Well, actually, 1981 strike shortened season had the first Division Series ever to be played. Given, there were no wild cards in 1981 and just Division Winners
A new video on KGjr. career was just posted… I always liked baseball, never really watched tho, but always knew who Jr. was.. but that video brought me here when it talked of this series.. I paused & came here to see what ends up happening- 😳🤯 Watching his career highlights video is like a fairytale!.. AMAZING!.. This series was nuts too!!.. Back n forth homers etc.. wow!
The wait was over for two long-starved franchises. For the New York Yankees (79-65, winning the Wild card on the last day of the season), they went on a 25-6 run to make the postseason for the first time since 1981. Don Mattingly had waited 1765 games to make the playoffs, and now he'll get his change. The Yanks face the Seattle Mariners, who made the playoffs for the first time ever in their 19 year history. Seattle overcame a 13 game deficit to beat the Angels in a one-game playoff to take the AL West with a 79-66 mark. At the Bronx for Game 1, Ken Griffey Jr, who missed three months with a broken wrist, smashed two home runs. The 2nd one tied the game in the 7th. But the Yankees answered back with four in the bottom half, and New York won the opener, 9-6. Where do you start with Game 2? Well, Don Mattingly brought down the house with a home run in the 6th to briefly put the Yanks ahead. After Seattle scored two in the 7th to retake the lead, Paul O'Neill answered back in the bottom half with a home run to tie it again. This classic went to extra innings. In the 12th, Griffey's third home run of the series put Seattle ahead. Only for the Yankees to tie it on Sierra's two out double (only a perfect relay throw kept the winning run from scoring). Mariano Rivera pitched 3 1/3 shutout innings in relief for the Yankees. Then, in the bottom of the 15th, Jim Leyritz ended the 5hr. 13 min. marathon with an opposite field shot for a 7-5 Yankees' triumph. Back to Seattle came the Mariners for Game 3, who needed a win to keep their season alive. No problem for the Big Unit, who fanned 10 batters over 7 innings. Seattle won, 7-4, to get back in the series. The Yankees jumped out to a 5-0 lead early in Game 4. But Edgar Martines blasted a three-run bomb to put the M's back in it. Then, tied at 6-6 in the 8th, Edgar faced John Wetteland, and belted a "Grand Salami". Seattle hung on to win, 11-8, and send the series to a deciding fifth game. Don Mattingly, who batted .417 in the series, delivered a two-run double in the 6th to put the Yanks ahead 4-2 in the deciding fifth game. Then, in the 8th, Griffey hit his fifth home run of the series to put Seattle within one. A bases loaded two out walk tied the game. Then in the 11th, Randy Velarde put the Yankees ahead with an RBI single against Randy Johnson (making his first relief appearance of the season). How did the M's respond? A bunt single by Joey Cora and Griffey's single put runners on the corners. It set the stage for Edgar Martinez, who delivered "The Double". That smash down the LF line scored both Cora and Griffey. The Seattle Mariners came back from a 2-0 deficit to win the series. Everyone will remember where they were when Martinez hit the double that practically saved baseball in Seattle. When the celebrations die down, though, will the Mariners have anything left for the Indians in the ALCS?
Yankee Stadium and Kingdome were rock concerts all 5 games And this is the beginning of the Yankees making 13 consecutive postseason appearances from 1995-2007 = 3 AL Wild Cards and 10 AL East Division titles And it seemed like they were gonna make the postseason also in 1994 had it not been for the strike
3:25: The legendary Gary Thorne (then-ESPN); no explanation necessary here. Just listen: “2-1. Oh yeah! Tie game! Paul O’Neil! Goodbye into the night of New York!”
![Quando Rondo - Grow Up [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8zFnCg3BO4Q/mqdefault.jpg)
This ended up being the first-ever playoff series win for the Mariners in franchise history
Does anyone have John Sterling's call of the ending?
First wildcard series in MLB and still arguably the best ever. Definitely sold fans on adding a extra round.
Well, actually, 1981 strike shortened season had the first Division Series ever to be played. Given, there were no wild cards in 1981 and just Division Winners
A new video on KGjr. career was just posted… I always liked baseball, never really watched tho, but always knew who Jr. was.. but that video brought me here when it talked of this series.. I paused & came here to see what ends up happening- 😳🤯
Watching his career highlights video is like a fairytale!.. AMAZING!..
