1994 World Series
Encyclopedia
The 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. It was only the second time in the event's history (the first was 1904
) that the Fall Classic was not played.
Several teams were poised to break long-standing postseason droughts in 1994, as they were in leading positions for playoff slots when play was interrupted, but did not get the chance due to the cancellation of the postseason. Most of these teams continued their success and made postseason breakthroughs in 1995 or 1996. However, the Montreal Expos
, who had the best record in baseball in 1994, never regained that level of success and many, including the team's owner, blamed the strike as playing a key role in the demise of baseball in Montreal and the 2004 move of the Expos to Washington, D.C.
, at 74–40, held the best record in baseball at season's end. The Expos were poised to enter the postseason for only the second time in their 26-year history. A championship would have been the first in their history, and the third consecutive (and third total) World Series for a Canadian team after the Toronto Blue Jays
in and . An All-Canadian World Series featuring the Expos and the Blue Jays would have been very unlikely, with the defending champion Blue Jays
slumping to a third place finish and a 55–60 record at the cancellation of the season, 16 games behind the Yankees.
Some, such as the then-majority owner of the Expos, Claude Brochu
, in his book My Turn at Bat, blamed the strike for the ultimate demise and relocation of the Montreal Expos. Several sports publications have speculated Montreal
would have won the Series had it been played. The team was forced to trade many of its players to deal with the loss of revenue following the strike, and never again reached the same level of success it had in 1994.
That season was Felipe Alou's chance to finally manage a team in the World Series. The Expos averaged 72 victories over the next six seasons (their best seasons after 1994 were an 88 win season in 1996
and an 83 win season in 2002
) and Alou was fired in 2001
. After the 2004
season, the team moved to Washington, D.C.
and became the Washington Nationals
.
, at 70–43, had the best record in the American League and the team's captain, Don Mattingly
, could have been in the postseason for the first time during his 13-year career. The Yankees had not been to the postseason since they lost the 1981 World Series
, and had not won a World Series since , their longest drought of either kind in 80 years.
Because the Yankees were last in a postseason in a season interrupted by strike, they had to endure media reminders of the parallels between the two Yankee teams, (1981 and 1994) which included both Yankee teams having division leads taken away by strike. When reacting to the demise of the Yankees, many fans said that the strike was the latest chapter to the demise of the Yankees in the 1980s and early 1990s and was another chapter to the blow to baseball backers in New York City, following the move of the Dodgers
and the Giants
to California for the season, the demise of the Yankees during the 1960s and early 1970s and 1980s and early 1990s, and the bad baseball at Shea Stadium
during the late 1970s and early 1990s.
Throughout October, the news media talked about what might have been for the Yankees if there had not been a strike, making references to the days games in the post-season would have been played.
The 1994 strike contributed to both Mattingly's retirement and the conclusion of Buck Showalter
's time as manager of the Yankees. Mattingly suffered from various injuries and, coupled with the strike, his career ended after the 1995 season
.
were poised to possibly make the postseason for the first time in the franchise's 34-year history (23 of those years in Texas). Two years later
, the Rangers finally did have their first postseason experience.
As the leader for the Wild Card position after the season's last game, the Cleveland Indians
were poised to break an even longer postseason drought, possibly appearing in the postseason for the first time since the 1954 World Series
. As it happened, the Indians broke that drought the following year, appearing in the 1995 World Series
.
and AL
were divided into three divisions (East, Central, and West) at the start of the 1994 season. (An unscheduled three-tier system was used in due to the season being shortened by a mid-season labor dispute.) The new playoff system (involving a wild card team in each league) did not go into effect until the 1995 postseason. Had the postseason taken place coinciding with team records on August 11, the division series would have been laid out as follows:
are officially credited with winning 14 consecutive division titles from 1991 to 2005, winning the NL West
in the final three years of the two-division system and then winning 11 consecutive NL East titles from 1995-2005. However, at the time of the season's cancellation, the Braves
were in second place in the NL East at 68-46, six games behind the Montreal Expos
. The 11 titles from 1995-2005 would nonetheless be an MLB record, and the Braves had a 2½-game lead over the Houston Astros
for the NL wild card at the time of the season's cancellation. However, had the unplayed remainder of the 1994 season seen the Braves miss the playoffs, the Major League record for consecutive playoff appearances would now belong to the New York Yankees
, who had 13 straight postseason appearances from 1995
to 2007
(and possibly 1994 would have made it 14, with the streak starting a year earlier).
writers, at the end of the aborted season, chose to name "unofficial" champions when naming their Managers of the Year as Felipe Alou and Buck Showalter, who were leading when the season abruptly ended. Traditionally, the next season's All-Star Game
managers are the league champions. Because of the strike, the leagues chose to name their unofficial champion managers to the traditional honor.
