1997 American League Division Series

Cleveland Indians vs. New York Yankees

Game 1, October 1

The Kingdome was a multi-purpose stadium located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Owned and operated by King County, the Kingdome opened in 1976 and was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League , the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , and the...

in Seattle, Washington

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

The Orioles had gone wire-to-wire and the Mariners had won the AL West for the second time in the decade. In Game 1, both teams had their best on the mound: Mike Mussina

Mike Mussina

Michael Cole Mussina , nicknamed Moose, is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played for the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees ....

for the Orioles and Randy Johnson

Randy Johnson

Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....

for the Mariners. The game was scoreless until Mike Bordick

Mike Bordick

Michael Todd Bordick is an American retired professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball from 1990 to 2003 with four different teams: the Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, and Toronto Blue Jays.-Early life:Bordick's father, Michael, was in the Air Force,...

hit the go-ahead RBI double for the Orioles in the third. But Edgar Martínez

Edgar Martinez

Edgar Martínez , nicknamed "Gar" and "Papi", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and designated hitter. He spent his entire 18-year Major League career with the Seattle Mariners. He is the cousin of Carmelo Martínez.-Seattle Mariners:On December 19, 1982, the Seattle Mariners signed...

's homer tied the game in the fourth. In the fifth the Orioles looked to put the game away. They would score four runs two RBI singles by Brady Anderson

Brady Anderson

Brady Kevin Anderson is an American former outfielder with the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball...

and Eric Davis and a homer by Gerónimo Berroa

Gerónimo Berroa

Gerónimo Emiliano Berroa is a former professional baseball outfielder. He played for nine Major League Baseball teams from 1989 to 2000, and also played one seasion in the Korea Baseball Organization in 2002.Signed by the Toronto Blue Jays as an amateur free agent in 1983, he quickly worked his...

. In the sixth, the Orioles would score four more runs on a rally capped by B.J. Surhoff

B.J. Surhoff

William James "B. J." Surhoff is a former catcher, outfielder, first baseman, third baseman, and designated hitter in Major League Baseball. Over his 18-year major league career, he played every position except pitcher...

's two-run double. The Orioles appeared to be the better team as they rolled to a 9–3 win. The Mariners would get their final two runs on solo homers by Jay Buhner

Jay Buhner

Jay Campbell Buhner , nicknamed "Bone", is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He was among the most recognizable players of his day, noted for his shaved head, thick goatee, and patch of pine tar on the right hip of his uniform...

and Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez

Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...

in the seventh and ninth, respectively.

Game 2, October 2

Kingdome

in Seattle, Washington

Seattle, Washington

Scott Erickson

Scott Gavin Erickson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-Career:Erickson was born in Long Beach, California, and began his professional career, after being drafted by the NY Mets in 1986, Houston Astros in 1987, and Toronto Blue Jays in 1988, in when he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins...

faced Jamie Moyer

Jamie Moyer

Jamie Moyer is an American professional left handed baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. At the time of his last game to date , he was the oldest player in the major leagues and had the most wins, losses, and strikeouts of any active Major League pitcher...

in Game 2 and the situation cried for a Mariner victory. In the bottom of the first, the Mariners got two cheap runs on two groundouts. But 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...

homered to make it a one-run game in the second and in the fifth the Mariners began to fall apart. After Moyer got two quick outs, he surrendered a walk and a single. Moyer then left the game with a strained flexor in his left elbow. But Roberto Alomar

Roberto Alomar

Roberto "Robbie" Alomar Velázquez is a former Major League Baseball player , regarded by many as one of the best second basemen in MLB history. During his career he won more Gold Gloves than any other second baseman in history, and also won the second-most Silver Slugger Awards for a second...

would double in the tying and go-ahead runs with two outs to give the Orioles a 3–2 lead. In the seventh, Brady Anderson

Brady Anderson

Brady Kevin Anderson is an American former outfielder with the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball...

's two-run homer silenced the crowd and gave the Orioles a commanding 5–2 lead. The Mariners would get a run in the seventh to close the gap but the Orioles would widen the gap in the eighth. A bases loaded walk signaled a four-run rally that put the game away. Mike Bordick

Mike Bordick

had a two-run single and Anderson had another RBI hit. It was now 9–3 and the Orioles would cruise to another victory. The Mariners had lost the first two games at home and appeared destined for defeat.

