| | NEW YORK -- As soon as Chad Curtis disappeared into a dizzying mass of
Yankees humanity at home plate to end Game 3 of the World Series, he passed
on the promise of redemption to Roger Clemens for Game 4. The Yankees were determined to make their 25th World Series championship a 25-man proposition.
They didn't just sweep the Atlanta Braves out of October, they completed a
championship season where every Yankee could profess to an integral part of
the production.
|  | | Chad Curtis lifted the Yankees to victory in Game 3. His teammates lifted him in celebration. |
Twelve straight World Series victories, three championships in four
years, and here was the most heartbreaking truth of all for the rest of
baseball: You could never tell from where the next punch would be delivered.
Chad Curtis to Roger Clemens, Jason Grimsley to Chuck Knoblauch -- it's a measure of the magic of this team. The Yankees finished the filming of a baseball "Casablanca" Wednesday
at Yankee Stadium, a masterpiece offering every player his moment to be
Bogart on the World Series stage.
As much as the constant brilliance of Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, Orlando Hernandez and Mariano Rivera is a testament to the greatness of
these Yankees, so is the relentless rage of those Yankees spending the
regular season and playoffs on the outside looking in on October glory.
Eventually, everyone gets his shot to shroud himself with World Series
heroism. Everyone gets his turn.
"The moment I walked into the clubhouse for the first time in spring
training, I felt something I had never felt before in baseball," Grimsley
said. Clemens felt it, too. Everyone there expected to win the World Series,
and everyone was expected to contribute to it. No exceptions.
"Now," Clemens said late Wednesday night, after his 7 2/3 innings of four-hit,
one-run pitching, "I know what it feels like to be a Yankee."
Grimsley was left off the playoff roster for the first two rounds of the
playoffs, but manager Joe Torre gave him the ball in the fourth inning of
Game 3 with the Yankees down 5-1, and told him, "Hold 'em there and get the
win." Grimsley did.
Knoblauch lost the ability to throw the ball to first
base, suffering the embarrassment of losing his manager's confidence in the
late innings. He popped a home run to right field to make it 5-5 in the
eighth inning of Game 3, setting the stage for the dramatic home run in the
10th out of Curtis, who had only been the forgotten player his whole baseball
life.
Whenever human nature threatened to brush a coat of comfort over these
Yankees, they could lean on the rage of an angry, disillusioned 25th man. Or
in Game 4, the pride of a five-time Cy Young Award winner, an All-Century
pitcher.
Curtis and Clemens, the heroes of the final two games, had a connection beyond a
buzz-cut: redemption. Until his two homers on Tuesday night, Curtis' season
had best been remembered for his scolding Jeter; the miniscule,
muscle-bound outfielder calling out the Yankee prince for sharing a laugh with
Seattle's Alex Rodriguez in the aftermath of an August fight with the
Mariners.
It was a most un-Yankee incident for modern times, instigated in clear
sight of cameras and notebooks. When people were fast to wonder if the chip
on his shoulder could be Curtis' ticket out of town, it was easy to forget that
was the reason he ever made it to the majors.
Angels scout Tim Kelly was on the telephone this week, remembering his
visits to Grand Canyon College in the spring of 1989, to scout a strapping outfielder named Tim Salmon. Each time, Kelly found Curtis, a 5-foot-10
outfielder, fighting for his attention.
These scouts move in packs, labeling players as they go, and the word was
out on Curtis: "Too small, didn't have a good arm, wouldn't hit beyond Double-A ball," Kelly said.
After Kelly pushed the Angels hard, they drafted Curtis in the 42nd
round. Mostly, the scout hoped Curtis could turn into a minor league manager or coach, but never a major leaguer -- let alone a World Series hero. When
Kelly called to offer Curtis a measly $1,000 signing bonus, the kid was
livid. Kelly returned to his boss and begged him to please, please not let
Kelly be the one to call Curtis back and tell him that was the Angels' final
offer.
The scouting director called him back, offered $2,500, and within three
years Curtis made it to the majors. The Angels made him play third base, even
catch in the minors, and man, he grumbled every step of the way.
"Chad's personality is not going to change," Kelly said, "but the day it
changes is his last day in the big leagues. He needs that edge. He'll never
be the most popular guy on the team. He'll always be pissing people off. But
when they need one game to win, you'll want him on your side."
So, the Yankees' Game 3 hero was back to the bench for Game 4, and maybe
it was fitting. Curtis made his mark on the season and stepped to the side,
turning the stage over to Clemens -- another Yankee with a chip on his
shoulder, with redemption on his mind.
Twenty-five players, a 25th championship.
Adrian Wojnarowski, a columnist for the Bergen (N.J.) Record, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. He can be reached at NJCOL1@aol.com. | |
ALSO SEE
ESPN.com's World Series coverage
Klapisch: They break your heart
Dynasties: Baseball's repeat champions
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Derek Jeter says there were 25 MVPs all season.
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