2000 World Series

Although the Yankees were in the midst of a dynasty and not far removed from their dominant 114-win 1998 season, the 2000 season was their weakest performance since 1995. They won just 87 games in the regular season and lost 15 of their last 18.

Nonetheless, strong seasons by Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, and Mariano Rivera were enough to secure the AL East by 2.5 games. In the post-season, they defeated the Oakland Athletics in the AL Division Series 3-2 and the Seattle Mariners in the AL Championship Series 4–2 to reach the World Series. At the time, they were just the fourth team since 1960 to make the World Series after winning fewer than 90 games in the regular season.[note 1]

Highlighted by MVP-caliber seasons from Edgardo Alfonzo and Mike Piazza as well as strong pitching performances from Al Leiter and Mike Hampton, the New York Mets won 94 games in the regular season to capture the Wild Card by 8 games (though they lost the NL East to the Atlanta Braves by 1 game). By winning the 1999 and 2000 Wild Card, the Mets achieved their first back-to-back post-season appearances in franchise history, a feat they would match in 2015 and 2016.

The Mets defeated the 97-game winning San Francisco Giants in the NL Division Series, 3–1, and the 95-game winning St. Louis Cardinals, 4–1, in the NL Championship Series. The 2000 World Series was the first World Series appearance for the Mets since their championship in 1986 and their second post-season appearance since 1988.

The opener fell on two anniversaries. Twenty-five years prior, Boston Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk ended Game 6 of the 1975 World Series with his famous home run off the left-field foul pole at Fenway Park to beat the Cincinnati Reds and force a Game 7. Twenty years prior, the Philadelphia Phillies won their first World Series title, defeating the Kansas City Royals in six games.

NYCS R36 WF subway series 2000 Mets

Game 1 was a match-up between postseason veterans Al Leiter and Andy Pettitte. Both pitched scoreless ball until the sixth inning when David Justice's two-run double put the Yankees on top. In the top of the seventh inning, the Mets loaded the bases against Pettitte with one out on two singles and a walk before Bubba Trammell tied the game with a two-run single to left. After Timo Perez's sacrifice bunt moved up the runners, Jeff Nelson relieved Pettitte and allowed an RBI single to Edgardo Alfonzo to put the Mets on top. However, in the ninth, the Yankees tied the game on Chuck Knoblauch's bases-loaded sacrifice fly against Mets closer Armando Benítez. With the bases loaded, José Vizcaíno drove in Tino Martinez in the 12th inning against Turk Wendell with his fourth hit of the game to win it for the Yankees.

Roger Clemens started for the Yankees. Earlier in the year, during Interleague play, Clemens had hit Mets catcher Mike Piazza in the head with a fastball that resulted in a concussion and Piazza going on the disabled list. Early in Game 2, during Piazza's first time up, a Clemens pitch shattered Piazza's bat. The ball went foul, but a sharp edge of the bat came towards Clemens. He came off the mound and threw the bat towards the baseline, almost hitting the running Piazza. Piazza appeared baffled by Clemens' actions. After the game, Clemens would say he did not see Piazza running and threw the bat because he was pumped up with nervous energy and initially charged the incoming broken bat, believing it to be the ball.

The Yankees struck in the bottom of the first when Mets starter Mike Hampton walked two with two outs before RBI singles by Tino Martinez and Jorge Posada put them up 2–0. Scott Brosius's leadoff home run next inning made it 3–0. Martinez doubled in the fifth and, after an intentional walk, scored on Paul O'Neill's single. In the seventh, reliever Glendon Rusch allowed a one-out single to Posada and subsequent double to O'Neill. Rick White relieved Rusch and allowed a sacrifice fly to Brosius. In the eighth, Derek Jeter doubled with one out off of White, who was relieved by Dennis Cook and allowed an RBI single to Martinez. Clemens pitched eight shutout innings, allowing just two hits (both singles by Todd Zeile) while striking out nine. In the ninth, Jeff Nelson relieved Clemens and allowed a leadoff single to Edgardo Alfonzo before Piazza homered to make it 6–2. After Robin Ventura singled, Mariano Rivera relieved Nelson. He retired Zeile, allowed a single to Benny Agbayani and then, after Lenny Harris hit into a force-out at home, Jay Payton's three-run home run cut the Yankee lead to 6–5. Rivera struck out Kurt Abbott looking to end the game, and give the Yankees a 2–0 series lead heading to Shea Stadium.

The Yankees' Game 2 win tied the longest AL winning streak in the World Series at ten games (the AL had previously won ten straight 1927–29 and again 1937–40).

