#5. 1998 World Champion New York Yankees v. #117 1972 World Champion Oakland A's
The '98 Yankees have now won 133 games total. They face Reggie, Catfish and their '72 A's team that has only lost once in the tournament. The winner will face the 1970 Orioles in the Elite 8.
Yankees 114-48 (Pythag 114-48) Mgr. Joe Torre (AL MoY)
1st in AL East
d. Rangers 3-0 in ALDS
d. Indians 4-2 in ALCS (MVP-David Wells)
d. Padres 4-0 in World Series (MVP-Scott Brosius)
d. #124 2004 Cardinals 2-0 (MVP: Bernie Williams/Tino Martinez)
d. #69 1910 Cubs 3-1 (MVP-Orlando Hernandez)
d. #28 1961 Yankees 3-1 (MVP-Bernie Williams)
All-Stars 3B Scott Brosius, SS Derek Jeter (3rd AL MVP) OF Paul O'Neill, SP David Wells (3rd AL Cy Young) OF Bernie Williams
Hall of Famers: Derek Jeter, Tim Raines, Mariano Rivera, Joe Torre
125-50 regular/postseason, won the AL East by 22. 41 games over .500 by the All Star Break. David Wells threw a perfect game in May. Darryl Strawberry had a cancer diagnosis in October.
A's 93-62 (Pythag: 97-58) Mgr. Dick Williams
1st in AL West
d. Tigers 3-2 in ALCS
d. Reds 4-3 in World Series (MVP-Gene Tenace)
d. #12 1942 Yankees 2-0 (MVP-Ken Holtzman/Catfish Hunter)
d. #76 1946 Cardinals 3-1 (MVP-Bert Campaneris)
d. #85 1942 Dodgers 3-0 (MVP-Catfish Hunter)
All-Stars: 3B Sal Bando, SS Bert Campaneris, SP Ken Holtzman, SP Catfish Hunter (4th AL Cy Young) OF Reggie Jackson, OF Joe Rudi (2nd AL MVP)
Hall of Famers: Orlando Cepeda, Rollie Fingers, Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Joe Rudi
California’s first World Champions that weren’t the Dodgers. We’ve seen Reggie and Catfish with the ’77 Yankees, Reggie missed the Series, injured in ALCS. Last daytime weekday game in WS history.
LF Rudi (25) 151 4.9
1B Epstein (29) (LH) 163 4.5
CF Jackson (26) (LH) 149 4.7
3B Bando (28) 116 4.6
C Duncan (26) 105 2.4
RF Mangual (25) 97
DH Tenace (25) 97
2B Cullen (30) 88 .4
SS Campaneris (30) 84 4.4
P Hunter (26) 140 6.3
Bench:
RF Alou (33) (LH) 110 .3
2B Brown (32) 38
CF Hendrick (22) 54
SP Holtzman (26) (LH) 114 4
SP3 Odom (27) 115 1.4
SP4 Blue (22) (LH) 102
A's platooning in RF. Whichever catcher shows a hot bat is likely to play. Not an evident DH.
LF Raines (38) (SH) 107 1.1
CF Williams (29) (SH) 160 5.6
DH Strawberry (36) (LH) 132 1.5
C Posada (26) (SH) 115 3.4
RF O'Neill (35) (LH) 130 5.4
1B Martinez (30) (LH) 124 3.6
SS Jeter (24) 127 6.3
3B Brosius (31) 121 5
2B Knoblauch (29) 102 3.8
SP Wells (35) (LH) 127 5.2
Bench:
LF Curtis (29) 90 2.9
DH Davis (38) (SH) 116
C Girardi (33) 85
IF Sojo (33) 37
P Hernandez (32) 132 3.7
SP Cone (35) 125 5.3
P Pettitte (26) (LH) (104)
Platoon at DH and left.
Lineups:
C-Posada
1B-Epstein
2B-Knoblauch
SS-Jeter
3B-Brosius
LF-Rudi
CF-Williams
RF-O'Neill
DH-Strawberry, Yankees dominate the position players, 7-2
SP1-Hunter
SP2-Push
SP3-Cone
SP4-Push
Pen-Yankees
WAR: Yankees 9 A's 3 - Yankees have an enormous seed advantage, an enormous WAR advantage, and Jeter, the best position player in the series. It would be a significant upset if the A's beat them.
