5. Chambliss Sends The Bronx Into A Frenzy
It had been 12 years since the Yankees had appeared in a World Series. That is until Chris Chambliss stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth in Game 5 of the 1976 ALCS.
Facing Kansas City Royals Mark Littell, who had put up 4.2 scoreless frames in the series, with the game tied up at six, Chambliss smacked a walk-off solo blast to clinch the pennant in front of a crowd of 56,821.
As the slugger rounded the bases, most of that crowd stormed the field in a celebration that resembled that of a riot in the Bronx.
Great list! But certainly the Bucky Dent game in Boston (though not technically a post-season game) deserved more than just an honorable mention? I would put it easily at top 5 since it is one of the mos famous games in Yankee history – in fact, in *all* of baseball history.
Game 7 of the 1952 World Series was played in Brooklyn, so Mantle’s game-wining home run was in the top of the 7th, not bottom of the 7th. Sorry, I didn’t say that to nitpick, but as an introduction to another suggestion: Game 3 of the 1964 World Series, when Mantle hit the game-winning walk-off homer, his record 16th World Series home run (breaking a record he shared with Babe Ruth). The Yankees did not win the World Series but that was certainly a highlight in Yankee postseason history.
Another nominee: Game 4 of the 1996 World Series, when Yankees came back from a 6-0 deficit to win the game 8-6 and tie the Series with Atlanta. The highlight of the game: Jim Leyritz’s 3-run homer to tie the game at 6-6 in the top of the 8th. This game was so important as it paved the way for the Yankees to come back and win the Series (their first championship since 1978), and jump-started their 1996-2000 dynasty when they won 4 titles in 5 years.