In Game 3, Robin Ventura's leadoff home run in the second off of Orlando Hernandez gave the Mets a 1–0 lead, but the Yankees tied it in the third when Derek Jeter singled with two outs off of Rick Reed and scored on David Justice's double. Next inning, Tino Martinez hit a leadoff single and scored on Paul O'Neill's one-out triple, but the Mets tied the game in the sixth when Mike Piazza hit a leadoff double and after a walk, scored on Todd Zeile's double. In the eighth, Zeile singled with one out and scored on Benny Agbayani's double. After Jay Payton singled, Mike Stanton relieved Hernandez and allowed a sacrifice fly to Bubba Trammell to pad the Mets lead. Closer Armando Benitez pitched a scoreless ninth despite allowing a leadoff single to Chuck Knoblauch as the Mets' 4–2 win ended the Yankees' fourteen-game winning streak in World Series play dating back to the 1996 World Series.

Yankee hurler Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez earned the loss, snapping his previous undefeated postseason record of 6–0.

Before Game 3, some analysts felt the tide had changed, that the Mets (down 2–1 in the Series) were now geared with enough momentum to make a comeback. That momentum lasted only until the first pitch from Mets starter Bobby Jones, which Jeter hit far into Shea Stadium's left-field bleachers. It was the 16th leadoff homer in World Series history, also extending a 13-game hitting streak in the World Series for Jeter. The Yankees added to their lead when Paul O'Neill tripled with one out in the second and .after an intentional walk, scored on Scott Brosius's sacrifice fly. In the third, Jeter hit a leadoff triple and scored on Luis Sojo's groundout. Mike Piazza's two-run home run off of Denny Neagle cut the Yankees' lead to 3–2, but neither team would score after that. The Yankees secured a dominant 3–1 lead in the Series, with elite pitchers Andy Pettite and Roger Clemens poised for Games 5 and 6 (if necessary). With this win, the Yankees had effectively killed all hope for the Mets.[5]

A now-iconic moment in Yankees lore, footage of Jeter's leadoff home run, currently serves as the background for the title screen of YES Network's Yankeeography series.[7]

Looking to clinch, the Yankees scored first on a Bernie Williams home run in the second inning. In the bottom half, however, with runners on second and third and two outs, Andy Pettitte's fielding error on Al Leiter's bunt attempt allowed the Mets to tie the score. Benny Agbayani's RBI single then put them up 2–1. In the top of the sixth inning, Derek Jeter homered to tie the game at 2–2.

The Series effectively ended in the top of the ninth. Mets ace Al Leiter had a pitch count that was approaching 140, but manager Bobby Valentine insisted that he would live or die with Leiter. After striking out Tino Martinez and Paul O'Neill, Leiter walked Jorge Posada and allowed a single to Scott Brosius. Yankees infielder Luis Sojo then singled to center, and the throw from center fielder Jay Payton hit Posada as he was sliding into home plate. The ball went into the Yankees' dugout. Bottom of the 9th inning, Mets' slugger Mike Piazza hit a fly ball off Mariano Rivera with two outs and a runner on third. Many thought the ball was a home run. Yankees manager Joe Torre said of the last at-bat:

It was probably the most scared I've been when Mike hit that ball ... I screamed, "No!" Because any time he hits a ball in the air, it's a home run in my mind. I saw Bernie trotting over for that. I said, "Wow! I guess I misread that one."[8]

Yankees catcher Jorge Posada similarly said, years later:

I remember it was a loud sound ... It was a pitch that got too much of the plate. It was supposed to be inside. I remember the swing, I remember Mo’s reaction. And then I looked at the ball and I see Bernie running after it, and then he stopped. And I’m like, O.K., we’re good.[9]

However, Bernie Williams, after the game, with champagne pouring over him, said, "I knew right away ... I knew he didn't hit it.[10]" Likewise, Mariano Rivera in his last season (2013) was asked if he thought Piazza had hit a home run and answered, "No ... He didn't hit it with the sweet spot." [11]

Game 5 was the final World Series game at Shea Stadium (1969, 1973, 1986 and 2000). This would also be the only time that visiting teams won a World Series at Shea Stadium (the Mets lost in 1973 in Oakland). This World Series provided some measure of revenge for Roger Clemens. He won the World Series in the same stadium he lost it at in 1986 while with the Yankees' fierce rival, the Boston Red Sox. Incidentally, members of the 1986 Mets World Series team threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game.[12][13][14]

The World Series drew an average of 12.4 national rating and a 21% share of the audience, down 22.5% from the previous year. The Series drew well in the New York metropolitan area, but nationally, it was, at the time, the lowest-rated World Series in history by a solid margin. Many contemporary analysts argued that the ratings slide was due to lack of interest outside of New York City.[18] Others thought the ratings slide was related to the television viewing audience becoming more fragmented in the wake of cable television. Online streaming media services were in their infancy and were a non-factor in 2000.

Three of the next four World Series (2001, 2003 and 2004) were all rated higher than the 2000 World Series. Following the Boston Red Sox' 86-year championship drought ending with a victory in the 2004 World Series, the event has seen a decline in ratings; every World Series from 2005 to 2013 has drawn lower ratings (sometimes substantially lower) than the 2000 Series.