2009 World Series
Encyclopedia
The 2009 World Series was the 105th edition of Major League Baseball
's (MLB) championship series
. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Philadelphia Phillies
, champions of the National League
(NL) and defending World Series champions
, and the New York Yankees
, champions of the American League
(AL). The Yankees defeated the Phillies, four games to two, to win the franchise's 27th World Series championship. The series was played between October 28 and November 4, broadcast on Fox
, and watched by an average of roughly 19 million viewers.
Home field advantage for the Series went to the AL for the eighth straight year as a result of its 4–3 win in the All-Star Game
. The Phillies earned their berth into the playoffs by winning the National League East
. The Yankees won the American League East
to earn their berth, posting the best record in the Major Leagues. The Phillies reached the World Series by defeating the Colorado Rockies
in the best-of-five National League Division Series
, and the Los Angeles Dodgers
in the best-of-seven Championship Series
(NLCS). The Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins
in the American League Division Series
and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
in the Championship Series
(ALCS) to advance to their first World Series since 2003
.
Cliff Lee
brought the Phillies victory in Game 1, allowing only one unearned run during his complete game
win
. Solo home run
s by Mark Teixeira
and Hideki Matsui
helped the Yankees win Game 2 by a score of 3–1. After a rain delayed start, Game 3 featured more offense, with a combined six home runs and thirteen total run
s en route to a Yankee victory. The Yankees won Game 4 after scoring the decisive three runs in the ninth inning, helped by Johnny Damon
's baserunning
. The Phillies avoided elimination by winning Game 5 on the back of Utley's second two-home run game of the series. The Yankees secured their World Series victory by winning Game 6 aided by Matsui's third home run of the series. He was named Most Valuable Player of the series, making him the first Japanese-born player and the first full-time designated hitter
to win the award.
Several records were tied, extended, or broken during this World Series, including team championships (Yankees with 27), career postseason wins (Andy Pettitte
with 18), career saves in the World Series (Mariano Rivera
with 11), home run
s in a World Series (Chase Utley
with 5), strikeout
s by a hitter in a World Series (Ryan Howard
with 13), and RBI in a single World Series game (Hideki Matsui with 6).
general manager
, replacing Pat Gillick
who retired at the end of a three-year contract. Their most notable offseason player change was in left field, as Pat Burrell
departed due to free agency
and was replaced by free agent Raúl Ibáñez
. Another notable acquisition was free agent pitcher
Chan Ho Park. Park was originally signed as an backup option for the bullpen
, as reliever
J. C. Romero was assigned a 50-game suspension after violating the Major League Baseball drug policy
, but Park won the fifth starter
's job in Spring Training
.
During the regular season, the Phillies led the National League East
for most of the year, taking first place for good on May 30. The Phillies made one large acquisition at the trade deadline, trading four minor league players to the Cleveland Indians
for pitcher Cliff Lee
and outfielder
Ben Francisco
. Lee won seven of his twelve regular season starts for Philadelphia in 2009. Ibáñez had started the year strongly, batting
well over .300 with 17 home run
s and 46 runs batted in (RBI) in the first two months of the season, which led the New York Post
to call him an "early MVP candidate". He was placed on the disabled list
in mid-June for a groin injury, however, and though he returned he did not bat above .260 for any other month that season. Although Ibáñez did not receive MVP votes his teammates Ryan Howard
and Chase Utley
had successful years, finishing 3rd and 8th in the balloting respectively. The Phillies finished the season with a record of 93–69 (.574), six games above the second-place Florida Marlins
in their division.
The Phillies defeated the wild card
-winning Colorado Rockies
in the National League Division Series
(NLDS), three games to one, advancing to the National League Championship Series
(NLCS). Facing the Los Angeles Dodgers
, the Phillies won the NLCS, four games to one, becoming the first team to repeat as National League
champions since the 1995
–96
Atlanta Braves
. Ryan Howard won the NLCS MVP
for his strong offensive performance during the series. Howard tied Lou Gehrig
's postseason record by having at least one RBI
in eight straight games across the NLDS and NLCS. They became the first World Series champion to return to the World Series the following year since the 2000
–01 New York Yankees
.
to his son Hal Steinbrenner
. Notable player departures included Mike Mussina
—who announced his retirement on November 20, 2008—as well as Bobby Abreu
, Jason Giambi
, and Carl Pavano
, who all left as free agents. Notable free agent acquisitions included starting pitchers CC Sabathia and A. J. Burnett
, and first baseman
Mark Teixeira
. Another major addition was outfielder Nick Swisher
, acquired in a trade with the Chicago White Sox
.
The Yankees played the 2009 season in Yankee Stadium
, their first year in that park after playing for 84 years in "Old" Yankee Stadium. They won the American League East
with an eight-game lead over their rivals, the Boston Red Sox
, compiling a record of 103–59. Sabathia won 19 games and position players Alex Rodriguez
and Teixeira both had strong seasons offensively, Rodriguez with 30 home runs and 100 RBI and Teixeira with 39 and 122 respectively. Closing pitcher
Mariano Rivera
earned his 500th save against the Yankees' cross-town rival New York Mets
, becoming the second pitcher in history to do so. On September 11, 2009, shortstop
Derek Jeter
recorded his 2,722nd career hit, passing Lou Gehrig to become the all-time leader in career hits recorded as a Yankee.
The Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins
in three games in the American League Division Series
and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
in six games in the American League Championship Series
(ALCS) to win their first American League pennant since 2003. Sabathia was named MVP
of the ALCS with two wins in the series. The Yankees' victory in the ALCS earned them their 40th World Series appearance in franchise history, and their first since losing to the Florida Marlins
in .
series at Yankee Stadium in May 2009, with the Phillies winning two of the three games. The series included two blown saves by Phillies' closer Brad Lidge
in games 2 and 3, although the Phillies came back to win the final game in extra innings
.
The Yankees had home field advantage for the Series as the American League had won that year's All-Star Game
. The team match-up was heavily discussed and analyzed in the media prior to the beginning of the series. Both teams' offensive lineups were heavily touted, with the Yankees and Phillies leading their respective leagues in runs scored
per game. Yankees third base
man Alex Rodriguez drew particular focus in the media for his success in earlier rounds of the 2009 playoffs in contrast to past postseason performances. The two lineups featured twenty former All-Stars
and three former MVP award winners. Only one regular starter between both teams, Phillies catcher
Carlos Ruiz, did not have at least ten home run
s during the 2009 regular season. The two teams combined for 468 home runs during the season, more than any pair of opponents in World Series history.
The pitching staffs were also the subject of significant discussion prior to the series. The starting pitchers for Game 1, CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee, were described as "aces" who "dominated" the 2009 postseason with a 0.96 earned run average
(ERA) between them. This matchup was of particular note, as Sabathia and Lee were former teammates from the Cleveland Indians and both had won a Cy Young Award
with that franchise. Yankees manager
Joe Girardi
had been using a three-man starting rotation during the playoffs, in contrast to the four-pitcher rotation used by the Phillies. This difference led USA Today
to give the Phillies' starting rotation the "edge" in the series, as the World Series had one fewer day off than previous rounds of the playoffs, making it more conducive to the Phillies' strategy. Gene Wojciechowski
of ESPN
criticized Girardi's strategy, arguing that Chad Gaudin
should have pitched in Game 5 or 6, instead of A. J. Burnett or Andy Pettitte
on reduced, three days rest. Wojciechowski argued that while Sabathia had proven his ability to pitch on shorter rest, Burnett and Pettitte should have been given their regular time between starts. Burnett had drawn some criticism, as he performed poorly in his last appearance before the World Series, a start in Game 5 of the ALCS in which he allowed six runs over six innings. Some believed Girardi settled on a three-man rotation because he had limited options for a fourth starting pitcher, either Gaudin or Joba Chamberlain
, who had been "erratic" as a starter in the regular season and had been shifted into the bullpen for the postseason.
The matchup of closers, Mariano Rivera and Brad Lidge, also drew attention. Rivera and Lidge were the only closers who had not blown a save during the 2009 postseason, whereas closers on other postseason teams blew 11 saves in the 24 postseason games before the World Series in 2009. Both had performed well during the postseason, but Lidge had posted a 7.21 ERA during the 2009 regular season, in contrast to Rivera's 1.76. As a result, USA Today gave the Yankees the edge, noting that Lidge had blown two saves against the Yankees during their regular season series earlier that year.
Earlier in the season Commissioner Bud Selig
expressed interest in scheduling a World Series game during daylight hours instead of the evening. The starting times were ultimately moved before 8 p.m. ET for the first time in 30 years, but no day games were played. The Philadelphia Eagles
and New York Giants
of the National Football League
(NFL) played across the street from Citizens Bank Park at Lincoln Financial Field
on the day of Game 4. The NFL moved that game's kickoff time to 1 p.m. to avoid it ending too close to the start of Game 4. Similarly, Game 5 was played at Citizens Bank Park on the same day as the Philadelphia Flyers
hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning
of the National Hockey League
(NHL) at the Wachovia Center. The opening faceoff of the hockey game was scheduled for 7 p.m. but the NHL moved it to 5 p.m. to avoid conflict.
The umpire
s for the series were Joe West, Dana DeMuth
, Gerry Davis, Brian Gorman
, Jeff Nelson
, and Mike Everitt. The World Series crew had included at least 1 umpire who had never worked the World Series in 24 of the past 25 series; however, following several mistakes by umpires in earlier rounds of the playoffs, this crew did not.
The Phillies had won the previous season's World Series
against the Tampa Bay Rays
for the franchise's second championship. The Yankees lost their previous World Series appearance to the Florida Marlins
in and had not won since against the New York Mets
. This was the fifth Series played between teams from New York
and Philadelphia, and was the first Yankees–Phillies matchup since . The series was also the fourth consecutive time that the Phillies faced a team from the current AL East in the World Series, while the Yankees had faced a NL East opponent in three of their four most recent World Series appearances. This Series was nicknamed the "Turnpike Series", for the New Jersey Turnpike
, which connects New York to Philadelphia through the state of New Jersey
. Major League Baseball nicknamed it the "Liberty Series", based on the Liberty Bell
in Philadelphia and the Statue of Liberty
in New York.
Box score
for Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 7:57 p.m. (ET
) at Yankee Stadium
in The Bronx
, New York
Prior to the game, First Lady
Michelle Obama
and Second Lady Jill Biden
escorted former Yankees catcher and World War II
veteran Yogi Berra
to the mound, where the ceremonial first pitch
was thrown by a veteran of the Iraq War. The Phillies' Ryan Howard got the first hit of the 2009 World Series by doubling in the first inning. Howard was stranded in the first and the game was scoreless after two innings. The Phillies scored first with a two-out solo home run
by Chase Utley in the top of the third inning. Through the first five innings, Philadelphia starting pitcher Cliff Lee allowed no runs and three hits, striking out seven Yankees batters. In the top of the sixth, Utley hit another solo home run to give the Phillies a 2–0 lead. The starting pitchers Lee and CC Sabathia continued to pitch until the top of the eighth when Sabathia was replaced by Phil Hughes. Hughes walked the first two batters and was replaced by Dámaso Marté
. Marté got two quick outs and was relieved by David Robertson
, who walked Jayson Werth
and gave up a two-run single to Raúl Ibáñez. The Phillies added two more runs in the ninth with an RBI single by Shane Victorino
and an RBI double by Howard. Lee finished with a complete game allowing one unearned run on six hits and striking out ten batters, not walking any of the hitters he faced.
Lee's pitching performance made history in several ways:
for Thursday, October 29, 2009, 7:57 p.m. (ET
) at Yankee Stadium
in The Bronx
, New York
Prior to the game, Jay-Z
and Alicia Keys
performed the song "Empire State of Mind
" for the Yankee Stadium crowd. This game marked the first postseason appearance of Pedro Martínez
against the Yankees since the 2004 American League Championship Series
, when he was with the Boston Red Sox
and a part of the two teams' long standing rivalry. The Phillies scored first for the second game in a row, with Raúl Ibáñez hitting a ground rule double
and then scoring on a Matt Stairs
RBI single off A. J. Burnett
in the second inning.
Mark Teixeira tied the game with a solo home run in the fourth inning, and Hideki Matsui
broke the tie in the sixth with another solo homer. Martínez departed the game after giving up consecutive hits to Jerry Hairston, Jr.
and Melky Cabrera
to start the seventh inning, and reliever Chan Ho Park gave up an RBI single to Jorge Posada
. With Cabrera at second base and Posada at first, Johnny Damon
hit a low line drive at Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard. Howard grabbed the ball and threw to second where Posada was tagged and called out while standing on the base. First-base umpire Brian Gorman
ruled that Howard had caught the ball in the air and thus the result was an inning-ending double play. This was the first of two calls by Gorman in this game which were later shown to have been wrong by video replays.
Burnett left after seven innings and was replaced by Mariano Rivera in the eighth. The Phillies put two runners on with a walk to Jimmy Rollins
and a single by Shane Victorino with one out in the eighth. However, Chase Utley grounded into an inning-ending double play ending on a close play at first base, the second close call made by the first base umpire Brian Gorman. Gorman himself later admitted he missed this call, saying "on a freeze frame, it looks like there’s a little bit of a ball outside his glove when he hits the bag." Ultimately, Rivera threw 39 pitches and got six outs for his 38th postseason save, his tenth in World Series play.
Box score
for Saturday, October 31, 2009, 9:17 p.m. (following 1:20 rain delay) (ET
) at Citizens Bank Park
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The start of the game was postponed 80 minutes due to a rain delay, pushing the start time to 9:17 p.m. The cast of the television series Glee
performed the national anthem
prior to the game as part of a ceremony featuring a large American flag and several members of the armed services. The Phillies scored first with Jayson Werth's lead-off solo home run, which was followed by a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly
to make the score 3–0 in the bottom of the second inning. Following Mark Teixeira's walk in the top of the fourth inning, Alex Rodriguez hit a deep ball down the right field line. It was originally ruled a double and Teixeira held at third base. The play was reviewed using MLB instant replay, which revealed that the ball had struck a camera sticking over the top of the wall, and the ball was ruled a two-run home run, giving Rodriguez his first World Series hit. This was the first home run reviewed by instant replay in postseason play. Specifically, the ball hit a camera owned by Fox
and MLB which extended slightly over the right field wall. The camera was moved back for Game 4 such that its lens was in line with the wall. Coincidentally, Alex Rodriguez also had the first regular season home run reviewed by replay.
Nick Swisher
opened the top of the fifth inning with a double and scored on a single to center field by Andy Pettitte. This was Pettitte's first career postseason RBI and the first RBI by a Yankees pitcher in a World Series since Jim Bouton
in 1964
. Derek Jeter followed Pettitte with another single, and both runners scored on a two-run double by Johnny Damon. Cole Hamels
then walked Teixeira and was relieved by J. A. Happ
. Happ closed out the fifth without allowing further scoring, but Nick Swisher
added to the Yankees lead with a solo home run off of him in the sixth. Werth hit his second solo home run of the game leading off the bottom of the sixth to close the Yankees lead to 6–4, becoming the second Phillies player to hit multiple home runs in this World Series.
Chad Durbin
relieved Happ in the top of the seventh. He walked Johnny Damon, who then stole
second base. Rodriguez was then hit by a pitch
, and Damon scored on a single by Jorge Posada. Joba Chamberlain relieved Pettitte in the bottom of the seventh and retired the side in order. Brett Myers
retired the first two batters in the top of the eighth, but Hideki Matsui then hit a solo home run pinch hitting
for Chamberlain. Phil Hughes pitched a third of an inning in the bottom of the ninth and allowed a solo home run to Carlos Ruiz before being relieved by Mariano Rivera. Rivera closed out the game, throwing just five pitches to record the final two outs. This game was Pettitte's 17th career postseason win, extending his MLB record.
Box score
for Sunday, November 1, 2009, 8:20 p.m. (ET
) at Citizens Bank Park
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Prior to the start of the game, Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols
were named winners of the Hank Aaron Award
for their offensive performances in 2009. This was the first game to test manager Joe Girardi's decision to use a three-man starting rotation, as CC Sabathia started the game on three days rest, a shorter period than he normally got during the regular season. Jeter led the game off with a single and advanced to third base on a double by Johnny Damon. Jeter scored via a Mark Teixeira ground out and Alex Rodriguez was hit by a pitch
. Rodriguez was hit twice the night before and the umpires issued warnings to both benches. Jorge Posada then added to the Yankees lead that inning with a sacrifice fly
. The Phillies answered quickly, scoring a run on successive doubles by Shane Victorino and Chase Utley in the bottom of the first. Sabathia intentionally walked Jayson Werth, but escaped the inning without further scoring. The Phillies tied the game in the bottom of the fourth as Ryan Howard singled, stole
second, and scored on a single by Pedro Feliz
. Although the run counted, instant replay
of Howard's slide later showed that he did not touch home plate
.
Nick Swisher walked to lead off the fifth inning and advanced to second on a Melky Cabrera single. Swisher restored the Yankees' lead, scoring on a single by Jeter, and Cabrera added to it by scoring a run on a Damon single. Brett Gardner
replaced Cabrera in center field as a defensive substitution
in the bottom of the sixth inning after Cabrera left the game due to a hamstring injury. Chan Ho Park relieved Phillies starter Joe Blanton
in the seventh and held the Yankees scoreless in that inning. Chase Utley hit his third solo home run
of the series in the bottom of the seventh with two outs, bringing the game to 4–3. Dámaso Marté relieved Sabathia and got the final out of the seventh without further scoring.
Ryan Madson
relieved Park in the eighth and allowed a walk and a single but held the Yankees scoreless. Joba Chamberlain replaced Marte in the bottom of the inning. He struck out the first two batters he faced but allowed a game-tying home run to Feliz before closing the inning. Brad Lidge came into the game in the ninth and gave up a two-out single to Damon—after a nine-pitch at bat. Then, with Teixeira batting, Damon stole second and, on the same play, advanced to third as the base was uncovered due to a defensive shift
against Teixeira. Several news outlets referred to this as a "mad dash", which Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post
compared to Enos Slaughter
's "Mad Dash"
in the 1946 World Series
. Some believed that Damon's play caused Lidge to avoid throwing his best pitch—a slider
with sharp downward movement—for the rest of the inning, as it risked a wild pitch
that would have allowed Damon to score from third base. Teixeira was then hit by a pitch and Rodriguez put the Yankees ahead with a double, scoring Damon. Posada added to that lead with a single that scored Teixeira and Rodriguez. Mariano Rivera entered in the bottom of the ninth and saved the game for the Yankees on eight pitches for his second save of the series.
Box score
for Monday, November 2, 2009, 7:57 p.m. (ET
) at Citizens Bank Park
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Yankees replaced Melky Cabrera on their postseason roster with Ramiro Peña
due to his injury in Game 4, while Brett Gardner took Cabrera's place in center field
. A. J. Burnett, the Yankees' Game 2 starter, started Game 5 on three days rest, one less than the Phillies' Cliff Lee. The Yankees scored first in the first inning, with Johnny Damon reaching base with a single and then scoring on a two-out double by Alex Rodriguez. The Phillies responded in the bottom of the inning with a single by Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino reaching after being hit by a pitch
, and finally a three-run home run
by Chase Utley to take the lead. The Phillies added to their lead in the third inning with Utley and Ryan Howard drawing walks followed by RBI singles by Jayson Werth and Raúl Ibáñez. With no outs in the inning, Burnett was relieved by David Robertson, who allowed another run to score on a Carlos Ruiz ground out.
Robertson held the Phillies scoreless for a second inning in the fourth. Jorge Posada entered as a pinch hitter
in the fifth inning for José Molina and grounded out. Eric Hinske
then pinch hit for Robertson and walked, advanced to third on a Derek Jeter
single, and scored on a ground out by Damon. Alfredo Aceves
entered as the new Yankee pitcher in the bottom of the fifth. The first batter he faced, Jayson Werth, hit a deep drive to center field but it was caught for an out by Gardner, who collided into the outfield wall to complete the play. Aceves completed the inning without a run scoring, inducing ground outs from Ibáñez and Ruiz. Phil Coke
relieved Aceves in the seventh inning and allowed two Phillies players tie World Series records. First, Utley tied Reggie Jackson
's record for most home runs in a World Series with a solo home run, his fifth of the series. Coke then struck out
Howard, Howard's 12th strikeout in the series, tying Willie Wilson's record for most strikeouts in a World Series. Finally, Coke was driven from the game after allowing another solo home run, this time to Ibáñez, and was relieved by Phil Hughes.
Victorino was replaced defensively
in the eighth inning by Ben Francisco
. Lee was driven from the game after allowing a single to Damon, followed by a double by Mark Teixeira, and then a double by Rodriguez that scored both runners. Chan Ho Park relieved Lee and induced a ground out from Nick Swisher, which advanced Rodriguez to third base. Rodriguez scored on a sacrifice fly
by Robinson Canó
. Ryan Madson entered in the ninth to close the game, allowing a double to Posada and a single to Hideki Matsui without recording an out. Batting with men on first and third base, Jeter grounded into a double play
, allowing Posada to score but emptying the bases. Damon singled to bring Teixeira to bat as the potential tying run, but Madson struck him out to record his first World Series save. Members of the news media, such as Gene Wojciechowski
, were critical of the three-man starting rotation strategy following Game 3, and contended that Burnett's poor performance was caused by insufficient rest in between starts. However, Burnett had been successful up to this point in such situations, going 4–0 with a 2.33 ERA in four career starts on short rest (less than the normal four days between starts) before this game.
