The 1991 World Series: Great To The Last Out
The Atlanta Braves and Minnesota Twins each finished in last place during the 1990 season. Each engendered a turnaround that led to an improbable matchup in the 1991 World Series.
MLB History
The Cincinnati Reds Stun The Oakland A’s In The 1990 World Series
It was Cincinnati’s first time on top since the days of the Big Red Machine. As for Oakland, with three straight pennants and a 1989 World Series title, there was no question what they’d accomplished. But this stunning sweep in the 1990 World Series marked twice in three years that they’d folded up in the Fall Classic as a heavy favorite.
The Forgotten Championship Of The 1989 Oakland Athletics
The A’s rolled through the playoffs, but the big story of the 1989 World Series was the earthquake that devastated a Bay Area battle with the San Francisco Giants, caused a delay for ten days between games and more importantly, caused massive human suffering.
Giving The 1982 Milwaukee Brewers Their Rightful Place In The History Books
The 1982 Milwaukee Brewers got their first and only American League pennant, and came within one win of the World Series, and it came with a lot of drama along the way. In particular, the ending to the regular season and the ensuing American League Championship Series deserve more attention in the history books than they have recei
The 2007 Cleveland Indians: One Game Short Of The Pennant
Cleveland’s start to the season met the promise, as they won 17 of 25 and had a two-game lead over Detroit. At a time when the NBA had the city’s attention, the Tigers-Indians promised a baseball corollary to the impending battle between the Cavaliers & Pistons, as well as the ever-present Ohio State-Michigan football rivalry.
The 2002 Oakland A’s: The Moneyball Year
…in the offseason the Yankees raided them in free agency to get their best player, Jason Giambi, while the Boston Red Sox stepped in and helped themselves to centerfielder Johnny Damon. It was Oakland’s attempt to replace these players on a shoestring budget, and the innovative methods applied by GM Billy Beane that provided the basis for the movie Moneyball.
The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks Ride The Stars To A Title
…Schilling and Johnson each won 20 games, they each logged about 250 innings and they finished 1-2 in the Cy Young voting, with Johnson winning it. It was a big dropoff from these two to Brian Anderson or Albie Lopez, other regular parts of the rotation. And while the bullpen was respectable, including spot starter Miguel Batista and closer Byun-Hung Kim, who had 19 saves with a 2.94 ERA, it was clear Schilling and Johnson had to dominate or Arizona wouldn’t be championship-caliber
The 1994 New York Yankees Bring Winning Back To The Bronx
There was rebuilding in the Bronx under the watchful eye of general manager Gene Michael, and a young Buck Showalter was the field boss. By the standards of even a few years later, this wasn’t the star-studded lineup we’ve come to expect from the House of Steinbrenner. Don Mattingly was winding down a great career, and while he could hit for average and get on base, a lot of the power was gone from his swing.
The 1977 New York Yankees Burn Up The Bronx
The 1977 New York Yankees season was immortalized in the ESPN movie The Bronx Is Burning, and unlike a lot a cases with this franchise, the ’77 campaign was really worthy of the hype. A exciting, drawn-out AL East race was followed by a thrilling ALCS and then capped off with a World Series moment for the ages.
1989 San Francisco Giants: The First Pennant In 27 Years
The 1989 San Francisco Giants lineup was anchored by first baseman Will Clark and leftfielder Kevin Mitchell. Clark was one the really good pure hitters of this time, able to hit for contact without compromising his power stroke. His productive years ended prematurely, as his upper body wasn’t built to last, and there’s no evidence he used steroids at the time everyone else was trying out the new fad. Mitchell had been a part of the Mets’ 1986 championship team and was one of the game’s top power hitters, as his 47 home runs, .635 slugging percentage and NL MVP award in ’89 would attest.
How The 1986 New York Mets Ran Away With The NL East
…finally, at long last, the Mets had survived 8-5. It had been a road that was extraordinarily easy in the regular season and extraordinarily difficult in October. But they were champions.
The 1980 Philadelphia Phillies Bring An End To Frustration
The 1980 Philadelphia Phillies carried the banner for a franchise and a fan base that was marked with frustration, both short-term, long-term and even beyond the baseball diamond. The Phillies had not won a World Series since 1915. They had lost the National League Championship Series each year from 1976-78.