Jim Leyritz, 2-Time World Series Champion

Sports Spectrum Podcast

Sports Spectrum

Sports

4.9 • 685 Ratings

🗓️ 7 August 2019

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Episode 347

Jim Leyritz played 11 years in the Major Leagues with the Yankees, Angels, Rangers, Red Sox, Padres and Dodgers. Known for his versatility, Leyritz played catcher, first base, third base and the outfield.

He was undrafted after playing his college ball at Kentucky and was signed by the New York Yankees as a free agent in 1985. Five years later, he made his New York Yankees debut on June 8, 1990. During his time with the Bronx Bombers, Leyritz hit two of the most memorable home runs in Yankees playoff history. In 1995, he hit a walk-off 15th inning home run in the 1995 Divisional Series against Seattle at Yankee Stadium to give New York a 7-5 win. One year later, in Game 4 of the 1996 World Series, Leyritz hit a game-tying three-run home run off the Braves closer Mark Wohlers that would catapult the Yankees to three straight wins and their first championship in 18 years.

After 1996, Leyritz would play for four different teams including the Angels and Rangers in 1997 along with the Red Sox and Padres in 1998. He would return to the World Series in 1998 with San Diego and again in 1999, winning his second ring with the Yankees.

Jim's journey after baseball is one of fame, tragedy, redemption and faith. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Jim Leyritz about his baseball success, winning two World Series titles, his post-baseball troubles away from the field, and finding freedom in Christ after returning to church in California.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Sports Spectrum, the Sports and Faith podcast that brings Jesus back into the conversation.
0:17.5	Here's your host, Jason Romano.
0:20.0	This episode of Sports Spectrum's podcast with Jim Leritz, former World Series champion
0:25.7	with New York Yankees, 1996, and 1999, is brought to you by Compassion International,
0:32.0	the most trusted child development ministry in the world.
0:35.6	To find out how you can help make a difference in a child's life, go to
0:39.3	Compassion.com slash Sports Spectrum, and for $38, you can help release a child from poverty.
0:46.8	Go to compassion.com slash sports spectrum and consider sponsoring a child today.
0:53.5	Today on the podcast, one of the more fascinating interviews that we've done here at Sports Spectrum
1:00.0	with two-time World Series champion Jim Lairitz.
1:03.8	Jim was undrafted coming into his professional baseball career, signed with the Yankees,
1:10.6	made his Major League Baseball
1:12.6	debut June 8th of 1990. He tells a great story about that Major League Baseball debut that he
1:20.5	made against the Orioles. Really awesome story there and played for 11 seasons. He was with the Yankees from 1990 to 1996, won a World Series in 96, that memorable,
1:34.5	historic run for the Yankees and hit one of the more famous home runs in Yankee
1:39.2	World Series history in game four of that World Series in 1996 against Atlanta, which helped tie the game
1:46.5	late and allowed the Yankees to come back from a two-oh deficit to win that World Series and
1:52.6	beat the defending champion Braves in six games.
1:55.3	And Laris was a big part of that World Series team.
1:58.9	And then he was on a bunch of different teams.
2:01.4	Went to the Angels, the Rangers, the Red Sox, the Padres, where he was in another World
2:06.5	Series in 1999 with San Diego.
	...

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