Remembering Josh Beckett's Legendary Game 6 Shutout of Yankees on 20th Anniversary

It was one of those games in which you remember where you were.  Whether you are a Marlins fan, a Yankees fan, or a baseball fan in general, you knew what you saw that night at Yankee Stadium was special.  What the baseball world witnessed on October 25, 2003 was nothing short of a masterpiece on the mound.

Game 6 of the 2003 World Series between the Florida Marlins and New York Yankees was no ordinary clincher. Leading three games to two, Florida was one win away from taking down the Evil Empire, who was playing in its sixth World Series in nine seasons. Having won four of the first five World Series they appeared in since 1996, the Bronx Bombers were poised to win two games in their own backyard to take home their 27th championship.

Until a roadblock appeared on the bump. And his name was 23-year-old Josh Beckett.

“These people don’t want me to pitch because I’m gonna beat them.” Beckett replied in an interview on FOX’s MLB pregame show.

With confidence higher than the Empire State Building, Beckett added, “Go out there and act like you don’t care. You can’t be intimidated. The Nolan Ryans and the Roger Clemenses, that’s how they were. They were big winners.”

Beckett was making his second start of the 2003 Fall Classic on three days rest. Pitching on three days rest is one thing. Pitching on three days rest as a starter for the first time in your career in Game 6 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium is another. The latter is exactly what Beckett successfully pulled off.

Remembering Josh Beckett's legendary Game 6 shutout of Yankees

Despite allowing only two runs on three hits in 7.1 IP, Beckett took the tough-luck loss in Game 3.  Seeking a bounce-back effort and a World Series ring, Beckett took the hill on a Saturday night in the Bronx with 55,773 fans in the stands rooting against him.

From his very first batter faced, Beckett made it clear he was about to put his self-confident words into action.  Beckett struck out Derek Jeter looking on three pitches and finished him off with a knee-buckling breaking ball.  A two-out double by Bernie Williams was wasted by the Yankees later in the first.  Little did anyone know at the time; second base was as close as New York would get against Beckett.

The Yankees did not get a runner to third base all night against the Marlins’ ace. Beckett carved up the Yankees’ order one through nine by inducing nine strikeouts, eight flyouts, and seven groundouts, two of which were inning-ending double plays. The only thing Beckett was missing?  Run support.

After being shut out by Andy Pettitte for the first four innings, Florida broke through with a two-out rally in the fifth.  Back-to-back singles by Álex González and Juan Pierre set up the go-ahead RBI single by Luis Castillo. 

Leading 1-0, Beckett made a one-run lead feel like ten. While trailing over the last five innings, Joe Torre’s team only managed to move two men into scoring position.

The Marlins added an insurance run in the sixth thanks to a Derrek Lee sacrifice bunt that set up a Juan Encarnación sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.  Yes, that Derrek Lee. The Derrek Lee that averaged 31 home runs per season in his time with the Cubs from 2004-2010. That Derrek Lee dropped down a sacrifice bunt with runners on first and second and nobody out in the World Series. Given how untouchable Beckett was, Lee’s sacrifice bunt was brilliant.

Two runs were a king’s ransom for Beckett, who carried the Marlins across the finish line to their second World Series title. Very appropriately, Beckett finished his pitching Picasso with the ball in his glove by tagging out Jorge Posada on a roller up the first base line. Beckett’s final line in Florida’s 2-0 World Series-clinching win read: 9 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, and 9 K on 107 pitches.

As you might expect, Beckett was crowned 2003 World Series MVP for his heroics. Beckett’s dominance on the mound went far beyond the Bronx Bombers as opponents hit a microscopic .145 against him the entire 2003 postseason.   

“When you have your ace ready for Game 6, why not just throw him out there and get it over with?” said Beckett prior to the game.

Beckett certainly went out there and got it over with. In only his 53rd career start between the regular season and postseason combined, Beckett took one-night ownership of the house that Ruth built.