GAME ONE
1st: The 1977 Yankees, 2017 Dodgers, 1909 Cubs, 1970 Orioles all wait. One of these two teams join them. David Wells stands on the Yankee Stadium mound. He's a 35 year old lefty, 18-4, 3.49. Wells is from Southern California; the Jays drafted him in the second round in '82. In '84 he was the third ever pitcher to get Tommy John surgery and came up for the first time in the summer of '87. In '92, Wells threw four scoreless relief innings in the World Series. The Jays released Wells just before the '93 season and he headed to Detroit, where, apparently, in '95 he was nearly traded for a Yankee prospect named Mariano Rivera. Wells wound up dealt to the Reds; won 16 games and was sent to the Orioles in '96. He signed with the Yankees in the offseason and won 16 games. This year, Wells threw a perfect game against the Twins in May, then started the All Star game, then was ALCS MVP. He gets two, then Reggie Jackson singles. Thats all.
1st: Co-MVP in the A's round one win, MVP in the Regional Semi-Final - 26 year old RH Catfish Hunter comes to the mound. One day, this will be his home ballpark, but he doesn't know that yet. 21-7, 2.04. Catfish is from North Carolina; in his junior year of high school he struck out 29 in one game. All-State in football, state champion in track. 5 no hitters his senior year. Hunter signed with the A's in '64, was 19 years old when he debuted with the big club in '65. The A's were in Kansas City then, moving to Oakland in '68, in May, he threw a perfect game against the Twins (30 years and one week later, Wells would do the same thing against the same team) In '71, Hunter won 21. This year he had the third best ERA in the league; won game 2 of the World Series and then came out of the pen to win Game 7. He was 4th in the Cy Young. 1-2-3
2nd: Gene Tenace walks with 2 away. The 25 year old Tenace is DH'ing today; he's from Pennsylvania, American Legion teammates with Larry Hisle and Al Oliver. The A's drafted him in the 20th round in '65 and he came up in '69. He split time this year with Dave Duncan behind the plate. That's all.
2nd: Paul O'Neill singles with one out. O'Neill's 35, from Columbus, Ohio, drafted in the 4th round by the Reds in '81, came up in late '85. O'Neill hit .471 in the '90 NLCS; after the '92 season, the Reds sent him to New York for Roberto Kelly and he hit .311 in '93. In '94 O'Neill won the batting title, hitting .359 and was 5th in the MVP. In '95, he hit .300 and in '96 had an OBP of .402. O'Neill hit .324 in '97 and made his 4th trip to the All Star game. That's all.
3rd: Joe Rudi singles with one out. Rudi's 25, from Northern California, he signed with the A's in '64, came up briefly in '65, and was on the field when Catfish threw a perfect game in '68 (rare battle of two pitchers who threw perfect games in this one; that's the headline) In '71 Rudi became Oakland's full time left fielder and this year he was runner up in the AL MVP. That's it.
3rd: Tim Raines singles with 2 out. The 38 year old Raines is from Florida; drafted by the Expos in the 4th round back in '77, came up in '80 and then full time in '81, when he stole 20 bases in his first 19 games. He was 2nd in the NL Rookie of the Year. In '83, after a drug rehab stint, he led the league in steals for the third time and also runs scored. In '84, he led in steals and doubles. In '85 Raines made his 5th straight All Star team and was third in both hitting and OBP. Raines won the batting title in '86, hitting .334. In '87, Raines hit .330 and led in runs scored and was All Star MVP. At the end of the '90 season, Montreal shipped him to the White Sox. In '93, at the age of 33, Raines had a .401 OBP and hit .444 in the ALCS. Following the '95 season, he was sent to the Yankees. That's all. Catfish vs Wells here in the Bronx. Game One. Region 5 Finals.
4th: Sal Bando doubles. The 28 year old third baseman is from Cleveland, went to Arizona St and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1965 College World Series. The A's took him in the 6th round that year. Bando came up at the end of the '66 season; he was the starting third baseman for the AL All Star team in '69 and was named A's captain. Last year, Bando was 2nd in the AL MVP. Wells gets the next 3.
