THIS DAY IN BÉISBOL October 10: Raul Ibañez wins ALDS for Yankees with 12th-inning homer
A pinch hitter stepping up to the plate to bat for Alex Rodriguez was about as rare as a perfect game. But on this day in beisbol, October 10, 2012, Yankees manager Joe Girardi had no choice but to bring in a substitute for his struggling star, egos be damned. The 2012 ALDS against the Orioles was tied 1-1, and A-Rod wasn’t hitting. With the Bombers down 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Girardi turned to a veteran left-handed slugger for a miracle, and Raul Ibañez, 40 years old and still a power threat, didn’t disappoint. He blasted a
THIS DAY IN BÉISBOL October 9: Bernie Williams hits 11th-inning HR to win ’96 ALDS Game 1
Yankees centerfielder Bernie Williams slammed an 11th-inning walk-off homer to win Game 1 of the ALCS against the Orioles on this day in beisbol, October 9, 1996. But it’s Derek Jeter’s game-tying dinger in the 8th inning that everybody was buzzing about. The rookie shortstop’s “home run” was actually a deep fly ball that died at the right field wall and was about to only result in a loud out — until 12-year-old fan Jeffrey Maier reached over and snatched the catch away from right fielder Tony Tarasco. The drive was ruled a home run (this was way before video
THIS DAY IN BÉISBOL October 8: Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez slugs grand slam in 2024 NLDS
On this day in beisbol, October 8, 2024, Teoscar Hernandez of the Dodgers hit a grand slam in Game 3 of the NLDS after the San Diego Padres had taken an early 6-0 lead. The clutch based-loaded jack off of Pods starter Michael King makes the score 6-5 in favor of San Diego, but it fails to shift the momentum much for Los Angeles as both teams stop scoring after the third inning. The Padres took a 2-1 lead in the best of five series, but the Dodgers bounced back to win the NLDS, then beat the Mets in the
NEWS: Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor is looking to put 2025 failure behind him
Few players get to make a milestone home run cause for a double celebration, but Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor made the most of his walk-off blast against the St. Louis Cardinals a couple of weeks into the 2025 season. The upper-deck dinger on April 18 not only gave the Mets a dramatic 5-4 win, it was Lindor’s 250th career homer — not a small accomplishment for a shortstop. Only five other players at his position have reached that number, and it’s a pretty impressive list that includes Cal Ripken, Alex Rodriguez, Ernie Banks, Miguel Tejada, and Derek Jeter. For Lindor,
ICON: Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols capped his Hall of Fame-worthy career with a dream final season. While his return to the Cardinals in 2022 ended with St. Louis losing the NL Wild Card series to the Phillies, Pujols had a remarkable resurgence in the last half of the year to climax a brilliant 22-year career — highlighted by his becoming only the fourth member of the 700 home run club. The Dominican-born superstar known as “The Machine” cemented his legacy as one of the greatest hitters ever when he bashed his 703rd home run — the final one of his career — on
HALL OF FAME: Edgar Martinez, 2019
EDGAR MARTINEZ Designated Hitter Born: January 2, 1963 in New York City, raised in Puerto Rico Bats: Right / Throws: Right Hall of Fame Induction: 2019 Team: Seattle Mariners 1987-2004 MLB debut: September 12, 1987, for the Seattle Mariners Last MLB appearance: Oct. 3, 2004, for the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame plaque: "One of the game's best pure batsmen, defined designated hitter position with a precise batting eye and ability to consistently drive the ball to all fields. Became the third right-handed batter in history with as many as seven consecutive seasons with a .300 average, .400 on-base percentage,
NEWS: Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman turns back the clock in Wild Card Game 1
Aroldis Chapman’s performance in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card series between the Yankees and the Red Sox in the Bronx this week was a remarkable sight to behold. The Boston closer, enjoying one of the best seasons of his long and well-traveled career, somehow wriggled out of a no-out, based-loaded hole in the bottom of the ninth inning with a vintage display of triple-digit heat. With the Red Sox up 3-1, what looked like another classic choke and comeback in the long and bitter history between the AL East rivals instead turned into a tough loss for
NEWS: Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz named AL Player of the Week
Yandy Diaz of the Tampa Bay Rays has won the American League Player of the Week award after a torrid seven-game stretch in which he hit nearly .600. The 34-year-old first baseman was 13-for-22 — good for a .591 clip —with a homer, two doubles, nine walks, five runs scored and four RBI from September 15 to 21. Diaz had an astounding on-base percentage of .710 during that span due to five multi-hit games and working at least one walk per game, reaching base 22 times in 31 plate appearances. The Saugua La Grande, Cuba native, who has played for
