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Sojo, so sweet

Luis Sojo's two-out single in the ninth gives Yankees a third straight World Series title.

[AP photos] Yankee fans celebrate their team's World Series victory over the Mets outside of Yankee Stadium early this morning.

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 27, 2000

NEW YORK -- Surviving the Mets was certainly difficult enough. But now the Yankees are in for some even more difficult competition.

When centerfielder Bernie Williams cradled Mike Piazza's line drive to secure a thrilling 4-2 victory at the stroke of midnight Thursday, the Yankees celebrated their third straight World Series championship and their fourth in five years.

The facts of the Yankees' accomplishments are straightforward. They are the first to win three straight championships since the 1972-74 A's, and just the fourth overall to win as many as three in a row.

Yankees Tino Martinez, left, Chuck Knoblauch (11) and Jose Vizcaino, celebrate after beating the Mets for the title.

And there have been only two other times in history that a team has had a better run than winning four titles in a five-year span. The Yankees won five of six championships from 1936-41, and six of seven from 1947-53.

So now there will be discussion over whether these Yankees are as good as those teams.

"This core group winning four World Series out of five years in this day and age when you have to come through layer after layer of post-season play, we can put our record, our dedication, our resolve up against any team that's ever played the game of baseball in my mind," said Yankees manager Joe Torre, his T-shirt again drenched with champagne. "We may not have had the best players, but we certainly have had the best team."

The decisive game, played before 55,292 at Shea Stadium, proved to be a thrilling ride, as was most of the action during the first Subway Series in 44 years.

Having tied the score 2-2 in the sixth on a home run by Series MVP Derek Jeter, the Yankees won it in the ninth, spoiling a courageous effort by Mets left-hander Al Leiter with some of the good fortune that they have shown over the years.

Luis Sojo singled with two outs in the ninth, scoring Jorge Posada and Scott Brosius, who came in when centerfielder Jay Payton's throw hit Posada as he slid across the plate and bounced away from catcher Mike Piazza and into the Mets dugout.

"The throw had him," Mets manager Bobby Valentine said. "It hit the runner. ... If the ball is a fraction of a second sooner, or an inch away form the runner's leg, Mike would have caught it and tagged him out."

The rally started when Posada drew a two-out walk. Brosius singled sharply to left and Sojo, a late-game replacement who seems to be in the middle of all things good, bounced Leiter's 142nd and final pitch through the middle, with shortstop Kurt Abbott and second baseman Edgardo Alfonzo both diving for it.

"A dream come true," Sojo said.

Mariano Rivera worked the ninth, allowing just a one-out walk, then retiring Alfonzo and Piazza to clinch the championship.

"That was probably the most scared I've been," Torre said. "When Mike hit that ball I screamed, "No!' "

The significance of the Yankees' accomplishments will be something for the historians, and sports radio fanatics, to determine.

"It's been a run, I don't even know how to explain it," Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer said. "It's damn near unheard of."

"Four world championships in five years speaks for itself," said Reggie Jackson, a Yankees adviser and member of the A's championship teams. "In comparison to the Yankees of the '50s, it's probably a little harder nowadays. There's a great argument there. More teams, not as much talent compared to the '50s, less teams, more talent. The extra tier of playoffs makes it tougher."

Leiter's 8 2/3-inning effort was nearly matched by Yankees starter Andy Pettitte, who gave up eight hits, seven of them singles, in his seven innings.

Pettitte escaped unscathed despite having two on in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, but may have been at his best in the seventh. Alfonzo opened with a single, but Pettitte retired Piazza on a liner to center and struck out Todd Zeile and Robin Ventura.

Leiter allowed seven hits, though Williams and Jeter hit homers. "He battled them," Valentine said. "He gave everything he had."

The Yankees broke on top again, this time with a second-inning home run by Williams, who drove a full-count pitch down the leftfield line and into the second deck of seats, breaking an 0-for-22 Series streak.

The Mets' tendency is to respond quickly when down, and they did so with two runs when the Yankees uncharacteristically made some defensive mistakes.

The rally started when ex-Devil Ray Bubba Trammell drew a one-out walk. Jay Payton followed with a bloop single, and the runners advanced to second and third on Abbott's infield out.

Leiter pushed a bunt past the pitcher's mound. First baseman Tino Martinez bobbled the ball briefly before tossing to first, where Pettitte couldn't handle the throw. The error allowed Trammell to score.

Benny Agbayani, batting leadoff in Valentine's "different look" lineup, scored Payton by hitting a slow roller toward third. Brosius is considered one of the best at making a barehanded play on such balls, but he never touched it.

The Mets blew a chance for more in the fourth when Abbott got picked off first. A Trammell single, a fielder's choice grounder and an Abbott walk put Mets on first and second with one out and put Leiter in a likely bunt situation. But Pettitte has an excellent move to first, and he effortlessly caught Abbott leaning. Leiter then grounded out.

Jeter, who flexed his muscles with a leadoff home run and a triple on Wednesday, did it again Thursday, ripping a one-out homer to left in the sixth to tie the score 2-2. Jeter extended his Series hitting streak to 14 games, matching Roberto Clemente for the third longest in history. He batted .409 (9-for-22) against the Mets.

"What can you say?" Jeter said as he accepted the MVP trophy. "This is a group of MVPs. Every game, we have a new hero. You can't say enough about this team."

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Gary Shelton