Box score
for Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 7:57 p.m. (ET
) at Yankee Stadium
in The Bronx
, New York
This game was the first Game 6 in a World Series since the 2003 World Series
six years earlier, the longest such period in the history of the World Series. Prior to the game, Mary J. Blige
, a Bronx native, performed "The Star-Spangled Banner
". Andy Pettitte started on three days rest, the third straight game in which the Yankees fielded a pitcher on short rest. The Yankees scored first with an Alex Rodriguez walk opening the bottom of the second inning followed by a two-run home run by designated hitter
Hideki Matsui. The Phillies quickly responded with a triple
by Carlos Ruiz who then scored on a sacrifice fly
from Jimmy Rollins in the top of the third. Matsui answered back, adding to the Yankees lead again with a single with the bases loaded
in the bottom of the third, scoring Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon. Damon, injured running the bases while scoring, was replaced defensively
in the top of the fourth by Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Phillies starter Pedro Martínez was removed after just four innings, relieved in the fifth by Chad Durbin. Durbin allowed a ground rule double
to Jeter, who advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Hairston and scored on a single by Mark Teixeira. Durbin then hit Rodriguez with a pitch and was relieved by J. A. Happ after recording just one out. Happ allowed a two-run double to Matsui, his fifth and sixth RBI of the game, which tied a World Series record for most RBI in a single game set by Bobby Richardson
in the 1960 World Series
.
The Phillies made the game closer in the top of the sixth inning, as Chase Utley drew a walk and Ryan Howard followed him with a two-run home run, bringing the score to 7–3. After Raúl Ibáñez hit a double into right field, Joba Chamberlain relieved Andy Pettitte and closed the sixth without scoring. Chan Ho Park came in for Happ, ending any Yankees threat that inning. Chamberlain was relieved by Dámaso Marté in the top of the seventh after allowing two baserunners, but Marté struck out Utley to end the inning scoreless. After Park allowed a single to Rodriguez, Scott Eyre
replaced him. Eyre allowed Rodriguez to steal second and intentionally walked Jorge Posada but escaped the inning without allowing a run.
Marté recorded one out, a strikeout of Howard, in the top of the eighth inning. With it Howard set a new World Series record for most strikeouts by a hitter in a single series with a total of 13. After the out, Marté was relieved by the Yankees closer Mariano Rivera in a non-save situation. Rivera allowed a double to Ibáñez, but no runs, in the eighth. After retiring the first two batters in the eighth, Eyre gave way to Ryan Madson, who allowed a single to Jeter before ending the bottom of the eighth inning. Matt Stairs led off the ninth as a pinch hitter
, but lined out. Ruiz worked a walk from Rivera, but successive outs by Rollins and Victorino ended the game 7–3 to clinch the World Series for the Yankees. Pettitte added to his own record for most playoff wins, bringing his career total to 18.
called play-by-play and Tim McCarver
provided analysis
. The Series was also broadcast on ESPN Radio, with Jon Miller
and Joe Morgan
calling the action. Game 1 was watched by 19.5 million viewers, second only to the opening of the 2004 World Series
in viewership for a series opener since 2000. The viewership for the opening game resulted in a ratings percentage of 11.9% of households in the United States. Game 4 produced the highest ratings of the series with 22.8 million viewers, the highest for any World Series game since 2004 and the highest for a "non-decisive Game 4" since 2003. Fox Sports en Español
also broadcast the Series for the US Spanish
-speaking audience. The flagship
radio stations of the respective teams broadcast all Series games with their local announcers. In Philadelphia, WPHT
carried the Phillies' English-language broadcasts, with Scott Franzke
, Larry Andersen, Tom McCarthy
, Gary Matthews
, and Chris Wheeler
announcing, while WUBA aired the team's Spanish broadcasts. In New York, WCBS-AM carried the Yankees' English broadcasts with John Sterling
and Suzyn Waldman
announcing. This broadcast made Waldman the first woman to announce a World Series game on radio. XM Satellite Radio
offered multiple feeds of each game to its subscribers.
and Silver Slugger Award; Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino won Gold Gloves, as well; and Chase Utley won a Silver Slugger Award. Rivera was named the 2009 DHL Delivery Man of the Year, as well as Sporting News Pro Athlete of the Year. Along with the Hank Aaron Award
announced before Game 4, Jeter won the Roberto Clemente Award
and was named Sports Illustrated
s Sportsman of the Year
for 2009. Matsui won the World Series MVP for his play, becoming the first Japanese player and first full-time designated hitter
to win the award. Several items related to the series were sent to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
including bats from Jeter and Matsui; caps from Rivera, Lee, and Pettitte; and Johnny Damon's cleats
.
, the opening year of the previous Yankee Stadium. The victory was noted by some sportswriters as a personal success for Alex Rodriguez, winning his first championship and succeeding in the playoffs where some had previously claimed he was a "choker and a loser". Prior to this series, Rodriguez had appeared in 2,166 regular season games without a World Series appearance, then the second-most among active players to Ken Griffey, Jr.
On November 6, a victory parade took place for the Yankees in the "Canyon of Heroes" in Manhattan
, New York City. The Yankees sent a group of players, coach Tony Peña
, and team Senior Vice President Felix Lopez
with the Commissioner's Trophy to the Dominican Republic
in early January 2010 to meet with President Leonel Fernández
. Most of the 2009 Yankees received their championship rings on Opening Day the next season. Matsui was on the Angels in 2010 and when the Angels played their first series of the season in the Bronx, the Yankees home opener, they presented him with his ring. They also visited U.S. President Barack Obama
in the White House
in April 2010, presenting him with a signed jersey.
The Yankees' victory was credited to a number of different sources. Many players drew praise for their performances, including Series MVP Hideki Matsui; free agents signed the previous offseason including Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, and A. J. Burnett; and the so-called "Core Four
" of Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, and Jorge Posada, who had all played a large role in the Yankees' past success in the 1990s. Manager Joe Girardi was also credited for his management of the team, particularly in his decision to use only three starting pitchers in the Yankees postseason starting rotation. The Yankees were the first team to use only three starters in a World Series since the San Diego Padres
in the 1998 Series
. Several members of the Yankees franchise dedicated the World Series in part to team owner George Steinbrenner, who had recently stepped back from his once prominent position with the team. Steinbrenner died on the day of the All-Star Game
the following season at the age of 80. The Yankees returned to the playoffs the following season and ultimately lost to the Texas Rangers
in the 2010 ALCS
.
accidentally printed a three-quarters-page Macy's
advertisement congratulating the Phillies for winning the World Series, along with a picture of a Phillies championship T-shirt. The newspaper subsequently apologized for the mistake. Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated
attributed Philadelphia's loss to a lack of pitching depth, noting that three different Yankees starters managed to win games in the series, while only Cliff Lee won games for the Phillies. Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN partially attributed the Phillies' loss to their lack of offensive production, citing the team's .227 batting average
in the World Series. The Phillies also returned to the playoffs in 2010 and lost to the eventual champions the San Francisco Giants
in the NLCS
.
, whose party had five tickets behind home plate. On March 3, 2010, the New York Commission on Public Integrity found that Paterson had violated state laws concerning gifts to public officials, and that he lied under oath
to the commission about his intent to pay for the tickets. The commission further found that Paterson used his position to solicit and receive the five tickets—valued at US$425 each—free of charge from the Yankees, that he had never intended to pay for the tickets despite testimony to the contrary, and that he or a person acting on his behalf wrote a backdated check to pay for them only after scrutiny in the case arose. The Commission ultimately fined Paterson $62,125 for his actions.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's (MLB) championship series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, champions of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
(NL) and defending World Series champions
2008 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies' 2008 season was the 126th in the history of the franchise. The team finished with a regular season record of 92–70, first in the National League East. In the post-season, the Phillies won the World Series; this was the first major sports championship for...
, and the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, champions of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
(AL). The Yankees defeated the Phillies, four games to two, to win the franchise's 27th World Series championship. The series was played between October 28 and November 4, broadcast on Fox
Fox Sports (USA)
Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
, and watched by an average of roughly 19 million viewers.
Home field advantage for the Series went to the AL for the eighth straight year as a result of its 4–3 win in the All-Star Game
2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 80th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 2009, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, the home of the...
. The Phillies earned their berth into the playoffs by winning the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
. The Yankees won the American League East
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
to earn their berth, posting the best record in the Major Leagues. The Phillies reached the World Series by defeating the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
in the best-of-five National League Division Series
2009 National League Division Series
The National League Division Series consisted of two concurrent best-of-five game series that determined the participating teams in the 2009 National League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a "wild card" team played in the two series. The NLDS began on Wednesday, October 7 and...
, and the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in the best-of-seven Championship Series
2009 National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven baseball game series pitting the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Philadelphia Phillies for the National League Championship and the right to represent the National League in the 2009 World Series. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers four...
(NLCS). The Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
in the American League Division Series
2009 American League Division Series
The American League Division Series consisted of two concurrent best-of-five game series that determined the participating teams in the 2009 American League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a "wild card" team played in the two series. The ALDS began on Wednesday, October 7 and...
and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
in the Championship Series
2009 American League Championship Series
The American League Championship Series , the second round of the 2009 American League playoffs, was a best-of-seven game series matching the two winners of the 2009 American League Division Series...
(ALCS) to advance to their first World Series since 2003
2003 World Series
The 2003 World Series marked the 99th baseball World Series event. The Florida Marlins defeated the New York Yankees in six games, 4–2.-Background:...
.
Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
brought the Phillies victory in Game 1, allowing only one unearned run during his complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
win
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
. Solo home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s by Mark Teixeira
Mark Teixeira
Mark Charles Teixeira , nicknamed "Tex" is an American Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees. Mostly a first baseman, he has also played third base and in the outfield...
and Hideki Matsui
Hideki Matsui
is a Japanese Major League Baseball designated hitter and outfielder. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.After playing the first ten seasons of his career for the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, he played the next seven seasons, from 2003–2009, for the New York...
helped the Yankees win Game 2 by a score of 3–1. After a rain delayed start, Game 3 featured more offense, with a combined six home runs and thirteen total run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
s en route to a Yankee victory. The Yankees won Game 4 after scoring the decisive three runs in the ninth inning, helped by Johnny Damon
Johnny Damon
Johnny David Damon is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter. From 2000–2008, he was third among active players in runs and seventh in hits and stolen bases . He is currently second among active leaders in triples , five behind Carl Crawford...
