The
1996 World Series matched the defending champion
Atlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From to the present, the Braves have played in Turner Field....
against the
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division...
, with the Yankees winning in six games to capture their first championship since
1978The 1978 World Series matched the defending champion New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a rematch of the 1977 Series, with the Yankees winning in six games to repeat as champions....
, and their 23rd overall. The Yankees became the third team to win a World Series after dropping Games 1 and 2 at home, following the
1985 Kansas City RoyalsThe 1985 Kansas City Royals season ended with the Royals' first world championship win over their intrastate rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Royals won the Western Division of the American League for the second consecutive season and the sixth time in ten years...
and the
1986 New York MetsThe 1986 New York Mets was the Mets 25th season in the National League. They began the season looking to equal or improve upon their 98-64 record from 1985 and to try and win the National League East Division. They would finish the season with a 108-54 record, cruising to the division title...
. They also became the first team since the
1981 Los Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers season got off to a strong start when rookie pitcher Fernando Valenzuela pitched a shutout on opening day, starting the craze that came to be known as "Fernandomania." Fernando went on to win both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards.The season was divided into two...
to win four straight games after dropping the first two.
Game 5 was the final game to be played at
Atlanta-Fulton County StadiumAtlanta-Fulton County Stadium, often shortened to "Fulton County Stadium," was a multi-use stadium that formerly stood in Atlanta, Georgia. Completed in a then-record 50 weeks for $18 million, it opened in the spring of 1965 as Atlanta Stadium...
.
AtlantaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the state of Georgia, as well as the urban core of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States....
became the first city to host the World Series and the
OlympicsThe 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in the same year.
Background
The 1996 World Series marked the beginning of the
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division...
' dynasty of the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, the dynasty may or may not have happened if there wasn't a strike in 1994, as the Yankees had the best record in the American League then. Despite the rich playoff history of the Yankees, the defending champion
Atlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From to the present, the Braves have played in Turner Field....
entered the Series as heavy favorites.
The
YankeesThe New York Yankees' 1996 season was the 94th season for the Yankees. The 1996 New York Yankees were managed by Joe Torre, and played at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx....
had reached the Fall Classic after their
ALCS victoryThe American League Championship Series , the second round of the 1996 American League playoffs, matched the Eastern Division champion New York Yankees against the Wild Card team, the Baltimore Orioles...
over the
Baltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles season was a season in baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing 2nd in the American League East with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses and qualifying for the post-season as the Wild Card team. The Orioles broke the all-time record for most home runs hit by a team with 257...
, while the Braves had rallied from a 3–1 deficit to defeat the
St. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals 1996 season was the team's 115th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 105th season in the National League. During the first year of the William DeWitt, Jr. era, the Cardinals went 88-74 during the season and won the National League Central division. They beat the San Diego...
in the
NLCSThe National League Championship Series matched the Eastern Division champion Atlanta Braves and the Central Division champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Braves won in seven games, after a stunning comeback down three games to one in the series...
.
The
Braves-Offseason:*January 3, 1996: Jerome Walton was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves. *January 9, 1996: Mike Kelly was traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Cincinnati Reds for a player to be named later and Chad Fox. The Cincinnati Reds sent Ray King to the Atlanta Braves to complete the...
used the dominant pitching of
Greg MadduxGregory Alan "Greg" Maddux is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...
and
Tom GlavineThomas Michael Glavine is an American left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who is currently a free agent....
, as well as timely hitting, to defeat the Indians the year before, and looked to reuse that recipe against the upstart Yankees. In ,
John SmoltzJohn Andrew Smoltz is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in...
returned to form, winning 24 games and a
Cy Young AwardThe 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...
, providing another serious pitching threat for Atlanta. New York brought a lineup mixed with veterans, like Paul O'Neill, and young stars, like rookie
Derek JeterDerek Sanderson Jeter is an American professional baseball player. He is a Major League Baseball shortstop who has played his entire career for the New York Yankees. He has served as the Yankees' team captain since 2003...
