PHOENIX – Dead men may tell no tales, but dead wood does. Despite a collective .177 average through the first five games of the World Series, the Yankees were poised to finish off the Diamondbacks and claim their fourth straight championship last night.
“I think this is the real baseball,” Joe Torre said during an off-day press conference Friday. “I think people think what puts people in the stands are smaller ballparks and the 10-11, 12-9 games and all that stuff.
“I still think this is the real baseball game, the dramatic one play that may turn a game.”
Were the Islanders this offensively inept when Bossy and Trottier took home their fourth Stanley Cup? Did Jordan and Pippen throw up bricks when the Bulls won their sixth title in eight years? Hardly.
But the Yankees have struggled through this entire postseason, hitting at a .227 clip, getting hits only when they absolutely need them. That was the case from Game 3 of the ALDS on.
Nobody’s hit less than David Justice, who had a 1-for-11 average and nine strikeouts in the Fall Classic going into last night. Justice, a key contributor in the past, is along for the ride like the rest of his teammates.
“We’re definitely getting the timely hitting,” Justice said after the dramatic 3-2, 12th inning victory in Game 5. “We may not be hitting collectively, but we’re definitely getting the key hit.”