's baserunning
Baserunning
In baseball, baserunning is the act of running around the bases performed by members of the team at bat.In general, baserunning is a tactical part of the game with the goal of eventually reaching home to score a run. In fact, the goal of batting is generally to produce baserunners, or help move...
. The Phillies avoided elimination by winning Game 5 on the back of Utley's second two-home run game of the series. The Yankees secured their World Series victory by winning Game 6 aided by Matsui's third home run of the series. He was named Most Valuable Player of the series, making him the first Japanese-born player and the first full-time designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
to win the award.
Several records were tied, extended, or broken during this World Series, including team championships (Yankees with 27), career postseason wins (Andy Pettitte
Andy Pettitte
Andrew Eugene Pettitte is a retired American left-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher.In his major league career, he played for the New York Yankees from 1995–2003. He then signed with the Houston Astros, and played for them from 2004 through 2006. In 2007, Pettitte rejoined the Yankees...
with 18), career saves in the World Series (Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera is a Panamanian right-handed baseball pitcher who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo", Rivera has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career, and since 1997, he has been the Yankees' closer...
with 11), home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in a World Series (Chase Utley
Chase Utley
Chase Cameron Utley is a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. A native of the Greater Los Angeles area, he was raised in the city of Long Beach. He was a star baseball player at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, before moving on to UCLA...
with 5), strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s by a hitter in a World Series (Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard
Ryan James Howard is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. Nicknamed "The Big Piece", Howard stands and weighs . He bats and throws left-handed....
with 13), and RBI in a single World Series game (Hideki Matsui with 6).
Philadelphia Phillies
During the off-season the Phillies named Rubén Amaro, Jr.Rubén Amaro, Jr.
Rubén Amaro, Jr. is the general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies.He is also a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played from to . He is the son of former infielder Rubén Amaro, Sr....
general manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
, replacing Pat Gillick
Pat Gillick
Lawrence Patrick David Gillick is a retired American professional baseball executive. He was the general manager of four Major League Baseball teams, and guided two teams to three World Series championships in his career: in 1992 and 1993 titles with the Toronto Blue Jays, and a 2008 title with...
who retired at the end of a three-year contract. Their most notable offseason player change was in left field, as Pat Burrell
Pat Burrell
Patrick Brian "Pat" Burrell , nicknamed "Pat the Bat," is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He stands tall and weighs . He bats and throws right-handed...
departed due to free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
and was replaced by free agent Raúl Ibáñez
Raúl Ibáñez
Raúl Javier Ibáñez is an American Major League Baseball outfielder.Over his career, Ibáñez, who did not make 500 plate appearances until the age of thirty, has batted .280 with 377 doubles, 252 home runs and 1054 runs batted in over sixteen Major League seasons...
. Another notable acquisition was free agent pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Chan Ho Park. Park was originally signed as an backup option for the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
, as reliever
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
J. C. Romero was assigned a 50-game suspension after violating the Major League Baseball drug policy
Major League Baseball drug policy
Major League Baseball's drug policy—the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program—was established by agreement between the MLB Players Association and the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball in order to deter and end the use by baseball players of banned substances, including anabolic steroids...
, but Park won the fifth starter
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
's job in Spring Training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
.
During the regular season, the Phillies led the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
for most of the year, taking first place for good on May 30. The Phillies made one large acquisition at the trade deadline, trading four minor league players to the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
for pitcher Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
and outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Ben Francisco
Ben Francisco
Louis Ben Francisco is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies. He bats and throws right handed.-Early life:...
. Lee won seven of his twelve regular season starts for Philadelphia in 2009. Ibáñez had started the year strongly, batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
well over .300 with 17 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 46 runs batted in (RBI) in the first two months of the season, which led the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
to call him an "early MVP candidate". He was placed on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
in mid-June for a groin injury, however, and though he returned he did not bat above .260 for any other month that season. Although Ibáñez did not receive MVP votes his teammates Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard
Ryan James Howard is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. Nicknamed "The Big Piece", Howard stands and weighs . He bats and throws left-handed....
and Chase Utley
Chase Utley
Chase Cameron Utley is a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. A native of the Greater Los Angeles area, he was raised in the city of Long Beach. He was a star baseball player at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, before moving on to UCLA...
had successful years, finishing 3rd and 8th in the balloting respectively. The Phillies finished the season with a record of 93–69 (.574), six games above the second-place Florida Marlins
2009 Florida Marlins season
The Florida Marlins' 2009 season is the 17th season for the Major League Baseball franchise. The Marlins play their home games at Sun Life Stadium. Fredi González returns for his third straight season as manager...
in their division.
The Phillies defeated the wild card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
-winning Colorado Rockies
2009 Colorado Rockies season
The Colorado Rockies' 2009 season is a season in American baseball, in which the Rockies won their third Wild Card title, and second in three years. The Rockies drew 2,665,080 fans for the season, their highest total since 2002...
in the National League Division Series
2009 National League Division Series
The National League Division Series consisted of two concurrent best-of-five game series that determined the participating teams in the 2009 National League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a "wild card" team played in the two series. The NLDS began on Wednesday, October 7 and...
(NLDS), three games to one, advancing to the National League Championship Series
2009 National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven baseball game series pitting the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Philadelphia Phillies for the National League Championship and the right to represent the National League in the 2009 World Series. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers four...
(NLCS). Facing the Los Angeles Dodgers
2009 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 2009 Los Angeles Dodgers season sees the team defend their National League West title while earning the best record in the National League, and marks the fiftieth anniversary of their 1959 World Series Championship...
, the Phillies won the NLCS, four games to one, becoming the first team to repeat as National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
champions since the 1995
1995 Atlanta Braves season
The 1995 Atlanta Braves season was the 125th season in the history of the franchise and 30th season in the city of Atlanta. The team finished the strike-shortened season with a record of 90–54, the best in the National League, en route to winning the World Series. For the sixth straight season,...
–96
1996 Atlanta Braves season
-Offseason:* January 3, 1996: Jerome Walton was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves.* January 9, 1996: Mike Kelly was traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Cincinnati Reds for a player to be named later and Chad Fox...
Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. Ryan Howard won the NLCS MVP
League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award
The second round of the Major League Baseball post-season is known as the League Championship Series . This series has a best-of-seven playoff format, and currently follows the Division Series, in which the three division champions and one wild card team from each league play against each other...
for his strong offensive performance during the series. Howard tied Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
's postseason record by having at least one RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in eight straight games across the NLDS and NLCS. They became the first World Series champion to return to the World Series the following year since the 2000
2000 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 2000 season was the 98th season for the Yankees in New York, and their 100th overall going back to their origins in Baltimore. New York was managed by Joe Torre. The team finished 1st in the AL East with a record of 87–74, 2.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox, after...
–01 New York Yankees
2001 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 2001 season was the 99th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 95-65 finishing 13.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Joe Torre. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. Roger Clemens had sixteen straight wins, tying an American...
.
New York Yankees
The Yankees' offseason began in November 2008 with control over their organization shifting from long-time owner George SteinbrennerGeorge Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
to his son Hal Steinbrenner
Hal Steinbrenner
Harold Z. Steinbrenner, known as Hal, is part owner of the New York Yankees with his brother Hank Steinbrenner, the co-chairperson, and a general partner for the Yankees...
. Notable player departures included Mike Mussina
Mike Mussina
Michael Cole Mussina , nicknamed Moose, is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played for the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees ....
—who announced his retirement on November 20, 2008—as well as Bobby Abreu
Bobby Abreu
Bob Kelly "Bobby" Abreu , nicknamed "El Comedulce" and also "La Luche", is a Major League Baseball left fielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim....
, Jason Giambi
Jason Giambi
Jason Gilbert Giambi is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball.He was the American League MVP in 2000 while with the Oakland Athletics, and is a five-time All-Star who has led the American League in walks four times, in on base percentage...
, and Carl Pavano
Carl Pavano
Carl Anthony Pavano is an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher currently with the Minnesota Twins.-Early career:...
, who all left as free agents. Notable free agent acquisitions included starting pitchers CC Sabathia and A. J. Burnett
A. J. Burnett
Allan James "A. J." Burnett is a right-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the New York Yankees. Previously, he played for the Florida Marlins and the Toronto Blue Jays...
, and first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Mark Teixeira
Mark Teixeira
Mark Charles Teixeira , nicknamed "Tex" is an American Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees. Mostly a first baseman, he has also played third base and in the outfield...
. Another major addition was outfielder Nick Swisher
Nick Swisher
Nicholas Thompson "Nick" Swisher is an outfielder for the New York Yankees. Swisher is a switch hitter who throws left-handed....
, acquired in a trade with the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
.
The Yankees played the 2009 season in Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
, their first year in that park after playing for 84 years in "Old" Yankee Stadium. They won the American League East
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
with an eight-game lead over their rivals, the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, compiling a record of 103–59. Sabathia won 19 games and position players Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
and Teixeira both had strong seasons offensively, Rodriguez with 30 home runs and 100 RBI and Teixeira with 39 and 122 respectively. Closing pitcher
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera is a Panamanian right-handed baseball pitcher who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo", Rivera has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career, and since 1997, he has been the Yankees' closer...
earned his 500th save against the Yankees' cross-town rival New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, becoming the second pitcher in history to do so. On September 11, 2009, shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
recorded his 2,722nd career hit, passing Lou Gehrig to become the all-time leader in career hits recorded as a Yankee.
The Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins
2009 Minnesota Twins season
The Minnesota Twins season was the 49th season for the franchise in Minnesota, and the 109th overall in the American League. It was their final season at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome with their new stadium, Target Field, opening in 2010. They ended the regular season as AL Central champions...
in three games in the American League Division Series
2009 American League Division Series
The American League Division Series consisted of two concurrent best-of-five game series that determined the participating teams in the 2009 American League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a "wild card" team played in the two series. The ALDS began on Wednesday, October 7 and...
and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
2009 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim season
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim' 2009 season is the franchise's 49th season. The Angels began the season as the two-time defending American League West division champions....
in six games in the American League Championship Series
2009 American League Championship Series
The American League Championship Series , the second round of the 2009 American League playoffs, was a best-of-seven game series matching the two winners of the 2009 American League Division Series...
(ALCS) to win their first American League pennant since 2003. Sabathia was named MVP
League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award
The second round of the Major League Baseball post-season is known as the League Championship Series . This series has a best-of-seven playoff format, and currently follows the Division Series, in which the three division champions and one wild card team from each league play against each other...
of the ALCS with two wins in the series. The Yankees' victory in the ALCS earned them their 40th World Series appearance in franchise history, and their first since losing to the Florida Marlins
2003 Florida Marlins season
The 2003 Florida Marlins season was a season in American baseball. The Marlins were the National League Wild Card Winners, the National League Champions, and the World Series Champions.-Offseason:...
in .
