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The 2001 World Series (the "November Series") took place between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Yankees and is considered one of the most exciting World Series in recent memory. The best-of-seven-games series determined the World Champion of Major League Baseball of 2001. It featured two extra-inning games and three late-inning comebacks and went to the maximum 7 games. It is notable that the series ended on a Game Seven walkoff hit, one of only a handful of Series to end in this fashion.

Managers: Joe Torre (New York), Bob Brenly (Arizona)

Umpires: Steve Rippley, Dana DeMuth, Dale Scott, Mark Hirschbeck, Jim Joyce, Ed Rapuano

Series MVPs: Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling (Arizona)

Television: FOX (Joe Buck and Tim McCarver announcing)

Summary

The Arizona Diamondbacks, breaking a record previously held by the Florida Marlins, reached the Series in just their fourth season of existence, and took on the storied 3-time defending champion New York Yankees, who were trying to become the first team to win four straight titles since the Yankees' five consecutive titles from 1949 to 1953. Additionally, the Series would be taking place in New York City only seven weeks after the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks, representing a remarkable boost in morale for the fatigued city. Arizona captured the Series, 4 games to 3, thereby dethroning the defending World Champions and earning their first title.

Arizona won the first two games at home handily, but New York won the next three in close contests in Yankee Stadium, including two dramatic ninth-inning comebacks against Arizona closer Byung-Hyun Kim. Arizona won the sixth game behind Randy Johnson, who then came in to pitch in relief of Schilling in game 7. The Diamondbacks won the game 3-2, with Jay Bell scoring the winning run on a bloop single by Luis Gonzalez, in the bottom of the ninth inning off the Yankees' ace closer, Mariano Rivera.

It is notable that the home team won every game in the Series. This had only happened twice before, in 1987 and 1991; both times, the Minnesota Twins won the Series. This Series was also the subject of an HBO documentary Nine Innings From Ground Zero in 2004. http://www.hbo.com/sports/nineinnings/

September 11 and the Month of November

Due to the postponement of games in September as a result of the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks, the World Series began Saturday, October 27, 2001, the latest start date ever for a World Series. The Series went seven games, the last three of which were the first major-league games (other than exhibitions) played in the month of November.

The Series

Game 1

Saturday, October 27, 2001 at Bank One Ballpark

Arizona showed no opening day jitters and chased Yankee's starter Mike Mussina after just three innings. The Yankees gave up 5 unearned runs and the Diamondbacks rode Curt Schilling's seven strong innings to a 9-1 rout. Craig Counsell homered off Mussina in the first and Luis Gonzalez homered in the third, drove in two runs, and scored twice.

Quotes of the Series

"Mystique and Aura? Those are dancers at a nightclub."-Curt Schilling when asked before the series if the Diamondbacks (only in the league since 1998) would have any trouble when faced with the tradition-rich Yankees.

Game 3

"Very nice throw Mr. President. Good stuff, good stuff!"-Bob Brenly complimenting President George Bush on his Ceremonial First Pitch

Game 4

"Fly ball, centerfield, it is way back, at the wall, GOODBYE! HOME RUN...Tino Martinez!"--Gary Thorne, official Major League Baseball Radio Broadcast after Tino Martinez hits his game four home run."

"Martinez hits one to deep right center field... at the wall... tie game!" Joe Buck (FOX) -- Yankees First baseman Tino Martinez hits the dramatic game tying, 2 out, 2-run home run in the bottom of the ninth of Game 4.

"Mercy."--Tim McCarver after Tino Martinez's Game 4 Home Run.

"Attention Fans, Welcome to NOVEMBER BASEBALL" Yankee Stadium Scoreboard at exactly 12 midnight on November 1, 2001.

"Now these chimes mean it is November. For the first time in Baseball history, baseball being played in November." Joe Buck (FOX) after the Yankee Stadium clock struck 12am in Game 4 on November 1, 2001.

"Swung on and drilled to right field, going back Sanders, on the track, at the wall...SEE YA! A HOME RUN FOR DEREK JETER! HE IS MR. NOVEMBER! OH WHAT A HOME RUN BY DEREK JETER!"-Michael Kay calling Derek Jeter's walkoff home run in Game 4 after noticing a sign that says, "Mr. November"
Game 5

"That one hit in the air to left field. DO YOU BELIEVE IT? (Before the ball lands) GOODBYE, HOME RUN! THEY HAVE DONE IT AGAIN! THIS GAME IS TIED!"--Gary Thorne's original radio Major League Baseball broadcast after Scott Brosious' Game 5 Home Run.

