. Mariano Rivera had to be brought in early to get the last out of this frame. Then, Leyritz came to the dish in the bottom of the eighth, and the game was suddenly over.
Terry Mulholland, who'd pitched against the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1993 Fall Classic, was on to pitcher after John Smoltz had left. And he was having an easy time, for a while. Bernie Williams led off the inning and was retired on a pop fly to second. Tino Martinez then followed with the second out of the inning on a pop up to the catcher. Would the mighty Yankees get the ball out of the infield this inning?
Jim Leyritz batted for Darryl Strawberry. With that, Darryl's career was over, although nobody knew it at the time. Leyritz and Mulholland had quite an at-bat. The count went full, and then Jim fouled off a pitch. But on another payoff pitch, Leyritz launched one to left, over Gerald Williams and the fence, to make it a 4-1 Yankee lead. All in a New York minute, eh?
Rivera took over from there, as he got the side out 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth for the save. New York had the sweep. There have been no pinch-hit home runs since, but this one served the Braves and anyone notice that the explosive firepower of New York has been around a while, and will continue to be!
References
http://www.baseball-reference.com/
http://www.retrosheet.org/
http://www.mlb.com
http://www.youtube.com
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