1998 World Series
Encyclopedia
The 1998 World Series, the 94th edition of Major League Baseball
's championship series
, matched the New York Yankees
(representing the American League) against the San Diego Padres
(representing the National League). The Yankees swept the Series in four games to capture their second championship in three years, and their 24th overall. It was San Diego's second World Series appearance, and the first since losing in 1984 to the Detroit Tigers
. This was officially the first World Series that Bud Selig
presided as Commissioner of Baseball
, although he had presided over the Commissioner's Trophy presentation at the end of the and 1997 World Series
.
For the first time the same city, San Diego, hosted both the Super Bowl
and the final World Series game in the same year; not only were they held in the same city, they were both held in the same stadium.
This was the first year this particular World Series logo was used. It was only used again in the 1999 World Series
. Both the 1998 and 1999 series were won by the Yankees.
In Game 1, Kevin Brown took the hill for the Padres while the Yankees sent ALCS MVP David Wells to start. The Yankees began the scoring in the second inning, when rookie Ricky Ledee laced a two-run double into the right field corner with the bases loaded. However, the Padres battered Wells hard, beginning in the third inning when Greg Vaughn homered to right-center with a man aboard tying the game up at two runs apiece. In the fifth, Tony Gwynn smashed a two-run shot off the facing of the upper deck, followed up immediately by Vaughn's second dinger of the night. Trailing 5–2, the Yanks made a comeback in the seventh. Jorge Posada singled and Ledee walked, ending the night for Brown; it turned out to be a bad move by Padres manager Bruce Bochy. New York took advantage of the Padres bullpen with a three-run homer by Chuck Knoblauch that tied the game at five. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, a 2–2 count call by home plate umpire Rich Garcia would prove to be decisive. Mark Langston's pitch was shown to be borderline and Garcia called it a ball. On the next pitch, Tino Martinez sent a grand slam into the upper deck, giving the Yankees a 9–5 lead. The Padres would score one more run, but the Yankees won Game 1 9–6.
In Game 2, the Bombers would go up 2–0 in the Series thanks to a dreadful outing by San Diego starter Andy Ashby. Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada would go yard to assist the Yankees on offense. New York started Cuban import Orlando Hernández, who was outstanding.
in San Diego, California
The Yankees sent David Cone to the mound to face former Yankee pitcher Sterling Hitchcock, the MVP of the NLCS. Both teams were kept off the scoreboard until the bottom of the sixth when Hitchcock himself led off the inning with a single off Cone. He and Qulivio Veras both scored two batters later when Tony Gwynn shot a double down the line past Tino Martinez at first base. Gwynn would also score in the inning to give San Diego a 3–0 lead. However, a half inning later the Yanks jumped on Hitchcock for two runs, beginning with a home run to left-center by Scott Brosius. The second run came in after Shane Spencer doubled and scored on an error by Ken Caminiti. In the eighth, the call was made to Trevor Hoffman after Randy Myers walked Paul O'Neill to open the inning. Hoffman then walked Tino Martinez before Scott Brosius tagged a three-run blast over the fence in dead center. A Greg Vaughn sacrifice fly, scoring Quilvio Veras, cut the lead to 5–4 coming into the ninth, but the Yankees wrapped up the victory when Mariano Rivera picked up the save to end it. There was some criticism of Padres manager Bruce Bochy
for using John Vander Wal as a pinch runner, leaving the responsibility of facing Rivera for the final at bat to Andy Sheets
. Sheets struck out to end the game.
in San Diego, California
Andy Pettitte, who struggled throughout the regular season and had turned in a poor start in the ALCS, outdueled Kevin Brown in Game 4, throwing shutout innings. With the Yankees clinging to a 3–0 lead in the eighth, the Padres were able to load the bases against Yankees reliever Jeff Nelson; however, Mariano Rivera came in and got Jim Leyritz, known for his clutch postseason home runs, to fly out to end the threat. Rivera pitched a scoreless ninth inning to end the Series.
(A.L.) over San Diego Padres
(N.L.)
once again provided the play-by-play, with Tim McCarver
and Bob Brenly
alongside him in the booth.
For the first time, ESPN Radio was the home of the World Series, having taken the radio rights for Major League Baseball from the CBS Radio Network
. Jon Miller
and Joe Morgan
provided the coverage for the network.
for most championships won by a North American professional sports franchise.
With the win, the Yankees posted an MLB record with the most overall wins in MLB history with 125 wins (including the postseason). The previous record for most overall wins in one season was 116, set by their cross-town rivals, New York Mets
in . However, those Mets didn't have a Division series. The sweep marked the first time the Yankees swept a World Series since when they swept the Whiz Kids
of the Mets' rival, Philadelphia Phillies
. They were also the first team to sweep a World Series since the Cincinnati Reds
in (the most recent time a National League team swept a World Series). This was the only World Series win for the Yankees during their 1990's dyansty that wasn't part of the rivalry between the Mets and the Atlanta Braves.
