The New York Yankees Fall Classic Collector's Edition 1996-2001

Amazon.com The New York Yankees Fall Classic Collector's Edition 1996-2001 is the perfect counterargument for Yankees fans who've gotten tired of cocky Red Sox fans bragging about their comprehensive 2004 World Series DVD set. Sure, Boston finally broke its curse and in the process branded the Bronx Bombers as the greatest chokers in sports history. But let's not forget that it was the Yankees who won four of the last five World Series of the 20th century--1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000--and if this seven-disc set doesn't include every game of every series like the Red Sox set... well, that's because there are simply too many championships to cover here. What you get instead is a single complete World Series game from the four championship years, each on a single disc, and as originally broadcast on TV minus commercials: the 1996 game 4 vs. the Atlanta Braves, in which Jim Leyritz's late home run was the key to a big comeback; the 1998 game 3 vs. the San Diego Padres, in which Scott Brosius's two homers were the key to another late comeback; the 1999 game 3 vs. Atlanta, won by Chad Curtis's 10th-inning homer; and the 2000 "Subway series" game 5 clincher vs. the Mets. The fifth complete game included is the 2001 game 4 vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Yankees' late home runs off Byung Hyun-Kim are certainly part of great Yankee lore (and the 9/11 attacks that year made the Yankees a rare sympathetic figure), but when the usually automatic Mariano Rivera blew the save in game 7, the Yankees' dominating run ended, and many of the classiest Yanks such as Paul O'Neill began to retire. Accompanying the five game discs are two bonus discs that contain the original Major League Baseball World Series highlight films from 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000. They provide an hourlong overview of each series and are a reminder of the only way people used to be able to watch baseball on home video. Also included are a variety of other memorable clips from post-season and otherwise. For example, there's a two-minute clip of the famous "Jeter flip," which snuffed out an Oakland rally in the 2001 AL division series. There's a six-minute clip of Roger Clemens's 2000 playoff game against Seattle, which includes 15 third strikes, announcer reactions, and the high-and-tight pitch that knocked down then-Mariner Alex Rodriguez and was generally credited with setting the tone of the game. In addition, each disc comes with SleeveStats, incorporating box scores, inning-by-inning line scores,