| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | September 30 – October 26, 1997[1] |
| Teams | 8 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Florida Marlins (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Cleveland Indians |
| Tournament statistics | |
| MostHRs | Sandy Alomar (CLE) (5) |
| MostSBs | Omar Vizquel (CLE) (9) |
| MostKs (as pitcher) | Mike Mussina (BAL) (41) |
| Awards | |
| MVP | Liván Hernández (FLA) |
The1997 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament ofMajor League Baseball for the1997 season. The winners of theLeague Division Series would move on to theLeague Championship Series to determine the pennant winners that face each other in theWorld Series. This was the last edition of the postseason in which teams were not seeded by their win-loss record.
In the American League, theNew York Yankees andCleveland Indians returned to the postseason for the third year in a row, theBaltimore Orioles returned to the postseason for the second straight year (which would be their last until2012), and theSeattle Mariners returned to the postseason for the second time in three years.
In the National League, theAtlanta Braves made their sixth straight postseason appearance, theHouston Astros made their first postseason appearance since1986, theFlorida Marlins made their first postseason appearance four years into their existence, and theSan Francisco Giants returned to the postseason for the first time since1989.
The postseason began on September 30, 1997, and ended on October 26, 1997, with the Marlins defeating the Indians in seven games in the1997 World Series. It was the Marlins' first championship in franchise history.
The following teams qualified for the postseason:
Home-field advantage priority order: East, Central, West
Home-field advantage priority order: West, Central, East
| Division Series (ALDS, NLDS) | League Championship Series (ALCS, NLCS) | World Series | |||||||||||
| C | Cleveland | 3 | |||||||||||
| WC | NY Yankees | 2 | |||||||||||
| C | Cleveland | 4 | |||||||||||
| American League | |||||||||||||
| E | Baltimore | 2 | |||||||||||
| E | Baltimore | 3 | |||||||||||
| W | Seattle | 1 | |||||||||||
| AL | Cleveland | 3 | |||||||||||
| NL | Florida | 4 | |||||||||||
| E | Atlanta | 3 | |||||||||||
| C | Houston | 0 | |||||||||||
| E | Atlanta | 2 | |||||||||||
| National League | |||||||||||||
| WC | Florida | 4 | |||||||||||
| W | San Francisco | 0 | |||||||||||
| WC | Florida | 3 | |||||||||||
Baltimore won the series, 3–1.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 1 | Baltimore Orioles – 9,Seattle Mariners – 3 | Kingdome | 3:14 | 59,579[10] |
| 2 | October 2 | Baltimore Orioles – 9,Seattle Mariners – 3 | Kingdome | 3:25 | 59,309[11] |
| 3 | October 4 | Seattle Mariners – 4,Baltimore Orioles – 2 | Oriole Park at Camden Yards | 3:26 | 49,137[12] |
| 4 | October 5 | Seattle Mariners – 1,Baltimore Orioles – 3 | Oriole Park at Camden Yards | 2:42 | 48,766[13] |
The Orioles defeated the Mariners in four games to return to the ALCS for the second straight year.
Mike Mussina pitched seven solid innings as the Orioles blew out the Mariners in Game 1 on the road. The Orioles prevailed in another blowout in Game 2 to take a 2-0 series lead headed back home. Game 2 was the last postseason game ever played at theKingdome.Jeff Fassero pitched eight innings of shutout baseball and the Seattle bullpen stopped a late rally by the Orioles to give the Mariners the win in Game 3. Game 4 was a pitchers’ duel between Mussina andRandy Johnson, which would be won by the former as the Orioles narrowly prevailed to close out the series. This would be the last playoff series win by the Orioles until2014.
Cleveland won the series, 3–2.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 30 | Cleveland Indians – 6,New York Yankees – 8 | Yankee Stadium (I) | 3:28 | 57,398[14] |
| 2 | October 2 | Cleveland Indians – 7,New York Yankees – 5 | Yankee Stadium (I) | 3:32 | 57,360[15] |
| 3 | October 4 | New York Yankees – 6,Cleveland Indians – 1 | Jacobs Field | 2:59 | 45,274[16] |
| 4 | October 5 | New York Yankees – 2,Cleveland Indians – 3 | Jacobs Field | 3:22 | 45,231[17] |
| 5 | October 6 | New York Yankees – 3,Cleveland Indians – 4 | Jacobs Field | 3:29 | 45,203[18] |
This was the first postseason meeting between the Yankees and Indians. The Indians knocked out the defending World Series champion Yankees in five games to return to the ALCS for the second time in three years.
Game 1 was an offensive shootout between both teams, which would be won by the Yankees asDerek Jeter,Tim Raines,Tino Martinez, andPaul O'Neill all hit home runs. Game 2 was another slugfest between both teams, which would be won by the Indians as they evened the series headed home. In Game 3,David Wells pitched a complete game as the Yankees won 6-1, capped off by a grand slam from O'Neill. In Game 4, the Yankees jumped out to an early lead and were four outs away from advancing to the ALCS, but the Indians would tie the game thanks to home runs fromDavid Justice andSandy Alomar Jr., and would win the game in the bottom of the ninth thanks to an RBI single fromOmar Vizquel, forcing a decisive fifth game. The Indians would narrowly prevail in Game 5 as their bullpen stopped a late rally by the Yankees.
The Yankees and Indians/Guardians would meet again in the postseason six more times - in the ALCS in1998 (won by the Yankees), the ALDS in2007 (won by the Indians) and2017 (won by the Yankees), the Wild Card round in2020 (won by the Yankees), the ALDS again in2022 (won by the Yankees), and the ALCS again in2024 (won by the Yankees).
Florida won the series, 3–0.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 30 | San Francisco Giants – 1,Florida Marlins – 2 | Pro Player Stadium | 2:48 | 42,167[19] |
| 2 | October 1 | San Francisco Giants – 6,Florida Marlins – 7 | Pro Player Stadium | 3:12 | 41,283[20] |
| 3 | October 3 | Florida Marlins – 6,San Francisco Giants – 2 | 3Com Park at Candlestick Point | 3:22 | 57,188[21] |
This was the first postseason meeting between the Marlins and Giants. The Marlins swept the Giants to advance to the NLCS for the first time in franchise history.
Édgar Rentería won the Marlins their first postseason game in Game 1 with a walk-off RBI single. Game 2 was a back-and-forth shootout between both teams, which was won by the Marlins on yet another walk-off RBI single fromMoisés Alou. Game 3 was a pitchers’ duel between Florida’sAlex Fernandez and San Francisco’sWilson Álvarez, which would be won by the former as the Marlins won 6–2 to complete the sweep. Game 3 was the last postseason game ever played atCandlestick Park.
Both teams would meet again in the NLDS in2003, which was also won by the Marlins en route to a World Series title.
Atlanta won the series, 3–0.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 30 | Houston Astros – 1,Atlanta Braves – 2 | Turner Field | 2:15 | 46,467[22] |
| 2 | October 1 | Houston Astros – 3,Atlanta Braves – 13 | Turner Field | 3:06 | 49,200[23] |
| 3 | October 3 | Atlanta Braves – 4,Houston Astros – 1 | Astrodome | 2:35 | 53,688[24] |
This was the first postseason meeting between the Braves and Astros. The Braves swept the Astros to return to the NLCS for the sixth year in a row.
This series was dominated by Atlanta, as the Astros were only held to five runs scored across the entire series.Greg Maddux pitched a complete game in Game 1 as he outdueled Houston’sDarryl Kile in a 2-1 Braves victory.Tom Glavine pitched six solid innings in Game 2 as the Braves blew out the Astros to take a 2–0 series lead headed to theAstrodome.John Smoltz pitched yet another complete game for the Braves as they won 4–1 in Game 3 to complete the sweep.
The Braves and Astros would meet in the NLDS four more times - in1999,2001 (Braves won both),2004, and2005 (both won by the Astros). They would also meet in the2021 World Series, which the Braves won in six games.