. The Yankees bullpen was also vastly superior to the Atlanta bullpen, which would prove to be the deciding factor in the Series. However, some of the players with the Yankees would not have been there if the strike hadn't taken away their season in 1994.
After victory in , New York would go on to win the Series three of the next four years. The Braves, while winning their division every season from through , have not won a World Series game since Game 2 of this series.
Over the course of the 1996 World Series, the Braves hit .315 during the first six innings and .176 afterward. Atlanta had more hits, runs, homers, and a lower team ERA during the course of the series, but still lost. (Much like the
1960 YankeesThe New York Yankees' 1960 season was the 58th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 97-57, winning their 25th pennant, finishing 8 games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles. New York was managed by Casey Stengel. The Yankees played their home games at Yankee Stadium. Elston Howard...
performance against
PittsburghThe 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates season was the team's 79th season. The 95-59 team of 1960, which finished seven games in front of the second-place Milwaukee Braves to win their first National League championship in 33 seasons, featured eight All-Stars, but was widely predicted to lose the World Series...
).
Summary
Game 1
Sunday, October 20, 1996 at Yankee Stadium (I) in Bronx, New York
Game 1 and Game 2 were originally scheduled for Saturday October 19 and Sunday October 20 respectively. Rain on October 19, however, washed out Game 1. The schedule was moved up one day, with Game 1 and Game 2 rescheduled for October 20 and October 21, The Monday travel day was eliminated. This was the last rain out in a World Series game until Game 4 of the
2006 World SeriesThe 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion, St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...
. This was the first rain out in a World Series game since Game 7 of the
1986 World SeriesThe 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
, which happened across town at
Shea StadiumWilliam A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium located in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
during the
MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. The Mets are a member of the East Division of Major League Baseball's National League....
' championship season when they played the
Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
, whom Wade Boggs was with at that time.
The Braves, who had won the last three games of the NLCS by a combined score of 32–1, continued their roll early in the Fall Classic. Nineteen-year old rookie center fielder
Andruw JonesAndruw Rudolf Jones is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Texas Rangers.During his first two years with the Atlanta Braves, Jones most often appeared as a right fielder. However, until 2009, he played exclusively in center field...
became the youngest player to homer in a World Series game in the second inning. He went deep to left again off
Brian BoehringerBrian Edward Boehringer is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched for the New York Yankees , San Diego Padres Brian Edward Boehringer (born January 8, 1969 in St. Louis, Missouri) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched for the New York Yankees (–, ), San Diego Padres...
in the third inning to provide the fireworks in a six-run inning for the Braves. A
Fred McGriffFrederick Stanley "Crime Dog" McGriff is a former left-handed Major League Baseball player who starred for several teams from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s. A power-hitting first baseman with a tall, lanky build, the five-time All-Star became, in , the first player since the dead-ball era...
home run off the foul pole in the fifth left Atlanta ahead 9–0. Jones had his third hit and scored in Atlanta's three-run sixth. Braves starter
John SmoltzJohn Andrew Smoltz is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in...
would pitch six easy innings before turning it over to the bullpen in Atlanta's 12–1 rout.
Game 2
Monday, October 21, 1996 at Yankee Stadium (I) in Bronx, New York
After showcasing their big bats in Game 1, the Braves used the dominant pitching of
Greg MadduxGregory Alan "Greg" Maddux is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...
to win Game 2.
Fred McGriffFrederick Stanley "Crime Dog" McGriff is a former left-handed Major League Baseball player who starred for several teams from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s. A power-hitting first baseman with a tall, lanky build, the five-time All-Star became, in , the first player since the dead-ball era...
, who went two for three with a sacrifice fly, had single RBIs in the first, third, and fifth innings, while
Marquis GrissomMarquis Deon Grissom, nicknamed "Grip" is a former Major League Baseball player who is currently the first base coach for the Washington Nationals. He excelled in baseball at Lakeshore High School, under the tutelage of baseball coach Mike Juenger...
added a run-scoring single in the sixth. This was more than enough for Maddux, who pitched a gem, scattering six hits in eight innings.
