1990 American League Championship Series
Encyclopedia
Game 1
Saturday, October 6, 1990 at Fenway ParkFenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
in Boston, Massachusetts
The opening game of the series saw a battle of aces, as Oakland sent Dave Stewart to the hill against Boston's Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
. The game was a scoreless pitchers duel until the bottom of the fourth, when Red Sox third baseman Wade Boggs
Wade Boggs
Wade Anthony Boggs is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent his 18-year baseball career primarily with the Boston Red Sox, but also played for the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays...
launched a solo home run off Stewart. Despite mounting scoring threats in each of the next two innings, the Athletics failed to deliver against the "Rocket."
Oakland finally came through in its half of the seventh, when Larry Andersen replaced Clemens on the mound. Andersen walked Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
, who then was forced out
Force play
In baseball, a force is a situation when a baserunner is compelled to vacate his time-of-pitch base—and thus try to advance to the next base—because the batter became a runner. A runner at first base is always forced to attempt to advance to second base when the batter becomes a runner...
at second by the next batter, Walt Weiss
Walt Weiss
Walter William Weiss is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball.Weiss was a member of the National League All-Star Team...
. A single by pinch-hitter Jamie Quirk
Jamie Quirk
James Patrick Quirk is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current bench coach for the Chicago Cubs. Quirk attended Whittier College.-Playing career:Quirk was also a Parade Magazine All-America quarterback at St...
moved Weiss to third, and he came home on a sacrifice fly
Sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
by Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henley Henderson is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics. Nicknamed The Man of Steal, he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner...
. In the eighth, the A's extended their lead via small ball
Small Ball
In the sport of baseball, small-ball is an informal and colloquial term for an offensive strategy in which the batting team emphasizes placing runners on base and then advancing them into position to score a run in a deliberate, methodical way...
, as José Canseco
José Canseco
José Canseco Capas, Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball manager, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American League and former Major League Baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player and current teammate Ozzie Canseco...
singled, was sacrificed over to second by Harold Baines
Harold Baines
Harold Douglas Baines is a former right fielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for five American League teams from 1980 to 2001. He is best known for his three stints with the Chicago White Sox, the team on which he now serves as coach...
, stole third, and then plated on a single by Carney Lansford
Carney Lansford
Carney Ray Lansford is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball and the hitting coach of the Colorado Rockies...
.
In the ninth, the wheels came off for the Red Sox bullpen, as Oakland blew the game wide open by erupting for seven runs. Henderson led the way with a two-run single and a stolen base, Terry Steinbach
Terry Steinbach
Terry Lee Steinbach is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for 14 years from to . He was drafted in 1980 out of New Ulm High School by the Cleveland Indians. He was the starting catcher for Oakland Athletics teams that won three straight American League pennants from 1988 to...
and Willie Randolph
Willie Randolph
Willie Larry Randolph is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and manager, most recently the third base coach for the Baltimore Orioles...
added RBI base hits, and Canseco chipped in with a sacrifice fly. Despite the game being far from a save situation, A's closer Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Lee Eckersley , nicknamed "Eck", is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. Eckersley had success as a starter, but gained his greatest fame as a closer, becoming the first of only two pitchers in Major League history to have both a 20-win season and a 50-save season in a career .He...
shut Boston down in the bottom half of the inning. giving Oakland a 9–1 victory and a 1–0 series lead.
Game 2
Sunday, October 7, 1990 at Fenway ParkFenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
in Boston, Massachusetts
Game 2 saw the A's Bob Welch, the eventual 1990 American League Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
winner, take on Boston's Dana Kiecker
Dana Kiecker
Dana Ervin Kiecker is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox from 1990-1991. He batted and threw right-handed....
. The Red Sox struck against Welch in the third, as Luis Rivera doubled, took third on a Jody Reed
Jody Reed
Jody Eric Reed is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball who had an 11-year career from 1987-1997. The 5'9" second baseman played with the Boston Red Sox from 1987–1992, and in 1990 he led the American League with 45 doubles and finished 10th in the AL with 173 hits...
grounder, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Carlos Quintana
Carlos Quintana (baseball)
Carlos Narciso Quintana Hernandez is a former Major League Baseball player who played for the Boston Red Sox from 1988-1993.-Professional career:...
. Oakland got the run back the very next half-inning, however, as Willie McGee
Willie McGee
Willie Dean McGee is a retired professional baseball player who won two batting titles and was named Major League Baseball's National League MVP. McGee primarily played center and right field, winning three Gold Glove Awards for defensive excellence. McGee spent the majority of his 18-year career...
doubled and scored on a single by Baines.
In the sixth, Boston manager Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan (manager)
Joseph Michael Morgan is a retired American infielder, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball.-Early life:...
pulled Kiecker in favour of the bullpen, and as they had in Game 1, the A's went to work. Mike Gallego
Mike Gallego
Michael Anthony Gallego is the Oakland Athletics third base and infield coach, and a former Major League Baseball infielder who played for the Athletics, New York Yankees, and St. Louis Cardinals from 1985 to 1997.-Baseball career:Gallego was the A's starting second baseman during their three-year...
and Rickey Henderson ripped consecutive singles, and McGee forced Henderson, moving Gallego to third. He came home on a groundout by Baines, giving the A's a 2–1 advantage. In the ninth, the Athletics extended their lead to three runs, courtesy an RBI double by Baines and a run-scoring single by McGwire. Eckersley worked a 1–2–3 ninth to secure his first save of the series, and Oakland carried a 2–0 ALCS lead back to the Coliseum
McAfee Coliseum
O.co Coliseum is a multi-purpose stadium, located in Oakland, California, in the Coliseum Industrial area...
