Everyone, the Yankees are back. I admit, when they were 8-11, tied with the Devil Rays for fourth place, many games back from the Red Sox, I was worried. Many were worried and everyone was wondering what was going on. It seemed like the Yankees were headed nowhere and that it was going to be a disappointing season. I recall the exact moment that the Yankees turned their season around, and we all can thank Ruben Sierra. The Yankee who nobody thought would impact the Yankees season that much turned the 2004 Yankees season completely around.

The day was April 27th, 2004. The time was 10:03 p.m. and the place was Yankee stadium before a half-empty crowd. Previously in the top of the eighth, the A’s had bases loaded, but could not come through and the score was 8-4 in favor of the Athletics. But at 10:03, the Yankees had bases loaded, with Ruben Sierra at the plate. With an 0-2 count, Mercir delivers the pitch and Sierra hits a line drive to the outfield down the left field foul line. It slices and drops, fair or foul? Incredibly, it’s fair and that two run double by Ruben Sierra sparked an eighth inning rally that gave the Yankees a 10-8 win over the Athletics.

That 10-8 win was the first game of a series of three against the Oakland A’s. The Yankees went on to win the second by a score of 5-1 and the third by a score of 5-2, finishing off the sweep. The Yankees swept the A’s, that’s right, they swept Hudson, Zito, and Mulder. The last time the Yankees did that was on the same days, April 27-29 2001. Maybe a coincidence? So let’s not say that they’ve completely turned it around, maybe it was just a coincidence. So let’s head to their next series with the Royals.

The first game of the series, the Yankees won 5-2 behind a great pitching performance by Javier Vazquez. In the second game of the series, the Yankees bats came alive and won 12-4 behind Jon Lieber’s first start in the Majors since 2002. The Yankees then in the third game of the series took the game 4-2 and finished off their sixth in a row and swept the Royals. Things were now looking good for the Yankees. Those Yankee fans who were in terrible moods were now joyous and celebrating, and all Yankee fans were once again optimistic that we would be taking the championship in 2004.

The Yankees, now on a six game win streak, head out to the west coast for most of the month of May. They’ll have a series with Oakland, two series with the Angels, and two series with the Mariners. But all Yankee fans can now take a sigh of relief. When it looked like nobody knew what was happening, the Yankees couldn’t hit, the Yankees couldn’t pitch, and they couldn’t win, but it all turned around.

Coming into the season, everyone thought that Sheffield, A-Rod, or Jeter would impact the Yankees the most, but no, it was Ruben Sierra. Ruben Sierra turned a feeling of despair for the Yankees into a six game win streak. All the Yankees now are playing their best and like everyone thought coming into the year, this is one tough team to beat.

 

Mike is a staff writer for NYYFans.com