THIS DAY IN BASEBALL 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 challenges would have clearly showed fan interference) and set the stage for Williams’ extra innings heroics.

The Puerto Rican centerfielder and future Hall of Famer Jeter would of course become clutch postseason players throughout their careers as the home-grown cornerstones of the Yankees’ late-‘90s dynasty — which arguably began with a remarkable display of mystique, aura and unbelievably good luck.

Also on the day: Oakland outfielder Jose Canseco’s third long ball of the 1988 ALCS caps a four-game sweep of the Red Sox. The Cuban-born Bash Brother, along with young slugger Mark McGwire, went on to lose the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 2024, the New York Mets move on to the NLDS after a 4-1 victory against the powerhouse Phillies. Francisco Lindor, the season’s National League MVP runner-up behind the Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani, hits a grand slam to account for all of New York’s runs.