4th: Darryl Strawberry singles. Strawberry is DH'ing against RH, which means he may not start again unless the series goes to a game 7. Strawberry's 36, from LA, played high school ball against John Elway. He was the first overall pick in the '80 draft by the Mets and came up in '83 and won the Rookie of the Year. In '87, Strawberry hit 39 homers and in '90, he hit 37 and then signed as a free agent with the Dodgers. The Dodgers let him go after a drug rehab stint in '93, he spent '94 in San Francisco and signed with the Yankees in '95. Strawberry hit 24 homers this year and played in more games than in any season since '91. A cancer diagnosis kept him from the World Series. 2 outs later O'Neill singles, but that's all.
5th: Tim Cullen singles. Cullen's from San Francisco; went to Juniper Serra High School in San Mateo, future high school of Barry Bonds and Tom Brady. Cullen went to Santa Clara, played both basketball and baseball and signed with the Red Sox in '63, would be drafted away by the Senators. Cullen debuted in '66 as a shortstop and was dealt to the White Sox before the '68 season. Cullen was sent back to the Senators and (now the Rangers) they released him at the end of last year. The A's signed him this year, and he played in 72 games, largely at second base. That's all. Catfish and Wells battle on.
5th: Derek Jeter singles. Jeter's 24, born in New Jersey, grew up in Michigan, the Yankees took him 6th overall in '92. He came up for the first time in '95 and was the every day shortstop in '96. Jeter hit .412 in the '96 ALDS, .417 in the ALCS and won the Rookie of the Year, this year Jeter was 3rd in the AL MVP and dated Mariah Carey. An out later Chuck Knoblauch singles, Jeter going to third -- and he comes in to score the game's first run on a Raines sac fly. Bernie Williams was the hero of the Regional Semi-Final for the Yankees and he hits a 2 run homer to right center here - the Yankee partisans roaring their approval as Williams circles the bases with another home run. Strawberry then doubles as the wheels have fallen off for Hunter; that's all, but it's a strong inning. A's 0 Yankees 3
6th: 1-2-3
6th: O'Neill singles. That's it. We head to the 7th.
7th: 1-2-3, Wells has set down 9 straight, getting stronger as the game moves along and he's 6 outs away from securing game one.
7th: Williams draws a 2 out walk, but that's all as Hunter just guts his way through it.
8th: 1-2-3, 12 in a row for Wells.
8th: 1-2-3, Catfish matches, but is it too late?
9th: Wells is throwing a 4 hitter - but his day is over. 28 year old RH Mariano Rivera has 36 saves and a 1.91 ERA. Rivera's from Panama, signed with the Yanks in 1990, debuted as a starter in '95 and was moved to the pen before season's end. In '96 Rivera was 3rd in the AL Cy Young and gave up 1 earned in 14 postseason innings. Rivera became the full time Yankee closer last year. 1.83 ERA, 43 saves. In this year's postseason, Rivera had 6 saves and didn't give up an earned run.
Mike Epstein is first - grounds to short.
Reggie is next. Grounds to third.
Bando then doubles and Dave Duncan follows with a run scoring single. The A's get to Rivera and have the tying run coming to the plate.
Angel Manguel grounds to Knoblauch, easy throw to first and it ends.
A's 1
Yankees 3
WP Wells
LP Hunter
Sv Rivera
Wells goes 8 shutout innings; Williams hits a 2 run homer. The Yanks take game 1.
