The Best Yankee Game of the Decade

The moment you've all been waiting for. The best Yankee game of the past decade is:

1. October 16, 2003 Game 7 ALCS "Aaron Bleepin' Boone" : Yankees vs Red Sox. Game 7. Winner goes to the World Series, loser goes home. Clemens faces Pedro again after the Fenway fiasco in Game3. The Red Sox pounded Clemens early. Trot Nixon hit a two-run home run in a three-run second inning for the Red Sox. In the top of the fourth Clemens gave up a leadoff home run to Kevin Millar, walked Trot Nixon, and a single to Bill Mueller. Torre had seen enugh and called on Mike Mussian with first and second nobody out, down 4-0. Mussina did the best thing possible by striking out Varitek and getting Damon to groundout into a double play to escape the jam.

The Yankees did not score until Giambi hit a solo home run in the fifth and seventh innings. Ortiz gave the Red Sox some insurance in the top of the eighth with a solo home run to make it 5-2. After getting Nick Johnson to pop out, Pedro Martinez and the Red Sox were 5 outs away from beating the Yankees to go to the World Series. That's when the ghosts arrived.

Jeter doubled and Bernie Williams singled to score him narrowing the score to 5-3. With the lefthanded Matsui coming to the plate, it appeared Pedro's night had been done. But instead Grady Little left Pedro in and Matsui doubled down the righfield line making it second and third with 1 out. For sure Pedro's night was done now. But no. He stayed out to face Jorge Posada who blooped a single into centerfield which tied the game 5-5. The Yankees had comeback and Pedro's night was done for good.

Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth, 10th, and 11th innings to keep the score tied at 5. Then to lead off the 11th, mid-season acquistion Aaron Boone was up for his first at bat of the game replacing Enrique Wilson. On the first pitch by Tim Wakefield, Boone sent the ball sailing into leftfield sending the Yankees to the World Series and the stadium into a frenzy.

It was a celebration in the Bronx in one of the most classic baseball games you can watch. The game had plenty of hype going into it, and it managed to be greater than advertised. The Yankees lost the World Series that year, but the seven games against the Red Sox were so grueling and intense it felt more like that was the World Series. It was also the last time the 19-18 chants took place at Yankee Stadium, but we won't get any further into that.

That concludes our list of the top Yankees games of the decade. Feel free to post what your favorite game was or if you think there were any games we missed.

Have a happy and healthy New Year and hopefully the next year and decade brings great Yankees memories as well.

See Ya in 2010!