How 40 Year Old Raul Ibanez Became a Yankees Playoff Hero

Creator: SportStorm
KZbin - / @sportstorm23
Twitter - / sportstorm23
Raul Ibanez is a hero in New York Yankees culture. He's beloved, and those on the outside looking in may not know why...until now.
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[@michaelraphael2160]

2019 Howie Kendrick. He didn't do anything with the Nats for two years because of injuries. But then he became our hero.

[@bradksmail]

Or in general that whole season. started 19-31

[@thedude3065]

Ibanez finding his stride as his career approached his twilight was amazing to witness

[@SportStorm23]

I honestly didn't realize how good he was after age 30 until the research for this vid

[@shaneprickett5249]

Miguel Montero going Salami on the Doyers as a Cub in the 2016 playoffs was nuts

[@tylercampbell8435]

When Darwin Barney was with the Cubs he was one of my favorite players to watch. His glove at 2nd was top notch and his bat was unpredictable. I remember he went to the Blue Jays during there run back in 2015

[@justinbrauer1834]

Was looking for this comment, loved him and thought his name was awesome

[@shaneprickett5249]

Need a video about him!

[@scottnotpilgrim]

If butterfly effect has to be on hiatus for this, I am all for it

[@davidaustin9181]

Colby rasmus in 2015 was one of favorite players for the Astros and had an amazing playoffs run if I remember correctly, also a pretty crazy dude😂

[@andrewwww1102]

I think a PRIME player for this series is Pete Kozma. A few meh regular seasons with the Cardinals, but he'd always be a part of those weird and clutch playoff moments (2012 game 5 vs Nats) and then seemed to disappear completely after signing with the Red Socks. Definitely think he'd fit this series perfectly.

[@robinlinh]

I watched the Yankees that season. It was so magical whever Raul step into the box, you feel like he could tie it and it actually happened. Was insane

[@swell32]

I think I speak for a lot of Red Sox fans that Shane Victorino had two of the most clutch postseason hits from the magical 2013 Red Sox run. I'd love to see a video like this on him

[@CharmCityGamer]

Did you have to mention Raul? Love him, but his 2012 self still gives us O's fans nightmares.

[@pandaexpress7326]

Idk what’s worse, 2012 ibanez or the mclouth foul ball

[@CharmCityGamer]

@@pandaexpress7326 Probably the latter because we were THAT close.

[@SportStorm23]

yeah I imagine Orioles fans aren't exactly fans of him

[@CharmCityGamer]

@@SportStorm23 Like I said I like Raul...just not him in 2012 😅

[@AndThatsBaseball]

2012 felt like the Yankees year after all of those clutch moments... until Jeter broke his ankle

[@Mattyman1987]

Man, once Jeter went down, it just seemed like the team stopped trying in that series.

[@showtimenick824]

Damn right I enjoyed this video as a Yankee fan and I remember exactly where I was for his heroics in the 2012 playoffs. If only the Yankees even won a game in that ALCS though.

[@GargonzoMedia]

Jonathan Sanchez 2009/2010 seasons for SF Giants. Sent to bullpen in 2009, had an inspirational talk with future HOFer Randy Johnson, came back to rotation and tossed a no-no, the night I believe the Giants Dynasty was kickstarted. Dude also talked smack and backed it up! Marco Scuturo’s 2012 with SF is a pretty good honorable mention.

[@SportStorm23]

the man who threw a no-hitter against the Padres and also helped end the Padres 2010 playoff hopes

[@ColtonMann13]

Munenori Kawasaki for the jays. Or John McDonald, specifically the story on his Father’s Day home run.

[@Karmy.]

"He's big, Kawa small..."

[@SportStorm23]

I'm seeing a few comments on Kawasaki. He's definitely on the list. I can't say I know much about McDonald, so I need to look more into it

[@agentlamp1]

I would love to see a video about Gerordo Parra. He'll always have a special place in Nationals fans hearts. I remember seeing him live in 2019 with his baby shark walk up song, and the entire stadium was electric. It's truly one of my fondest memories and something I'll remember for the rest of my life.