Raines 1x
Williams 2x/HR
Strawberry 2x/double
O'Neill 3x
Jeter 1x
Knoblauch 1x
Rudi 1x
Jackson 1x
Bando 2x/2doubles
Duncan 1x
Cullen 1x
1B Epstein (29) (LH) 163 4.5
CF Jackson (26) (LH) 149 4.7
LF Rudi (25) 151 4.9
RF Alou (33) (LH) 110 .3
3B Bando (28) 116 4.6
C Duncan (26) 105 2.4
DH Tenace (25) 97
2B Cullen (30) 88 .4
SS Campaneris (30) 84 4.4
SP Holtzman (26) (LH) 114 4
SS Jeter (24) 127 6.3
CF Williams (29) (SH) 160 5.6
3B Brosius (31) 121 5
RF O'Neill (35) (LH) 130 5.4
C Posada (26) (SH) 115 3.4
DH Davis (38) (SH) 116
1B Martinez (30) (LH) 124 3.6
2B Knoblauch (29) 102 3.8
LF Curtis (29) 90 2.9
P Hernandez (32) 132 3.7
GAME TWO
1st: The '98 Yankees continue to roll on; Orlando Hernandez was MVP in their round 2 win and he gets the ball today. 32 year old RH, 12-4. Hernandez is Cuban; his half brother Livan won the World Series as a Marlins rookie the year prior. Hernandez defected from Cuba at the end of '97 and walked right into this Yankees rotation this year. He won a game both in the ALCS and the World Series and was 4th in the Rookie of the Year. He gets one - then hits Reggie. Joe Rudi singles and it sends Reggie to third, from which he scores on a Matty Alou groundout. The A's take a lead. A's 1 Yankees 0
1st: Can Ken Holtzman even up this series for the heavy underdog A's? 26 year old lefty, 19-11, 2.51, co-MVP of Oakland's round one win. Holtzman's from St Louis, went to Illinois; the Cubs took him in the 4th round in '65 and debuted with the big club that year. Holtzman went 9-0 in '67 with a 2.53 ERA; in '69 he no-hit the Braves in August. Holtzman won 17 in '70, and in '71 he threw another no hitter, against the Reds in June. In the offseason, Oakland acquired Holtzman for Rick Monday. He made the All Star team this year. Jeter singles. That's it.
2nd: 1-2-3
2nd: With one out, Chili Davis homers to right to tie the game. The 38 year old Davis is platooning at DH with Strawberry. Chili's Jamaican; moved to LA as a boy. Went to the same high school as Sparky Anderson and Don Buford and played ball against Strawberry and Eric Davis. San Francisco drafted Davis in the 11th round in '77 and he came up in '81, playing for Frank Robinson. Davis was 4th in the Rookie of the Year in '82 and made the All Star team in '84 and '86. In '88, Chili signed with the Angels; and in '91, with the Twins. Back to the Angels the following year, Davis had 112 RBI in '93. After the '96 season, he was dealt to the Royals and prior to this year he signed with the Yankees. Chili missed most of the season with an ankle injury, playing in just 35 games. A's 1 Yankees 1
3rd: Epstein gets hit with one out, Hernandez has hit two. After the second out - Joe Rudi doubles Epstein home and Oakland again takes the lead. Mike Epstein's 29, born right here, in the Bronx, moved to LA as a teen. Played football at Cal for Marv Levy. Was on Team USA in the '64 Olympics and then signed with Baltimore. In '67, Epstein was sent to the Senators and called up to play first. He hit 30 homers in '69 with a swing retooled by Senators manager Ted Williams. Epstein and Donald Knowles were shipped to the A's in '71; he hit .270 this year, got into a fight with Reggie late in the season and wound up losing first base playing time to Gene Tenace. Matty Alou then hits a big shot -- a 2 run homer and the A's go up A's 4 Yankees 1
3rd: Chad Curtis singles; he's in left today against the lefty Holtzman. Curtis is 29, went to Grand Canyon, the Angels took him in the 45th round in '89. Curtis came up in '92, was dealt to the Tigers for Tony Phillips in '95. Went to the Dodgers, then to the Indians where he got into a fight with Kevin Mitchell and was sent to the Yankees last year for David Weathers. 2 outs later Scott Brosius singles him home. A's 4 Yankees 2
4th: Dave Duncan homers to right -- the A's brought their bats today. Oakland's catcher is 26, he'll be platooning with Tenace when the series shifts to Oakland. Grew up in Dallas, moved to San Diego, signed with the A's in '63, met Tony LaRussa in A ball, Duncan would eventually be LaRussa's pitching coach for many, many years. Duncan got a taste of the big club in '64, up for good in '68, made the AL All Star team last year. Duncan had 19 homers this year. A's 5 Yankees 2
4th: Tino Martinez singles with 2 out. Martinez is from Tampa, stayed home for college ball was on the '88 Olympic Team. Seattle drafted him in '88, came up in '90, had 31 homers in '95. The Yankees acquired Martinez and Jeff Nelson in the offseason. Martinez was second in the AL MVP in '97. That's all.
5th: 1-2-3
5th: Curtis walks - but that's it.
6th: Duncan singles with 2 out, that's all.