Mark WohlersMark Edward Wohlers is a former right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the Atlanta Braves from to...
pitched the ninth to combine with Maddux on the 4–0 shutout. With the series going to Atlanta, the Braves appeared on the brink of a championship repeat.
After Game 2,
Joe TorreJoseph Paul Torre is the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and a former Major League Baseball player. He played for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and the St. Louis Cardinals. Upon his retirement as a player, he later managed all three teams.Torre also managed the New York Yankees...
and his first base coach
José CardenalJosé Rosario Domec Cardenal is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants , California Angels , Cleveland Indians , St...
met with the furious Yankees owner
George SteinbrennerGeorge Michael Steinbrenner III is an American billionaire businessman, and owner and the former principal executive of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. His outspokenness and role in driving up player salaries have made him one of the sport's most controversial figures...
, at that post-game meeting. Torre guaranteed three victories in Atlanta and then bringing the series back to Yankee Stadium to clinch at home. Steinbrenner doubted Torre, saying,
"If you guys can't beat the Braves at home, you surely can't beat them down in Atlanta." The Yankees ended it up winning next four games to win the series.
Game 3
Tuesday, October 22, 1996 at
Atlanta-Fulton County StadiumAtlanta-Fulton County Stadium, often shortened to "Fulton County Stadium," was a multi-use stadium that formerly stood in Atlanta, Georgia. Completed in a then-record 50 weeks for $18 million, it opened in the spring of 1965 as Atlanta Stadium...
in
Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the state of Georgia, as well as the urban core of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States....
The Yankees needed a solid performance from
David ConeDavid Brian Cone is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched for the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox...
and got one, with him pitching six innings and only giving up one run.
Tom GlavineThomas Michael Glavine is an American left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who is currently a free agent....
also turned in a fine start for the Braves, pitching seven innings giving up two runs, only one of them earned, but with New York clinging to a 2–1 lead in the eighth,
Bernie WilliamsBernabé Figueroa Williams is a Puerto Rican musician and former Major League Baseball outfielder.-Early life and career:...
, who had two RBIs in the game, launched a two-run homer off Braves reliever
Greg McMichaelGregory Winston McMichael , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in relief in the Major Leagues from 1993-2000.Greg McMichael now resides in Duluth, Georgia and runs a baseball facility...
, which put the game out of reach. After the Braves got a run off Yankees rookie
Mariano RiveraMariano Rivera is a Panamanian professional baseball player who has spent his entire Major League Baseball career with the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo", the right-handed Rivera has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career...
, closer
John WettelandJohn Karl Wetteland is a former Major League Baseball pitcher, who pitched as a closer for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers...
had two strikeouts in a perfect ninth.
Game 4
Wednesday, October 23, 1996 at
Atlanta-Fulton County StadiumAtlanta-Fulton County Stadium, often shortened to "Fulton County Stadium," was a multi-use stadium that formerly stood in Atlanta, Georgia. Completed in a then-record 50 weeks for $18 million, it opened in the spring of 1965 as Atlanta Stadium...
in
Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the state of Georgia, as well as the urban core of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States....
Game 4 would prove to be the decisive game of the 1996 World Series.
Fred McGriffFrederick Stanley "Crime Dog" McGriff is a former left-handed Major League Baseball player who starred for several teams from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s. A power-hitting first baseman with a tall, lanky build, the five-time All-Star became, in , the first player since the dead-ball era...
had a home run and
Marquis GrissomMarquis Deon Grissom, nicknamed "Grip" is a former Major League Baseball player who is currently the first base coach for the Washington Nationals. He excelled in baseball at Lakeshore High School, under the tutelage of baseball coach Mike Juenger...
hit a two-run double to deep center as the Braves stormed out to a 6–0 lead by the fifth inning. New York starter Kenny Rogers lasted only two innings, while Braves starter
Denny NeagleDennis Edward Neagle Jr. is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was last under contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays during the season, but he did not play due to injury...
was in control. However, he suddenly ran into trouble in the sixth inning, which began when
Derek JeterDerek Sanderson Jeter is an American professional baseball player. He is a Major League Baseball shortstop who has played his entire career for the New York Yankees. He has served as the Yankees' team captain since 2003...
