THE BIG SAVE

Author

Matthew Garringer
January 23, 2024

Rewind the clock to November 4, 2001.

The Yankees were facing the Diamondbacks in Game 7 of the World Series.

Up to that point, the D-Backs had outscored New York 34-12, but somehow the Yankees had scrapped their way to a 7th game.

It looked like they were actually going to pull it off too.

Taking a 2-1 lead into the ninth, “The Sandman” was on the bump to close things out.

When Mariano took the mound in a save situation, the game was pretty much over; especially in the playoffs.

But the impossible happened that night, and the D-Backs pulled off one of the greatest upsets of all time.

So how did the shittiest night of Rivera’s life save his teammate’s life?

Enrique Wilson was added to the Yankee roster that year after he was traded from Pittsburgh in June.

He had planned on his team winning the championship, having a parade in New York, and had booked his travel accordingly.

Wilson and his family were scheduled to fly on American Airlines Flight 587 leaving NYC for the Dominican Republic.

With no championship and no parade, Wilson moved his flight up a couple of days.

And it’s a good thing he did.

The original Airbus A300 that he had booked ended up falling from the sky shortly after take off.

All 260 passengers died.

Had Rivera won Game 7, it’s highly unlikely Enrique Wilson would be here today.

It ended up being the biggest save of Mariano's career.

Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Dizzy Dean, and Bob Feller all proclaimed Satchel Paige was the greatest pitcher they ever saw.

The legends about Paige are endless, but two things are for sure: the man threw absolute gas, and hitters were scared shitless of him.

This piece is from the “American Hero” series, and it’s now available in the Dead Legends Gallery.

There were only 25 made, so if you want one, snag it before they’re gone!

RIDICULOUS STATS

BASEBALL TRIVIA

STRANGE NAMES

If you're just joining us, we play this game every day where we try to find the weirdest names throughout baseball history.

Why? Don't ask us, it's just something we like to do.

If you've been rocking with us for awhile now, you know what time it is.

Today's winner is:

Parrott was the first MLB player from Oregon.

Based on that mustache, he'd probably still fit in perfectly if he lived in Portland today.

What Jiggs lacked at the plate, he made up for in the field.

Unfortunately, they didn't keep detailed fielding stats at that time, so there's no way to know what his true numbers were, but word on the street is that he was good with the glove.

He played for the Chicago Colts under the legendary Cap Anson, who really liked him, but ultimately he only lasted four years in the big leagues.

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THE DEAD LEGENDS ARCHIVE

If you like this story, check out some of our past favorites: