October 14, 1976 - Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
The Yankees had not been in a World Series in twelve years. Entering the bottom of the ninth inning in the final game of the 1976 American League Championship Series, the Bronx Bombers found themselves tied with the Kansas City Royals. If they could score just one run, they would return to their first Fall Classic since Mantle and Maris were active players. If not, they would be forced to play into extra innings and risk going home for the off-season.
First Baseman Chris Chambliss led off the inning, and smashed the first pitch offered by Kansas City reliever Mark Littell over the right-center field wall, winning the pennant for the Bombers and touching off bedlam at the Stadium.
Thousands of fans vaulted over the dugouts and walls and celebrated on the playing field. It was pandemonium. Chambliss reached second, then dodged hordes of fans in trying to reach third, then proceeded to make a beeline towards the safety of the clubhouse as the area around home plate and much of the field was covered by a mass of humanity.
Some time later Chambliss was escorted back out onto the field to touch home, or at least the area where it had been. The game and Series were over and the Yankees had reached the top of the AL once again while the Royals were sent packing for a long, cold off-season in Kansas City.