[@diedrichfilms6437]

The memories brought back from these clips, man. God I can still hear in my head the announcer saying “Did he do it again?!”

[@travisfletcher6342]

Wade Miley's time with the Reds was magical, he was so well liked in the clubhouse and threw a no-hitter. Also, Ryan Lavarnway's Reds debut was ridiculous and I will always remember it. It was my all time favorite game, July 19, 2019. Good luck finding footage of that game though.

[@robertoclemente7066]

That Ibanez 2nd HR against the Orioles was probably the HR I screamed the most in my entire life. I went berserk, lol...

[@MattsRandomJourneys]

I love this idea for a series! Brings attention to those quiet players who, whether they were the team's best or not, you always remember because of their big moments. So many times recently, I've been talking about those players that you root for because you "just like them," whether they're a good or bad player, and that was always me with Raúl. Growing up a Phillies fan, he was my favorite player for a while; I was super happy to see him have so many clutch moments with the Yankees that year. As far as a good cult hero I could think of, can't not consider someone like Matt Stairs. Lifetime journeyman, quietly solid power guy with key pinch-hit potential, comes to Philly in 2008 and etches his name in Phillies history with a game-winning home run off of Jonathan Broxton in Game 4 of the NLCS (also began a rally by working a walk against Broxton that set up another clutch NLCS moment the next year in Philly).

[@bdubs9754]

Munenori Kawasaki with the jays was incredible for a couple years.

[@nickrocksify]

Shane Victorino…one of Philly’s most beloved center fielders, goes to Boston at the end of his career and plays a huge role in bringing them a World Series as well.

[@dylantyrrell9084]

Didnt happen

[@erichrichter7831]

As a tiger fan, my only request is if you do this series and feature Victorino in 2013, that you don’t show the Papi home run. We are haunted enough by this lol

[@Junkiescum]

This was an amazing postseason run to watch. As a giants fan it obviously ended in the best way possible for me but growing up a big Jeter fan meant I watched every yankee game and Ibanez’s clutch hitting was absolutely unbelievable. It’s a memory I’ll never forget as a baseball fan

[@jamal2010]

Should do brooks Conrad. Dude went from most beloved nobody with the braves to most hated brave after his nlds performance

[@matthewgiusti7631]

giants legend

[@alexvandierendonck3317]

This is a given but David Freeze. That is the first baseball moment I’d ever experience

[@chriscreaturo8809]

My dad got me tickets to game four of the alds that year. First ever playoff game. We're in a motel for the night watching the game, and then- not once, but twice.... Rauuuuuuuuul

[@Trailblazer162]

I've always had respect for him growing up watching baseball any chance i could get, but ill always remember watching those games on TV with my friend and how he made himself forever memorable to yankee fans that year.

[@dinglbarry1275]

He also became a Philly Hero. It was so much fun when he got traded to Philly and the crazy numbers he put up... especially the first year.

[@patrickschmitz4586]

I remember as a tigers fan at 12 years old being so afraid when valverde was facing ibanez and I just knew the guy was gonna hit a homerun. Thankfully the tigers ended up still winning but I had just thought because of how much Ibanez had been cleaning up the past few weeks before that I had assumed he was a career bomber. Turns out I was mistaken. Great vid!

[@federicobetancourt]

One of my all time favorites

[@timothygeissel4255]

I remember being at that Orioles game ten years ago when I was only 13 years old he did have this narrative throughout the season of being a clutch hitter and I remember in the 12th inning I told my family that if the Orioles don’t score here Ibanez is going to win it when he leads off probably the best game I’ll ever go to

[@jhatt1139]

Raul Ibanez reminded me a lot of Tino Martinez. Both 6'2", both batted Left & threw Right, identical career RBI's, identical career BA. Ibanez was on the Yankees once & M's twice. Tino was on the M's once & Yankees twice.

