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COUNSELL
PROVIDES BIGGEST HIT IN GAME ONE In game one of the 2001 World Series, the Arizona Diamondbacks exploded for nine runs against the New York Yankees in taking a 1-0 lead in the series. Arizona blew the game open with four runs in the third and fourth innings, coming on many clutch hits. But perhaps the biggest hit of the game did not come in either the third or fourth innings for Arizona. It came in the bottom of the first inning. A solo home run by Craig Counsell. The Yankees scored a single run in the top of the first on an RBI double by Bernie Williams, scoring Derek Jeter for a 1-0 Yankees lead. In the bottom of the first, after Tony Womack struck out, Counsell hit a home run to right field off New York starter Mike Mussina to tie the score at 1-1. Most games give the game winning RBI to the run that puts a team ahead in the game. In game one, Counell's home run to tie the game may have been even more important for his team. During New York's run of three straight World Series titles, the Yankees are 29-3 in games in which they take the lead first. Most of that can be contributed to their outstanding bullpen over that time, including the middle relievers as well as closer Mariano Rivera. Now that record is 29-4, thanks in large part to Counsell. With the Yankees, one gets the sense that the longer New York has a lead in a ball game the more confidence they get knowing what sits in their bullpen. That is why it becomes important to either get the lead first or answer any early runs the Yankees may score, to keep that confidence from building too early in the game. And that is exactly what Craig Counsell did. Coming up with that home run in the bottom of the first inning did more than simply tie the game. First of all it diffused that Yankee confidence of playing with the lead before it had a chance to build. Perhaps more importantly it gave the Diamondbacks their own confidence. After all, Arizona had Curt Schilling on the mound. Schilling has been unbelievable so far in the postseason. After notching his fourth win this year in the postseason, he now has a chance at becoming the first pitcher ever to record five wins in one postseason. It was unthinkable that the Yankees could score against him, yet they did in the first inning. "When Craig hit that home run in the bottom of the first, I knew right then that I was either going to go out and win this game or at least get a no decision," said Schilling. That home run by Counsell put that game back on an even playing field. It was like starting all over again. Same teams, same score, eight innings to play. The confidence level was even back on the same level for both teams, or maybe more so in favor of Arizona. It also sent a statement to the Yankees. When asked what the biggest moment of the game was, Yankees centerfielder Bernie Williams quickly admitted it was the Counsell home run. "The big change in the game was in the bottom of the first when Craig hit that home run," said Williams. "That was a statement to us right away that even though we had the lead, these guys were going to fight back." Given the recent pitching performances of Mike Mussina and the Yankees team, Counsell's home run also proved that you can hit Mussina. At least in this game you could. In his last nine starts, Mussina had given up 35 hits in 62 innings of work, and had an ERA of 1.16. He had struck out 54 batters in those 62 innings and had given up just three home runs in his last 11 starts. He was unhittable. Mussina could not be touched. Until Craig Counsell took him deep and opened the floodgates. It killed the awe that some players get when playing such a historically rich team as the Yankees. It was like Rocky Balboa hitting and cutting Ivan Drago, the big, unhurtable boxer in the movie Rocky IV, proving the giant could be hurt. The Diamondbacks knew that same feeling in the bottom of the first. If Counsell, who had just four home runs this year and only 11 on his career, could go long against Mussina, so could every one else in the lineup. Including a guy who hit 57 home runs in the regular season. Luis Gonzalez hit a two-run homer off Mussina to give Arizona the lead and ignite the four-run third inning. So, what could Counsell do in the third inning for an encore after his first inning heroics with the solo home run? With leadoff hitter Tony Womack on first and slugger Luis Gonzalez on deck, Counsell had another highly successful at bat and proved that just as important as the big, crowd pleasing home runs are the little fundamentals of the game. The result of that second at bat? Sacrifice bunt.
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