This was also the first time since that a team had won a World Series after having the best record in the regular season. It was also the first time since that a team won a World Series after posting at least 100 wins in the regular season.
. The Mets were one strike away from this in 1986, having lost in to the Oakland Athletics
. In addition, the Padres became the first expansion team to lose a World Series at home, something the Mets avoided in 1986, as did the Kansas City Royals
in .
The Padres left Qualcomm Stadium for Petco Park
for the 2004
baseball season. Padres Manager Bruce Bochy
would win a World Series as manager of the San Francisco Giants
, a primary rival of the Padres, in .
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's championship series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, matched the New York Yankees
1998 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 1998 season was the 96th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a franchise record regular-season standing of 114-48, 22 games ahead of the second-place Boston Red Sox in the American League East...
(representing the American League) against the San Diego Padres
1998 San Diego Padres season
The San Diego Padres season was a Major League Baseball season. The Padres won the National League championship and advanced to the World Series for the second time in franchise history....
(representing the National League). The Yankees swept the Series in four games to capture their second championship in three years, and their 24th overall. It was San Diego's second World Series appearance, and the first since losing in 1984 to the Detroit Tigers
1984 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers won the 1984 World Series, defeating the San Diego Padres, 4 games to 1. The season was their 84th since they entered the American League in 1901 and their fourth World Series championship. Detroit relief pitcher Willie Hernandez won the Cy Young Award and was chosen as the...
. This was officially the first World Series that Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
presided as Commissioner of Baseball
Commissioner of Baseball
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...
, although he had presided over the Commissioner's Trophy presentation at the end of the and 1997 World Series
1997 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
.
For the first time the same city, San Diego, hosted both the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
and the final World Series game in the same year; not only were they held in the same city, they were both held in the same stadium.
This was the first year this particular World Series logo was used. It was only used again in the 1999 World Series
1999 World Series
The 1999 World Series, the 95th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, featured a rematch between the defending champions New York Yankees against the Atlanta Braves during the month of October, with the Yankees sweeping the Series in four games for their second title in a row,...
. Both the 1998 and 1999 series were won by the Yankees.
Summary
Game 1
Saturday, October 17, 1998 at Yankee Stadium (I) in Bronx, New YorkIn Game 1, Kevin Brown took the hill for the Padres while the Yankees sent ALCS MVP David Wells to start. The Yankees began the scoring in the second inning, when rookie Ricky Ledee laced a two-run double into the right field corner with the bases loaded. However, the Padres battered Wells hard, beginning in the third inning when Greg Vaughn homered to right-center with a man aboard tying the game up at two runs apiece. In the fifth, Tony Gwynn smashed a two-run shot off the facing of the upper deck, followed up immediately by Vaughn's second dinger of the night. Trailing 5–2, the Yanks made a comeback in the seventh. Jorge Posada singled and Ledee walked, ending the night for Brown; it turned out to be a bad move by Padres manager Bruce Bochy. New York took advantage of the Padres bullpen with a three-run homer by Chuck Knoblauch that tied the game at five. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, a 2–2 count call by home plate umpire Rich Garcia would prove to be decisive. Mark Langston's pitch was shown to be borderline and Garcia called it a ball. On the next pitch, Tino Martinez sent a grand slam into the upper deck, giving the Yankees a 9–5 lead. The Padres would score one more run, but the Yankees won Game 1 9–6.
Game 2
Sunday, October 18, 1998 at Yankee Stadium (I) in Bronx, New YorkIn Game 2, the Bombers would go up 2–0 in the Series thanks to a dreadful outing by San Diego starter Andy Ashby. Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada would go yard to assist the Yankees on offense. New York started Cuban import Orlando Hernández, who was outstanding.
Game 3
Tuesday, October 20, 1998 at Qualcomm StadiumQualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
The Yankees sent David Cone to the mound to face former Yankee pitcher Sterling Hitchcock, the MVP of the NLCS. Both teams were kept off the scoreboard until the bottom of the sixth when Hitchcock himself led off the inning with a single off Cone. He and Qulivio Veras both scored two batters later when Tony Gwynn shot a double down the line past Tino Martinez at first base. Gwynn would also score in the inning to give San Diego a 3–0 lead. However, a half inning later the Yanks jumped on Hitchcock for two runs, beginning with a home run to left-center by Scott Brosius. The second run came in after Shane Spencer doubled and scored on an error by Ken Caminiti. In the eighth, the call was made to Trevor Hoffman after Randy Myers walked Paul O'Neill to open the inning. Hoffman then walked Tino Martinez before Scott Brosius tagged a three-run blast over the fence in dead center. A Greg Vaughn sacrifice fly, scoring Quilvio Veras, cut the lead to 5–4 coming into the ninth, but the Yankees wrapped up the victory when Mariano Rivera picked up the save to end it. There was some criticism of Padres manager Bruce Bochy
Bruce Bochy
Bruce Douglas Bochy is the manager of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to joining the Giants, Bochy had been the manager of the San Diego Padres for twelve seasons. Bochy is the only former Padres player to serve as the team's manager. He has participated in all five postseason appearances in...
for using John Vander Wal as a pinch runner, leaving the responsibility of facing Rivera for the final at bat to Andy Sheets
Andy Sheets
Andrew Mark Sheets is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the Seattle Mariners , San Diego Padres , Anaheim Angels , Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Devil Rays . He played first base for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp , and Hanshin Tigers , of the Nippon Professional Baseball league....