[@paduls]

and look who the Yankees have now if he comes back after his injury? Matt Carpenter. 6'3, bats Left and throws right, who also have identical stats throughout their careers. Now that you bring this up the similarities are uncanny

[@bjmatthews3825]

I remember when I was little writing a Letter to the First year Philly Raul Ibanez.

[@keenanj7331]

2021 Frank Schwindel. The tank absolutely raked out of nowhere. The dude is so quirky and I love him so much.

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

Ibanez was good... but he was NO Luis Sojo. Dude had a career WAR of just 4.2 in 14 seasons and yet in one of the greatest dynasties, the 1990s Yankees, he racked up 4 times as many RBIs per plate appearance in postseason play as Derek Jeter. He earnied all 4 of his World Series rings and was a perennial fan favorite for a reason.

[@dustinhealy1676]

Well Ibanez has just about as many career hits as Sojo does ABs. So that’s how that works lol, when a guy plays 50-60 games a year on avg his WAR isn’t going to be high. Lol

[@Rymann_23]

Sojo scores.. EVERYBODY SCORES 🥹

[@cptsparklfingerz9210]

Can you stfu with WAR n modern metrics? No one cares. Especially for past generation players.

[@kingdingaling2469]

👁 Like iT 👍 Great Choice

[@kapo2012fb]

Ok bro chill out

[@clifton4566]

Not sure if it'd fit this series, but since you mentioned him I wish you'd do a video on Andruw Jones. His fielding was absolutely incredible, and he was one of those guys with a real lopsided power to contact ratio. He'd either strike out or put the ball into orbit. He was my favorite player growing up. I remember one time when he literally dropped to a knee swinging at a ball in the dirt, and hit it about 450 feet.

[@oddballcards9176]

Great blast from the past !!

[@glucosaminecondroitan9135]

Nice. Jomboy had Raul on Talkin' Baseball talking about the new rule changes and he sounded like a cool guy. I also kept his baseball cards because of his time as a Mariner.

[@blakecscott5525]

I’m a Royals fan, and he was always a quality player. Those years he hit in the .290s with 20 HR, 90 RBI, and an ops+ upwards of 110 on the worst team in baseball. Glad he got an opportunity to show his talent, but I’m annoyed that people forget he was legit good throughout his prime. Good spotlight.

[@cobrallama6236]

Funny that two long-tenured former (and future!) Seattle Mariners sluggers (Ibanez and Ichiro, both now in their 40s) would be thumping home runs to help lead the Yankees in their fight for the pennant, all the way up to the American League Championship Series in 2012; two of the only guys left in the MLB who'd actually been on a Mariners team that had made the playoffs. And they both did it right before the eyes of another old guy who remembered being on a Seattle Mariners team that made the playoffs - Alex Rodriguez.

[@PpP-dr1od]

Phillies fan: Chris. Coste. Everyone loves Ruiz, and he's awesome, but man I love Coste

[@marcoslaureano5562]

Dude if you want to give some props to a player that hardly anyone mentions nowadays, who in my opinion was one of the best all-around players in the game for a time and one of the most clutch performers I've seen. He also deserves even more props for putting up great numbers during the steroid era while obviously not juicing - AND who imho belongs in the HOF (especially given some of the guys who've gotten in lately). AND this is coming from a Mets fan - BERNIE WILLIAMS. Without Bernie the Yankees would have been a different team in the 90s. Four time WS champ. 5 All Star appearances, career WAR of 50, 4 Gold Gloves in center field while playing during a time of GREAT center fielders, batting title, Silver Slugger, career OPS of .858 and an OPS+ of 125. His prime was as good as any player in the 90s and 2000s who WASN'T juicing. If you're going to keep guys out of the Hall for juicing, well then Bernie and guys like him should get SPECIAL CONSIDERATION FOR NOT JUICING and putting up great and CLEAN all-around numbers during that era. Especially given the absolute hypocrisy of keeping guys out for juicing when there are so many pitchers in the Hall who JUICED THE BALL their entire careers - which guys get kicked out for now - but NOT suspended. Makes no sense and seems VERY hypocritical. CHEATING IS CHEATING and NO ONE should be rewarded for it. Please show Bernie some love in the future - he truly is an all-time great, but underappreciated Yankee.