's seemingly catchable foul-fly was not caught when right field umpire
Tim WelkeTimothy James Welke is an umpire in Major League Baseball who was named to the American League staff prior to the 1984 season, and has worked throughout both major leagues since 2000. He has been a crew chief since 2000, and currently wears uniform number 3...
got in the way of Braves right fielder
Jermaine DyeJermaine Trevell Dye , dubbed "Live and Let" Dye by Chris Berman, is a right fielder in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox. Dye has also played with the Atlanta Braves , Kansas City Royals , and Oakland Athletics , joining the White Sox prior to the 2005 season...
. Given a second chance, Jeter responded with a lead-off hit that opened the door to three runs, with two of them coming off a
Cecil FielderCecil Grant Fielder is a former professional baseball player of African-American and Dominican Descent who was a noted power hitter in the 1980s and 1990s. He attended college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas...
single which was aided by an error on right fielder Dye. Neagle was knocked out of the game, leaving the 6–3 Atlanta lead in the hands of their bullpen.
Mike BieleckiMichael Joseph Bielecki was a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1984–1997. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round of the 1979 amateur draft . He made his debut on September 14, 1984. His final game was on August 16...
came in with nobody out to strike out the side in three straight. The Braves could not score on the New York bullpen and in the eighth, manager
Bobby CoxRobert Joseph "Bobby" Cox is the manager of the Atlanta Braves, and a former third baseman in Major League Baseball. He first led the Braves from to , and then managed the Toronto Blue Jays from to . He later rejoined the Braves in as a general manager...
decided to put closer
Mark WohlersMark Edward Wohlers is a former right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the Atlanta Braves from to...
in the game an inning early. Wohlers allowed two hits, then reserve catcher
Jim LeyritzJames Joseph Leyritz is a former catcher and infielder in Major League Baseball.-Career:Leyritz played for the New York Yankees , with whom he debuted on June 8,...
connected for a stunning game-tying home run. In the tenth,
Steve AverySteven Thomas Avery is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was a young star with the Atlanta Braves in the early 1990s.-Young Gun:...
walked in the go-ahead run following a somewhat questionable move on the part of Cox to advance two runners by intentionally walking
Bernie WilliamsBernabé Figueroa Williams is a Puerto Rican musician and former Major League Baseball outfielder.-Early life and career:...
with runners on first and second, then Braves first baseman
Ryan KleskoRyan Anthony Klesko , is a former first baseman and corner outfielder, who last played for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He attended Westminster High School in Westminster, California. Ryan previously played with the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves...
lost a routine pop-up in the lights, leading to another Yankee run.
John WettelandJohn Karl Wetteland is a former Major League Baseball pitcher, who pitched as a closer for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers...
shut the Braves down in the bottom of the inning as the Yankees, who had come back from a 6–0 hole, won 8–6 and firmly shifted the momentum of the series.
The Leyritz home run is viewed as a watershed event in Yankees and Braves history. For the Yankees, it launched their late-90's dynasty and is seen as the passing of the torch of baseball's most dominant team from Atlanta to New York. For the Braves, it represents a curse that has led to years of playoff struggle. Wohlers, who gave up the blast, never quite recovered from the play. He inexplicably lost his accuracy throughout and , never again showing the dominance he had before the Leyritz home run.
This was the second biggest comeback in World Series history. The
1929 Philadelphia AthleticsThe Philadelphia Athletics' 1929 season involved the A's finishing 1st in the American League with a record of 104 wins and 46 losses. After finishing in second place to the New York Yankees in and , the club won the 1929 pennant by a large 18-game margin....
scored ten runs in the seventh inning to defeat the
Chicago Cubs- Offseason :* October 3, 1928: Mike Cvengros was drafted by the Cubs from the Wichita Falls Spudders in the 1928 rule 5 draft.* November 7, 1928: Socks Seibold, Percy Jones, Lou Legett, Freddie Maguire, Bruce Cunningham, and $200,000 were traded by the Cubs to the Boston Braves for Rogers...
