Canyon of Heroes, here we come again.
The Big Apple is decked out in pinstripes as fans celebrate the Yankees’ 25th World Series crown – with plans being made for a huge ticker-tape parade up lower Broadway tomorrow.
The Bombers blasted the Braves in the Bronx last night 4-1 to sweep the last Fall Classic of the 20th century – their second Series sweep in a row and their fourth title in four years.
“This team is fabulous!” shouted New Jerseyan Amy Gorenstin, 32, who was in the stands in Yankee Stadium.
“[Manager] Joe Torre is absolutely the best. As a team they work so beautifully together.”
Laura Morone, 32, a New Jersey spa owner, said, “I’m ecstatic! They are the best team of all time!”It’s a clean sweep!”
Brooms were everywhere outside Yankee Stadium but nowhere inside.
Hundreds of sweep-minded fans brought the brooms to taunt the Braves – but security officials took them away when the fans entered the park.
“The Yankees are the classiest baseball team,” said Nick Jiavaras, 37, a Bronx teacher.
“They’re a machine. They know how to win a postseason. They’re the best team I’ve ever seen since following the Yankees since 1967.”
The Yankees jumped out to a three-run lead in the third. Starter Roger Clemens blanked the Braves until they scored a run in the eighth.
Jim Leyritz contributed a pinch-hit homer in the bottom of the frame to finish the scoring while closer Mariano Rivera finished off the Braves in the ninth. After Chad Curtis gloved the last out in left field, the Yanks mobbed each other – and then gathered in a group around right fielder Paul O’Neill, whose father died yesterday morning.
Clemens, a five-time Cy Young award winner signed with the Yankees this year, hoping the Bombers would bring him the World Series ring that eluded him in his many years in Boston and Toronto.
But he had a mediocre season with the Yanks and he was fighting a rotten postseason career record, with 11 starts and only two wins.
Clemens got a standing ovation when he left the game in the eighth inning.
“It’s fabulous!” said Ed Engels, 42, an accountant from The Bronx.
Kim Hotz, 17, from New Jersey, had her face painted Yankee blue. “I’m going to party all night! The Yankees are better than last year!” Hotz said. “They’re the team of the ’90s.”