[@JohnM-sw4sc]

Aj Burnett and russel Martin became folk hero’s in Pittsburgh for playing above their career averages and leading our young guys into being a playoff team

[@clipntn1092]

I like this new series

[@Brooklynquietmoney]

Man I was at this game and they booed a rod so bad that it was like they had to take him out it was in his head already Great video btw 🔥🔥🔥

[@SportStorm23]

thank you!

[@baroqueguitarist5673]

Jeter getting injured right after Ibanez tied game one against Detroit completely deflated the team and the city. Everybody watching could feel it. The Yanks were done after Jeter's injury and that game one loss. Just one of those funny feelings most people watching live got which turned out to be right. Similar to the funny feeling fans had whenever Ibanez stepped up to the plate in a clutch moment late in 2012. That whole Yankees post season was weird like that. You could just feel something big was about to happen before hand. Good in the case of Ibanez and bad in the case of Jeter's injury for Yankees fans. Can't remember another post season like that. It was strange. It was like everybody could feel beforehand that Ibanez was about to hit a clutch homerun and time and time again Ibanez did just that. The same way everybody somehow knew after Jeter's injury the Yanks postseason was over. Incredible to watch live. Never saw anything like it.

[@standby4excita]

Have you ever done a Chris Coste video? The 33 year old rookie for the phillies right when they were getting going? I looked around for a bit and didn't see one and he was really loved for a bit and then forgotten. He was a perfectly fine player but the story really made you root for him.

[@gregdegg]

Daniel Murphy in the 2015 post season is the definition of clutch

[@showtimenick824]

I actually had a feeling Ibañez would deliver big in the playoffs but I can't say I knew exactly how he'd do it. The best part about that ALDS though was the Yankees won it on my 19th birthday. Unfortunately it would be another 5 years before they ever won a playoff game again but at least my last birthday as a teenager was a memorable one.

[@michaelryan4282]

An obscure team cult hero for a team could be Yusmiero Petit for the giants. From 14-16 he had his outing in game 2 of the 14 NLDS, his outing in game 4 of the 14 WS, one strike away from a perfect game, and broke the record for most consecutive batters retired

[@tooloosebogle8849]

You had him in your intro but Travis Ishikawa was my hero in the 2014 playoffs

[@SportStorm23]

I actually nearly made the vid on him instead. Maybe sometime in the future

[@lucaspelc6128]

Munenori Kawasaki of the blue jays was super popular and the crowd always loved him. You should do a video on him.

[@zeeee985]

Awesome video bro

[@SportStorm23]

thank you!

[@bigjared8946]

The gifs of his outfield "defense" will live forever. Absolute legend.

[@coleeisenstadt9312]

Kevin Pillar definitely deserves a video

[@Hoodlum_Media]

freddy sanchez, pat burrell, edgar renteria, cody ross, almost every veteren on the 2010 giants. they’d be a killer team to highlight in this series

[@OilCompany95]

Bro that piano with the beats.. fire every time 🔥🔥

[@SportStorm23]

one of my favorites to use!

[@tuckerkraushaar617]

You have to do David Fletcher because all angels fans love fletch his ability to field and hit for zero power makes him beloved by fans. He’s been our fan favorite player since he got called up

[@unholy_squid3234]

I hope you can find something interesting to make a video on Brian Roberts. He was my favorite player growing up even though I was a Yankees fan. I remember playing the Bigs & the Bigs 2 and they talked about him like a star but as I grew up I learned most of my friends had either not heard of him or didn't think he was that great.

[@lukemeyerhoff7646]

can never forget his veteran presence in the 2014 Royals playoff run. Though he didn't have an AB in the playoffs, his veteran presence can't be overlooked. What a stud!