6th: Jorge Posada singles with one away. The Yankee backstop is 27, he's Puerto Rican, his brother Leo played for the A's. Posada went to Calhoun CC in Alabama, drafted by the Yankees in the 24th round in '90. He came up briefly in '95, for good last year when he was Jor Girardi's backup. Davis walks - can the Yanks put something together here? Martinez singles to load the bases - Holtzman gets the second out. Curtis and Jeter then work back to back run scoring walks. The Yankees draw close. A's 5 Yankees 4
7th: 1-2-3
7th: Oakland goes to the pen for Donald Knowles, 30 year old lefty, 5 wins, 11 saves, 1.37. He walks Brosius. The Yankee third baseman is 31; he's from Oregon, the A's took him in the 20th round in '87, called up in '91, homered in his first big league game. Brosius hit .304 in '96 and after the '97 season was dealt to the Yankees for Kenny Rogers; game 3 will be a homecoming when the series shifts west. Brosius made his only ever All Star team this year and was MVP of the World Series. That's all.
8th: 1-2-3, Hernandez retires 7 straight. Oakland has just 5 hits.
8th: 1-2-3, good outing for Knowles and we head to the 9th.
9th: 31 year old lefty Mike Stanton comes on; with his 5.47 ERA, he's probably not Torre's best option in this spot. 1-2-3
9th: Rollie Fingers gets the call. 25 year old RH, 11 wins, 21 saves, 2.51. Fingers is from Southern California, signed with the A's in '64, came up in '68 in the A's first season in Oakland, he was primarily a starter all the way until last year when he was moved full time to the pen.
Fingers strikes out Curtis.
Jeter grounds to Epstein, he takes it himself.
Bernie foul pop - Bando long run - tumbling into the dugout -- making the catch to end the game.
Homers by Alou and Duncan even up this series - we head to Oakland for 3.
A's 5
Yankees 4
WP Holtzman
LP Hernandez
Sv Fingers
Rudi 3x/double
Jackson 2x
Bando 2x/2doubles
Duncan 3x/HR
Cullen 1x
Epstein 1x
Alou 1x/HR
Raines 1x
Williams 2x/HR
Strawberry 2x/double
O'Neill 3x
Jeter 3x
Knoblauch 1x
Brosius 2x
Posada 1x
Davis 2x/HR
Martinez 2x
Curtis 3x
LF Raines (38) (SH) 107 1.1
CF Williams (29) (SH) 160 5.6
C Posada (26) (SH) 115 3.4
RF O'Neill (35) (LH) 130 5.4
1B Martinez (30) (LH) 124 3.6
SS Jeter (24) 127 6.3
3B Brosius (31) 121 5
2B Knoblauch (29) 102 3.8
SP Cone (35) 125 5.3
1B Epstein (29) (LH) 163 4.5
CF Jackson (26) (LH) 149 4.7
LF Rudi (25) 151 4.9
RF Alou (33) (LH) 110 .3
3B Bando (28) 116 4.6
C Duncan (26) 105 2.4
2B Cullen (30) 88 .4
SS Campaneris (30) 84 4.4
SP3 Odom (27) 115 1.4
GAME THREE
1st: Oakland Coliseum. Game 3, Region 5 Final. Blue Moon Odom on the mound for the hometown A's. 27 year old RH, 15-6, 2.50. Odom's from Macon, Georgia, went to the high school that produced Little Richard and Otis Redding. Odom threw 8 no hitters in HS. He signed with the A's in '64 and got a big league taste later that year. Odom came up for good in '68, won 16 and made the All Star team. In '69, Odom was 15-6, 2.92 and made another All Star game. Prior to this season, Odom was shot trying to prevent a home invasion. In the '72 ALCS he gave up 0 earned runs in 14 IP and 2 runs in 11 IP in the World Series. He gives up a Tim Raines single, that's all.
1st: The Yankees turn to David Cone. 35 year old RH, 20-7, 3.55. Cone's from Kansas City, drafted by the Royals in the third round in '81. Cone came up in '86 and prior to the next season was dealt to the Mets for Ed Hearn. Cone was 20-3 in '88, 2.22, 3rd in the NL Cy Young. Cone led the league in Ks in both '90 and '91. Late in '91 he struck out 19 Phillies in one game. A year later he was off to Toronto for Jeff Kent. Following the season, he signed with the Royals. Cone made the All Star team in '94, the following year he was dealt twice, first to the Jays and then to the Yankees. Cone made the All Star team in '97. Joe Rudi doubles with 2 out - and then scores when Matty Alou reaches on an error. Yankees 0 A's 1
2nd: Jeter walks with one out, that's it.
