Yankees: 3 Forgotten Moments of 2009 World Series Run

1. David Robertson Becomes Houdini

David Robertson became Houdini one night in the 2009 ALDS.

So many things don’t happen if a young David Robertson doesn’t emerge from his shell during Game 2 of the 2009 ALDS.

Mark Teixeira doesn’t walk the game off with a laser off bug-eyed Jose Mijares in the bottom of the 11th. Nobody gets pied that seamlessly. Maybe D-Rob never becomes a closer, and forever remains the kid from ‘Bama with the 3.30 ERA in One Good Year.

I’m pretty sure, though there’s no way to prove it, that we don’t have a ring in ’09 without his yeoman’s work sending the Twins packing, right on the brink of piling up more runs.

After Michael Cuddyer shot his single to center, Delmon Young and Carlos Gomez used one pitch each to slice balls to Mark Teixeira for improbable outs. In any other year, Young’s ball shoots through the hole. If Young’s in a Tigers uniform, it probably does too. But look at Ron Gardenhire after the second out — he knows it. It’s already over.

When Brendan Harris took his cut, Francisco Cervelli knew it was all over, too. Look at that confident point. There are so many iconic mini-moments baked into one timeline here.

I truly think this inning set the entire ’09 team back on course, and helped make David Robertson’s career what it was. And don’t you ever forget it.