Craig Counsell: veteran infielder recalls his vital roles with Florida and Arizona in their World Series championship seasons.(The Game I'll Never Forget)

I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO play on two teams that won the World Series. In 1997, I was a rookie when the Marlins beat the Indians.

It was the seventh game of the Series. We were down 2-1. I was facing Jose Mesa with runners at first and third and one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. If I hit into a double play, we lose.

My whole focus was on doing something to tie the game, not win it. I wanted to get (Moises) Alou home from third. I hit the ball well--I thought it could have been a double--but Manny Ramirez ran it down in right, and Alou, who tagged up from third, scored for the sacrifice fly that tied the game.

After that, the pressure was off, and it got much easier. That's because we had the final at-bat. In the 11th, Bobby Bonilla led off with a single. There was one out when I came to bat. I hit a grounder in the hole between first and second. Tony Fernandez made an error, and Bonilla went all the way to third.

Jim Eisenreich was walked intentionally to load the bases. Devo (Devon White) hit a grounder to Fernandez, who forced Bonilla at the plate. I moved up to third.

There were two outs when (Edgar) Renteria got the hit that won the Series, and I scored the winning run. That's a thrill I'll never forget. Renteria had been getting clutch, game-winning hits all season, so it wasn't surprising that he came through.

The Marlins got really hot at the right time--late in the season, after I joined the team in a July 27 trade. As for me ending up in the World Series, I don't think anyone could have expected that after starting out the season in AAA playing for the Rockies in Colorado Springs.