SERIES #4 - (2) 1998 YANKEES v (15) 2008 RAYS

Back to the American League, this time in the Earl Weaver Bracket for the #2 versus #15 match-up pitting the 1998 New York Yankees against the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays.  This is the lone representative for the Tampa franchise.  Let's take a look at how the two stack up.

1998 New York Yankees


Some experts like to say that the 1998 Yankees squad was the best team in the past half-century.  You would be hard pressed to argue against them.  This Yankees team set a franchise record for wins with 114, losing only 45.  For a franchise that has won 27 World Series titles to go along with 40 League Pennants, to set a record of any sort is quite an accomplishment.  They finished 22 games ahead of their closet rival.  This particular team also breezed through the postseason on their way to the title, going 11-2 and sweeping the San Diego Padres in the Fall Classic.


The offense was dynamic, as Bernie Williams (.997 OPS, 26 HR, 97 RBI), Tino Martinez (.860 OPS, 28 HR, 123 RBI), Derek Jeter (.864 OPS, 19 HR, 84 RBI) and Paul O'Neill (.882 OPS, 24 HR, 116 RBI) all had big seasons.  The team led the league in runs, scoring a whopping 964 times.

David Wells pitched a perfect game on May 17 against the Minnesota Twins that year.  He won 18 games on the season.  David Cone was the "ace" of the stafff, going 20-7 with a 3.55 ERA.  Mariano Rivera was himself, collecting 36 saves to go along with a 1.91 ERA.

2008 Tampa Bay Rays
A decade after the Yankees dominance, along came a Tampa team searching for its first postseason birth in franchise history.  The team actually came into existence in 1998, and had never even had a winning record in their ten years before 2008.  A couple things happened to turn things around.  First, several young players started to become relevant.  Carl Crawford, BJ Upton, Evan Longoria were all home-grow talents that finally began realizing their potential.  On the mound, Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza and Edwin Jackson all came into the fold via trade.  The team went 97-65, winning the AL East.  After defeating the White Sox and Red Sox in the ALDS and ALCS respectively, they fell in the WS in five game to the Philiadelphia Phillies.

The other thing that made this franchise relevant was the hiring of manager Joe Maddon at the beginning of the 2006 season.  Maddon had been a career minor leage skipper until Rays management gave him his shot with the big club.  After a couple of seasons of growing pains, Maddon began working his magic in 2008.  He had managed several of the young players in the minors, and his influence on them developing cannot be overlooked.  Since the Rays went to the World Series in '08, the team has never failed to finish a season with a winning record, going to the postseason in three of the next five years.


PREDICTION
As exciting as the young Rays were in 2008, this is a horrible spot for them.  The 1998 Yankees squad is considered one of the favorites to take down the entire tournament.  No reason to believe they cannot dispatch Tampa here with ease.  YANKEES 3-0

Game 1
Tropicana Field

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
New York (A) 1998 (1-0)	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	4	0
Tampa Bay 2008 (0-1)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	3	0
	W: D. Cone (1-0)   L: M. Garza (0-1)

This game was all about David Cone, who scattered three hits, walked none and struck out nine en route to a gem of a complete game shutout performance.  Only one Rays hitter made it to second base.  It was about as dominating a pitching performance you could put together.  A Chad Curtis solo blast in the 2nd inning was all the offense needed for the Yankees as they win 1-0 and go up 1-0 in the series.

Game 2
Tropicana Field

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
New York (A) 1998 (2-0)	0	1	0	3	1	0	0	1	0		6	9	1
Tampa Bay 2008 (0-2)	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0		2	9	1
	W: D. Wells (1-0)   L: S. Kazmir (0-1)

David Wells accepted the challenge from teammate David Cone and came out firing in this one.  While he didn't quite match the mastery of Cone's game one performance, Wells still went the distance, allowing only two runs while striking out 14 Tampa Bay batters.  He actually started the game by striking out the side, and closed it out by striking out the side in the 9th.  This game was all about the swing and the miss as New York hitters also struck out 14 times.  The Rays didn't plate their first runs of the series until the bottom half of the 6th inning, going 14 straight scoreless to start the series.  Not good.  Series shifts to the Bronx for game three where the Yankees will look to close it out.

