[MVB]

The Yankee franchise has been filled with incredible achievements, brilliant games, and unbelieveable plays. What are the top 5 greatest moments in Yankee history?

Here's my list:


5) Jeter's Stunning Play in the 2001 ALDS



In a must-win game for New York, the Yankee captain makes one of the greatest defensive plays in the history of the sport- Terrence Long of the Oakland A's doubles down the left field line.... Jeremy Giambi races around the bases going from first base to second to third flying towards home plate. Chuck Knoblauch grabs the ball and fires back to the infield. Unfortunately, his throw is WAY offline and the ball speeds toward the Yankee dugout. But Derek Jeter, always alert, cuts the ball and ( while running and stumbling) makes a back-hand flip to NY catcher Jorge Posada who tags out Jeremy Giambi. This was acclaimed by most baseball analysts as the greatest defensive play they had ever seen.


4) Reggie Jackson homers thrice during the 1977 World Series



It is remarkable enough for a player to homer three times in a game, but even more so in a WORLD SERIES DECIDING GAME. Needless to say, the Yankees won the game and the Series. Reggie Jackson was part of the "Bronx Zoo" that year, a term used by the New York media to depict the hostilities between Jackson, Munson, and Billy Martin. But in this one night, Jackson proved his importance in the Yankee club.

3) Lou Gehrigs Farewell Speech

"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure I'm lucky. When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies - that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter - that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body - it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that's the finest I know. So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for."

2) Don Larson's Perfect Game during the 1956 World Series



Just think about those words.... PERFECT GAME.... WORLD SERIES..... Don Larson pitched a perfect game in a world series!!!! Against the best of the best!!! How incredible is that??? To make it even sweeter was that the game came against Yankee rivals, Brooklen Dodgers...


1) Aaron Boone's walkoff home run against the Red Sox in the 2003 ALCS



"That ball's hit deep to right field!!!....there it goes!!!!... and the Yankees are going to the World Series!!!!"

Aaron Boone's hit was the grand finale to an awesome game... The Yankees already had a marvelous comeback aginst Pedro Martinez in the eigth inning, and had kept the game tied until the 11th. Then a virtual nobody got up and crushes a Tim Wakefield pitch to right field. Wakefield had pitched brilliantly against the Yankees all during the year, but at this one moment he fell to Aaron Boone. Boone instantly became a hero and will live forever in the hearts of true Yankee fans.

Now... for your lists.....

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Bucky Dent 's homer against the Red Sox...Chris Chamberlains homer agianst the Royals... and this one won't even make the list, but its my personal favorite, I once saw Mickey Mantle hit a homer into left field in an Old Timers game in the early 70's when I was a small kid...Mantle was done before I came along, so that's the one time I saw the Mick...

[ThePundit]

Great question MVB: There are so many: I'm going to select from the 1970's & forward:

1) Bucky Dent's 1978 homer

2) Jim Leyritz Home Run against Mark Wohlers. It turned the '96 series around and started off their string of championships.

3) In the 2001 World Series, Paul O'Neil & Scott Brocious both homer on consecutive nights with 2 outs in the 9th, off BK Kim to give the Yankees a 3-2 series lead against the Diamondbacks - less than 2 months after 9/11.

4) Aaron Boone's dinger.

5) Thurman Munson launches a 475 moon shot into the left field bullpen (before they moved the fences in) during the 1977 playoffs against Kansas City, to overcome a 3 home run day by George Brett and propel the Yanks into the series.

6) Honorable Mention: Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich trade wives and entire families.

[Wizard of Os]

Cheers all,

Dent's 1978 homer has got to be in there, if only for symbolic value. Here's a pinstriped dude who had hit four homers all year taking down the Red Sox yet again. Jeter's play was insane, barely believable if i hadn't been watching it with my own two eyes. Wasn't that the same game/series where he essentially somersaulted into the seats to snag a foul pop? With that series, Jeter established himself as another great clutch player in Yankee history and serious competition for Phil Rizzuto on the all-time Yankee team. (Someone want to start that thread...? O heck, i will.)

I'd contribute a few from the old days:

--Babe's famous alleged "called shot" in 1932, though the Yanks were already clobbering the Cubbies in the World Series at the time

--Joltin' Joe's 56th straight game in The Streak

--Roger Maris' 61st home run; surprised no one mentioned it...

Also, a little reminiscing, if i may. I'm dating myself here, but i saw Reggie's three in one game. On that last one, i swear, it looked as though he reached behind him to smack the ball. Reggie was as great as he thought he was in 1977 game six...

Cheers, all.

[Wizard of Os]

O, by the way, MVB, thanks for the pictures and the full text of the Gehrig speech. The Reggie and Yogi/Larsen photos really are classics, aren't they? Ones for the baseball history books.

[ThePundit]

The interesting thing about Maris's 61 st HR was that the stands were only 1/2 full that day.

[legend]

Yankee history is so full of moments!
The passed ball on a third strike by Mickey Owen that lead to a win
The almost no-hitter by Bill Bevens in 1947
DiMaggio's return in 1949 to destroy the Red Sox
The pitching of Bob Turley in 1958 to beat the Braves
Murcer's home run and double to beat the Oriole's for his friend, Thurman Munson
For pure drama and emotion, I believe it was Murcer's double off of Tippy Martinez the day they buried Munson. Nothing I have ever seen matches the heartbreaking poignancy of that moment as he went into the dugout crying, being mobbed by his teammates.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by ThePundit

6) Honorable Mention: Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich trade wives and entire families.

Yeah, Iread about that one once...totally weird...and it didn't really work out well...sounded more like a Met move to me

[BigBadBuc]

How about Bill Mazeroski's walk off game winning Home Run in the 1960 World Series over the Yanks. That's my favorite!

Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

BBB

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by BigBadBuc

How about Bill Mazeroski's walk off game winning Home Run in the 1960 World Series over the Yanks. That's my favorite!

Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

BBB

Now BBB...how about you running a Pirates Greatest Moment...for which I will include the issuing of the T-206 Honus Wagner baseball card asa great Buc moment...

[BigBadBuc]

Gotham,

I want to hear about the Gotham's greatest moment first then the BBB will comply.

BBB

[MVB]

The Bucky Dent homer is great too, a great way to anger Boston fans...

Other great moments:

-David Well's perfect game

-David Cone's perfect game ( in my opinion, the greatest Yankee game ever pitched period)

-Billy Martin kicking dirt on the umpire in a 1979 game versus the Twins

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by BigBadBuc

Gotham,

I want to hear about the Gotham's greatest moment first then the BBB will comply.

BBB

Sure BBB

Gotham greatest Moments

1) The defeat of the Penguin
2) Putting away the Riddler
3) Getting Rid of the Joker

I would say those make the top three...

[Wizard of Os]

Originally Posted by Gotham Dark Knight

Sure BBB

Gotham greatest Moments

1) The defeat of the Penguin
2) Putting away the Riddler
3) Getting Rid of the Joker

I would say those make the top three...

Now, hold on, Knight. What about:

-- Bagging the Catwoman (and i'm not talking about putting her in prison, either -- meow!), whether Michelle Pfeiffer, Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt or illustrated; and

-- Pummeling Superman the government agent in "The Dark Knight Returns"?

And come on...my boy the Joker doesn't get the number one spot? Over those second-raters the Penguin and Riddler. Think about it: Jack " " Nicholson played the Joker; Jim Carrey was the Riddler.

Dude...you're batty.

[Wizard of Os]

O, yes, and other great Yankee moments:

-- The appearance of Jim Bouton at the Yankee Old-Timer game in 1998

-- The firing of George Costanza.

Cheers.