, Jim Palmer
, Tim McCarver
and Lesley Visser
would have, in all likelihood, served as the commentators. The 1994 season
marked the first year of what would have been a six-year-long joint venture
with Major League Baseball, ABC, and NBC called "The Baseball Network
." In even-numbered years, ABC would cover the Division Series
and World Series, while NBC would cover the All-Star Game
and League Championship Series
. Likewise, in odd-numbered years, NBC would cover the Division Series and World Series, while ABC would cover the All-Star Game and LCS.
, the league that won the All-Star Game had its champion open the World Series
at home.
Major League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association is the union of professional major-league baseball players.-History of MLBPA:The MLBPA was not the first attempt to unionize baseball players...
, which had begun on August 12. It was only the second time in the event's history (the first was 1904
1904 World Series
In 1904, there was no World Series between the champions of the two Major League Baseball leagues, the American League and the National League...
) that the Fall Classic was not played.
Several teams were poised to break long-standing postseason droughts in 1994, as they were in leading positions for playoff slots when play was interrupted, but did not get the chance due to the cancellation of the postseason. Most of these teams continued their success and made postseason breakthroughs in 1995 or 1996. However, the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
, who had the best record in baseball in 1994, never regained that level of success and many, including the team's owner, blamed the strike as playing a key role in the demise of baseball in Montreal and the 2004 move of the Expos to Washington, D.C.
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos1994 Montreal Expos season
The Montreal Expos finished the season with the best record in Major League Baseball. The Expos had 74 wins compared to 40 losses. The 1994 Major League Baseball strike forced an end to the season and any postseason aspirations that the franchise had...
, at 74–40, held the best record in baseball at season's end. The Expos were poised to enter the postseason for only the second time in their 26-year history. A championship would have been the first in their history, and the third consecutive (and third total) World Series for a Canadian team after the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
in and . An All-Canadian World Series featuring the Expos and the Blue Jays would have been very unlikely, with the defending champion Blue Jays
1994 Toronto Blue Jays season
The Toronto Blue Jays season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Blue Jays finishing 3rd in the American League East with a record of 55 wins and 60 losses. Cito Gaston was the manager for the American League squad at the All-Star Game. The Mid-Summer classic was played on July 12...
slumping to a third place finish and a 55–60 record at the cancellation of the season, 16 games behind the Yankees.
Some, such as the then-majority owner of the Expos, Claude Brochu
Claude Brochu
Claude Brochu, CM , is a Quebec businessman.He was named president of the Montreal Expos baseball club by Charles Bronfman in 1986, replacing John McHale....
, in his book My Turn at Bat, blamed the strike for the ultimate demise and relocation of the Montreal Expos. Several sports publications have speculated Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
would have won the Series had it been played. The team was forced to trade many of its players to deal with the loss of revenue following the strike, and never again reached the same level of success it had in 1994.
That season was Felipe Alou's chance to finally manage a team in the World Series. The Expos averaged 72 victories over the next six seasons (their best seasons after 1994 were an 88 win season in 1996
1996 Montreal Expos season
-Offseason:*October 13, 1995: Butch Henry was selected off waivers by the Boston Red Sox from the Montreal Expos.*December 1, 1995: Wally Whitehurst was signed as a Free Agent with the Montreal Expos....
and an 83 win season in 2002
2002 Montreal Expos season
-Offseason:*October 3, 2001: Tim Raines was sent to the Baltimore Orioles by the Montreal Expos as part of a conditional deal.* February 21, 2002: José Canseco signed as a Free Agent with the Montreal Expos....
) and Alou was fired in 2001
2001 Montreal Expos season
-Offseason:*December 21, 2000: Tim Raines signed as a Free Agent with the Montreal Expos.*December 21, 2000: Curtis Pride was signed as a Free Agent with the Montreal Expos.-Regular season:...
. After the 2004
2004 Montreal Expos season
In 2004, the Montreal Expos played their 36th and final season in Montreal. The team finished in fifth and last place in the National League East at 67-95, 29 games behind the Atlanta Braves...
season, the team moved to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and became the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees1994 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 1994 season was the 92nd season for the Yankees. New York was managed by Buck Showalter and played at Yankee Stadium. The team finished with a record of 70-43 finishing games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles, having the best record in the American League and the second-best...
