October 21 - Wave it Fair - This Day in Baseball - The Daily Rewind

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

October 21, 1998 - The New York Yankees close out their historic season with 3 - 0 victory against the San Diego Padres, sweeping San Diego in four games to win their record 24th World Series championship. Andy Pettitte, who struggled mightily throughout the regular season secured the victory with 7 1/3 strong innings. With the Yankees clinging to a 3--0 lead in the eighth, the Padres were able to load the bases against Yankee's reliever Jeff Nelson. Yankees closer, Mariano Rivera came in and shut down Jim Leyritz, known for his clutch postseason home runs, to end the threat and went on to pitch a scoreless ninth inning to end the Series. Yankee first baseman Scott Brosius sensed as the ninth inning began that he would make the final play, and in fact did. The Padres pinch-hitter Mark Sweeney grounded to third base, and after Brosius threw to first for the final out, he raised his hands into the air. Mariano Rivera, the Yankees' closer, dropped to his knees as the other Yankees piled on around him. Scott Brosius was named Series MVP on the strength of the 2 home runs he hit in Game 3, including one off of Padres closer Trevor Hoffman to give the Yankees a 3-0 Series lead.The Game Four victory gave the Yankees 125 wins against 50 losses for a .714 winning percentage, the best in the majors since their Murderers' Row club of 1927, as their American League record of 114 regular-season victories were the most ever for a major league champion team at that time.

October 21, 1975, Carlton Fisk of the Boston Red Sox powers a dramatic 12th- inning home run to complete one of the most memorable games in World Series history. Playing in Game Six, Fisk homers off the foul pole at Fenway Park, giving the Red Sox a 7-6 win over the Cincinnati Reds. The Red Sox had trailed in the eighth inning, when Bernie Carbo hit a three-run, pinch-hit homer to tie the game at 6.

In 2002 this event, seen by a record-75.9 million viewers, will be chosen as one of baseball's most memorable moments.