2nd: Dave Duncan walks. That's it.
3rd: Raines walks with one out. That's it.
3rd: 1-2-3
4th: Martinez singles with one out. Nothing else.
4th: Matty Alou walks. Alou is platooning in RF, hit a big game 2 home run. He's 33, from the Dominican, signed with the Giants in '56 along with both his brothers. Alou came up in '60 and was dealt to the Pirates after the '65 season. In '66, Alou hit .342, almost always playing against solely RH pitchers. In '67, he hit .338, in '69, in '68 .332. Prior to the '71 season, Alou was dealt to the Cards and Oakland acquired him late this season. Next year- he'll be a Yankee. That's it.
5th: Raines walks again, with 2 away, but that's it. Odom's allowed just 2 hits. Pivotal game 3.
5th: 1-2-3, Cone strikes out the side. He's got 7 Ks and the A's have just one hit - but they do have the lead.
6th: Posada singles; O'Neill doubles. The Yankees in business. Martinez singles - it scores both men and just like that New York is out in front. Jeter reaches on an error and then - in front of his longtime Oakland fans - Scott Brosius hits a 3 run bomb and the Yankees have exploded all over Odom in the 6th. Donald Knowles, up in a hurry, comes on. He gets the next 3. Yankees 5 A's 1
6th: Alou singles with 2 away, just Oakland's second hit. That's all.
7th: Posada singles again, with one out. That's all.
7th: Duncan walks. That's all.
8th: 34 year old RH Bob Locker for the A's, 6 wins, 10 saves, 2.65. Jeter singles. That's it.
8th: Epstein doubles, just the third Oakland hit. An out later Rudi singles -- A's in business - Cone gets the second out, then walks Bando to load the bases. Bases loaded. 2 out. Cone gets out of it. We head to the 9th.
9th: 1-2-3, the A's pen goes 4 scoreless.
9th: Mike Stanton enters for Torre, like Wells in game 1, Cone has a dominant 8 innings. Stanton gets 2, then walks pinch hitter Ollie Brown - and then ends it.
Yankees 5
A's 1
WP Cone
LP Odom
Cone goes 8, gives up 4 hits, Brosius hits a 3 run homer and the Yankees go up 2-1.
Raines 4x
Williams 2x/HR
Strawberry 2x/double
O'Neill 4x/double
Jeter 5x
Knoblauch 1x
Brosius 3x/HR
Posada 3x
Davis 2x/HR
Martinez 4x
Curtis 3x
Rudi 5x/2doubles
Jackson 2x
Bando 3x/2doubles
Duncan 5x/HR
Cullen 1x
Epstein 2x/double
Alou 3x/HR
SS Jeter (24) 127 6.3
CF Williams (29) (SH) 160 5.6
3B Brosius (31) 121 5
RF O'Neill (35) (LH) 130 5.4
C Posada (26) (SH) 115 3.4
1B Martinez (30) (LH) 124 3.6
2B Knoblauch (29) 102 3.8
LF Curtis (29) 90 2.9
P Pettitte (26) (LH) (104)
LF Rudi (25) 151 4.9
1B Epstein (29) (LH) 163 4.5
CF Jackson (26) (LH) 149 4.7
3B Bando (28) 116 4.6
C Duncan (26) 105 2.4
RF Mangual (25) 97
2B Cullen (30) 88 .4
SS Campaneris (30) 84 4.4
SP4 Blue (22) (LH) 102
GAME FOUR
1st: Nearly a must win game for Oakland - on the mound, a 22 year old lefty, Vida Blue. 6-10, 2.80. Vida's from Louisiana, recruited to play both football and baseball, drafted by the A's in the second round in '67, up for the first time in '69. In '71, Blue struck out 17 Angels in one game and was the AL All Star starter. He went 24-8, 1.82, winning both the MVP and the Cy Young. 1-2-3
1st: Blue opponent is another young lefty, 26 year old Andy Pettitte. 16-11, 4.24. Pettitte's from Baton Rouge, moved to Houston as a boy. The Yankees took him in the 22nd round in 1990 and came up in '95, winning 12 and finishing 3rd in AL Rookie of the Year. In '96 Pettitte was an All Star, beat John Smoltz in Game 5 of the World Series, won 21 games and finished 2nd in the Cy Young. In '97, Pettitte was 18-7, 2.88 and this year he won the clinching game of the World Series. He gets 2 - and then gives up a rocket - a moonshot home run to Reggie Jackson, deep into left field - Reggie slowly trots his way around the bases and the A's are on top. We haven't profiled Reggie in this series - but did discuss him with that '77 Yankees club that won Region 1. Bando follows with a double. That's all. Yankees 0 A's 1
2nd: Posada doubles with one out, after the second out, Chuck Knoblauch singles. The Yankee second baseman is 29, from Houston, went to Texas A&M, the Twins took him in the first round in '89. He was Rookie of the Year in '91, won the Gold Glove in '97 and then was sent to the Yankees. Knoblauch hit 17 homers this year. Blue escapes.
