1996 Yankees-Rangers ALDS recap

The 1995 League Championship Series marked the second round of the postseason -- the first year that a second round was required to get to the World Series. The only exception had been 1981, when the season was split into halves due to a labor stoppage. Perhaps fitting for the occasion, this matchup was something entirely new.

The Rangers were making their postseason debut since relocating as a franchise to Texas in 1972. They boasted a high-powered offense led by right fielder Juan Gonzalez, who would smash five homers in this ALDS, at least one per game.

They were facing the franchise that was the epitome of postseason success. Unbeknownst to anyone, this also would be a new kind of Yankees club, with a new manager (Joe Torre) and a focused young nucleus that was on its way to forming a dynasty.

Texas made the most of its first postseason game, which would be its only postseason victory until the Game 1 of the 2010 ALDS. Righty John Burkett went the distance for the win, and Gonzalez hit a three-run homer in a five-run fifth during a 6-2 win at Yankee Stadium.

But that was all she wrote for the Rangers. Andy Pettitte, who led the Majors with 21 wins during the regular season, started Game 2 for the Yankees and was one of seven pitchers Torre had to use that day. With the score tied at 4, a rookie shortstop named Derek Jeter led off the bottom of the 12th with a single, moved to second on Tim Raines' walk, and then scored from second with the winning run when Rangers third baseman Dean Palmer threw errantly to first on Charlie Hayes' sac-bunt attempt.

It was one of three hits in the game for Jeter, who batted .412 (7-for-17) in his first postseason series. It was his first of 33 postseason series, and he would wind up with 200 hits in 650 at-bats (.308). He and the Yankees won Games 2-4 against Texas to clinch, and the legend of Derek Jeter would only begin to grow with what happened in his next postseason game against Baltimore.

Path to the ALDS: New York (92-70) won the AL East by four games; Texas (90-72) won the AL West by 4 1/2 games.

Managers: Joe Torre, NYY; Johnny Oates, TEX