10–8 in Game 4.
Game 5
Thursday, October 24, 1996 at
Atlanta-Fulton County StadiumAtlanta-Fulton County Stadium, often shortened to "Fulton County Stadium," was a multi-use stadium that formerly stood in Atlanta, Georgia. Completed in a then-record 50 weeks for $18 million, it opened in the spring of 1965 as Atlanta Stadium...
in
Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the state of Georgia, as well as the urban core of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States....
With the Series tied at two apiece,
John SmoltzJohn Andrew Smoltz is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in...
and
Andy PettitteAndrew Eugene Pettitte is an American left-handed starting pitcher for the New York Yankees.In his major league career, he played for the Yankees from –. He then signed with the Houston Astros, and played for them from through . In , Pettitte rejoined the Yankees...
faced off in a pitcher's duel in the final game at
Atlanta-Fulton County StadiumAtlanta-Fulton County Stadium, often shortened to "Fulton County Stadium," was a multi-use stadium that formerly stood in Atlanta, Georgia. Completed in a then-record 50 weeks for $18 million, it opened in the spring of 1965 as Atlanta Stadium...
and gave up a total of zero earned runs. After an error by center fielder
Marquis GrissomMarquis Deon Grissom, nicknamed "Grip" is a former Major League Baseball player who is currently the first base coach for the Washington Nationals. He excelled in baseball at Lakeshore High School, under the tutelage of baseball coach Mike Juenger...
allowed
Charlie HayesCharles Dewayne Hayes is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants , Philadelphia Phillies , New York Yankees , Colorado Rockies , Pittsburgh Pirates , Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros...
to reach opening the fourth inning,
Cecil FielderCecil Grant Fielder is a former professional baseball player of African-American and Dominican Descent who was a noted power hitter in the 1980s and 1990s. He attended college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas...
doubled in the unearned run. Pettitte, who was torched in Game 1, was dominant for New York, pitching shutout innings. He allowed a leadoff double to
Chipper JonesLarry Wayne "Chipper" Jones, Jr. is an American Major League baseball player. Although initially a shortstop, he has spent most of his career as the starting third baseman for the Atlanta Braves...
in the ninth, but
John WettelandJohn Karl Wetteland is a former Major League Baseball pitcher, who pitched as a closer for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers...
came on and closed out the Braves, preserving the 1–0 win. Smoltz was the hard-luck loser, pitching eight innings, giving up only four hits and one unearned run. The Yankees had swept the Braves in Atlanta, and now returned to the Bronx with a 3–2 series lead.
The Braves joined the
1905 Philadelphia AthleticsThe Philadelphia Athletics' 1905 season involved the A's finishing 1st in the American League with a record of 92 wins and 56 losses.The A's offense scored the most runs in the league. Slugger Harry Davis led all players in home runs, runs scored, and runs batted in.The pitching staff featured...
, the
1921 New York YankeesThe New York Yankees season was the 19th season for the Yankees in New York and their 21st overall. The team finished with a record of 98-55, winning their first pennant in franchise history, winning the American League by 4 1/2 games over the previous year's champion, the Cleveland Indians. New...
and the
1986 New York MetsThe 1986 New York Mets was the Mets 25th season in the National League. They began the season looking to equal or improve upon their 98-64 record from 1985 and to try and win the National League East Division. They would finish the season with a 108-54 record, cruising to the division title...
as the only teams to lose a 1–0 World Series game on an unearned run.
Game 6
Saturday, October 26, 1996 at Yankee Stadium (I) in Bronx, New York
Prior to Game 6, Yankees manager
Joe TorreJoseph Paul Torre is the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and a former Major League Baseball player. He played for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and the St. Louis Cardinals. Upon his retirement as a player, he later managed all three teams.Torre also managed the New York Yankees...
's brother
FrankFrank Joseph Torre is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball. Torre, who batted and threw left-handed, played for the Milwaukee Braves and Philadelphia Phillies...
underwent heart transplant surgery.
