Miracle man Raul says season in stripes was blast
Less than 24 hours after the Yankees’ season came to a whimpering, anticlimactic end in Detroit, one of their very few playoff stars was faced with the uncertainty of his future. Raul Ibanez, who by himself drove in a third of the Yankees’ runs in the American League Championship Series and had more clutch hits in the playoffs than the rest of the team combined, will be an unrestricted free agent.
“I am not even thinking about that right now,” Ibanez said after getting off the team bus at Yankee Stadium Friday afternoon. “I don’t know.”
Some of the Yankees returned to the Stadium after a late-morning flight back from Detroit. Mark Teixeira, Andy Pettitte, Eduardo Nunez, Nick Swisher, David Phelps, Chris Stewart, Boone Logan and Cody Eppley were among the players, along with the coaches and Joe Girardi, who were greeted by a handful of fans and media at the stadium.
Only Ibanez stopped to talk, to the joy of at least one fan who regularly hangs out outside the stadium.
“Rauuuuuuul,” the fan yelled as Ibanez waved.
It was one of the few cheers a Yankee has heard in a while.
The 40-year-old Ibanez delighted largely disappointed Yankee fans this postseason with his three dramatic home runs.
He hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 3 of the division series against the Orioles, pinch-hitting for Alex
Rodriguez. He then won that game with another home run in the 12th.
Then, in Game 1 of the ALCS, Ibanez again brought the Bronx Bombers faithful to their feet with a two-run, game-tying home run off Tigers closer Jose Valverde to cap a four-run ninth inning. The Yankees eventually lost that game in 12.
Ibanez became the only player in baseball history with three home runs in the ninth inning or later in a single postseason.
Ibanez’s two-run blast against the Tigers accounted for two of the six total runs the feeble Yankees managed in the series.
Even before the playoffs, Ibanez was a miracle man down the stretch of the regular season, with dramatic home runs rescuing the Bombers in games against the A’s and Red Sox.
“I loved it, I really loved my experience here,” said Ibanez, who has played 17 seasons in the majors.
Ibanez was signed by the Yankees one day into spring training for a measly $1.1 million.
With left fielder Brett Gardner out for most of the season, Ibanez became a crucial part of the team. He played in 130 games, reaching a contract incentive of 425 plate appearances that earned him an extra $2.5 million. He finished with a .240 average, 19 home runs and 62 RBI.
None of that, however, measured up to his late-season heroics, which earned him the love of the Yankees and their fans.
Contemplating his future, Ibanez said his feelings are strong for the organization.
“I love this place, just love this place,” Ibanez said while walking into the Stadium. “It was a fantastic experience, first-class all the way. Loved every minute.”