Game 3, October 4

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a Major League Baseball ballpark located in Baltimore, Maryland. Home field of the Baltimore Orioles, it is the first of the "retro" major league ballparks constructed during the 1990s and early 2000s, and remains one of the most highly praised. The park was...

in Baltimore, Maryland
In a must-win game for the Mariners, Jeff Fassero

Jeff Fassero

Jeffrey Joseph Fassero is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-Montreal Expos:Fassero was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 22nd round of the amateur draft, but he bounced around in the minors for several years until he joined the Montreal Expos in...

took the mound against Jimmy Key

Jimmy Key

James 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...

, who was looking to end the series. In the third, Roberto Kelly

Roberto Kelly

Roberto Conrado Kelly is a former Outfielder in Major League Baseball and is currently the first base coach for the San Francisco Giants. He previously managed the Giants' single-A team, the Augusta GreenJackets. Kelly played for several major league clubs...

hit the go-ahead RBI double for the Mariners. In the fifth, Ken Griffey, Jr.

Ken Griffey, Jr.

George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...

drove in a run with a base hit to make it 2–0 Mariners. The score remained 2–0 and Fassero had shut the Orioles out through eight innings. In the ninth, Jay Buhner

Jay Buhner

and Paul Sorrento

Paul Sorrento

Paul Anthony Sorrento is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball. From 1989 through 1999, Sorrento played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Devil Rays . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...

hit one-out back-to-back homers to give the Mariners a 4–0 ninth inning lead. These would turn out to be the deciding runs as the Orioles rallied in the bottom half. Jeffrey Hammonds

Jeffrey Hammonds

Jeffrey Bryan Hammonds is a former Major League Baseball player. He attended Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School in Scotch Plains, New Jersey and Stanford University in California before playing pro ball...

's two-out, two-run double put the tying run at the plate in the person of Harold Baines

Harold Baines

. But Baines would pop out to ensure a Game 4.

Game 4, October 5

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

in Baltimore, Maryland
Randy Johnson

Randy Johnson

Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....

and Mike Mussina

Mike Mussina

Michael Cole Mussina , nicknamed Moose, is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played for the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees ....

redueled in the potential clincher. In the bottom of the first, Johnson gave up a solo homer to Jeff Reboulet

Jeff Reboulet

Jeffrey Allen Reboulet was a Major League Baseball infielder. He is an alumnus of Louisiana State University....

and an RBI single to Cal Ripken, Jr.

Cal Ripken, Jr.

Calvin Edwin "Cal" Ripken, Jr. , nicknamed "Iron Man", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles ....

But Edgar Martínez

Edgar Martinez

would homer in the second to make it a one-run game. However, Gerónimo Berroa

Gerónimo Berroa

's solo homer in the fifth gave the Orioles a two-run edge. Mussina and Johnson dueled on even terms until Mussina was pulled in the eighth in favor of Armando Benitez

Armando Benítez

Armando Germán Benítez is a relief pitcher who is currently a free agent.-Baltimore Orioles:...

. The Orioles' bullpen managed to hang on to a 3–1 clinching victory that put the Orioles back in the ALCS for the second straight year.

Composite box

1997 ALDS (3–1): 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...

over Seattle Mariners

Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...

Game 1, September 30

Yankee Stadium (I) in Bronx, New York
Game 1 saw a matchup of Orel Hershiser

Orel Hershiser

Orel Leonard Hershiser IV is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently an analyst for Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and a professional poker player for...

and David Cone

David Cone

David Brian Cone is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1986-2003 for six different teams. Cone pitched the sixteenth perfect game in baseball history. He also set the MLB record for most years between 20-win seasons. He was a member of five...

