Our Blog: 50 Greatest Yankee Moments

Dwight Gooden had been a New York hero, having had great years with the Mets. He had won the Cy Young award at 20 years old. However, drug problems and injuries had hampered his career. He signed with the Yankees in 1996 as a free agent, but didn't start the season very well. On this night, at Yankee Stadium, before only 20,786 fans, he faces the Seattle Mariners, who had beaten the Yanks in the prior postseason. Joe Girardi, one day to be the Yankee manager, is his battery-mate. Although he walks 2 Seattle batters in the 1st inning, he gets out without a hit or a run being scored. He walks a batter in the 2nd and 3rd innings, but otherwise retires the side, again with no hits. He doesn't give up a walk or a hit from the 4th through the 8th innings. However, in the 9th, he walks Alex Rodriguez, a future Yankee hero. After a groundout, he walks Edgar Martinez, who was the Seattle hero in the prior ALDS over the Yankees. He then throws a wild pitch to Jay Buhner, allowing Rodriguez and Martinez to advance. However, Buhner strikes out and Paul Sorrento pops out. Gooden gets his no- hitter. He throws 134 pitches, striking out 5 and walking 6, and the Yanks win, 2 to 0. See Game