Read the arguments from Bleacher Fan and Loyal Homer about which game they believe was best in 2009.
The 2009 World Series was a Fall classic for the ages, as the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies squared off against the perennial powerhouse New York Yankees. With both teams boasting prolific offenses and dominant pitching, it was a matchup that many throughout the baseball world had prayed for. The series opened to all the pageantry that the Yankees could muster for their ailing, beloved boss George Steinbrenner, and their first World Series game in the new stadium. But, the Phillies wrote their own ending to the story of game one as they bested the Yankees 6-1. Feeling the pressure of entering the City of Brotherly Love down two games, the Bombers battled back the next evening to even the series at one game a piece. This set the stage for the most exciting sports experience of 2009 – Game 3 of the World Series.
In an epic slugfest on a soggy Halloween night, the Yankees and Phillies treated baseball fans everywhere to a clash for the ages. The pitching matchup featured grizzled veteran Andy Pettitte versus the 2008 World Series MVP, Cole Hamels. The Phillies struck first in the 2nd inning with a Jason Werth homer, and had the Yankees reeling as they watched Pettitte walk in a run. Hamels continued to shutout the Yankees through three innings, but as the Yankees did 51 other times during the 2009 season, the Bombers came back to win it. The Yanks got things started down three runs to nothing in the 4th inning with Alex Rodriguez’s controversial homerun, which ricocheted off of a camera in right field. It was his first World Series hit, ending an 0-8 slump. That hit shifted the momentum of the game, and the entire series, to the New York Yankees. The Yankees pressed on to tie the game on a bloop RBI, hit by none other than the pitcher himself, Andy Pettitte. Then the Yankees opened the lead up with key home runs by the free spirited right fielder, Nick Swisher, and eventual World Series MVP, Hideki Matsui. The emphatic nail in the coffin was the entrance of “The Hammer of God” – closer Mariano River. The rest, as they say, is history.
This game was incredible. Too often in contemporary sports overly hyped matchups fail to live up to the billing, but this game exceeded its already great expectations. Game three was an emotional roller coaster ride for everyone. The collective spirit of Philly Fans soared when Jason Werth launched a pair of homeruns into the stands during game three, and the heartbreak was palpable when Cole Hamels crumbled and was lifted in the fifth inning. Similarly, Yankees fans went from desperation to elation as the game progressed. This was a game that simply could not be forgotten for its importance and entertainment.
This was not just an outstanding game, set on the most prestigious stage the sport has to offer, it was history. A-Rod’s controversial A-Bomb in the fourth inning prompted the first use of instant replay in the World Series. This was altogether fitting seeing as how his homerun September 3rd, 2008, against the Tampa Bay Rays, prompted the first regular season use of instant replay in Major League Baseball. No less historically significant was the notable World Series achievements of Andy Pettitte, who in 2009 became the all-time leader in post season wins, starts, and inning pitched. Game three also moved Pettitte into second place on the all-time list of World Series starts with 20, behind Whitey Ford who holds the record with 22.
Game three was, in a word, pivotal. It lived up to the excitement of an outstanding World Series. It made history, and it made memories. Game three of the World Series was the game of 2009.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by The Sports Debates, Easton Baseball. Easton Baseball said: What do u think? Rt @thesportsdebate The BEST sporting event of 2009 was Game 3 of the World Series. http://bit.ly/91z8Sn #Yankees #Phillies [...]