Todd Pratt, who was never an everyday player, also was hit twice in one game in the Fall Classic. But it was lost in a 12-inning classic. That is a record he shares to this day with five other players. It was Pratt's first World Series game.
Pratt, penciled in at catcher for the New York Mets in game one of the 2000 World Series for the Mets, was calling the pitches. Mike Piazza, was DH'ing. The New York Mets were staring across to their cross-town rivals the Yankees in this one. It had been a long time since the last subway series. 1956. The Yankees were in that one, too!
Pratt had played a career-high 80 games that year, and hit .275. Andy Pettitte, the Yankees left-hander, was the pitcher that Pratt had to face. Pettitte was coming inside on this righty, eh?
Pratt led off the top of the third for the visitors of Yankee Stadium. And, on of all things and 0-2 pitch, he got plucked. He made it to second on a bunt by Mike Bordick, but that's as far as he made it. The game was still scoreless.
Pettitte wasted no time the next time Pratt came to the dish. The top of the fifth brought the Mets' catcher back to the dish. It went to 0-2, and Andy fanned him. Pratt needed to come through with a man on second. He was the second out. And when Bordick fanned, the inning was over. The Yankees then scored twice in the bottom of the sixth.
The game was still scoreless in the top of the seventh when Pratt came up again, but this time he came through. But not with a hit. And not with a hit by pitch, either. There were two on and only one out, and Todd looked at three balls. Pettitte then marched it to a full count. Pratt fouled off a pitch, then took ball four. That loaded 'em up. A clutch single by Bubba Trammell scored two to tie it. A bunt and another single scored Pratt, and it was 3-2, Mets!
With one out in the top of the ninth, it was still 3-2, Mets. Marino Rivera was now pitching for the Yankees. With one out, Pratt was back to the plate. And soon, he was on first. Rivera hit him on an 0-1 pitch. When Kurt Abbott (Who had come into the game to field) doubled, things were looking up. But Mariano got the next two batters out, and both runners were stranded. The Yankees, no strangers to dramatics, tied it in the bottom of the frame on a sac fly by Chuck Knoblauch. If only one of Pratt's teammates had done then when it was second and third in the top of the frame, the Mets would have still been ahead at this point. But it was not to be.
The game continued on into extras. In the top of the 11th, Pratt batted. Facing Mike Stanton (Former Brave), he fanned. The Yankees got runners to second and third in the bottom of the inning, but failed to score.
The New York Yankees sent the crowd home happy when a single by Jose Vizcaino won the game in the bottom of the twelve. Just like Carlton Fisk in game six of 1975, only not with a home run.
Pratt did not play another game in the 2000 World Series. The Yankees ended up winning it. And, as it turned out, this was the only Fall Classic game Todd Pratt ever played in. But if you'r going to play in only one game on baseball's grandest stage, it's it good idea to set a record in it, right? Even some physically painful ones!
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Fonseca, Lew, director. The World Series. Major League Baseball Productions, 1943. DVD.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. Mar. 09. 2014.
Pratt, penciled in at catcher for the New York Mets in game one of the 2000 World Series for the Mets, was calling the pitches. Mike Piazza, was DH'ing. The New York Mets were staring across to their cross-town rivals the Yankees in this one. It had been a long time since the last subway series. 1956. The Yankees were in that one, too!
Pratt had played a career-high 80 games that year, and hit .275. Andy Pettitte, the Yankees left-hander, was the pitcher that Pratt had to face. Pettitte was coming inside on this righty, eh?
Pratt led off the top of the third for the visitors of Yankee Stadium. And, on of all things and 0-2 pitch, he got plucked. He made it to second on a bunt by Mike Bordick, but that's as far as he made it. The game was still scoreless.
Pettitte wasted no time the next time Pratt came to the dish. The top of the fifth brought the Mets' catcher back to the dish. It went to 0-2, and Andy fanned him. Pratt needed to come through with a man on second. He was the second out. And when Bordick fanned, the inning was over. The Yankees then scored twice in the bottom of the sixth.
The game was still scoreless in the top of the seventh when Pratt came up again, but this time he came through. But not with a hit. And not with a hit by pitch, either. There were two on and only one out, and Todd looked at three balls. Pettitte then marched it to a full count. Pratt fouled off a pitch, then took ball four. That loaded 'em up. A clutch single by Bubba Trammell scored two to tie it. A bunt and another single scored Pratt, and it was 3-2, Mets!
With one out in the top of the ninth, it was still 3-2, Mets. Marino Rivera was now pitching for the Yankees. With one out, Pratt was back to the plate. And soon, he was on first. Rivera hit him on an 0-1 pitch. When Kurt Abbott (Who had come into the game to field) doubled, things were looking up. But Mariano got the next two batters out, and both runners were stranded. The Yankees, no strangers to dramatics, tied it in the bottom of the frame on a sac fly by Chuck Knoblauch. If only one of Pratt's teammates had done then when it was second and third in the top of the frame, the Mets would have still been ahead at this point. But it was not to be.
The game continued on into extras. In the top of the 11th, Pratt batted. Facing Mike Stanton (Former Brave), he fanned. The Yankees got runners to second and third in the bottom of the inning, but failed to score.
The New York Yankees sent the crowd home happy when a single by Jose Vizcaino won the game in the bottom of the twelve. Just like Carlton Fisk in game six of 1975, only not with a home run.
Pratt did not play another game in the 2000 World Series. The Yankees ended up winning it. And, as it turned out, this was the only Fall Classic game Todd Pratt ever played in. But if you'r going to play in only one game on baseball's grandest stage, it's it good idea to set a record in it, right? Even some physically painful ones!
References
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Fonseca, Lew, director. The World Series. Major League Baseball Productions, 1943. DVD.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Seaver, Tom, and Martin Appel. Great Moments in Baseball. New York, NY: Carol Pub. Group, 1992. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. Mar. 09. 2014.
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