Cleveland won the series, 4–2.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 8 | Cleveland Indians – 0,Baltimore Orioles – 3 | Oriole Park at Camden Yards | 2:33 | 49,029[25] |
| 2 | October 9 | Cleveland Indians – 5,Baltimore Orioles – 4 | Oriole Park at Camden Yards | 3:53 | 49,131[26] |
| 3 | October 11 | Baltimore Orioles – 1,Cleveland Indians – 2(12) | Jacobs Field | 4:51 | 45,057[27] |
| 4 | October 12 | Baltimore Orioles – 7,Cleveland Indians – 8 | Jacobs Field | 3:32 | 45,081[28] |
| 5 | October 13 | Baltimore Orioles – 4,Cleveland Indians – 2 | Jacobs Field | 3:08 | 45,068[29] |
| 6 | October 15 | Cleveland Indians – 1,Baltimore Orioles – 0(11) | Oriole Park at Camden Yards | 3:52 | 49,075[30] |
This was the second straight postseason meeting between the Indians and Orioles. They last met in the ALDSthe previous year, which the Orioles won in four games. This time, the Indians returned the favor, defeating the Orioles in six games to return to the World Series for the second time in three years.
Scott Erickson pitched eight innings of shutout ball as the Orioles won 4-0 in Game 1. In Game 2, the Indians came from behind to win thanks to a three-run home run fromMarquis Grissom in the top of the eighth. When the series shifted to Cleveland, the Indians prevailed in a long and grueling Game 3 thanks to a bunt byOmar Vizquel that scored Grissom in the bottom of the twelfth. Game 4 was an offensive slugfest that was won by the Indians as they took a 3-1 series lead.Scott Kamieniecki pitches six solid innings as the Orioles took Game 5 to send the series back to Baltimore. Game 6 remained scoreless after ten innings of play until Cleveland'sTony Fernández hit a solo home run to put the Indians in the lead for good, effectively securing the pennant. Game 6 would ultimately beCal Ripken Jr.’s final postseason game.
The Indians would return to the ALCSthe next year, but lost to the eventual World Series championNew York Yankees in six games. They would win their next and most recent pennant in2016 over theToronto Blue Jays in five games before falling in the World Series.
The Orioles would return to the ALCS in2014, but were swept by theKansas City Royals.
Florida won the series, 4–2.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 7 | Florida Marlins – 5,Atlanta Braves – 3 | Turner Field | 3:04 | 49,244[31] |
| 2 | October 8 | Florida Marlins – 1,Atlanta Braves – 7 | Turner Field | 2:51 | 48,933[32] |
| 3 | October 10 | Atlanta Braves – 2,Florida Marlins – 5 | Pro Player Stadium | 2:59 | 53,857[33] |
| 4 | October 11 | Atlanta Braves – 4,Florida Marlins – 0 | Pro Player Stadium | 2:48 | 54,890[34] |
| 5 | October 12 | Atlanta Braves – 1,Florida Marlins – 2 | Pro Player Stadium | 2:27 | 51,982[35] |
| 6 | October 14 | Florida Marlins – 7,Atlanta Braves – 4 | Turner Field | 3:10 | 50,446[36] |
This was the first postseason meeting between the Braves and Marlins. The Marlins defeated the two-time defending National League champion Braves to advance to their first World Series in franchise history, becoming the first team fromFlorida to accomplish such a feat.
