The Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the New York Yankees in the 2001 World Series. Arizona won the best-of-seven championship series four games to three, capturing the first World Series title in franchise history.
The Diamondbacks, an expansion team founded in 1998, reached the Fall Classic in only their fourth major-league season. The Yankees were appearing in their fourth consecutive World Series and were seeking a fourth straight championship, making Arizona’s victory especially notable.
The series ended dramatically in Game 7 at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix on November 4, 2001. With the score tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, Arizona’s Luis Gonzalez hit a walk-off single against Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, giving the Diamondbacks a 3–2 victory. Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling led Arizona’s pitching staff and shared World Series Most Valuable Player honors. The team is also commonly called the D-backs.