I was watching "Yankee Classics" on the YES Network a few days ago, and they were showing one of my favorites: game 1 of the 1996 ALCS vs. Baltimore. Yes, it's the infamous "Jeffrey Maier Game".
Watching the play again, in which the young boy (who's now in his 20's) "stole" a home run for the Yankees' Derek Jeter, got me wondering - how different would things be today had Maier not snatched that ball?
Certainly the Orioles would have won that game if not for the interference. Perhaps they'd have won the series as well, and might have even won the World Series instead of the Yankees. Maybe a then "clueless" Joe Torre gets fired after bowing out in the playoffs in '96 and '97, and the Yankee dynasty of the late 90's never happens. Could the Orioles have won multiple World Series' instead of the Yankees?
It never ceases to amaze me that in baseball (and in life in general, for that matter), one seemingly small moment can change the trajectory of every event that follows. For me, the Jeffrey Maier interference play was one of those moments. It very well could have been a key turning point in Yankees history.
Much like Cubs fans vilify Steve Bartman, Yankee fans should celebrate Jeffrey Maier. So thanks Jeffrey, wherever you are, for the 1996 World Series, and maybe even a few more.
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