The Yankees, seeking to clinch their first world championship since
1978The 1978 World Series matched the defending champion New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a rematch of the 1977 Series, with the Yankees winning in six games to repeat as champions....
and the first for a New York City baseball team since the Mets won in 1986, tagged Atlanta ace
Greg MadduxGregory Alan "Greg" Maddux is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...
for three runs off four hits in the third inning. The Braves loaded the bases on
Jimmy KeyJames Edward "Jimmy" Key is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Toronto Blue Jays , New York Yankees , and Baltimore Orioles...
in the fourth, but could only get one run. Key pitched into the sixth, only giving up the single run, before turning the game over to the Yankee bullpen. Maddux, meanwhile, kept the game close, pitching innings with three runs allowed. In the ninth,
John WettelandJohn Karl Wetteland is a former Major League Baseball pitcher, who pitched as a closer for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers...
gave up a run, making it 3–2, but got the save when
Mark LemkeMark Alan Lemke is a former Major League Baseball player. Nicknamed "The Lemmer", he was a popular second baseman for the Atlanta Braves from to .-Biography:...
popped out to third baseman
Charlie HayesCharles Dewayne Hayes is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants , Philadelphia Phillies , New York Yankees , Colorado Rockies , Pittsburgh Pirates , Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros...
with the tying run on second. The Yankees were champions once again, with Wetteland notching saves in all four of New York's victories, earning him the Series MVP.
Bobby CoxRobert Joseph "Bobby" Cox is the manager of the Atlanta Braves, and a former third baseman in Major League Baseball. He first led the Braves from to , and then managed the Toronto Blue Jays from to . He later rejoined the Braves in as a general manager...
was ejected in the fifth inning after an argument that began when
Marquis GrissomMarquis Deon Grissom, nicknamed "Grip" is a former Major League Baseball player who is currently the first base coach for the Washington Nationals. He excelled in baseball at Lakeshore High School, under the tutelage of baseball coach Mike Juenger...
was called out by umpire
Terry TataTerry Anthony Tata is a retired umpire. His career started in 1973 and ended in 1999. During his career, he officiated four World Series and three All-Star games....
after attempting to take second on a passed ball. Replays clearly showed Grissom to have been safe, and the missed call likely cost the Braves a run as
Chipper JonesLarry Wayne "Chipper" Jones, Jr. is an American Major League baseball player. Although initially a shortstop, he has spent most of his career as the starting third baseman for the Atlanta Braves...
doubled one batter later. Though the argument began between Cox and Tata, it was ultimately umpire
Tim WelkeTimothy James Welke is an umpire in Major League Baseball who was named to the American League staff prior to the 1984 season, and has worked throughout both major leagues since 2000. He has been a crew chief since 2000, and currently wears uniform number 3...
who tossed Cox when he shouted something in Welke's direction on his way back to the dugout after the Tata argument. Cox was undoubtedly still furious with Welke from the play in Game 4 when he had obstructed
Jermaine DyeJermaine Trevell Dye , dubbed "Live and Let" Dye by Chris Berman, is a right fielder in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox. Dye has also played with the Atlanta Braves , Kansas City Royals , and Oakland Athletics , joining the White Sox prior to the 2005 season...
's attempt to catch a pop-up, leading directly to a Yankee run and opening the door for New York's comeback in that game. An in-game statistic, as well as the commentary for the video recap of the series, erroneously reported that Cox's ejection was the first since Whitey Herzog's ejection in Game 7 of the
1985 World SeriesThe 1985 World Series began on October 19, 1985 and ended October 27. The American League champion Kansas City Royals played against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals, winning the series four games to three...
, ignoring that Cox had been ejected once before in the World Series (in Game 3 of the
1992 World SeriesThe 1992 World Series was the first Series ever with games played outside the United States of America. It pitted the American League champion Toronto Blue Jays against the National League champion Atlanta Braves...
for throwing a batting helmet onto the field).