This series was nuts too!!..
Back n forth homers etc.. wow!
After the game 4 grand slam: “I’ll take a double, Martinez.....”
Hold that thought
Jack McDowell still getting rocked in the postseason, just like the 1993 postseason when he was with the WSOX against Toronto
Back when the road team got the first 2 games at home. Then played 3,4,5 away. Instead of 2-2-1 like now.
If we had that format we wouldn’t have so many travel days.
Don Mattingly home run should have been one of the greatest moments in Yankee Stadium history
The wait was over for two long-starved franchises. For the New York Yankees (79-65, winning the Wild card on the last day of the season), they went on a 25-6 run to make the postseason for the first time since 1981. Don Mattingly had waited 1765 games to make the playoffs, and now he'll get his change. The Yanks face the Seattle Mariners, who made the playoffs for the first time ever in their 19 year history. Seattle overcame a 13 game deficit to beat the Angels in a one-game playoff to take the AL West with a 79-66 mark.
At the Bronx for Game 1, Ken Griffey Jr, who missed three months with a broken wrist, smashed two home runs. The 2nd one tied the game in the 7th. But the Yankees answered back with four in the bottom half, and New York won the opener, 9-6.
Where do you start with Game 2? Well, Don Mattingly brought down the house with a home run in the 6th to briefly put the Yanks ahead. After Seattle scored two in the 7th to retake the lead, Paul O'Neill answered back in the bottom half with a home run to tie it again. This classic went to extra innings. In the 12th, Griffey's third home run of the series put Seattle ahead. Only for the Yankees to tie it on Sierra's two out double (only a perfect relay throw kept the winning run from scoring). Mariano Rivera pitched 3 1/3 shutout innings in relief for the Yankees. Then, in the bottom of the 15th, Jim Leyritz ended the 5hr. 13 min. marathon with an opposite field shot for a 7-5 Yankees' triumph.
Back to Seattle came the Mariners for Game 3, who needed a win to keep their season alive. No problem for the Big Unit, who fanned 10 batters over 7 innings. Seattle won, 7-4, to get back in the series.
The Yankees jumped out to a 5-0 lead early in Game 4. But Edgar Martines blasted a three-run bomb to put the M's back in it. Then, tied at 6-6 in the 8th, Edgar faced John Wetteland, and belted a "Grand Salami". Seattle hung on to win, 11-8, and send the series to a deciding fifth game.
Don Mattingly, who batted .417 in the series, delivered a two-run double in the 6th to put the Yanks ahead 4-2 in the deciding fifth game. Then, in the 8th, Griffey hit his fifth home run of the series to put Seattle within one. A bases loaded two out walk tied the game. Then in the 11th, Randy Velarde put the Yankees ahead with an RBI single against Randy Johnson (making his first relief appearance of the season). How did the M's respond? A bunt single by Joey Cora and Griffey's single put runners on the corners. It set the stage for Edgar Martinez, who delivered "The Double". That smash down the LF line scored both Cora and Griffey. The Seattle Mariners came back from a 2-0 deficit to win the series. Everyone will remember where they were when Martinez hit the double that practically saved baseball in Seattle. When the celebrations die down, though, will the Mariners have anything left for the Indians in the ALCS?
Yankee Stadium and Kingdome were rock concerts all 5 games
And this is the beginning of the Yankees making 13 consecutive postseason appearances from 1995-2007 = 3 AL Wild Cards and 10 AL East Division titles
And it seemed like they were gonna make the postseason also in 1994 had it not been for the strike
5 year later both will meet again in 2000 ALCS as well 1 year later in 2001 ALCS
Great series
3:25: The legendary Gary Thorne (then-ESPN); no explanation necessary here. Just listen: “2-1. Oh yeah! Tie game! Paul O’Neil! Goodbye into the night of New York!”
9:23 The walk off
9:24 The Double
5:46 what a sensational play by the Mariners thirdbasemen, wow!!! To run all that, up the bullpen hill, wow!!
2:11 great play by Tony Fernandez
Shame that Buck got fired after this series
Yeah they were on fire the last 2 months.
Don Mattingly pees sitting down.