"Brosius hits one into left... back... at the wall... the Yankees have tied it again!" Joe Buck -- Yankees Third Baseman Scott Brosius hits the even-more-dramatic game tying, 2-out, 2-run homer in the bottom of the ninth of Game 5.

"I have never seen anything like this" Tim McCarver (FOX) after the Brosius homer in the ninth of Game 5. (Nor had anyone else. A pair of two-run comebacks in the ninth by one team was unprecedented in Series play).

"It borders on the surreal here in the Bronx."--Joe Buck during Game 4.

"Paul-O Ne-ill (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap) Paul-O Ne-ill (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)"-Yankees fans rhythmically serenading Right Fielder Paul O'Neill in Game 5, due to his impending retirement.

Game 7

"Yankees=History, Diamondbacks=Future"-A sign at Bank One Ballpark (now Chase Field) at Game 7

"Why not Gonzalez? Its been him all year. 0-1 pitch...and a little looper, BASE HIT! DIAMONDBACKS WIN! THEY'RE THE WORLD CHAMPIONS! GONZALEZ DID IT! THE DIAMONDBACKS HAVE UNSEATED THE NEW YORK YANKEES AS THE WORLD CHAMPIONS!"-Greg Schulte calls Luis Gonzalez' game winning hit

"Floater...center field... the Diamondbacks... are World Champions!" Joe Buck -- Luis Gonzalez's bloop single scores the World Series winning run for the Diamondbacks in the bottom of the ninth of Game 7 (just after McCarver had questioned the strategy of playing the infield in).

Trivia

* 2001 marked the third time that no World Series champion was decided within the traditional month of October, but unlike the previous two occurances (no series at all in 1904 and 1994), it was decided in November, instead, therefore the nickname of this World Series.
* The Arizona Diamondbacks became the fastest expansion team to win a World Series in their 4th year of exsistence. The previous team to accomplish that were the 1997 Florida Marlins who won the Series in their 5th year of existence. (The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 1959 Series after their second season, but they had previously existed as the Brooklyn Dodgers since 1890.)
*November 4 is the latest end date for any World Series because of the 9/11 tragedy. In fact, no previous series ever ran past October 28, the day Game 2 of this series took place.
* Randy Johnson became the first pitcher since Orel Hershiser in 1988 to be the winning pitcher of the clinching games in the LCS and World Series.
* The Yankees became the first team to appear in four straight World Series since the 1961-64 Yankees.
* The Diamondbacks win pretty well put the "Ex-Cubs Factor" jinx to bed, as the D-backs not only defied the jinx to win the Series, but two of the three (Grace and Gonzalez) actively participated in the Series-winning rally.
* Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly had announced the 2000 World Series the previous year with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.
* For the first time since the 1991 World Series, all seven games were won by the home team.
* This was the first World Series ever played in the state of Arizona. The Arizona Diamondbacks made their first Major League debut in 1998, 86 years after Arizona's statehood.
* Yankee closer Mariano Rivera earned a blown save in Game 7 for the first time since the 1997 American League Division Series against the Cleveland Indians.
* 22 year old Arizona pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim became the first Korean born player to play in the World Series.
* For the first time in Series history during Game 4 and 5, Diamondbacks closer Byung-Hyun Kim blew saves in two consecutive nights by giving up game tying 2-run home runs in the bottom of the 9th with two outs.
* The Diamondbacks were the last division-winning team to win the World Series until the 2005 Chicago White Sox. The D'Backs are also the last (to date) division-winning team from the National League to win a World Series.
* The Yankees have lost 6 "World Series Game 7s" (1926) vs. St. Louis Cardinals, (1955) vs. Brooklyn Dodgers, (1957) vs. Milwaukee Braves, (1960) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, (1964) vs. St. Louis Cardinals, and (2001) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks. New York Yankees all-time World Series Game 7 record is (5-6).

External links

*ESPN.com: 2001 World Series

*Book on 2001 WS is "the last word on the inside game of baseball"

*SI.com: MLB Postseason 2001

*USA Today: Quest for a Title

*CBS Sportsline: 2001 MLB Playoffs

*2001 World Series by Baseball Almanac

*2001 World Series - ARI vs. NYY - Baseball-Reference.com

Category:World Series
World Series
Category:2001 Arizona Diamondbacks World Series Championship Team
Category:Arizona Diamondbacks
Category:New York Yankees
Category:September 11, 2001 attacks
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