. Sheets struck out to end the game.
Game 4
Wednesday, October 21, 1998 at Qualcomm StadiumQualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
Andy Pettitte, who struggled throughout the regular season and had turned in a poor start in the ALCS, outdueled Kevin Brown in Game 4, throwing shutout innings. With the Yankees clinging to a 3–0 lead in the eighth, the Padres were able to load the bases against Yankees reliever Jeff Nelson; however, Mariano Rivera came in and got Jim Leyritz, known for his clutch postseason home runs, to fly out to end the threat. Rivera pitched a scoreless ninth inning to end the Series.
Composite box
1998 World Series (4–0): New York YankeesNew 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...
(A.L.) over San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
(N.L.)
Broadcasting
The television rights for the 1998 World Series went to Fox, as they had the rights to the World Series in even-numbered years under the television contract that was signed in 1996. Joe BuckJoe Buck
Joseph Francis "Joe" Buck is an American sportscaster and the son of legendary sportscaster Jack Buck. He has won numerous Sports Emmy Awards for his play-by-play work with Fox Sports.-Education:...
once again provided the play-by-play, with 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 Bob Brenly
Bob Brenly
Robert Earl Brenly is an American former professional baseball player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. He played the majority of his career as a catcher with the San Francisco Giants and played half a season for the Toronto Blue Jays...
alongside him in the booth.
For the first time, ESPN Radio was the home of the World Series, having taken the radio rights for Major League Baseball from the CBS Radio Network
Major League Baseball on CBS Radio
Major League Baseball on CBS Radio was the de facto title for the CBS Radio Network's coverage of Major League Baseball. Produced by CBS Radio Sports , the program was the official national radio broadcaster for the All-Star Game and the postseason from 1976 to 1997.-Contracts:CBS first covered...
. Jon Miller
Jon Miller
Jon Wallace Miller is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball. He is currently employed as a play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants. He was also a baseball announcer on ESPN until the network chose not to renew his contract following the...
and Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan
Joe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...
provided the coverage for the network.
Yankees
The series win brought the Yankees' franchise championship total to 24, tying the Montreal CanadiensMontreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
for most championships won by a North American professional sports franchise.
With the win, the Yankees posted an MLB record with the most overall wins in MLB history with 125 wins (including the postseason). The previous record for most overall wins in one season was 116, set by their cross-town rivals, New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in . However, those Mets didn't have a Division series. The sweep marked the first time the Yankees swept a World Series since when they swept the Whiz Kids
Whiz Kids (baseball)
The Whiz Kids was a nickname given to the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies in Major League Baseball. This team, averaging only 26.4 years of age, won the National League pennant during that season.After owner R. R. M. Carpenter, Jr...
of the Mets' rival, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. They were also the first team to sweep a World Series since the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
in (the most recent time a National League team swept a World Series). This was the only World Series win for the Yankees during their 1990's dyansty that wasn't part of the rivalry between the Mets and the Atlanta Braves.
This was also the first time since that a team had won a World Series after having the best record in the regular season. It was also the first time since that a team won a World Series after posting at least 100 wins in the regular season.
Padres
The loss made the Padres the first expansion team to lose two World Series, having lost in to the Detroit TigersDetroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. The Mets were one strike away from this in 1986, having lost in to the Oakland Athletics
Oakland 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....
. In addition, the Padres became the first expansion team to lose a World Series at home, something the Mets avoided in 1986, as did the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
in .
The Padres left Qualcomm Stadium for Petco Park
PETCO Park
Petco Park is an open-air ballpark in downtown San Diego, California, USA. It opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium as the home park of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. Before then, the Padres shared Qualcomm Stadium with the NFL's San Diego Chargers...
for the 2004
2004 San Diego Padres season
The 2004 San Diego Padres season saw the club finish with a record of 87-75, the fifth most wins in franchise history. With the 87 wins, the Padres improved their won-loss record by 23 games over the 2003 season , the single largest improvement from one full season to the next in team history...
baseball season. Padres Manager Bruce Bochy
Bruce Bochy
Bruce Douglas Bochy is the manager of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to joining the Giants, Bochy had been the manager of the San Diego Padres for twelve seasons. Bochy is the only former Padres player to serve as the team's manager. He has participated in all five postseason appearances in...
would win a World Series as manager of the San Francisco 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....
, a primary rival of the Padres, in .