Game 3
Yankee Stadium

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Tampa Bay 2008 (0-3)	0	1	0	0	0	1	2	0	1		5	8	1
New York (A) 1998 (3-0)	1	1	3	0	0	2	0	6	X		13	15	3
	W: A. Pettitte (1-0)   L: J. Shields (0-1) SV: R. Mendoza (1)

The Bombers broke out their bats in this one, rapping out 15 hits and 13 runs and sending New York into the second round with a 13-5 victory over the Rays.  Tampa actually found their bats as well, knocking three HRs, but it wasn't nearly enough.  Andy Pettitte pitched into the 8th inning to pickup the win.

Series Recap
The 1998 Yankees were never challenged in this match-up, never trailing and dominating the Rays on all fronts.  They outscored Tampa 20-7 in the three game series sweep.  The Rays struck out 29 times against Yankee hurlers.  If not for their three HRs in the finale, their offense would have been historically pathetic.  David Cone gets the nod as MVP for his game one gem.  Chad Curtis garnered consideration, going 3-7 with five runs, a homer and six walks.  Bernie Williams also contributed, hitting .455 with a 2B, 3B and three walks.  It's onto round #2 for the Bombers as they face the winner of the match-up between the 8th seeded 1993 Toronto Blue Jays and the 9th seeded 1974 Oakland A's.

SERIES #3 - (6) 1993 BRAVES v (11) 1997 MARLINS

Back to the National League and the Sparky Anderson Bracket for series #3.  The 1993 Atlanta Braves come into the match-up as the 6th seed.  They are set to face-off against the lone representative for the Florida Marlins, the 1997 team that won the World Series in only their fifth year of existence.

1993 Atlanta Braves
In 1991, the Atlanta Braves started a remarkable run which saw the team finish first in their division 14 of 15 seasons.  The only blemish during that stretch came in the strike ruined year of 1994 when they finished 2nd in a season that didn't have playoffs and only completed 3/4 of their regular season games.  The '91 and '92 Braves teams both went to the World Series, both time coming up losers.  The expectations for the 1993 team were rightfully high.



The team didn't disappoint in the regular season, going 104-58.  Led by their big three of Greg Maddux (20-10, 2.36 ERA), Tom Glavine (22-6, 3.20 ERA) and John Smoltz (15-11, 3.62 ERA), the team lead the league in ERA (3.14) by nearly a half run.  The offense was led by David Justice (.871 OPS, 40 HR, 120 RBI) and Ron Gant (.854 OPS, 36 HR, 117 RBI).  Justice finished 3rd in MVP voting, Gant 6th.  Both had arguably the best years in 1993 of their long All-Star careers.

But as the Braves did repeatedly during their astonishing run, they were dispatched in the playoffs, this time in the NLCS by the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.  1994 was a wash because of the strike.  The Braves would come back in 1995 and win it all, the only time they did so in their 15 year run.

1997 Florida Marlins
Let it be know that the lone representative for the Florida franchise is the lowest seeded World Series Champion in this competition, garnering an 11 seed.  Following the 1996 season which saw the team go 80-82 and finish 3rd in the NL East, the Marlins decided to go all-in the off-season prior to '97 in a push to make the playoffs.  In were big name free agents Bobby Bonilla, Alex Fernandez, Moises Alou and Cliff Floyd.  The moves worked as Florida went 92-70 to secure the Wild Card playoff berth.  After sweeping the SF Giants 3-0 in the Divisional Series, the Marlins dispatched the 101 win Atlanta Braves in six games in the NLCS to advance to the World Series.  In an epic seven game battle against the Cleveland Indians, Florida took the title, plating the series winning run in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the 11th inning.  The Marlins had become World Series Champions in only their fifth year of existence.  Cubs fans everywhere were jealous.  Of course, this particular team may not be remembered as much for winning the title but for the fire sale that took place the following year.  Trading almost the entire core that had won them the Series, the Marlins fell to a league worst 54-108 in 1998.