, at 70–43, had the best record in the American League and the team's captain, Don Mattingly
Don Mattingly
Donald Arthur "Don" Mattingly is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nicknamed "The Hit Man" and "Donnie Baseball", he played his entire 14-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
, could have been in the postseason for the first time during his 13-year career. The Yankees had not been to the postseason since they lost the 1981 World Series
1981 World Series
The 1981 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers, marking their third meeting in the Series in five years as well as a record eleventh Series meeting overall and last Series meeting to date...
, and had not won a World Series since , their longest drought of either kind in 80 years.
Because the Yankees were last in a postseason in a season interrupted by strike, they had to endure media reminders of the parallels between the two Yankee teams, (1981 and 1994) which included both Yankee teams having division leads taken away by strike. When reacting to the demise of the Yankees, many fans said that the strike was the latest chapter to the demise of the Yankees in the 1980s and early 1990s and was another chapter to the blow to baseball backers in New York City, following the move of the Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and the Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
to California for the season, the demise of the Yankees during the 1960s and early 1970s and 1980s and early 1990s, and the bad baseball at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium 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 late 1970s and early 1990s.
Throughout October, the news media talked about what might have been for the Yankees if there had not been a strike, making references to the days games in the post-season would have been played.
The 1994 strike contributed to both Mattingly's retirement and the conclusion of Buck Showalter
Buck Showalter
William Nathaniel "Buck" Showalter III is an American Major League Baseball manager for the Baltimore Orioles. He has previously served in a similar capacity with the New York Yankees , Arizona Diamondbacks , and Texas Rangers...
's time as manager of the Yankees. Mattingly suffered from various injuries and, coupled with the strike, his career ended after the 1995 season
1995 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 1995 season was the 93rd season for the Yankees, their 71st playing home games at Yankee Stadium. Managed by Buck Showalter, the team finished with a record of 79-65, seven games behind the Boston Red Sox. They won the first American League Wild Card...
.
Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians
With a narrow lead in the AL West after the season's last game, the Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
were poised to possibly make the postseason for the first time in the franchise's 34-year history (23 of those years in Texas). Two years later
1996 American League Division Series
-Texas Rangers vs. New York Yankees:-Game 1, October 1:Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MarylandIt was Baltimore's first playoff game since the clinching Game 5 of the 1983 World Series. For the Indians, it was their second consecutive division title. Charles Nagy and David Wells matched...
, the Rangers finally did have their first postseason experience.
As the leader for the Wild Card position after the season's last game, the 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...
were poised to break an even longer postseason drought, possibly appearing in the postseason for the first time since the 1954 World Series
1954 World Series
The 1954 World Series matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion Cleveland Indians. The Giants swept the Series in four games to win their first championship since , defeating the heavily favored Indians, who had won an AL-record 111 games in the...
. As it happened, the Indians broke that drought the following year, appearing in the 1995 World Series
1995 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta ace Greg Maddux pitched a two-hit complete game victory in his first World Series appearance ....
.
Hypothetical playoff teams
This was to have been the first year of a regularly scheduled three-tier playoff system, as the NLNational League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
and AL
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
were divided into three divisions (East, Central, and West) at the start of the 1994 season. (An unscheduled three-tier system was used in due to the season being shortened by a mid-season labor dispute.) The new playoff system (involving a wild card team in each league) did not go into effect until the 1995 postseason. Had the postseason taken place coinciding with team records on August 11, the division series would have been laid out as follows:
Atlanta Braves' run of division titles
Because division champions from 1994 are unofficial, the Atlanta BravesAtlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
are officially credited with winning 14 consecutive division titles from 1991 to 2005, winning the NL West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
in the final three years of the two-division system and then winning 11 consecutive NL East titles from 1995-2005. However, at the time of the season's cancellation, the Braves
1994 Atlanta Braves season
-Offseason:*October 15, 1993: Jerry Willard was released by the Atlanta Braves.*October 25, 1993: Marvin Freeman was released by the Atlanta Braves.*November 18, 1993: Jarvis Brown was selected off waivers by the Atlanta Braves from the San Diego Padres....
were in second place in the NL East at 68-46, six games behind the Montreal Expos
1994 Montreal Expos season
The Montreal Expos finished the season with the best record in Major League Baseball. The Expos had 74 wins compared to 40 losses. The 1994 Major League Baseball strike forced an end to the season and any postseason aspirations that the franchise had...