. The Indians made their presence felt in the top of the first when they struck for five runs. The inning was capped by Sandy Alomar Jr.'s three-run homer, the first of nineteen RBIs in the 1997 postseason. The Yankees would scratch out a run in the second but the Indians made it 6–1 when Marquis Grissom

Marquis Grissom

Marquis Deon Grissom is a former Major League Baseball player. He excelled in baseball at Lakeshore High School, under the tutelage of baseball coach Mike Juenger. He currently resides in College Park, Georgia...

scored on a Bip Roberts

Bip Roberts

Leon Joseph "Bip" Roberts is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and outfielder who played from 1986 to 1998 for the San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, and Oakland Athletics.-Career:He was a speedy second baseman, largely associated...

base hit in the fourth. The Yankees began their comeback by getting a run in both the fourth and fifth innings to cut the lead to three. Finally, in the sixth, the Yankees completed a five-run comeback by getting five runs. Tim Raines

Tim Raines

Timothy Raines , nicknamed "Rock", is a former American professional baseball player. He played as a left fielder in Major League Baseball for six teams from 1979 to 2002 and was best known for his 13 seasons with the Montreal Expos...

, Derek Jeter

Derek Jeter

Derek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...

, and Paul O'Neill hit three straight homers to give the Yankees an 8–6 edge. It was a lead the Yankee bullpen would not squander. Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera is a Panamanian right-handed baseball pitcher who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo", Rivera has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career, and since 1997, he has been the Yankees' closer...

got the save in the ninth. Having seen a five-run lead disappear, the Indians appeared demoralized.

Game 2, October 2

Yankee Stadium (I) in Bronx, New York
The seemingly overmatched Jaret Wright

Jaret Wright

Jaret Samuel Wright is an American former Major League Baseball starting pitcher, who played 10 years for five teams. He is the son of former major league pitcher Clyde Wright.-Early life and education:...

faced Andy Pettitte

Andy Pettitte

Andrew Eugene Pettitte is a retired American left-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher.In his major league career, he played for the New York Yankees from 1995–2003. He then signed with the Houston Astros, and played for them from 2004 through 2006. In 2007, Pettitte rejoined the Yankees...

in Game 2. The Yankees jumped out to a 3–0 first inning lead on a two-run double by Tino Martinez

Tino Martinez

Constantino "Tino" Martinez is a former Major League Baseball first baseman.Martinez was the first round draft pick for the Seattle Mariners in out of the University of Tampa where he starred during his time on campus. He began his Major League career in and has played for the Mariners, New...

and a sac fly by Charlie Hayes

Charlie Hayes

Charles 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...

. All hope appeared lost for the Indians against the defending World Champions. But the Indians mustered a five-run rally with two out in the fourth with four straight RBI hits. And when Matt Williams hit a two-run homer in the fifth it sent the spirit of the Yankees plummeting. The Yankees would get runs in the eighth and ninth against Jose Mesa

José Mesa

José Ramón Nova Mesa [MAY-sah] is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. His nickname was "Joe Table," the literal translation of his name in the English language....

but the lead would stand and the series was tied at a game apiece.

Game 3, October 4

Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

David Wells

David Lee Wells , nicknamed "Boomer", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Wells was considered to be one of the game's better left-handed pitchers, especially during his years with the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched the fifteenth perfect game in baseball history...

faced Charles Nagy

Charles Nagy

Charles Harrison Nagy is an American former Major League Baseball All-Star right-handed pitcher who played for 14 seasons in the major leagues from to , mostly with the Cleveland Indians, and currently serves as the pitching coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-Early life and amateur career:Nagy...

in Game 3. An error by Nagy gave Wells a 1–0 lead in the first. But the Indians would tie the game in the second on a forceout. Derek Jeter

Derek Jeter

would help give the Yankees the lead in the third when he walked, stole second, and scored on Tino Martinez

Tino Martinez

's RBI hit. In the fourth, Paul O'Neill hit a grand slam that gave the Yankees a commanding 6–1 lead and silenced the Jacobs Field crowd. Rain was a constant throughout the game and the rain fell on the Indians' parade as the Yankees took a 2–1 series lead.

