Faller’s five favorites

❚ June 17, 1978: Ron Guidry, in the middle of his season for the ages, strikes out 18 California Angels at Yankee Stadium. Joe Rudi, after fanning for the fourth time, can only laugh as he walks back to the dugout. It was the single best performance I’ve ever witnessed.

❚ Oct. 31, 2001: Derek Jeter homers in the 10th to walk off the Diamondbacks in Game 4 of the World Series, just after the clock struck midnight. This was after Tino Martinez homered to tie the game in the ninth. Bedlam in the Bronx. And to be totally truthful, I wish I had been at Bank One Ballpark for Game 7, but it was not to be.

❚ July 23, 1974: All-Star Game at Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium. Although we had nosebleed tickets, security allowed kids to watch batting practice along the railing at field level, so we were able to get our programs signed by the likes of Brooks Robinson and Jeff Burroughs.

❚ April 15, 1976: Opening Day at remodeled Yankee Stadium. It’s hard to express how much this meant to me. My mother not only let me drive her nice car to the Bronx, she also wrote notes to the school excusing me and my brother after second period. We got stuck in horrible traffic on the Major Deegan Expressway, but a semi driver told us how to avoid the jam and we sailed to the stadium. That day was a dream come true.

❚ Oct. 4, 2011: Paul Goldschmidt hits a grand slam in the fifth inning to seal a Game 3 NLDS win over Milwaukee at Chase Field. It was arguably his first great moment in a career full of them so far.