Have you ever watched a game, and when it was finished, thought it was an instant classic? Instant classics have something different to offer than the regular game; whether it be a playoff game, or a game decided beyond regulation, something historic usually happens.

The 2003 ALCS Game 7 had a bit of each aspect in what I consider to be the greatest game I have ever seen.

The series was tied up at three games apiece and the teams headed to the Bronx in order to determine who would face the Marlins in the World Series.

Boston sent Pedro Martinez and New York called upon future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens to help the Yankees clinch the series.

The Red Sox got off to a quick start in the second inning with a two-run dinger by right fielder Trot Nixon.

Later in the inning, Johnny Damon, who went on to commit treason by signing with the dark side, scored on a Jason Varitek double to give the Sox a 3-0 lead.

In the top of the fourth inning, Kevin Millar blasted a home run to make it 4-0. Two batters later, Clemens left the mound in what many thought would be his last game, as he stated he would retire after the season.

In came Mike Mussina for damage control and to get the Yankees out of the inning.

Pedro Martinez was cruising through the first four innings until Jason Giambi hit a solo bomb to make the score 4-1.

Mussina came out, and the ever-so-forgettable Felix Heredia came in to pitch the seventh inning. In the bottom of the inning, Giambi blasted another solo job to make the score 4-2.

Top of the eighth, and in came David Wells,  who decided to pitch one down the plate to David “Big Papi” Ortiz as if he were drunk. Ortiz launched a solo shot and put the Sox up 5-2 with a comfortable lead going into the bottom of the inning.

Then, the infamous bottom of the eighth inning for the Boston Red Sox happened.

Little did they know, this inning would change the rest of their season. Grady Little decided to keep a tiring Martinez in to pitch, which eventually cost him his job.

Jeter started the rally by doubling, and then Yankee legend Bernie Williams singled, which brought Jeter in to score. Back-to-back doubles by Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada helped the Yankees tie the ball game at five runs each.

Solid innings of relief pitching from Boston’s Mike Timlin and New York’s Mariano Rivera kept the game tied.

Several key reserves came in for both teams as pinch hitters and runners. One of those players to enter the game was pinch runner Aaron Boone.

Boone came in as a pinch runner for Ruben Sierra and then moved to play third base. With the game tied, knuckleballer Tim Wakefield came in relief of Timlin in the bottom of the 10th inning and pitched an easy 1-2-3 inning.

Rivera buckled down for three innings and struck out three in the process. After an easy top of the 11th inning, the Yankees needed to make something of their at-bats because as great as Rivera is, he couldn’t go much longer, and the Yankees’s bullpen was pretty empty. Out of the dugout rose an unlikely hero in Aaron Boone.

Little did Yankee fans know, Boone would soon join the likes of Bucky “Bleeping” Dent in Yankee immortality.

Boone came into the batter’s box and the first pitch he saw, he took to left field into the stands for a walk-off homerun to give the Yankees a win, the series and a trip to the World Series, which they would go on to lose to the Florida Marlins in six games.

Boone did exactly what every aspiring Little-Leaguer dreams of: winning the game in extra innings, sending your team to the World Series and becoming a legend.

To Red Sox fans, Boone is known as Aaron “Bleeping” Boone because of that historic at-bat. After the season was over, Boone decided to play a pick-up game of basketball. During the game, Boone tore ligaments in his knee.

Aaron “Bleeping” Boone.