Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

As Soriano steps up: 'Another star is born'

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 23, 2001

NEW YORK -- They seem to come from everywhere, these Yankees postseason stars.

In this case, Alfonso Soriano came from the Dominican Republic by way of Japan, came from the fringe of the 25-man roster and a utility role in March to the center of Sunday night's joyous home-plate celebration.

"Another star is born," veteran teammate Luis Sojo said. "He's amazing."

Soriano joined a list of Yankees who delivered clutch postseason home runs -- Reggie Jackson, Chris Chambliss and Bernie Williams. But it is the comparison to another Yankee that is most telling. "He reminds me of Derek Jeter in 1996," Sojo said.

Even Jeter acknowledged the similarities, though he said the difference is that Soriano's arrival wasn't accompanied by the same hype he had to deal with.

There's a reason for that. At the start of spring training, the Yankees didn't know if Soriano would be on the team (there were numerous trade offers) or where he would play. "We didn't know where he was going to fit," manager Joe Torre said Monday.

Now they can only wonder where they would be without him.

Soriano had the biggest hit of the Yankees' October, a two-run home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday that gave them a 3-1 win against the Mariners and a three games to one lead in the ALCS.

The 23-year-old rookie was a shortstop growing up in San Pedro de Macoris and when he played briefly in Japan but was being considered for a utility role this season. About 10 days before the end of spring training, the Yankees decided to shift troubled Chuck Knoblauch to leftfield and move Soriano into the second-base job.

He hit .268 with 18 home runs and 73 RBI -- despite a strikeout-walk ratio of 125-29 -- and stole 43 bases.

Despite a pair of gaffes -- failing to run out a ball in Game 1 and breaking late to second base in Game 3 -- he has had a strong postseason: a two-run single in the division series clincher against Oakland, several impressive defensive plays, and the two-run homer that ended Sunday's game.

"It's something very big to be a hero in a game like this," Soriano said. "It was a very big moment. It was a very big time for me."

The Mariners noticed.

"This young man has really improved as the year has gone forward," manager Lou Piniella said.

Soriano's dramatics were not unprecedented. His first major-league hit on Sept. 24, 1999, was an 11th-inning game-winning home run -- that beat the Rays 4-3.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright