comparing two pinstripe heroes

Raul Ibanez put on the biggest clutch performances New York fans have since Aaron Boone in 2003. And it is fun to look at the two games and see how history has a way of repeating itself.

Aaron Boone was in his first season with the Yankees, as is Raul Ibanez. Boone was 30, Ibanez is 40 (nice round numbers). Neither player started the game (Boone pinch-ran for Ruben Sierra, Ibanez pinch-hit for A-Rod). Boone’s homer came on the first pitch of the eleventh inning; Ibanez hit his game-winner on the first pitch of the twelfth. The hits beat division rivals in the playoffs.

Boone’s blast won Game 7 of the ALCS against the Boston Red Sox and sent the Yankees into the World Series. There is nothing in the world that can compare to that feat. That places Boone in a place all of his own in Yankee lore. Ibanez’ home run won a pivotal Game 3 of the ALDS against the Orioles. Incredibly important, but not of the grand scale as Aaron Boone’s heroics.

But it wasn’t just a walk-off homer for Raul. It was TWO home runs! The first he hit with one out in the ninth inning against the best relief pitcher in the American League, in a game where the Yankees hitters did nothing the whole game. He hit the dramatic home run to tie the game in the ninth, and then the next pitch he saw he slammed into the right field seats for the walk-off in the twelfth. That display puts him uniquely in the Yankees history books.

The most unbelievable aspect of Ibanez’ performance was the opportunity itself. Joe Girardi chose to send up Raul Ibanez in place of the $275 million man Alex Rodriguez and his 647 home runs, trailing by one run in the bottom of the ninth. He deserved to hit, but replacing a future first-ballot Hall-of-Famer in that situation? That move took a lot of gumption by Girardi. And he came off smelling of roses. Makes you wonder why he didn’t use the clutch slugger sooner, but it obviously worked out.

The other detail about Ibanez was that this was nothing new for him and Yankees fans. He has been clutch all year. In fact, this is the third time he’s done it in the last two and a half weeks! In a crucial game October 2 against the Red Sox, Ibanez hit a pinch-hit home run to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, and then went on to get the game-winning hit with two outs in the twelfth. On September 22 against the playoff-bound Athletics, Ibanez hit a pinch-hit home run in the 5th inning to break a tie, and after getting hit by a pitch and doubling, he hit a game-tying home run in the 13th inning after the A’s took a 4-run lead in the top of the inning. We’re not talking one big hit; this is repeated, multiple game-tying and game-winning hits the same night!

And that’s not all. On June 23, down 3-0, Ibanez hit a three-run homer to tie the game in the 7th against the Mets, a few batters before Eric Chavez hit the go-ahead homer. In a July game, tie game with two outs in the bottom of the 8th, Ibanez hit a game-winning grand slam to beat the Blue Jays. Raul Ibanez has been the most clutch, timely, dramatic hitter for the New York Yankees this season, and perhaps all of baseball. And like Aaron Boone, Raul Ibanez is a name no Yankees fan will ever forget.