The Associated Press

NEW YORK - Move over Bucky Dent. Aaron Boone is the latest unlikely hero in baseball's biggest rivalry.

PHOTO GALLERY

9 Aaron Boone photos

The former Reds third baseman, benched before Game 7 of the AL championship series Thursday night, homered in the 11th inning to give New York a thrilling 6-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox and send the Yankees to yet another World Series.

"I still can't even put it into words," Boone said. "It's humbling. This game humbles you all the time in good ways and bad ways. It's been humbling a little bit lately for me in a bad way, and this is just the same."

An NL All-Star this season, he struggled at the plate for most of two months with the Yankees - and into the playoffs as well.

Boone was hitting just .161 with one RBI in the postseason. Manager Joe Torre sat him down for the biggest game of the year in favor of Enrique Wilson, who is 10-for-20 lifetime in the regular season against Martinez, including 7-for-8 this year.

"Boony, my defensive replacement. He hit a home run, I love it," Torre said.

Boone got in the game as a pinch-runner when the Yankees rallied in the eighth, and he sent Boston home when he came to the plate for the first time in the 11th.

"That one swing can erase all the difficulties he had when he came over," general manager Brian Cashman said.

Boone hit Tim Wakefield's first pitch over the left-field fence, sending 56,279 delirious fans into a frenzy at Yankee Stadium. He was mobbed at home plate by his teammates.

"Obviously, it was up, and he got enough of it to get it out," Wakefield said. "When he hit it, I knew it was gone."

It was a moment reminiscent of Chris Chambliss' game-winning home run against Kansas City to win the 1976 pennant for the Yankees.

And, of course, Dent, the plucky shortstop who hit a stunning three-run homer at Fenway Park to help the Yankees win a one-game playoff for the 1978 AL East title.

Boone joins a list of baseball immortals - he's the fifth player to hit a home run that ended a postseason series.

In addition to Chambliss, the others are Bill Mazeroski for Pittsburgh against the Yankees in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, Joe Carter for Toronto against Philadelphia in Game 6 the 1993 World Series and Todd Pratt for the New York Mets against Arizona in Game 4 of the first round in 1999.

Boone's was the first extra-inning homer to end a Game 7. When he came into the clubhouse, he was jumped by about a dozen teammates chanting his name.

"In that room, each day we come to the park, it's about winning - and that's special to be a part of that," said Boone, still wearing his unbuttoned pinstriped jersey.

What a moment in a wild season for one of baseball's most famous families.

Aaron's older brother, Bret, is an All-Star second baseman for Seattle - and he was part of Fox's broadcast team for the ALCS. They are the third generation of Boones in the big leagues. Bob Boone, their father, made four All-Star teams during a 19-year career as a durable catcher with Philadelphia, California and Kansas City. His father, Ray, was a two-time All-Star third baseman with Detroit.

The four of them got together for a proud family photo before the July 15 All-Star game in Chicago. But Bob was fired less than two weeks later as manager of the salary-slashing Reds, a jolt to the entire family.

Leave it to Aaron to pick everybody up in October.

"Being in one organization my whole life, obviously, (it was) emotional leaving," Boone said. "But knowing I'm going to have a chance to be in a situation like this, that's all you can ask for."

The Red Sox roughed up Roger Clemens, building a seemingly safe 4-0 lead for Martinez.

But these Yankees, with all their postseason poise, just wouldn't quit.

The slumping Jason Giambi, dropped to seventh in the lineup for the first time since 1999, homered twice off Martinez to cut it to 4-2.

Derek Jeter sparked yet another postseason rally, hitting a one-out double off Martinez in the eighth. Bernie Williams followed with an RBI single, and Jorge Posada blooped a two-run double to shallow center, tying it at 5.

"So many heroes today. Unbelievable, this is awesome," Boone said. "Like Derek told me, the ghosts will show up eventually. You knew anything was possible. It didn't look good there for a minute."

ALCS MVP Mariano Rivera pitched three innings for the first time since 1996, keeping Boston scoreless and leaving the game tied for Boone.

He certainly delivered.