Series preview
The two teams had met for a three-game interleagueInterleague play
Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season...
series at Yankee Stadium in May 2009, with the Phillies winning two of the three games. The series included two blown saves by Phillies' closer Brad Lidge
Brad Lidge
Bradley Thomas "Brad" Lidge is a reliever who is currently a free agent. Nicknamed "Lights Out", he is the all-time leader in strikeouts per nine innings among pitchers with at least 200 appearances in their career...
in games 2 and 3, although the Phillies came back to win the final game in extra innings
Extra innings
Extra innings is the extension of a baseball or softball game in order to break a tie.Ordinarily, a baseball game consists of nine innings , each of which is divided into halves: the visiting team bats first, after which the home team takes its turn at bat...
.
The Yankees had home field advantage for the Series as the American League had won that year's All-Star Game
2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 80th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 2009, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, the home of the...
. The team match-up was heavily discussed and analyzed in the media prior to the beginning of the series. Both teams' offensive lineups were heavily touted, with the Yankees and Phillies leading their respective leagues in runs scored
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
per game. Yankees third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
man Alex Rodriguez drew particular focus in the media for his success in earlier rounds of the 2009 playoffs in contrast to past postseason performances. The two lineups featured twenty former All-Stars
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
and three former MVP award winners. Only one regular starter between both teams, Phillies catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
Carlos Ruiz, did not have at least ten home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s during the 2009 regular season. The two teams combined for 468 home runs during the season, more than any pair of opponents in World Series history.
The pitching staffs were also the subject of significant discussion prior to the series. The starting pitchers for Game 1, CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee, were described as "aces" who "dominated" the 2009 postseason with a 0.96 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(ERA) between them. This matchup was of particular note, as Sabathia and Lee were former teammates from the Cleveland Indians and both had won a Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
with that franchise. Yankees manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
Joe Girardi
Joe Girardi
Joseph Elliott Girardi is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager of the New York Yankees. During a 15-year playing career, he played from 1989–2003 for the Chicago Cubs, the Colorado Rockies, the New York Yankees, and St. Louis Cardinals...
had been using a three-man starting rotation during the playoffs, in contrast to the four-pitcher rotation used by the Phillies. This difference led USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
to give the Phillies' starting rotation the "edge" in the series, as the World Series had one fewer day off than previous rounds of the playoffs, making it more conducive to the Phillies' strategy. Gene Wojciechowski
Gene Wojciechowski
Gene Wojciechowski [woj-che-how-ski] is a sports writer, best known for his work with ESPN.Born in Salina, Kansas, Wojciechowski received a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism from the University of Tennessee and began his career as a sports writer covering college football and...
of ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
criticized Girardi's strategy, arguing that Chad Gaudin
Chad Gaudin
Chad Edward Gaudin is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.-High school:Gaudin attended Crescent City Baptist High School in Metairie, Louisiana...
should have pitched in Game 5 or 6, instead of A. J. Burnett or Andy Pettitte
Andy Pettitte
Andrew Eugene Pettitte is a retired American left-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher.In his major league career, he played for the New York Yankees from 1995–2003. He then signed with the Houston Astros, and played for them from 2004 through 2006. In 2007, Pettitte rejoined the Yankees...
on reduced, three days rest. Wojciechowski argued that while Sabathia had proven his ability to pitch on shorter rest, Burnett and Pettitte should have been given their regular time between starts. Burnett had drawn some criticism, as he performed poorly in his last appearance before the World Series, a start in Game 5 of the ALCS in which he allowed six runs over six innings. Some believed Girardi settled on a three-man rotation because he had limited options for a fourth starting pitcher, either Gaudin or Joba Chamberlain
Joba Chamberlain
Justin Louis "Joba" Chamberlain is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees.-Early life:Chamberlain was born and grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. Chamberlain's parents, Harlan Chamberlain and Jackie Standley, were never married and split up when Joba was 18 months old...
, who had been "erratic" as a starter in the regular season and had been shifted into the bullpen for the postseason.
The matchup of closers, Mariano Rivera and Brad Lidge, also drew attention. Rivera and Lidge were the only closers who had not blown a save during the 2009 postseason, whereas closers on other postseason teams blew 11 saves in the 24 postseason games before the World Series in 2009. Both had performed well during the postseason, but Lidge had posted a 7.21 ERA during the 2009 regular season, in contrast to Rivera's 1.76. As a result, USA Today gave the Yankees the edge, noting that Lidge had blown two saves against the Yankees during their regular season series earlier that year.
Series summary
The Series started on October 28, 2009, which was the latest start in World Series history. Game 4 was played on Sunday, November 1 and the series-winning Game 6 took place on November 4. The Series was only the third to end in a month other than October. The first came in , which was played entirely in September after the regular season was cut short due to World War I. The other such series was in when the September 11 attacks caused a delay in the baseball season that eventually forced the end of the World Series into November.Earlier in the season Commissioner Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
expressed interest in scheduling a World Series game during daylight hours instead of the evening. The starting times were ultimately moved before 8 p.m. ET for the first time in 30 years, but no day games were played. The Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) played across the street from Citizens Bank Park at Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532 . It is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and 10th streets, also aside I-95 as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
on the day of Game 4. The NFL moved that game's kickoff time to 1 p.m. to avoid it ending too close to the start of Game 4. Similarly, Game 5 was played at Citizens Bank Park on the same day as the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) at the Wachovia Center. The opening faceoff of the hockey game was scheduled for 7 p.m. but the NHL moved it to 5 p.m. to avoid conflict.
The umpire
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
s for the series were Joe West, Dana DeMuth
Dana DeMuth
Dana Andrew DeMuth is an umpire in Major League Baseball.DeMuth advanced through the minor leagues to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League before joining the NL staff in 1985. His major league career began in 1985; he umpired in the National League until the umpiring staffs from the American and...
, Gerry Davis, Brian Gorman
Brian Gorman
Brian Scott Gorman is an umpire in Major League Baseball. After working in the National League from 1991 to 1999, he has umpired in both leagues since 2000. He is the son of Tom Gorman, who served as an NL umpire from 1951 to 1977...
, Jeff Nelson
Jeff Nelson (umpire)
Jeffrey Brian Nelson is an umpire in Major League Baseball who was named to the National League staff prior to the 1999 season, and has worked throughout both major leagues since 2000. Nelson, a graduate of Bethel University in St...
, and Mike Everitt. The World Series crew had included at least 1 umpire who had never worked the World Series in 24 of the past 25 series; however, following several mistakes by umpires in earlier rounds of the playoffs, this crew did not.
The Phillies had won the previous season's World Series
2008 World Series
The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...
against the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
for the franchise's second championship. The Yankees lost their previous World Series appearance to the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
in and had not won since against the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. This was the fifth Series played between teams from New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Philadelphia, and was the first Yankees–Phillies matchup since . The series was also the fourth consecutive time that the Phillies faced a team from the current AL East in the World Series, while the Yankees had faced a NL East opponent in three of their four most recent World Series appearances. This Series was nicknamed the "Turnpike Series", for the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
, which connects New York to Philadelphia through the state of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Major League Baseball nicknamed it the "Liberty Series", based on the Liberty Bell
Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American Independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House , the bell was commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack in 1752, and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY...
in Philadelphia and the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
in New York.
Game 1
Box score (baseball)
In baseball, the statistical summary of a game is reported in a box score. An abbreviated version of the box score, duplicated from the field scoreboard, is the line score...
for Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 7:57 p.m. (ET
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
in The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Prior to the game, First Lady
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
and Second Lady Jill Biden
Jill Biden
Jill Tracy Biden is an American educator and, as the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, is the Second Lady of the United States....
escorted former Yankees catcher and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veteran Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
to the mound, where the ceremonial first pitch
Ceremonial first pitch
The ceremonial first ball is a longstanding ritual of American baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game. Originally, the guest threw a ball from his/her place in the grandstand to the pitcher or catcher of the home team...
was thrown by a veteran of the Iraq War. The Phillies' Ryan Howard got the first hit of the 2009 World Series by doubling in the first inning. Howard was stranded in the first and the game was scoreless after two innings. The Phillies scored first with a two-out solo home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
by Chase Utley in the top of the third inning. Through the first five innings, Philadelphia starting pitcher Cliff Lee allowed no runs and three hits, striking out seven Yankees batters. In the top of the sixth, Utley hit another solo home run to give the Phillies a 2–0 lead. The starting pitchers Lee and CC Sabathia continued to pitch until the top of the eighth when Sabathia was replaced by Phil Hughes. Hughes walked the first two batters and was replaced by Dámaso Marté
Dámaso Marté
Dámaso Marté Sabinon is a Dominican Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. He previously played for the Seattle Mariners , Pittsburgh Pirates , and Chicago White Sox .-Seattle Mariners:...
. Marté got two quick outs and was relieved by David Robertson
David Robertson (baseball)
David Alan Robertson is a Major League baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees.-High school career:Robertson was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and played his first three years at Central-Tuscaloosa High School. He was a 2-year starter for the Falcons at shortstop and pitcher...
, who walked Jayson Werth
Jayson Werth
Jayson Richard Gowan Werth is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. He has previously played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies. He bats and throws right-handed.-Background:Werth was born in...
and gave up a two-run single to Raúl Ibáñez. The Phillies added two more runs in the ninth with an RBI single by Shane Victorino
Shane Victorino
Shane Patrick Victorino is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed.-Career:...
and an RBI double by Howard. Lee finished with a complete game allowing one unearned run on six hits and striking out ten batters, not walking any of the hitters he faced.
Lee's pitching performance made history in several ways:
- This was the fourth postseason start of Lee's career. In all four starts, he went at least seven innings and gave up no more than one earned run. The only other starting pitcher ever to begin his postseason career with four such starts was Christy MathewsonChristy MathewsonChristopher "Christy" Mathewson , nicknamed "Big Six", "The Christian Gentleman", or "Matty", was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire career in what is known as the dead-ball era...
. - He was also the first left-handed starter to beat the Yankees in The Bronx to open a World Series since Sandy KoufaxSandy KoufaxSanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
in . - He was the first starting pitcher to throw a complete game without giving up an earned run against the Yankees in Game 1 of a postseason series.
- Lee was the first pitcher ever to strike out at least ten, walk no one, and give up no earned runs in a World Series start.