.
Game 3
Tuesday, October 9, 1990 at Oakland-Alameda County ColiseumMcAfee Coliseum
O.co Coliseum is a multi-purpose stadium, located in Oakland, California, in the Coliseum Industrial area...
in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
For Game 3 in Oakland, the Red Sox threw Mike Boddicker
Mike Boddicker
For the similarly named musician , see Michael BoddickerMichael James "Mike" Boddicker was a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles , Boston Red Sox , Kansas City Royals , and Milwaukee Brewers...
, who had been the 1983 ALCS
1983 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 5, 1983 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandPlaying in their first postseason game since the 1959 World Series, the White Sox jumped out to a 1–0 series lead behind a complete-game victory by Hoyt, the American League Cy Young Award winner...
MVP with the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, against the Athletics' Mike Moore. In the second, the Red Sox drew first blood when Mike Greenwell
Mike Greenwell
Michael Lewis Greenwell is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire MLB career with the Boston Red Sox . He briefly played a few games for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan , before retiring. Greenwell was nicknamed "The Gator." He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
walked, moved up to third on a single by Dwight Evans
Dwight Evans
Dwight Michael Evans , nicknamed "Dewey", is an American former professional baseball right fielder and right-handed batter who played with the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball....
, and came home on a sacrifice fly by Tom Brunansky
Tom Brunansky
Thomas Andrew Brunansky , nicknamed "Bruno", is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1981 to 1994 for the California Angels, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, and Milwaukee Brewers....
. Boston continued to lead until the bottom of the fourth, when the A's struck for two runs. Canseco and Baines both got on base and then executed a double steal, enabling Canseco to subsequently score on a Dave Henderson
Dave Henderson
David Lee Henderson , nicknamed Hendu, is an American former Major League Baseball player who played for the Seattle Mariners , Boston Red Sox , San Francisco Giants , Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals . He batted and threw right-handed...
sacrifice fly and Baines to eventually plate on a single by Randolph.
In the sixth, Oakland added a pair of runs to their lead thanks to some shoddy fielding by the Red Sox. An error by Rivera on a ground ball allowed Baines to reach base, take second on a fly out by McGwire, then move to third when Dave Henderson was forced out by Steinbach. An RBI single by Randolph scored Baines and moved Steinbach to third. Steinbach then boldly tried to steal home and was gunned down, but an error by his Boston counterpart Tony Peña
Tony Peña
Antonio Francisco Peña Padilla is a former professional baseball player, manager and current coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Pirates, Cardinals, Red Sox, Indians, White Sox, and Astros. Peña was the manager of the Kansas City Royals between 2002 and 2005. He...
resulted in another run. In the ninth, Eckersley picked up his second save as the A's took a 3–0 stranglehold on the series.
Game 4
Wednesday, October 10, 1990 at Oakland-Alameda County ColiseumMcAfee Coliseum
O.co Coliseum is a multi-purpose stadium, located in Oakland, California, in the Coliseum Industrial area...
in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
The fourth game was a pitching rematch of Game 1, as Stewart again faced Clemens. In the bottom of the second, the "Rocket" gave up consecutive singles to Lansford and Steinbach, and both advanced one base due to a throwing error by Greenwell. McGwire then forced Steinbach, driving in Lansford with the first run of the game.
Randolph was the next batter, and when home plate umpire Terry Cooney
Terry Cooney
Terrance Joseph Cooney is a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from to ; he wore uniform number 12...
adjudged Clemens' fifth pitch to him to be ball four, the Red Sox ace lost his composure, letting loose a stream of profanities. Although Clemens later claimed he was talking to his glove, Cooney assumed the comments were directed at him and promptly ejected Clemens from the game. Upon realizing he had been ejected, Clemens charged at the umpires, while Peña and Boston manager Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan (manager)
Joseph Michael Morgan is a retired American infielder, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball.-Early life:...
fiercely argued the call. The Red Sox bench also exploded, with Clemens' indignant teammates hurling water coolers and litter onto the field. In the end, Clemens, Morgan, and Marty Barrett were thrown out; an angry Barrett had merited his ejection by having to be physically restrained from leaving the dugout and confronting the umpiring crew.
The ejection proved to be the turning point of the game, as Gallego proceeded to belt a double to center field off Clemens' replacement, Tom Bolton
Tom Bolton (baseball)
Thomas Edward Bolton is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Boston Red Sox , Cincinnati Reds , Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles . He batted and threw left-handed...
, scoring both McGwire and Randolph. The Red Sox briefly mounted a last-ditch rally in the top of the ninth, scoring a single run courtesy an Ellis Burks
Ellis Burks
Ellis Rena Burks is a former outfielder and designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball for 18 seasons...
double and a single by Jody Reed
Jody Reed
Jody Eric Reed is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball who had an 11-year career from 1987-1997. The 5'9" second baseman played with the Boston Red Sox from 1987–1992, and in 1990 he led the American League with 45 doubles and finished 10th in the AL with 173 hits...
, but Athletics reliever Rick Honeycutt
Rick Honeycutt
Frederick Wayne "Rick" Honeycutt is the current pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Honeycutt was a left-handed pitcher for 21 years from 1977 to 1997. He played with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, and the St. Louis Cardinals...
got Greenwell to ground out, handing Oakland its third straight American League pennant.
Composite box
1990 ALCS (4–0): Oakland AthleticsOakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
over Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...