In the ninth inning last night and down a run against the Orioles, Joe Girardi pinch-hit 40-year-old Raul Ibanez, whom the Yankees signed back in February for a pedestrian $1.1 million, for 37-year-old Alex Rodriguez, the slowing slugger who still has five years left on his contract with a base salary of $114 million.
No, really. The skipper benched A-Rod in the third game of the American League Division Series.
The result?
Well, here’s Ibanez’s game-tying home run:
Here’s the 12th-inning game winner:
Just. Wow.
And as the footage highlighted, the latter shot was no cheap, short-porch Yankee Stadium home run.
While thrilled with the walk-off victory, Jason Rosenberg of It’s About the Money Stupid did take a moment to reflect:
Boxscore here.