Game 4, October 5

Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

Game 4 proved memorable as two veteran starters, Dwight Gooden

Dwight Gooden

Dwight Eugene Gooden , nicknamed "Doc Gooden" or "Dr. K", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared pitchers in the National League in the middle and late 1980s.-Career:...

and Orel Hershiser

Orel Hershiser

, battled back and forth. The Yankees jumped out to a 2–0 lead in the first on an RBI double by Paul O'Neill and an RBI single by Cecil Fielder

Cecil Fielder

Cecil Grant Fielder is a former professional baseball player who was a noted power hitter in the 1980s and 1990s. He attended college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas . He played with the Toronto Blue Jays , Detroit Tigers , New York Yankees , Anaheim Angels and Cleveland Indians...

. This would be all the Yankees could muster off Hershiser, whose postseason legend continued to improve. A solo homer in the second by David Justice

David Justice

David Christopher Justice is a former outfielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for the Atlanta Braves , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , and Oakland Athletics .-Early life:David was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of Robert and Nettie Justice...

cut that 2–0 in half and gave the Indians cause for hope. However, Gooden and the Yankees bullpen kept the Indians scoreless until the bottom of the eighth. With two outs and Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera

on the mound, the Indians looked finished. Having posted 43 saves during the regular season, Rivera appeared to be the executioner. But Sandy Alomar, Jr.

Sandy Alomar, Jr.

Santos "Sandy" Alomar, Jr., or in the Spanish-language naming system Santos Alomar Velázquez , is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the San Diego Padres , Cleveland Indians , Chicago White Sox and , Colorado Rockies , Texas Rangers , Los Angeles Dodgers , and New York Mets...

homered to tie the game and that homer gave birth to his postseason legacy in 1997. This would be Rivera's only blown save in the playoffs until 2001

2001 World Series

-Game 1:Saturday, October 27, 2001 at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, ArizonaArizona showed no fear and chased Yankees starter Mike Mussina after just three innings. The Yankees gave up five unearned runs and the Diamondbacks rode Curt Schilling's seven strong innings to a 9–1 rout...

. In the ninth, Marquis Grissom

Marquis Grissom

singled to lead off the inning. A bunt moved him to second and Omar Vizquel

Omar Vizquel

Omar Enrique Vizquel González , nicknamed "Little O", is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. Vizquel has played for the Seattle Mariners , the Cleveland Indians , the San Francisco Giants , the Texas Rangers and the Chicago White Sox...

hit a single off reliever Ramiro Mendoza

Ramiro Mendoza

Ramiro Mendoza , nicknamed "El Brujo" , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Mendoza played with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed. Although Mendoza made 62 starts in his major league career, he was primarily known as a middle relief pitcher...

that rolled past Derek Jeter

Derek Jeter

to the outfield grass. That allowed Grissom to score the game-winning run.

Game 5, October 6

Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

With the momentum on their side, the Indians looked to finish off the defending champs. Andy Pettitte

Andy Pettitte

and Jaret Wright

Jaret Wright

once again faced off. The Indians would take a 3–0 lead in the third thanks to back-to-back two-out hits by Manny Ramírez

Manny Ramírez

Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...

and Matt Williams. Then a sac fly by Tony Fernández

Tony Fernández

Octavio Antonio Fernández Castro , better known as Tony Fernández, is a former Major League Baseball player most noted for his defensive skills setting a record for shortstops with a .992 fielding percentage in 1989.-Career:...

in the fourth made it 4–0. But the Yankees gave the Indians cause to pause in the fifth when an error by Ramirez cut the lead in half. Then 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...

's pinch hit RBI single made it a one-run game in the sixth. The score remained 4–3 and the Yankees blew multiple chances to take the lead. The Indians also had their share of chances to put the series away. The frustration mounted in the ninth when Paul O'Neill's two-out double gave Bernie Williams

Bernie Williams

Bernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and Puerto Rican musician.-Early life:...

a chance to hit the go-ahead homer off Jose Mesa

José Mesa

José Ramón Nova Mesa [MAY-sah] is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. His nickname was "Joe Table," the literal translation of his name in the English language....

. But Mesa got Williams to fly out (a fairly deep fly ball) to Brian Giles

Brian Giles

Brian Stephen Giles is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. During his career he played for the Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres...

to end the series and ensure a new World Champion in 1997.

Composite box

1997 ALDS (3–2): Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...

over New York Yankees

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...

Series quotes

External links

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