Game 2
Box scoreBox score (baseball)
In baseball, the statistical summary of a game is reported in a box score. An abbreviated version of the box score, duplicated from the field scoreboard, is the line score...
for Thursday, October 29, 2009, 7:57 p.m. (ET
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
in The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Prior to the game, Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
and Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
performed the song "Empire State of Mind
Empire State of Mind
"Empire State of Mind" is a song by American rapper and hip hop artist Jay-Z, featuring vocals and a chorus from R&B and soul singer Alicia Keys. It was released as the third single from Jay-Z's 11th studio album The Blueprint 3 by his Roc Nation label in October 2009...
" for the Yankee Stadium crowd. This game marked the first postseason appearance of Pedro Martínez
Pedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
against the Yankees since the 2004 American League Championship Series
2004 American League Championship Series
The 2004 American League Championship Series was the Major League Baseball playoff series to decide the American League champion for the 2004 season. It was played between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, at Fenway Park and the original Yankee Stadium, from October 12 to October 20, 2004...
, when he was with the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
and a part of the two teams' long standing rivalry. The Phillies scored first for the second game in a row, with Raúl Ibáñez hitting a ground rule double
Ground rule double
In baseball, a ground rule double is an award of two bases from the time of pitch to all baserunners including the batter-runner as a result of the ball leaving play after being hit fairly and leaving the field under a condition of the ground rules in effect at the field where the game is being...
and then scoring on a Matt Stairs
Matt Stairs
Matthew Wade Stairs is a former Canadian professional Major League baseball outfielder, first baseman, designated hitter, and pinch hitter. He played for 12 different teams, a major league record he shares with Octavio Dotel, Mike Morgan and Ron Villone...
RBI single off A. J. Burnett
A. J. Burnett
Allan James "A. J." Burnett is a right-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the New York Yankees. Previously, he played for the Florida Marlins and the Toronto Blue Jays...
in the second inning.
Mark Teixeira tied the game with a solo home run in the fourth inning, and Hideki Matsui
Hideki Matsui
is a Japanese Major League Baseball designated hitter and outfielder. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.After playing the first ten seasons of his career for the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, he played the next seven seasons, from 2003–2009, for the New York...
broke the tie in the sixth with another solo homer. Martínez departed the game after giving up consecutive hits to Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Jerry Wayne Hairston, Jr. is a Mexican-American professional baseball utility player.-Professional career:...
and Melky Cabrera
Melky Cabrera
Melky Astacio Cabrera is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the San Francisco Giants.-Minors:Cabrera was signed by the New York Yankees on November 13, 2001, at age 17...
to start the seventh inning, and reliever Chan Ho Park gave up an RBI single to Jorge Posada
Jorge Posada
Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta is a Major League Baseball player who is currently a free agent and has played his entire career for the New York Yankees. He served as the Yankees primary catcher for most of his career, though following off-season knee surgery, he was moved to designated hitter for...
. With Cabrera at second base and Posada at first, Johnny Damon
Johnny Damon
Johnny David Damon is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter. From 2000–2008, he was third among active players in runs and seventh in hits and stolen bases . He is currently second among active leaders in triples , five behind Carl Crawford...
hit a low line drive at Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard. Howard grabbed the ball and threw to second where Posada was tagged and called out while standing on the base. First-base umpire Brian Gorman
Brian Gorman
Brian Scott Gorman is an umpire in Major League Baseball. After working in the National League from 1991 to 1999, he has umpired in both leagues since 2000. He is the son of Tom Gorman, who served as an NL umpire from 1951 to 1977...
ruled that Howard had caught the ball in the air and thus the result was an inning-ending double play. This was the first of two calls by Gorman in this game which were later shown to have been wrong by video replays.
Burnett left after seven innings and was replaced by Mariano Rivera in the eighth. The Phillies put two runners on with a walk to Jimmy Rollins
Jimmy Rollins
James Calvin "Jimmy" Rollins , nicknamed "J-Roll", is an All-Star and former MVP shortstop, who most recently played for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball's National League....
and a single by Shane Victorino with one out in the eighth. However, Chase Utley grounded into an inning-ending double play ending on a close play at first base, the second close call made by the first base umpire Brian Gorman. Gorman himself later admitted he missed this call, saying "on a freeze frame, it looks like there’s a little bit of a ball outside his glove when he hits the bag." Ultimately, Rivera threw 39 pitches and got six outs for his 38th postseason save, his tenth in World Series play.
Game 3
Box score (baseball)
In baseball, the statistical summary of a game is reported in a box score. An abbreviated version of the box score, duplicated from the field scoreboard, is the line score...
for Saturday, October 31, 2009, 9:17 p.m. (following 1:20 rain delay) (ET
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) at Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
The start of the game was postponed 80 minutes due to a rain delay, pushing the start time to 9:17 p.m. The cast of the television series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
performed the national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
prior to the game as part of a ceremony featuring a large American flag and several members of the armed services. The Phillies scored first with Jayson Werth's lead-off solo home run, which was followed by a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly
Sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
to make the score 3–0 in the bottom of the second inning. Following Mark Teixeira's walk in the top of the fourth inning, Alex Rodriguez hit a deep ball down the right field line. It was originally ruled a double and Teixeira held at third base. The play was reviewed using MLB instant replay, which revealed that the ball had struck a camera sticking over the top of the wall, and the ball was ruled a two-run home run, giving Rodriguez his first World Series hit. This was the first home run reviewed by instant replay in postseason play. Specifically, the ball hit a camera owned by Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
and MLB which extended slightly over the right field wall. The camera was moved back for Game 4 such that its lens was in line with the wall. Coincidentally, Alex Rodriguez also had the first regular season home run reviewed by replay.
Nick Swisher
Nick Swisher
Nicholas Thompson "Nick" Swisher is an outfielder for the New York Yankees. Swisher is a switch hitter who throws left-handed....
opened the top of the fifth inning with a double and scored on a single to center field by Andy Pettitte. This was Pettitte's first career postseason RBI and the first RBI by a Yankees pitcher in a World Series since Jim Bouton
Jim Bouton
James Alan "Jim" Bouton is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. He is also the author of the controversial baseball book Ball Four, which was a combination diary of his season and memoir of his years with the New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, and Houston Astros.-Amateur and college...
in 1964
1964 World Series
The 1964 World Series pitted the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals against the American League champion New York Yankees, with the Cardinals prevailing in seven games. St...
. Derek Jeter followed Pettitte with another single, and both runners scored on a two-run double by Johnny Damon. Cole Hamels
Cole Hamels
Colbert Michael "Cole" Hamels is a left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Hamels throws a four-seam fastball, a circle changeup, a curveball, and a cut fastball, which he added in 2010...
then walked Teixeira and was relieved by J. A. Happ
J. A. Happ
James Anthony "J. A." Happ is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Houston Astros. He is a six-foot-six left-hander. Though his name is James Anthony and his initials are "J...
. Happ closed out the fifth without allowing further scoring, but Nick Swisher
Nick Swisher
Nicholas Thompson "Nick" Swisher is an outfielder for the New York Yankees. Swisher is a switch hitter who throws left-handed....
added to the Yankees lead with a solo home run off of him in the sixth. Werth hit his second solo home run of the game leading off the bottom of the sixth to close the Yankees lead to 6–4, becoming the second Phillies player to hit multiple home runs in this World Series.
Chad Durbin
Chad Durbin
Chad Griffin Durbin is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He has also played with the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians of the American League and the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies of the National League...
relieved Happ in the top of the seventh. He walked Johnny Damon, who then stole
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
second base. Rodriguez was then hit by a pitch
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
, and Damon scored on a single by Jorge Posada. Joba Chamberlain relieved Pettitte in the bottom of the seventh and retired the side in order. Brett Myers
Brett Myers
Brett Allen Myers is a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who is currently playing for the Houston Astros.-High school career:...
retired the first two batters in the top of the eighth, but Hideki Matsui then hit a solo home run pinch hitting
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
for Chamberlain. Phil Hughes pitched a third of an inning in the bottom of the ninth and allowed a solo home run to Carlos Ruiz before being relieved by Mariano Rivera. Rivera closed out the game, throwing just five pitches to record the final two outs. This game was Pettitte's 17th career postseason win, extending his MLB record.
Game 4
Box score (baseball)
In baseball, the statistical summary of a game is reported in a box score. An abbreviated version of the box score, duplicated from the field scoreboard, is the line score...
for Sunday, November 1, 2009, 8:20 p.m. (ET
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) at Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
Prior to the start of the game, Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
were named winners of the Hank Aaron Award
Hank Aaron Award
The Hank Aaron Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball players selected as the top hitter in each league, as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It was introduced in 1999 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron's surpassing of Babe Ruth's career home run mark...
for their offensive performances in 2009. This was the first game to test manager Joe Girardi's decision to use a three-man starting rotation, as CC Sabathia started the game on three days rest, a shorter period than he normally got during the regular season. Jeter led the game off with a single and advanced to third base on a double by Johnny Damon. Jeter scored via a Mark Teixeira ground out and Alex Rodriguez was hit by a pitch
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
. Rodriguez was hit twice the night before and the umpires issued warnings to both benches. Jorge Posada then added to the Yankees lead that inning with a sacrifice fly
Sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
. The Phillies answered quickly, scoring a run on successive doubles by Shane Victorino and Chase Utley in the bottom of the first. Sabathia intentionally walked Jayson Werth, but escaped the inning without further scoring. The Phillies tied the game in the bottom of the fourth as Ryan Howard singled, stole
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
second, and scored on a single by Pedro Feliz
Pedro Feliz
Pedro Julio Feliz is a Dominican Republic minor league baseball third baseman for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball. Feliz has hit 20 or more home runs in four of his first five seasons as a starting third baseman and is an above average fielder at third base...
. Although the run counted, instant replay
Instant replay
Instant replay is the replaying of video footage of an event or incident very soon after it has occurred. In television broadcasting of sports events, instant replay is often used during live broadcast, to show a passage of play which was important or remarkable, or which was unclear on first...
of Howard's slide later showed that he did not touch home plate
Home Plate
Home Plate is the fifth album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1975 .-Track listing:#"What Do You Want the Boy to Do?" – 3:19#"Good Enough" – 2:56#"Run Like a Thief" – 3:02...
.
Nick Swisher walked to lead off the fifth inning and advanced to second on a Melky Cabrera single. Swisher restored the Yankees' lead, scoring on a single by Jeter, and Cabrera added to it by scoring a run on a Damon single. Brett Gardner
Brett Gardner
Brett M. Gardner is an American Major League Baseball left fielder for the New York Yankees. Gardner, who is 5' 10", bats and throws left-handed.-College baseball career:...
replaced Cabrera in center field as a defensive substitution
Defensive substitution
A defensive substitution in the game of baseball occurs when a currently non-playing player is placed into the field in place of a starting player, typically due either to injury or the appearance of a pinch hitter...
in the bottom of the sixth inning after Cabrera left the game due to a hamstring injury. Chan Ho Park relieved Phillies starter Joe Blanton
Joe Blanton
Joseph Matthew Blanton is a starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball.-College career:...
in the seventh and held the Yankees scoreless in that inning. Chase Utley hit his third solo home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
of the series in the bottom of the seventh with two outs, bringing the game to 4–3. Dámaso Marté relieved Sabathia and got the final out of the seventh without further scoring.