2nd: Angel Mangual walks; the 25 year old is platooning with Alou in RF. Mangual's from Puerto Rico, the Pirates signed him in '66. In late '70 he was sent to the A's for Mudcat Grant. Mangual was third in the AL Rookie of the Year in '71. That's it.
3rd: Pettitte did not have a hit in 1998 - he singles here. An out later Bernie Williams walks. The Yankee CF is 29, MVP of the Regional semi-final. He's Puerto Rican, played Little League ball against Pudge Rodriguez and Juan Gonzalez. The Yankees signed him on his 17th birthday. Williams came up for the first time in '91, he became the Yankee every day CF in '93. In '95 Williams hit .307 and in the ALDS hit .429. In '96 Williams hit 29 homers and was the ALCS MVP. Williams won the Gold Glove in '97 and made the All Star team. This year, Bernie hit .339, winning the batting title, with 26 homers was 2nd in the league in OBP and 7th in the MVP. That's all.
3rd: Epstein singles with one out - that's it.
4th: Knoblauch draws a two out walk, that's it.
4th: Duncan walks. Tom Cullen singles an out later. It ends here.
5th: 1-2-3, Vida's allowed just 3 hits and maintains the shutout.
5th: Epstein singles with one away, That's all. Pettitte and Blue, tooth and nail here in game 4.
6th: 1-2-3, 7 straight for Blue.
6th: Cullen singles with 2 away and that's all. We go to the 7th, still just 1-0.
7th: 1-2-3, 10 in a row for Vida Blue - the A's clinging to the 1-0 lead.
7th: Blue's day is over, big move from Williams, Mike Hegan pinch singles to lead off the inning for the A's. That's as far as it goes.
8th: Donald Knowles for the A's. Strong work from the A's pen throughout the series. Can they get 6 more outs? Williams draws a 2 out walk, but nothing else.
8th: Pettitte's day is over; only 1 allowed, Mike Stanton gets the call. He hits Bando, that's it.
9th: Rollie Fingers comes on - 3 outs from tying this series at 1.
And Paul O'Neill hits his first pitch over the wall to left center and ties the score! This Oakland crowd is stunned - they had their big closer on the mound, 3 outs to get this shutout and it's all gone in one pitch. Posada and Martinez hit back to back singles and the Yankees now have the go ahead run in scoring position with nobody out. Fingers gets the next 2. 2 on, 2 out, 1-1 game. 25 year old Homer Bush comes on to hit for the pitcher. Fingers quickly gets him down 0-2, and then Bush singles! Posada comes around to score and the Yankees take the lead in the 9th! Jeter follows with a run scoring single of his own - Fingers is done, Bob Locker comes on to end the inning - but the Yankees have come back and taken the lead. Yankees 3 A's 1
9th: Mariano Rivera to the mound.
Cullen singles to left. That brings the tying run to the plate - can Oakland come back?
Bert Campaneris flies to left.
Matty Alou comes on to hit - fly to center.
2 away. Joe Rudi hits an easy ground ball to short - onto first and it's done.
Yankees 3
A's 1
WP Stanton
LP Fingers
Sv Rivera
The Yankees score 3 in the 9th, Homer Bush coming off the bench with a 2 out RBI single, and now they have a lock on this series.
