by Mark Hale , The New York Post

Yankees 6

Burnett puts the Yankees in a 6-1 hole three innings in, though not surprisingly, they rally from an 8-2 deficit to bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth. But Derek Jeter hits into a big double play, and Teixeira (the potential tying run) strikes out to end the game.

Hero: Utley. He rips two more homers, drives in four runs and steals a base.

Goat: Burnett. Jeter and Phil Coke (two solo homers within a span of four batters) are the runners up.

Best play: Ryan Madson gets Jeter to hit into the double play with nobody out in the ninth and the Yankees rallying.

Worst mistake: Not horrible, but certainly questionable for the Phillies to have Madson (one run on three hits) close instead of Lidge.

Umpire watch: Consecutive clean and incident-free games.

THE 1st 26

1953 Whitey Ford rejoins the team after two years in the Army and becomes the ace of the staff. Mickey Mantle hits .295 with 21 homers, including a monstrous 565-foot blast in Washington's Griffith Stadium. The Yankees meet the Dodgers in the Series and Billy Martin, a .257 hitter, sparks the sixgame victory by hitting .500 with eight RBIs.

Record: 99-52 Mgr: Casey Stengel Leading slugger: Yogi Berra (27 HR, 108 RBI) Top winner: Ford (18-6) Series hero: Martin (12 hits, 2 HR, 8 RBI) Awards: Martin, Series MVP

1956 Led by Mickey Mantle's Triple Crown season, the Yankees capture the AL pennant by nine games over Cleveland, then meet the Dodgers, who beat them for the first time in 1955, in the Series. Don Larsen's perfect game in Game 5 is the turning point as the Yankees win in seven games.

Record: 97-57 Mgr: Casey Stengel Leading slugger: Mantle (.353 BA, 52 HR, 130 RBI) Top winner: Whitey Ford (19-6) Series hero: Larsen (perfect in Game 5) Awards: Mantle, AL MVP; Larsen, Series MVP

1958 Mickey Mantle's 42 homers help the Yankees win the pennant by 10 games and into a Series rematch with the Milwaukee Braves. After falling beind 3-1, the Yankees win the next three, defeating nemesis Lew Burdette twice. Bob Turley wins twice and is named MVP.

Record: 92-62 Mgr: Casey Stengel Leading slugger: Mantle (47 HR, 97 RBI) Top winner: Bob Turley (21-7) Series hero: Turley (two wins, one save) Awards: Turley, Cy Young Award and Series MVP

1961 Led by Roger Maris record-breaking 61 home runs, the Yankees win the pennant by eight games over Detroit. The Reds are no match in the World Series as the Yankees win in five. Bobby Richardson hits .391 and Johnny Blanchard hits .400 with two homers.

Record: 109-53 Mgr: Ralph Houk Leading slugger: Roger Maris (61 HR, 142 RBI) Top winner: Whitey Ford (25-4) Series hero: Ford (2-0, 0.00 ERA) Awards: Maris, AL MVP; Ford, Cy Young Award and Series MVP

1962 Despite missing 39 games with injuries, Mickey Mantle hits .321 with 30 homers to win the MVP award as the Yankees win the pennant by five games over Minnesota.

The Yankees meet the Giants in the World Series and the battle comes down to a memorable seventh game when Willie McCovey lines out to second baseman Bobby Richardson to end it with the tying and winning runs on base.

Record: 96-66 Mgr: Ralph Houk Leading slugger: Roger Maris (33 HR, 100 RBI) Top winner: Ralph Terry (23-12) Series hero: Terry (2 wins, 1.80 ERA) Awards: Terry, Series MVP

1977 Enter Reggie Jackson as a free agent. He causes friction with catcher Thurman Munson and manager Billy Martin, and almost engages in fisticuffs with Martin in the dugout at Fenway Park. But Jackson provides 32 homers and 110 RBIs to help the Yankees win the AL East. The Yankees score three runs in the ninth inning of Game 5 to win the ALCS over Kansas City then beat the Dodgers in six in the World Series, with Jackson hitting five home runs, including three in Game 6.

Record: 100-62 Mgr: Billy Martin Leading slugger: Graig Nettles (37 HR, 107 RBI) Top winner: Ron Guidry (16-7) Series hero: Reggie Jackson (5 HR, 8 RBI) Awards: Sparky Lyle, AL Cy Young; Reggie Jackson, Series MVP

1978 Martin resigns and is replaced by Bob Lemon on June 24 with the Yankees 10 games behind the Red Sox. Led by Ron Guidry and Catfish Hunter, the Yankees go to Boston for a four-game series on Sept. 7 trailing by four games. The Yankees sweep the four games by scores of 15-3, 13-2, 7-0 and 7-4 in what becomes known as the Boston Massacre. The teams end in a tie for the AL East title and the Yankees win a dramatic one-game playoff, 5-4, with Bucky Dent's seventhinning homer turning the game in favor of the Yankees . The Yankees beat the Dodgers in six games in the Series after losing the first two in Los Angeles. Seldom-used Brian Doyle sparks the Yankees in the Series with a .438 average.

Record: 100-83 Mgrs: Billy Martin, Dick Howser, Bob Lemon Leading slugger: Jackson (27 HR, 97 RBI) Top winner: Guidry (25-3) Series hero: Dent (.417 BA, 7 RBI) Awards: Guidry, AL Cy Young; Chase Utley hits two more homers in Dent, Series MVP

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