Ryan Madson
Ryan Madson
Ryan Michael Madson , nicknamed "Mad Dog", is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher, who is a currently a free agent...
relieved Park in the eighth and allowed a walk and a single but held the Yankees scoreless. Joba Chamberlain replaced Marte in the bottom of the inning. He struck out the first two batters he faced but allowed a game-tying home run to Feliz before closing the inning. Brad Lidge came into the game in the ninth and gave up a two-out single to Damon—after a nine-pitch at bat. Then, with Teixeira batting, Damon stole second and, on the same play, advanced to third as the base was uncovered due to a defensive shift
Baseball positioning
In baseball and softball, while there are nine named fielding positions, players may move around freely. The positioning for the nine positions is very flexible, although they all have regular depths—distances from home plate, and sometimes lateral positioning. A shift means that a player...
against Teixeira. Several news outlets referred to this as a "mad dash", which Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
compared to Enos Slaughter
Enos Slaughter
Enos Bradsher Slaughter , nicknamed "Country", was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 19-year baseball career, he played from 1938–1942 and 1946-1959 for four different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the St...
's "Mad Dash"
Slaughter's Mad Dash
The Mad Dash, or Slaughter's Mad Dash, refers to an event in the eighth inning of the seventh game of the 1946 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox.-Background:...
in the 1946 World Series
1946 World Series
-Game 1:Sunday, October 6, 1946 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, MissouriThe Red Sox won Game 1 when Rudy York hit a home run into the left field bleachers.-Game 2:Monday, October 7, 1946 at Sportsman's Park in St...
. Some believed that Damon's play caused Lidge to avoid throwing his best pitch—a slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
with sharp downward movement—for the rest of the inning, as it risked a wild pitch
Wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, perhaps even the batter-runner on strike three or ball four, to advance.A wild pitch usually...
that would have allowed Damon to score from third base. Teixeira was then hit by a pitch and Rodriguez put the Yankees ahead with a double, scoring Damon. Posada added to that lead with a single that scored Teixeira and Rodriguez. Mariano Rivera entered in the bottom of the ninth and saved the game for the Yankees on eight pitches for his second save of the series.
Game 5
Box score (baseball)
In baseball, the statistical summary of a game is reported in a box score. An abbreviated version of the box score, duplicated from the field scoreboard, is the line score...
for Monday, November 2, 2009, 7:57 p.m. (ET
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) at Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
The Yankees replaced Melky Cabrera on their postseason roster with Ramiro Peña
Ramiro Peña
Ramiro Peña Gauna is a Major League Baseball utility infielder for the New York Yankees.-Baseball career:Peña was signed by the Yankees out of the Mexican League in 2005....
due to his injury in Game 4, while Brett Gardner took Cabrera's place in center field
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
. A. J. Burnett, the Yankees' Game 2 starter, started Game 5 on three days rest, one less than the Phillies' Cliff Lee. The Yankees scored first in the first inning, with Johnny Damon reaching base with a single and then scoring on a two-out double by Alex Rodriguez. The Phillies responded in the bottom of the inning with a single by Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino reaching after being hit by a pitch
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
, and finally a three-run home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
by Chase Utley to take the lead. The Phillies added to their lead in the third inning with Utley and Ryan Howard drawing walks followed by RBI singles by Jayson Werth and Raúl Ibáñez. With no outs in the inning, Burnett was relieved by David Robertson, who allowed another run to score on a Carlos Ruiz ground out.
Robertson held the Phillies scoreless for a second inning in the fourth. Jorge Posada entered as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
in the fifth inning for José Molina and grounded out. Eric Hinske
Eric Hinske
Eric Scott Hinske is a Major League Baseball outfielder, first baseman, and third baseman currently an Atlanta Braves organization...
then pinch hit for Robertson and walked, advanced to third on a Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
single, and scored on a ground out by Damon. Alfredo Aceves
Alfredo Aceves
Alfredo Aceves Martínez is a Mexican professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He uses a fastball, which can reach the mid 90s, a curveball, a changeup, and a cut fastball. He is known for his control and his ability to throw any pitch in any count...
entered as the new Yankee pitcher in the bottom of the fifth. The first batter he faced, Jayson Werth, hit a deep drive to center field but it was caught for an out by Gardner, who collided into the outfield wall to complete the play. Aceves completed the inning without a run scoring, inducing ground outs from Ibáñez and Ruiz. Phil Coke
Phil Coke
Phillip "Phil" Douglas Coke is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball. Coke was born in Sonora, California-College:Coke attended San Joaquin Delta College...
relieved Aceves in the seventh inning and allowed two Phillies players tie World Series records. First, Utley tied Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
's record for most home runs in a World Series with a solo home run, his fifth of the series. Coke then struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
Howard, Howard's 12th strikeout in the series, tying Willie Wilson's record for most strikeouts in a World Series. Finally, Coke was driven from the game after allowing another solo home run, this time to Ibáñez, and was relieved by Phil Hughes.
Victorino was replaced defensively
Defensive substitution
A defensive substitution in the game of baseball occurs when a currently non-playing player is placed into the field in place of a starting player, typically due either to injury or the appearance of a pinch hitter...
in the eighth inning by Ben Francisco
Ben Francisco
Louis Ben Francisco is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies. He bats and throws right handed.-Early life:...
. Lee was driven from the game after allowing a single to Damon, followed by a double by Mark Teixeira, and then a double by Rodriguez that scored both runners. Chan Ho Park relieved Lee and induced a ground out from Nick Swisher, which advanced Rodriguez to third base. Rodriguez scored on a sacrifice fly
Sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
by Robinson Canó
Robinson Canó
Robinson José Canó Mercedes is a Dominican baseball player who currently plays as a second baseman for the New York Yankees.-Family and early life:...
. Ryan Madson entered in the ninth to close the game, allowing a double to Posada and a single to Hideki Matsui without recording an out. Batting with men on first and third base, Jeter grounded into a double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
, allowing Posada to score but emptying the bases. Damon singled to bring Teixeira to bat as the potential tying run, but Madson struck him out to record his first World Series save. Members of the news media, such as Gene Wojciechowski
Gene Wojciechowski
Gene Wojciechowski [woj-che-how-ski] is a sports writer, best known for his work with ESPN.Born in Salina, Kansas, Wojciechowski received a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism from the University of Tennessee and began his career as a sports writer covering college football and...
, were critical of the three-man starting rotation strategy following Game 3, and contended that Burnett's poor performance was caused by insufficient rest in between starts. However, Burnett had been successful up to this point in such situations, going 4–0 with a 2.33 ERA in four career starts on short rest (less than the normal four days between starts) before this game.
Game 6
Box score (baseball)
In baseball, the statistical summary of a game is reported in a box score. An abbreviated version of the box score, duplicated from the field scoreboard, is the line score...
for Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 7:57 p.m. (ET
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
in The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
This game was the first Game 6 in a World Series since the 2003 World Series
2003 World Series
The 2003 World Series marked the 99th baseball World Series event. The Florida Marlins defeated the New York Yankees in six games, 4–2.-Background:...
six years earlier, the longest such period in the history of the World Series. Prior to the game, Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
, a Bronx native, performed "The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
". Andy Pettitte started on three days rest, the third straight game in which the Yankees fielded a pitcher on short rest. The Yankees scored first with an Alex Rodriguez walk opening the bottom of the second inning followed by a two-run home run by designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
Hideki Matsui. The Phillies quickly responded with a triple
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
by Carlos Ruiz who then scored on a sacrifice fly
Sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
from Jimmy Rollins in the top of the third. Matsui answered back, adding to the Yankees lead again with a single with the bases loaded
Bases loaded
In the sport of baseball, the bases are loaded when there is a runner on each base . This presents a great scoring opportunity for the batting team, but it also presents an easy double play opportunity for the defense. Causing the bases to become loaded is called loading the bases...
in the bottom of the third, scoring Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon. Damon, injured running the bases while scoring, was replaced defensively
Defensive substitution
A defensive substitution in the game of baseball occurs when a currently non-playing player is placed into the field in place of a starting player, typically due either to injury or the appearance of a pinch hitter...
in the top of the fourth by Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Jerry Wayne Hairston, Jr. is a Mexican-American professional baseball utility player.-Professional career:...
Phillies starter Pedro Martínez was removed after just four innings, relieved in the fifth by Chad Durbin. Durbin allowed a ground rule double
Ground rule double
In baseball, a ground rule double is an award of two bases from the time of pitch to all baserunners including the batter-runner as a result of the ball leaving play after being hit fairly and leaving the field under a condition of the ground rules in effect at the field where the game is being...
to Jeter, who advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Hairston and scored on a single by Mark Teixeira. Durbin then hit Rodriguez with a pitch and was relieved by J. A. Happ after recording just one out. Happ allowed a two-run double to Matsui, his fifth and sixth RBI of the game, which tied a World Series record for most RBI in a single game set by Bobby Richardson
Bobby Richardson
Robert Clinton "Bobby" Richardson is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees from through . Batting and throwing right-handed, he was a superb defensive infielder, as well as something of a clutch hitter, who played no small role in the Yankee baseball...
in the 1960 World Series
1960 World Series
The 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League and the New York Yankees of the American League from October 5 to October 13, 1960...
.
The Phillies made the game closer in the top of the sixth inning, as Chase Utley drew a walk and Ryan Howard followed him with a two-run home run, bringing the score to 7–3. After Raúl Ibáñez hit a double into right field, Joba Chamberlain relieved Andy Pettitte and closed the sixth without scoring. Chan Ho Park came in for Happ, ending any Yankees threat that inning. Chamberlain was relieved by Dámaso Marté in the top of the seventh after allowing two baserunners, but Marté struck out Utley to end the inning scoreless. After Park allowed a single to Rodriguez, Scott Eyre
Scott Eyre
Scott Alan Eyre is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Career:Eyre attended the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, Idaho and was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 9th round of the 1991 Major League Baseball Draft...
replaced him. Eyre allowed Rodriguez to steal second and intentionally walked Jorge Posada but escaped the inning without allowing a run.