Raines 4x
Williams 4x/HR
Strawberry 2x/double
O'Neill 5x/double, HR
Jeter 6x
Knoblauch 3x
Brosius 3x/HR
Posada 5x/double
Davis 2x/HR
Martinez 5x
Curtis 3x
Rudi 5x/2doubles
Jackson 3x/HR
Bando 4x/3doubles
Duncan 6x/HR
Cullen 4x
Epstein 4x/double
Alou 3x/HR
Mangual 1x
LF Raines (38) (SH) 107 1.1
CF Williams (29) (SH) 160 5.6
C Posada (26) (SH) 115 3.4
RF O'Neill (35) (LH) 130 5.4
1B Martinez (30) (LH) 124 3.6
SS Jeter (24) 127 6.3
3B Brosius (31) 121 5
2B Knoblauch (29) 102 3.8
SP Wells (35) (LH) 127 5.2
LF Rudi (25) 151 4.9
1B Epstein (29) (LH) 163 4.5
CF Jackson (26) (LH) 149 4.7
3B Bando (28) 116 4.6
C Duncan (26) 105 2.4
RF Mangual (25) 97
2B Cullen (30) 88 .4
SS Campaneris (30) 84 4.4
P Hunter (26) 140 6.3
GAME FIVE
1st: Catfish Hunter will be a Yankee in 3 seasons, but today he looks to keep his A's alive. In 15 innings pitched in the '72 ALCS Hunter had a 1.17 ERA and in the World Series he went 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA. He gives up a leadoff single to Raines. Hunter gets one - but then Posada hits a 2 run jack - a homer to dead center and the Yankees go up early. Hunter gets the second out, then Martinez singles - and Jeter homers to left. Derek Jeter hits a 2 run home run - the Yankees want to end this series right now. Yankees 4 A's 0
1st: David Wells won game 1 and is staked to a big lead here. Wells was 1-0 in the '98 ALDS, didnt give up an earned run. Then he was ALCS MVP, 2-0, 2.87. Then he was 1-0 in the World Series (albeit with an ERA over 6). He gives up a leadoff base hit to Rudi, then Mike Epstein smashes his own 2 run homer and the A's cut the deficit right in half. Yankees 4 A's 2
2nd: Knoblauch singles. That's it.
2nd: 1-2-3
3rd: Posada singles, he and Jeter have reached 7 times, leading both clubs. That's it.
3rd: 1-2-3, 9 straight for Wells.
4th: Jeter singles. 8 times aboard for Jeter. Brosius singles and sends Jeter to third. Are the Yankees about to put this out of reach? A Knoblauch sac fly adds a run. Yankees 5 A's 2
4th: Duncan doubles with 1 out and that's all.
5th: O'Neill singles, his 9th inning homer tied the score in game 4. That's it.
5th: Rudi doubles with 2 out but that's it and its starting to get late in Oakland.
6th: 1-2-3
6th: Reggie doubles. 2 out later Mangual singles him home and the A's get one back. Yankees 5 A's 3
7th: 1-2-3, 9 straight for Catfish.
7th: Rudi singles with 2 out. 3 hits today for Joe Rudi. That's all. 6 outs left for the Yankees.
8th: Martinez draws a 2 out walk, that's all.
8th: Torre goes to the pen for Mike Stanton. He gets one, then walks Bando. That's it.
9th: Donald Knowles for the A's - Brosius doubles. And he scores on a Knoblauch base hit - that could do it - that could send the Yankees into the Elite 8. Yankees 6 A's 3
9th: Mariano Rivera one more time - he saved both games 1 and 4 and 3 more outs sends the Yankees into the next round.
Cullen lines--right at Martinez.
Campaneris...grounder to Knoblauch - onto first.
Mike Hegan to hit. He tops a grounder right back to Rivera -- throw to first and its done.
The Yankees sweep all 3 games in Oakland and they win Region 5 - Posada hugs Rivera - the infield converges on the mound - Chambliss and Randolph hug Torre; those 2 are already in the Elite 8 as players; the 5 teams are in the Elite 8 and 2 of them are Yankees.
Yankees 6
A's 3
WP Wells
LP Hunter
Sv Rivera
So, Wells beats Hunter twice, Rivera saves 3 games - the Yankees spread the hits around.
Williams 4x/HR
O'Neill 6x/double, HR
Jeter 8x/HR
Brosius 5x/HR, double
Posada 7x/double, HR
Not really a ton of distance among all of those bats - we'll say the two pitchers are your co-MVPs.