. The 11 titles from 1995-2005 would nonetheless be an MLB record, and the Braves had a 2½-game lead over the Houston Astros
1994 Houston Astros season
The Houston Astros' 1994 season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Houston Astros attempting to win the National League Central.-Offseason:...
for the NL wild card at the time of the season's cancellation. However, had the unplayed remainder of the 1994 season seen the Braves miss the playoffs, the Major League record for consecutive playoff appearances would now belong to the 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...
, who had 13 straight postseason appearances from 1995
1995 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 1995 season was the 93rd season for the Yankees, their 71st playing home games at Yankee Stadium. Managed by Buck Showalter, the team finished with a record of 79-65, seven games behind the Boston Red Sox. They won the first American League Wild Card...
to 2007
2007 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 2007 season was the Yankees' 105th in New York and their 107th overall dating back to their origins in Baltimore. The season started with the Yankees trying to win the AL East championship, a title they had won every season since after the 1997 season, but ultimately they came...
(and possibly 1994 would have made it 14, with the streak starting a year earlier).
"Unofficial" champions
The Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
writers, at the end of the aborted season, chose to name "unofficial" champions when naming their Managers of the Year as Felipe Alou and Buck Showalter, who were leading when the season abruptly ended. Traditionally, the next season's All-Star Game
1995 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1995 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 66th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 11, 1995 at The Ballpark in Arlington in Arlington, Texas, the...
managers are the league champions. Because of the strike, the leagues chose to name their unofficial champion managers to the traditional honor.
Television coverage
Had the 1994 World Series been played out, it would have aired on ABC. Al MichaelsAl Michaels
Alan Richard "Al" Michaels is an American television sportscaster. Now employed by NBC Sports after nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels is one of the most prominent members of his profession...
, Jim Palmer
Jim Palmer
James Alvin "Jim" Palmer , nicknamed "Cakes", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in .As of 2008, Palmer and his wife Susan have homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and...
, Tim McCarver
Tim McCarver
James Timothy "Tim" McCarver is an American former Major League Baseball catcher, and a current sportscaster in residence for Fox Sports.-Playing career:...
and Lesley Visser
Lesley Visser
Lesley Candace Visser is an American sportscaster, radio personality, and sportswriter. Visser is the first female NFL analyst on TV, and the only sportscaster in history, male or female, who has worked on Final Four, NBA Finals, World Series, Triple Crown, Monday Night Football, the Olympics, the...
would have, in all likelihood, served as the commentators. The 1994 season
1994 Major League Baseball season
The 1994 Major League Baseball season ended with the infamous players strike ending the season on August 11, 1994.-Strike:As a result of a players' strike, the MLB season ended prematurely on August 11, 1994. No postseason was played...
marked the first year of what would have been a six-year-long joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
with Major League Baseball, ABC, and NBC called "The Baseball Network
The Baseball Network
The Baseball Network was a short-lived television broadcasting joint venture between ABC, NBC, and Major League Baseball. Under the arrangement, beginning in the 1994 season, the league produced its own in-house telecasts of games, which were then brokered to air on ABC and NBC...
." In even-numbered years, ABC would cover the Division Series
Division Series
In baseball, the Division Series is the official name for the first round of the Major League Baseball playoffs. Currently, a total of four series are played in this opening round, two each for both the American League and the National League.-1981 season:...
and World Series, while NBC would cover the All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
and League Championship Series
League Championship Series
The League Championship Series is the official name for a round of postseason play in Major League Baseball which has been conducted since 1969...
. Likewise, in odd-numbered years, NBC would cover the Division Series and World Series, while ABC would cover the All-Star Game and LCS.
Home field advantage
The 1994 World Series was supposed to have the AL champion open at home for the second year in a row because the playoffs were expanded, including the new wild-card round. Up to 1994, the NL champion opened the World Series at home in even-numbered years, with the AL champion doing so in odd-numbered years, with this then being reversed starting 1995 because of the missed 1994 World Series. From -, the NL champion had home field advantage in odd-numbered years, and AL in even-numbered years. Beginning in 20032003 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2003 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 74th midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues constituting Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 15, 2003 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois, the home of the Chicago...
, the league that won the All-Star Game had its champion open the World Series
2003 World Series
The 2003 World Series marked the 99th baseball World Series event. The Florida Marlins defeated the New York Yankees in six games, 4–2.-Background:...
at home.