World Series Heroes of the 2000s

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Oct 29, 2010

World Series Heroes of the 2000s

Derek Jeter

The Subway Series between the Mets and Yankees proved to be rather one-sided, thanks in large part to the play of Derek Jeter. The Yankees were up two games to one when the Captain started Game 4 with a jolt, belting the first pitch of the night from Bobby Jones over the Shea Stadium wall. It would be a sign of things to come as he lined another home run in Game 5, evening the score at two in the sixth. Jeter and Co. would win 4-2, clinching their fourth world title in five seasons.

Randy Johnson

Though Luis Gonzalez, who delivered the walk-off, Series-winning single in Game 7, is remembered best, it was Randy Johnson who may have played the most important role in Arizona's triumph over the Yankees. The 6-foot-10 lefty racked up 18 strikeouts in 16 innings while wining Games 2 and 6. His most unusual outing was in Game 7, however, when Johnson was called upon to pitch an inning and a third in relief. He earned the win and was later named Co-MVP alongside fellow starter Curt Schilling.

Troy Glaus

Troy Glaus gave Giants fans nightmares throughout the 2002 World Series, slugging three home runs through the first four games. His biggest hit, though, was a double in Game 6 that scored the tying and go-ahead runs in the eighth inning and completed Anaheim's comeback from a 5-0 deficit. After the Angels defeated the Giants 4-1 in Game 7, Glaus was presented with the World Series MVP Award.

Alex Gonzalez

Overshadowed by Josh Beckett's commanding performance in Game 6, Alex Gonzalez's at-bat in the bottom of the 12th in Game 2 was the pivotal moment in the 2003 World Series. He hit a wall-scraping homer off Jeff Weaver to seal a 4-3 Marlins win, a momentum-shifting blast that would even Florida and New York at two games apiece. Gonzalez struck again in Game 6, singling and scoring in the fifth for the series-winning run.

David Ortiz

Glorified for his heroics in the preceding ALCS, David Ortiz made his presence felt immediately in the 2004 World Series. He ripped a three-run homer in his first at-bat, staking Boston to an early 4-0 lead in Game 1. The Red Sox would never look back, blowing past the Cardinals in four straight games to claim their first World Series since 1918. Ortiz hit .308 during Boston's historic sweep.

Geoff Blum

The longest game in World Series history occurred on Oct. 25, 2005, when the White Sox and the Astros carried a 5-5 score into the 14th inning. That all changed when Geoff Blum knocked an Ezequiel Astacio offering out of the park, giving Chicago the lead and, eventually, the win, in 5 hours and 41 minutes. It was just one of four slim victories for the Sox in the series as they outscored Houston by a combined six runs in their four-game sweep. Blum and Co. celebrated the White Sox's first championship in 88 seasons.

David Eckstein

The pesky Eckstein pestered Tigers' pitchers all series, compiling eight hits during the Cardinals' five-game victory. He was especially effective in Game 4, blasting three doubles amid a four-for-five effort at the plate. St. Louis won the title in Game 5 and Eckstein was named World Series MVP.

Mike Lowell

The veteran third baseman keyed the Red Sox run at the 2007 title, batting an impressive .400 during Boston's four-game sweep of Colorado. He drove in the winning run with an RBI double in Game 2, and afforded the team with an insurance home run in the seventh inning of Game 4 en route to winning Series MVP honors.

Carlos Ruiz

In a lineup featuring Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth, Carlos Ruiz inflicted the most damage on the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays. He whacked a solo homer to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead in the second inning of Game 3, but would provide his biggest hit on a 45-foot infield dribbler in the bottom of the ninth. That sent home Eric Bruntlett as Philadelphia nabbed a 2-1 series lead. They'd never look back, dusting off the Rays in the final two contests to claim their first championship since 1980.

Hideki Matsui

Matsui lived up to his Godzilla nickname during the 2009 World Series, demolishing Philadelphia pitching for two home runs as the Yankees jumped out to a 3-2 series lead. He was lethal in Game 6, contributing a two-run homer, a bases loaded, two-run single and a two-RBI double in a 7-3 victory. His six RBIs tied a World Series single-game record and capped a stellar series in which Matsui batted .615. He became the first Japanese player to be named World Series MVP.