Yankees vs. Diamondbacks Preview

It's kind of ironic that the Yankees are following up their series with the Pirates by playing the Diamondbacks. The two teams are intertwined in Yankees fans nightmares.

For anyone over the age of 50 seeing the Pittsburgh Pirates brings back painful memories of the 1960 World Series. For the rest of us, there is 2001. Both last at-bat losses in Game 7. There were many differences, but some painful similarities as well.

The Yankees offense was a juggernaut in the '60 series. They won games by scores of 16-3, 12-0, and 10-0. Each game the Pirates won was a close, tightly pitched contest. That all changed in Game 7 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. You've probably seen the replay hundreds of times of Bill Virdon's bad hop hit Tony Kubek in the throat. It helped turn the game around as the Pirates scored 5 times in the bottom of the 8th to take a 9-7 lead.

The Yankees rallied for 2 runs in the 9th to tie it, but then there's the image of Yogi running back in left and watching Mazeroski's ball clear the left field wall. The HR made Maz's career and overrated his value as well. Sorry, but the guy doesn't belong in the Hall.

The Yankees were far from an offensive juggernaut in 2001. It was clear that the team was getting old and couldn't hit like it used to. As it turned out, Paul O'Neill and Scott Brosius would retire after the season, and Tino Martinez would sign as a free agent with the Cards as the Yankees preferred to bring in Jason Giambi.

If not for some magical moments in games 4 and 5, the series could have been over quickly. And then of course, it seemed like another championship was a lock. Alfonso Soriano had homered off of Schitbag to give the Yankees the lead and Mo was on the mound in the 9th. And the rest is misery. Just as many older Yankees fans turn their head and can't watch the end of the '60 series, I can't watch the end of 2001. With Luis Gonzalez's little bloop over the drawn in infield scoring the game winner against a suddenly human Mariano Rivera.

The Pirates last made it to a series in 1979. Neither they nor the Dbacks will going again any time soon. Sometimes you have to be punished for messing up Yankeeland!

Here are the pitching probables for the 3 game series with AZ.

Tuesday - Battle of the sinkers - Brandon Webb vs. Chien-Ming Wang
Wednesday - Livan Hernandez vs. Mike Mussina
Thursday - Doug Davis vs. Andy Pettitte