The November Series, or 2001 World Series, was the 97th edition of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) championship series. The Series was played between the National League champion Arizona Diamondbacks and American League champion New York Yankees. It was played at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, Arizona and Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York from October 27 to November, 2001.
Previous Series Matches
Arizona defeated Yankees 9-1 in a one-sided Game 1 at Arizona’s home stadium Bank One Ballpark, and took the lead 1-0 in a series. Game 2 was also very much one-sided; Arizona embarrassed the Yankees 4-0 to take the lead 2-0. However, Yankees strongly came back and silenced all the critics by defeating Arizona 2-1, 4-3, 3-2 in the Games 3, 4 and 5 respectively.
The Games 3, 4 and 5 was played at the Yankees’ home ballpark Yankee Stadium, and the Yankees’ were leading the series 3-2. Game 6 was the ‘do or die’ game for the Arizona, and they proved that why they are the National League champion by defeating the Yankees 15-2, and evened the series 3-3.
Game 7
It seemed like Yankees will continue their winning streak, but Diamondbacks put together one of the greatest late game comebacks in the history of baseball. Game 7 was played on Sunday, November 4, 2001 at the home stadium of Arizona Diamondbacks.
The match was tied 0-0 after the fifth inning, and then the deadlock was broken by the Diamondbacks, and scored first in the sixth inning with a Steve Finley single, and went ahead 1-0 in the bottom of sixth inning. However, Yankees responded with a single from the Tino Martinez in the seventh inning, which drove in Derek Jeter and tied the match with 1-1.
In the 8th inning, Arizona’s Curt Schilling tried to slip a low fastball through Yankees rookie sensation Alfonso Soriano. However, Soriano struck a frozen rope on a 0-2 pitch that landed in the left field bleachers. This mighty blow lit up the Yankees dugout, silenced the Arizona crowd, and put Yankees ahead by a score of 2-1.
In the 9th inning, with Bell at first, Cummings at third, the next batter, Tomy Womack drove a double along the right field line on a 2-2 pitch of Mariano Rivera that leveled the score. Mariano‘s stupendous post-season shutout streak was ended, and the match was evened 2-2.
However, there was still a chance for Yankees to come back, if the Rivera could get two out. But, Louis Gonzalez lofted a soft single over the Derek Jeter that hardly reached the outfield grass, and plating the winning runs for his team. The Diamondbacks defeated the Yankees 3-2 in an interesting match, and won the series 4-3.
The Arizona Diamondbacks became the first youngest team to ever win the World Series championship, and also the first team to rally from a deficit to win in the ninth inning of a World Series Game 7. Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling were named co-recipients of the MVP (Most Valuable Person) award.