Editing 2001 World Series (section)

==Aftermath==
The duo of  [[Curt Schilling]] and [[Randy Johnson]] were awarded the [[World Series Most Valuable Player]], the first players to split the award since [[Steve Yeager]], [[Ron Cey]], and [[Pedro Guerrero (first baseman/outfielder)|Pedro Guerrero]] did so for the [[1981 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Dodgers]] in the [[1981 World Series]], and last to do so, to date. This would not be the only award they split as both were named [[Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year]] for 2001.

Rivera's blown save and the Yankees' loss proved to be life-saving for Yankees utility player [[Enrique Wilson]]. Had the Yankees won, Wilson was planning to fly home to the [[Dominican Republic]] for the winter on [[American Airlines Flight 587]] on November 12 after what would have been a Yankees victory parade down the [[Canyon of Heroes]]. But after the Yankees lost (and thus no parade occurred), Wilson decided to fly home earlier. Flight 587 would crash in Belle Harbor, Queens, killing everyone on board.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1175851-mariano-rivera-why-hes-the-most-irreplaceable-reliever-in-mlb-history|title=Mariano Rivera: Why He's the Most Irreplaceable Reliever in MLB History|last=Buckley|first=Brian|website=Bleacher Report|language=en|access-date=2019-04-21|date=May 8, 2012}}</ref> Rivera later said, "I am glad we lost the World Series because it means that I still have a friend."<ref>[https://www.espn.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=olney_buster&id=2051491 Epilogue: 'The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty']</ref>

During the offseason, several Yankees moved on to other teams or retired, the most notable changes being the free agent departures of Martinez and Knoblauch to the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] and [[Kansas City Royals]], and Brosius and O'Neill retiring. Martinez would later return to the Yankees to finish his career in 2005.

After winning the NL West again in 2002 the [[2002 Arizona Diamondbacks season|Diamondbacks]] were swept 3–0 by [[2002 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis]] in the [[2002 National League Division Series|NLDS]]. From here they declined, losing 111 games in [[2004 Arizona Diamondbacks season|2004]] as Bob Brenly was fired during that season. Arizona would not win another NL West title until [[2007 Arizona Diamondbacks season|2007]]. Schilling was traded to the [[Boston Red Sox]] after the [[2003 Arizona Diamondbacks season|2003 season]] and in [[2004 Boston Red Sox season|2004]] helped lead them to their first [[2004 World Series|World Series]] championship since [[1918 Boston Red Sox season|1918]]. He helped them win another championship in [[2007 World Series|2007]] and retired after four years with Boston, missing the entire 2008 season with a shoulder injury. Johnson was traded to the Yankees after the 2004 season, a season that saw him [[Randy Johnson's perfect game|throw a perfect game]] against the [[2004 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]], though he would be traded back to the Diamondbacks two years later and finish his career with the [[2009 San Francisco Giants season|San Francisco Giants]] in 2009. The last player from the 2001 Diamondbacks roster, [[Lyle Overbay]], retired following the 2014 season with the [[2014 Milwaukee Brewers season|Milwaukee Brewers]] while the last player from the 2001 Yankees, [[Randy Choate]], retired following the 2016 season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/02/16/sweeny-randy-choate-retirement/|title = Randy Choate, Longtime Left-Handed Relief Pitcher, Retires|date = February 16, 2017}}</ref>

From 2002 through 2007, the Yankees' misfortune in the postseason continued, with the team losing the [[2002 American League Division Series|ALDS]] to the [[2002 Anaheim Angels season|Anaheim Angels]] in 2002, the [[2003 World Series|World Series]] to the [[2003 Florida Marlins season|Florida Marlins]] in 2003, the [[2004 American League Championship Series|ALCS]] to the [[2004 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]] (in the process becoming the first team in postseason history to blow a 3–0 series lead) in 2004, the [[2005 American League Division Series|ALDS]] again to the [[2005 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim season|Angels]] in 2005, and then losing the ALDS to the [[2006 Detroit Tigers season|Detroit Tigers]] and the [[2007 Cleveland Indians season|Cleveland Indians]] in [[2006 American League Division Series|2006]] and [[2007 American League Division Series|2007]], respectively. In addition, including the World Series loss in 2001, every World Series champion from 2001 to 2004 won the title at the Yankees' expense in postseason play, which is an AL record and as of [[2023 Major League Baseball season|2023]] tied for the MLB record with the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] from 2016 to 2019.  [[Joe Torre]]'s contract was allowed to expire and he was replaced by [[Joe Girardi]] in 2008, a season in which the Yankees would miss the playoffs for the first time since 1993. The Yankees won their 27th World Series championship in 2009, defeating the defending [[2008 World Series|2008 champion]] [[2009 Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies]] in six games, but could not pull off another dynasty like they did during the late 1990s and early 2000s; in fact, they failed to reach the World Series during the entirety of the 2010s. The Yankees would finally return to the World Series in [[2024 World Series|2024]] only to fall in five games to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Since 2001, the Yankees have played in four World Series and lost three of them ('01, [[2003 World Series|´03]], '24)

This is the state of [[Arizona]]'s only championship among the [[major professional sports teams of the United States and Canada|four major North American men's professional sports]]. However, the [[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]]'s [[Phoenix Mercury]] have won three championships since then ([[2007 Phoenix Mercury season|2007]], [[2009 Phoenix Mercury season|2009]], and [[2014 Phoenix Mercury season|2014]]).

The Diamondbacks and the [[2000 Baltimore Ravens season|Baltimore Ravens]], who won the [[Super Bowl XXXV|Super Bowl]] earlier in 2001, created the first instance of two major sports teams winning a championship game or series on their first attempts.  This would not occur again until 2019, when the [[2018–19 Toronto Raptors season|Toronto Raptors]] and [[2019 Washington Nationals season|Washington Nationals]] accomplished this feat.

The Diamondbacks would not return to the World Series again until [[2023 World Series|2023]]; this time, they would go on to lose to the [[2023 Texas Rangers season|Texas Rangers]] in five games.