13 years ago today: Raul Ibanez hits a pinch-hit, game-tying homer in the ninth inning, then wins the game for the Yankees with a walk-off bomb in the 12th in Game 3 of the ALDS.

34 comments

1. Simpler times

2. 13 years ago?! I do NOT appreciate how fast time is moving.

3. I was in rehab for this series.

4. THIRTEEN YEARS???

5. Wow. Check out that crowd energy! 😎👍🧨😸🎶🐶💪

6. when we were a proper franchise

7. the second home run the way he’s running you can tell he felt like it was an out of body experience. lefty batters hit .175 off matusz that year and ibanez had zero homers off lefties during the regular season. bonkers.

8. One of the best moments in recorded human history

9. Back when this franchise had grit. Foreign concept now

10. I think this is the last playoff walk off at Yankee stadium

11. 2012 team wins a title if Jeter doesn’t get injured

12. Nice moment but I knew offense was cooked and we were screwed in CS

13. Judge was trying to channel this energy this year and the team let him down.

14. I’ll never forget Raul Ibanez being one of the most clutch Yankees I’ve ever seen that year.

    What a legend.

15. This was an incredible night.

16. Pinch hitting for Arod no less. 😭

17. I was at that game. Never experienced anything like that. Absolute bedlam.

18. SO COOL

19. I was there! Best game I’ve ever been to, hands down.

20. Some guys hit in the clutch.

    And then there was Raul Ibañez.

    Yankees’ legend, despite of playing for us just one season.

21. I’ll give AROD his credit, he was pretty happy for him

22. I was at this game! The crowd was electric, I cannot believe it has been 13 years.

23. Most memorable game I’ve been to. Strangers were hugging each other after the walkoff

24. That walk-off home run call by Sterling is SO FUCKING GOOD. Unreal.

    Miss him…

25. damn Ibanez was awesome. i feel like he was a bit underappreciated?

26. More clutch than A-rod ever was…and it’s only fitting that’s precisely who he was pinch hitting for

27. I was at that game in right field bleachers. Was awesome

28. This was already a team that was a shell of its former self. Around this time the Yankees started getting away from good contact hitters and looking more into power hitters with lower contact. A-Rod was past prime, Tex was past prime and this was one of his last good final years (he had one more good year a couple years later). Jeter and Cano were the only .280+ hitters of the team that year (2012) versus 2009 where they had 6 different hitters batting .280 or better with 7 hitters with a 120+ OPS+. In 2012 they only had 3 hitters with a 120+ OPS+.

    2012 to 2016 was one of the worst Yankee teams i’ve ever witnessed. Basically on par with 2023.

29. my throat is still sore from yelling RAUUUUUUL

30. I was there for this, insane atmosphere

31. Best game I’ve ever been to in person.

32. Fuck me I’m old

33. I was there in left field. Absolutely amazing experience! To pinch hit for Arod and come through like that. One of my greatest Yankee memories!

34. I remember watching that. Damn