PREDICTION
While this version of the Braves didn't win the World Series, it can be argued that it was the best of the teams during the 15 year run, along with their 1998 and 1999 squads.  Not to discount the Marlins for their accomplishment of actually winning the Fall Classic, but not sure this team stacks up with Atlanta here.  Of course, that's what was being said in '97 when Florida dispatched the Braves in six games to make it to the Series.  No happening here though.  BRAVES 3-0

Game 1
Joe Robbie/Dolphin Staduim

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Atlanta 1993 (0-1)	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		2	4	1
Florida 1997 (1-0)	0	0	1	1	0	2	0	0	X		4	7	0
	W: K. Brown (1-0)   L: G. Maddux (0-1) SV: R. Nen (1)

Atlanta jumped out to an early lead, scoring one in the 1st and another in the 3rd on a solo blast by Ron Gant to take the 2-0 advantage.  But the Fish come back with one of their own in the bottom half of the 3rd and another in the 4th to tie the score.  Game remained tied until the home half of the 6th.  After a Moises Alou walk to leadoff the inning, Jeff Conine drives him to third with a single.  Charles Johnson doubles them both home with a rip to right, and that's all the scoring Kevin Brown and three relievers needed to secure the win in the opener.

Game 2
Joe Robbie/Dolphin Staduim

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Atlanta 1993 (1-1)	2	0	0	0	2	0	0	3	1		8	13	0
Florida 1997 (1-1)	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	1	0		4	9	1
	W: T. Glavine (1-0)   L: A. Fernandez (0-1) SV: M. Stanton (1)

Braves in control of this game throughout, jumping out to a 4-0 lead and never looking back, eventually winning the game 8-4.  Costly game for the Marlins as starting pitcher Alex Fernandez left the game in the 4th with an injury.  2B Craig Counsell had to leave the game in the 8th after colliding with RF Gary Sheffield.  Both players will miss the remainder of the series.  Match-up shifts to Atlanta for games 3-5.

Game 3
Fulton County Staduim

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Florida 1997 (1-2)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	6	0
Atlanta 1993 (2-1)	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	X		2	4	0
	W: P. Smith (1-0)   L: A. Leiter (0-1) SV: G. McMichael (1)

This game was marked by good pitching and some controversy.  John Smoltz, cruising along and holding Florida scoreless through four, gets tossed with one out in the 5th for scuffing the baseball.  Pete Smith relieves him and continues to baffle the Marlin hitters, holding them scoreless in his 3.2 innings of work.  Greg McMichael works a scoreless 9th to pickup the save.  Braves win this one 2-0 and are one win away from advancement.

Game 4
Fulton County Staduim

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Florida 1997 (1-3)	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	1	0		3	9	0
Atlanta 1993 (3-1)	0	0	1	0	3	0	0	1	X		5	7	0
	W: S. Avery (1-0)   L: L. Hernandez (0-1) SV: M. Stanton (2)

Braves take this one 5-3 behind a strong pitching performance from Steve Avery and a big, three run 5th inning blast by slugger David Justice.  Game was tied one apiece at the time, but Atlanta didn't look back after the homer.  The Marlins were 0-12 with runners in scoring position, including 0-3 from cleanup hitter Gary Sheffield.

Series Recap
Atlanta was up 2-0 in game one before giving up four runs to lose the series opener.  But the Braves never trailed the rest of the series, winning games 2-4 and advancing into round #2.  Atlanta hurlers held the Marlins without a homerun, allowing only 10 runs in the four games (2.83 ERA), including a shutout in game #3.  A complete team effort by the Braves.  Their bullpen only allowed two runs in 11.2 innings of work.  Mike Stanton earns the nod as the series MVP.  He picked up saves in both games he worked, holding the Marlins hitless in 2.1 innings.  Up next for the Bravos is a date in round #2 against the winner of the #3 seeded 1967 St. Louis Cardinals versus the #14 seed 2002 San Francisco Giants.