(Technically) Today in Postseason History: Derek Jeter becomes Mr. November with walk-off HR
Today in Postseason History: Mr. November is born
On Oct. 31, 2001, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter stepped into the batter's box to face D-backs closer Byung-Hyun Kim in the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 4 of the World Series. The score was tied at 3, thanks to Tino Martinez's two-run homer the inning before.
After Jeter fouled off the first pitch of the at-bat, the clock struck midnight, meaning it was officially the first MLB game to be played in November. The Yankee Stadium scoreboard flashed a message to mark the occasion:
Jeter fell behind, 0-2, but battled back to work the count full. After he fouled off the eighth pitch of the at-bat, the cameras found a fan holding up a sign that read "Mr. November." On the very next pitch, Jeter pushed a walk-off home run over the right-field wall to tie the series and earn himself a wonderful nickname in the process:
The Yankees staged a dramatic comeback in Game 5, too, winning, 3-2, in 12 innings. But they lost Games 6 and 7 in equally dramatic fashion, as the D-backs won their first World Series in franchise history.