Marté recorded one out, a strikeout of Howard, in the top of the eighth inning. With it Howard set a new World Series record for most strikeouts by a hitter in a single series with a total of 13. After the out, Marté was relieved by the Yankees closer Mariano Rivera in a non-save situation. Rivera allowed a double to Ibáñez, but no runs, in the eighth. After retiring the first two batters in the eighth, Eyre gave way to Ryan Madson, who allowed a single to Jeter before ending the bottom of the eighth inning. Matt Stairs led off the ninth as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
, but lined out. Ruiz worked a walk from Rivera, but successive outs by Rollins and Victorino ended the game 7–3 to clinch the World Series for the Yankees. Pettitte added to his own record for most playoff wins, bringing his career total to 18.
Statistics
Cumulative box score
Broadcasting
For the tenth consecutive year in the United States, Fox Sports televised the Series. Joe BuckJoe Buck
Joseph Francis "Joe" Buck is an American sportscaster and the son of legendary sportscaster Jack Buck. He has won numerous Sports Emmy Awards for his play-by-play work with Fox Sports.-Education:...
called play-by-play and Tim McCarver
Tim McCarver
James Timothy "Tim" McCarver is an American former Major League Baseball catcher, and a current sportscaster in residence for Fox Sports.-Playing career:...
provided analysis
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
. The Series was also broadcast on ESPN Radio, with Jon Miller
Jon Miller
Jon Wallace Miller is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball. He is currently employed as a play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants. He was also a baseball announcer on ESPN until the network chose not to renew his contract following the...
and Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan
Joe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...
calling the action. Game 1 was watched by 19.5 million viewers, second only to the opening of the 2004 World Series
2004 World Series
The 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League champions, the St. Louis Cardinals...
in viewership for a series opener since 2000. The viewership for the opening game resulted in a ratings percentage of 11.9% of households in the United States. Game 4 produced the highest ratings of the series with 22.8 million viewers, the highest for any World Series game since 2004 and the highest for a "non-decisive Game 4" since 2003. Fox Sports en Español
Fox Sports en Español
Fox Deportes is a cable television network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day in Spanish...
also broadcast the Series for the US Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
-speaking audience. The flagship
Flagship station
In broadcasting, a flagship is the broadcast which originates a television network, or a particular radio show or TV show, primarily in the United States and Canada. This includes both direct network feeds and broadcast syndication, but generally not backhauls...
radio stations of the respective teams broadcast all Series games with their local announcers. In Philadelphia, WPHT
WPHT
WPHT is a CBS Radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting on 1210 kHz. A 50,000-watt clear-channel station, it broadcasts in an omnidirectional pattern that allows it to cover most of the eastern half of North America at night. It uses the nickname "Talk Radio 1210 WPHT." The...
carried the Phillies' English-language broadcasts, with Scott Franzke
Scott Franzke
Scott Franzke is the radio Play-by-play voice of the Philadelphia Phillies.-Biography:His career began as a studio host for the now-defunct Prime Sports Radio Network in 1994 which led him three years later to be the host of the Texas Rangers radio pre- and post-game shows 1997-98...
, Larry Andersen, Tom McCarthy
Tom McCarthy (broadcaster)
Tom McCarthy is an American sports broadcaster. He is the play-by-play announcer for Philadelphia Phillies television broadcasts...
, Gary Matthews
Gary Matthews
Gary Nathaniel Matthews Sr. , nicknamed Sarge, is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball. He now serves as a color commentator for the Philadelphia Phillies. From through , Matthews played for the San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Seattle...
, and Chris Wheeler
Chris Wheeler
Chris Wheeler is an announcer and color commentator for the Philadelphia Phillies in Major League Baseball. Nicknamed "Wheels", or alternatively "Muffin" , Wheeler has been broadcasting for the Phillies on TV and radio since 1977. In 1971, he entered the Phillies organization as Assistant Director...
announcing, while WUBA aired the team's Spanish broadcasts. In New York, WCBS-AM carried the Yankees' English broadcasts with John Sterling
John Sterling (sportscaster)
John Sterling is an American sportscaster best known as the radio play-by-play announcer of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. He has announced every Yankees game since .-Early life:...
and Suzyn Waldman
Suzyn Waldman
Suzyn Waldman is a sportscaster and former Broadway actress. Starting with the 2005 season, she has been the color commentator for New York Yankees baseball, working with John Sterling on radio broadcasts for WCBS-AM in New York City...
announcing. This broadcast made Waldman the first woman to announce a World Series game on radio. XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
offered multiple feeds of each game to its subscribers.
| Game | Ratings Nielsen Ratings Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States... (households) | Share (households) | American audience (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11.9 | 19 | 19.5 |
| 2 | 11.7 | 19 | 18.9 |
| 3 | 9.1 | 18 | 15.4 |
| 4 | 13.5 | 22 | 22.8 |
| 5 | 10.6 | 16 | 17.1 |
| 6 | 13.4 | 22 | 22.3 |
Impact and aftermath
Many players with both teams won awards for their performances during the 2009 season. Teixeira and Jeter each won a Gold GloveRawlings Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
and Silver Slugger Award; Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino won Gold Gloves, as well; and Chase Utley won a Silver Slugger Award. Rivera was named the 2009 DHL Delivery Man of the Year, as well as Sporting News Pro Athlete of the Year. Along with the Hank Aaron Award
Hank Aaron Award
The Hank Aaron Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball players selected as the top hitter in each league, as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It was introduced in 1999 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron's surpassing of Babe Ruth's career home run mark...
announced before Game 4, Jeter won the Roberto Clemente Award
Roberto Clemente Award
The Roberto Clemente Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team", as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It is named for Hall of Fame...
and was named Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
s Sportsman of the Year
Sportsman of the Year
Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the "Sportsman of the Year" award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." Both Americans and non-Americans are eligible, though in the past the...
for 2009. Matsui won the World Series MVP for his play, becoming the first Japanese player and first full-time designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
to win the award. Several items related to the series were sent to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
including bats from Jeter and Matsui; caps from Rivera, Lee, and Pettitte; and Johnny Damon's cleats
Cleat (shoe)
Cleats or studs are protrusions on the sole of a shoe, or on an external attachment to a shoe, that provide additional traction on a soft or slippery surface...
.
Yankees
The series win brought the Yankees' franchise championship total to 27, more than any other North American professional sports franchise. This championship came in the Yankees' first year in their new stadium. They had also won the 1923 World Series1923 World Series
In the 1923 World Series, the New York Yankees beat the New York Giants in six games. This would be the first of the Yankees' 27 World Series championships...
, the opening year of the previous Yankee Stadium. The victory was noted by some sportswriters as a personal success for Alex Rodriguez, winning his first championship and succeeding in the playoffs where some had previously claimed he was a "choker and a loser". Prior to this series, Rodriguez had appeared in 2,166 regular season games without a World Series appearance, then the second-most among active players to Ken Griffey, Jr.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...
On November 6, a victory parade took place for the Yankees in the "Canyon of Heroes" in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City. The Yankees sent a group of players, coach Tony Peña
Tony Peña
Antonio Francisco Peña Padilla is a former professional baseball player, manager and current coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Pirates, Cardinals, Red Sox, Indians, White Sox, and Astros. Peña was the manager of the Kansas City Royals between 2002 and 2005. He...
, and team Senior Vice President Felix Lopez
Felix Lopez
Felix "the cat" Lopez is currently a Senior Vice President with the New York Yankees. His wife, Jessica, is owner George Steinbrenner's daughter. He met Jessica while doing landscaping work on her lawn. Known as "Felix the Cat" by the staff at Legends Field, the team's Spring Training complex, his...
with the Commissioner's Trophy to the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
in early January 2010 to meet with President Leonel Fernández
Leonel Fernández
Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna is a Dominican lawyer, academic, and the current President of the Dominican Republic since 2004. He held the same office from 1996 to 2000...
. Most of the 2009 Yankees received their championship rings on Opening Day the next season. Matsui was on the Angels in 2010 and when the Angels played their first series of the season in the Bronx, the Yankees home opener, they presented him with his ring. They also visited U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
in April 2010, presenting him with a signed jersey.
The Yankees' victory was credited to a number of different sources. Many players drew praise for their performances, including Series MVP Hideki Matsui; free agents signed the previous offseason including Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, and A. J. Burnett; and the so-called "Core Four
Core Four
The Core Four is a term commonly used to refer to New York Yankees players Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera. All four players were drafted or originally signed by the Yankees and played together in the minor leagues...
" of Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, and Jorge Posada, who had all played a large role in the Yankees' past success in the 1990s. Manager Joe Girardi was also credited for his management of the team, particularly in his decision to use only three starting pitchers in the Yankees postseason starting rotation. The Yankees were the first team to use only three starters in a World Series since the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
in the 1998 Series
1998 World Series
The 1998 World Series, the 94th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, matched the New York Yankees against the San Diego Padres . The Yankees swept the Series in four games to capture their second championship in three years, and their 24th overall...
. Several members of the Yankees franchise dedicated the World Series in part to team owner George Steinbrenner, who had recently stepped back from his once prominent position with the team. Steinbrenner died on the day of the All-Star Game
2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 81st midseason exhibition between the All-Stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball...
the following season at the age of 80. The Yankees returned to the playoffs the following season and ultimately lost to the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
in the 2010 ALCS
2010 American League Championship Series
The 2010 American League Championship Series was the best-of-seven game series pitting the winners of the 2010 American League Division Series for the American League Championship. The American League wild card-winning New York Yankees faced the American League Western Division champions Texas...
.
Phillies
Following Game 4, after the Yankees took a 3–1 series lead, The Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
accidentally printed a three-quarters-page Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
advertisement congratulating the Phillies for winning the World Series, along with a picture of a Phillies championship T-shirt. The newspaper subsequently apologized for the mistake. Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
attributed Philadelphia's loss to a lack of pitching depth, noting that three different Yankees starters managed to win games in the series, while only Cliff Lee won games for the Phillies. Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN partially attributed the Phillies' loss to their lack of offensive production, citing the team's .227 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
in the World Series. The Phillies also returned to the playoffs in 2010 and lost to the eventual champions the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in the NLCS
2010 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 2010 — 7:30 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaIn one of the most touted postseason pitching matchups in recent history, two former Cy Young Award winners faced off: Roy Halladay for the Phillies and Tim Lincecum for the Giants...
.
David Paterson ticket scandal
Among those in attendance during Game 1 was New York Governor David PatersonDavid Paterson
David Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
, whose party had five tickets behind home plate. On March 3, 2010, the New York Commission on Public Integrity found that Paterson had violated state laws concerning gifts to public officials, and that he lied under oath
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
to the commission about his intent to pay for the tickets. The commission further found that Paterson used his position to solicit and receive the five tickets—valued at US$425 each—free of charge from the Yankees, that he had never intended to pay for the tickets despite testimony to the contrary, and that he or a person acting on his behalf wrote a backdated check to pay for them only after scrutiny in the case arose. The Commission ultimately fined Paterson $62,125 for his actions.