It took Yankee manager Joe Torre 4,272 games to get to the World Series as a player or manager, the biggest drought for any player or manager in the history of Major League Baseball. He and the Yankees were bestowed the Commissioner's Trophy by American League President
Gene BudigGene Budig was the president of Major League Baseball's American League from to , when the presidencies of the American League and the National League were abolished.Budig graduated from the University of Nebraska...
, who presided over the trophy presentation instead of the Commissioner, who was not yet named as of 1996.
Composite box
1996 World Series
(4–2): New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division...
(A.L.) over
Atlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From to the present, the Braves have played in Turner Field....
(N.L.)
Series quotes
Broadcasting
- This was the first World Series to be televised by the Fox Broadcasting Company
The Fox Broadcasting Company , commonly referred to as Fox , is an American television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, from 2004 to 2009 Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the 18–49 demographic...
.
- Play-by-play man Joe Buck
Joseph Francis "Joe" Buck is an American sportscaster and the son of sportscaster Jack Buck. He has won numerous Sports Emmy Awards for his play-by-play work with Fox Sports.-Education:...
became the second youngest person (at the age of 27) to broadcast a World Series. Vin ScullyVincent Edward Scully is an American sportscaster, known primarily as the play-by-play voice of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team...
, who this year called the World Series over CBS Radio Sports, is still the youngest at 25, when he called the 1953 World SeriesThe 1953 World Series matched the four-time defending champion New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers in a rematch of the 1952 Series. The Yankees won in six games for their fifth straight title—a mark which has not been equalled—and their sixteenth overall...
.
- During Game 6 at Yankee Stadium, a fan behind home plate held up a sign that said "John 3:16
John 3:16 is one of the most widely quoted verses from the Christian Bible, and has been called the most famous Bible verse...
". Tim McCarverJames Timothy McCarver is an American former Major League baseball catcher, and a current sportscaster for Fox Sports.-Playing career:...
made mention of this sign, saying that the fan was a true Yankees fan because he knew Tommy JohnThomas Edward John Jr. is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball whose 288 career victories rank as the seventh highest total among left-handers in major league history and the most by any pitcher not selected for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum...
's career ERA. John's career ERA is actually 3.34, not 3.16.
Records
- In Game 1, on October 20, 1996, Andruw Jones
Andruw Rudolf Jones is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Texas Rangers.During his first two years with the Atlanta Braves, Jones most often appeared as a right fielder. However, until 2009, he played exclusively in center field...
became the youngest player, 19, in World Series history to hit a home run, surpassing Yankee great Mickey MantleMickey Charles Mantle was an American baseball player who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974....
on Mantle's birthday.
- Also on October 20, Andruw Jones became only the second player in World Series history (after Gene Tenace
Fury Gene Tenace , is a former Italian-American Major League Baseball player who was a catcher and first baseman in the 1970s. He is currently the hitting coach for the Toronto Blue Jays. As a player, he was a key part of the Oakland Athletics powerhouse that won 3 consecutive World Series from...
in 1972The 1972 World Series matched the American League champion Oakland Athletics against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds, with the A's winning in seven games...
), and youngest ever, to hit a home run his first two times up in a Series.
- The Braves beating the Yankees in the first two games by a combined score of 16–1 was the biggest run differential in World Series history.
Aftermath
For the Yankees and their fans, the World Series win ended the longest drought in franchise history, but the team was still reeling from lost opportunities that resulted from the player's strike two years before and the fallout from it, as they had the best record in the American League that year and were looking to the postseason, a possible
World SeriesThe 1994 World Series was canceled on September 14 of that year due to an ongoing strike by the Major League Baseball Players Association, which had begun on August 12...
appearance, and possibly, a win. The strike extended the drought and traumatized the Yankees and their fans to their core because their star player then,
Don MattinglyDonald Arthur Mattingly is a former first baseman who played for the New York Yankees of the American League from 1982-1995. He also served as the Yankees hitting coach from 2004 to 2006 and Joe Torre's bench coach in 2007...
, never played in the postseason and had his best chance at a World Series title ended by the strike.
Some of the players who were with the Yankees in 1994 weren't with the team in 1996, including Mattingly, who retired in 1995.
External links