[@TakyiNY]

I was at that tigers playoff game and Raul hit that home run as soon as I started heading out 😅

[@fabricioviteri6598]

Raul is coool.

[@thorinhanson1181]

If you're looking for team legends I have a couple from the 90s orioles teams. BJ Surhoff was worshipped as an Oriole. And he played every position (minus pitcher) during his career And Chris Hoiles was a legend as a catcher for being one of the only guys to hit 2 grand slams in one game. Lastly, Mike Bordick took over shortstop for Cal Ripken Jr. And set the record for most attempts in the field without an error. He's widely overlooks because he wasn't the strongest batter.

[@tonyferch2130]

Idk if anyone tops Steve Pearce in this category. Joined the 2018 Red Sox at the trade deadline and casually won World Series MVP on the best team of the decade. Not to mention that iconic 3-homer game against the Yankees

[@cesarcabrera97]

Charlie Culberson for the Dodgers. He only played in two seasons with the team playing a grand total of 49 games (he spent most of his time in AAA), but he hit the walk off home run that clinched the NL West in 2016 on Vin Scully's final game at home, and that home run was his first in over two years. He ended up hitting only one more HR as a Dodgers and it was in Game 2 of the 2017 World Series. Charlie was clutch!

[@paduls]

Good example of before he got hurt is, Matt Carpenter. Who I am praying will be back. A St. Louis lifer who imploded and was out of baseball who found himself with the Texas Rangers AAA team. Got called by the Yankees and then immediately hit a big homerun. The Yankees trusted him, and now he is a hero for this team where everyone loves Carpenter. All after his golden years in St Louis

[@averywinters2400]

That one year stint made him one of my favorite players

[@whereisspacebar2991]

I can't think of anyone better for this series than David Freese in 2011, watching that performance as someone who didn't even like the Cardinals that much was magical.

[@pheuphoric37]

Mets fan here. For us, you could do late 90s cult heroes: Lenny Harris, Benny Agbayani, or Matt Franco. Or 2000s: Julio Franco, Juan Uribe, or Daniel Murphy. Would also dig seeing a Cody Ross from the 2010 Giants video.

[@pikapal91]

Kirk Nieuwenhuis is definitely a Mets cult hero and fan favorite. He was fun to watch on the mid 2010’s mets teams, and he had a key game in their 2015 run.

[@chandlermoffitt3278]

Scott spizio buddy has the patch on his in chin colored in red and was clutch for the cards and so taguchi

[@bmac4]

As a Giants fan I gotta give folk hero status to Travis Ishikawa. In 2014 he was a journeyman in his second stint with the team and a career replacement level player, but in the 2014 NLCS his OPS was 1.100 and he hit the game winning walk off homer to send the Giants to another world series with even more even year magic.

[@joshmo2196]

Murenori Kawasaki for the 2015 jays. Was an absolute fan favourite I prolly didn’t spell his name right lol.

[@jonhunt2609]

Ideas for Detroit Tigers Brandon Inge (the most beloved/hated Tiger of the 21st century) Don Kelly (the man who played every position at least once)

[@MarquisdeSuave]

I remember looking at Brandon Inge's stateline late in his career at Detroit and wondered "how does a guy have 25 HRs but has a slugging % hovering around .400"? Then I saw him play a game where he struck out 4 times, twice where the pitcher got the K on 3 straight pitches, and I understood everything.

[@aguywithcommonsense7503]

Or a video like this on Delmon Young's clutch 2012 playoffs as the Tigers offense faded and his overall great career postseason numbers

[@Karmy.]

Donnie Kelly baby

[@loganrobert5811]

PLEASE do Michael Morse for the nats. The take on me walk up, the redo grand slam, etc etc. he was so cool

[@paulfromlic]

Yankees fans thought the 2022 squad was 1998, but it's 2012. Big lead, basically blew the whole thing, doing just enough in September... it seems.

[@antonioreconquistador]

Yeah thats how its feeling- no good additions and a good but very inconsistent offense

[@jonnytheboy7338]

If you're reading comments before watching the video then note this, if you want to read all the stats that post up, you have to hit pause immediately they only stay on there for like 2 seconds

[@alanrobicheaux]

Please please please do a video on Billy Wagner or Craig Biggio. Or even the defensive juggernaut Brad Ausmus

[@dancolonna6590]

Don Kelly, Detroit tigers. Dude hasn’t played for them in almost a decade and he still gets love

[@showtimenick824]

5:25 I was at that game!!

[@sjlbean]

The Ibanez home run in the ALCS basically ended their season, Jeter broke his ankle in extras that game and that was pretty much the end

[@thuff31]

Pains me to say this as a Yankees fan but I’ll always remember Shane Victorino with the 2013 Red Sox

[@portcityducks0856]

You should do Gerardo Parra and Howie Kendrick for the 2019 Nationals.

[@phillylifer]

Ibanez was beloved in Philly. One famous bit if video was caught if a father catching a Jason Werth foul ball and giving it to his daughter who promptly threw it back. Dad's facial reaction was horror and then he hugged his daughter tight and the cameras played it over and over. it was on the local news for like a week. The ohilelies tracked the guy down and invited him and his daughter to the park to meet Werth and get a ball and a shirt signed. Werth blew it off, but Ibanez showed up and you could tell he was so happy to be with this guy and his daughter.

[@ericbancker6963]

Boy does that Yankees season sound reminiscent of this year

[@thickyjuice]

Without question, Chris Burke is the Astros playoff cult hero. That 18 inning walk-off was legendary

[@Allstar2700]

I’ll always remember Angels cult hero’s Joe Blanton and Tim Lincecum they really stepped up when it counted

[@zachmuhrer1196]

Chicago Bears- Tommy Waddle. Some of my youngest memories watching football on TV included Mike Singletary's eyes and Waddle snorting smelling salts to go back on the field.

[@HonkyTonkHellraiser]

You need to do a video on Matt "In Case of Emergency Take The" Stairs

[@Rymann_23]

Hey SRS I have a cult hero you should look into that involves a missed Yankees trade in 2003 and the Mariners ending the playoff drought this year

[@joshoakley5101]

Pls do a video on Dae-Ho-Lee, mariners legend

[@warrenator1000]

Chris Burke for the 05 Astros would be a fun one to hear about

[@Owenthebaseballguy]

Bobby Wilson on the Rangers, with his two hand slams several days apart

[@jsworld8842]

allen craig was a menace for the stl cardinals in the early 2010s playoff runs

[@robmiller2189]

If we don't go old school with Willie McGee, I am all for Allen Craig.

[@StrawhatDawn]

Good times

[@williamnorris1744]

Christian Colon is the modern day Royals poster boy for a video series like this

[@jaksonhope4371]

Adrian Beltre is definitely a Texas Rangers hero. He also had a lot of quirks (Beltre shuffle, going down to one knee during at bats, didn't like people touching his head.

[@jameshunt9907]

A couple of players I think would fit great in this series are Garrett Anderson and Tim Salmon. Both were huge parts of the Angels team in the 90s and early 2000s especially in their World Series win in 02. Yet you never really hear much about either of them.

[@danplewnarz]

Yankee fans can thank Mets legend Rene Rivera for this moment. Rivera came into a Mariners game to replace an injured Miguel Olivo, immediately got hit by a foul ball and was slow getting up. The next player on the catching depth chart was actually Raul, having caught in the minors. Except Raul didn't wear a protective cup that day playing left field. Thankfully, Rivera was able to recover and finish the game.

[@loloduca]

I am a HUGE fan of the 2006 Florida Marlins, Rule 5 Draft Gem Dan Uggla and ROY Hanley Ramierez up the middle, with A young Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis just to name a few… that team had no business being that good (Even thought they ended in 4th Place)

[@ILoveMisty1985]

Oof. This video hurts as a Rangers fan. Every cryptic thing you mentioned about collapsing happened to them, then they lost the Wild Card Game at home.