Kevin Brown pitched six solid innings as the Marlins stole Game 1 on the road. In Game 2,Tom Glavine pitched seven innings of shutout ball as the Braves blew out the Marlins to even the series headed to Miami Gardens. In Game 3,Charles Johnson hit a base-clearing RBI as the Marlins came back to win.Denny Neagle pitched a four-hit complete game shutout as the Braves won 4-0 to even the series. Game 5 was marred by controversy as Florida'sLiván Hernández was given an unusually wide strike zone by umpireEric Gregg. Gregg seemed to expand the strike zone as the game went on. It also seemed to be wider off the plate to left-handed hitters than it was to right-handed hitters, and while this was consistently the case with both teams, it disproportionately affected Atlanta due to them having six left-handers in their lineup to Florida's three. It was picked as the third-worst called game from 1975–2000 byBaseball America. Hernández ended up pitching a complete game, striking out 15 batters, allowing only three runs and one hit as the Marlins won 2–1 to go up 3–2 in the series headed back to Atlanta. In Game 6, Brown pitched a complete game despite giving up four runs as the Marlins clinched their first pennant.
The Braves returned to the NLCSthe next year, but they lost to theSan Diego Padres in six games. They would win the pennant again in1999 against theNew York Mets in six games before coming up short in the World Series.
The 1997 Marlins became the first Wild Card team to win a league pennant. The Marlins would win their next and most recent pennant in2003 over theChicago Cubs in seven games en route to another World Series title after trailing 3–1 in the series and being five outs away from elimination in Game 6.
Both teams would meet again in the NLDS in2020, where the Braves returned the favor and swept the Marlins.
Florida won the series, 4–3.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 18 | Cleveland Indians – 4,Florida Marlins – 7 | Pro Player Stadium | 3:19 | 67,245[37] |
| 2 | October 19 | Cleveland Indians – 6,Florida Marlins – 1 | Pro Player Stadium | 2:48 | 67,025[38] |
| 3 | October 21 | Florida Marlins – 14,Cleveland Indians – 11 | Jacobs Field | 4:12 | 44,880[39] |
| 4 | October 22 | Florida Marlins – 3,Cleveland Indians – 10 | Jacobs Field | 3:15 | 44,887[40] |
| 5 | October 23 | Florida Marlins – 8,Cleveland Indians – 7 | Jacobs Field | 3:39 | 44,888[41] |
| 6 | October 25 | Cleveland Indians – 4,Florida Marlins – 1 | Pro Player Stadium | 3:15 | 67,498[42] |
| 7 | October 26 | Cleveland Indians – 2,Florida Marlins – 3(11) | Pro Player Stadium | 4:10 | 67,204[43] |
This was the first World Series to ever be played in the state ofFlorida. In what many consider to be one of the greatest World Series ever played, the Marlins knocked off the Indians in a back-and-forth seven game series to win their first championship in franchise history.
Game 1 was an offensive slugfest which was won by the Marlins.Chad Ogea pitched6+2⁄3 solid innings as the Indians took Game 2 to even the series headed to Cleveland. In Game 3, the Marlins prevailed in a high-scoring, back-and-forth slugfest, 14–11, to regain the series lead. Game 3 was the highest scoring game sinceGame 4 of the 1993 World Series, and was the highest scoring game in a World Series until2017. In a cold and snowy Game 4,Jaret Wright pitched six solid innings as the Indians blew out the Marlins to even the series at two. Game 4's official gametime temperature of 35 °F (3.3 °C) still stands as the coldest in World Series history, with media outlets reportingwind chill readings as low as 18 °F (−7.8 °C).[44] Game 5 was another slugfest which was won by the Marlins to go up 3–2 in the series headed back to Miami Gardens. The Indians would win Game 6 by a 4–1 score to force a seventh game as Ogea and the Indians bullpen shut down the Marlins offense. In Cleveland’s first-ever Game 7, the Indians held a 2–1 lead in the bottom of the ninth and were two outs away from winning the World Series, but closerJosé Mesa was unable to hold the lead, giving up a sacrifice fly toCraig Counsell that tied the game. The game went scoreless throughout the tenth, and then in the eleventh inning, an error byTony Fernández would get Counsell in scoring position. Then, a hard line drive byEdgar Rentería went offCharles Nagy’s glove and rolled into center field, scoring Counsell and winning the series for the Marlins.
The Marlins' World Series title was the first championship won by a Miami-based team since 1974, when theNFL’sMiami Dolphins wonSuper Bowl VIII. At the time, the Marlins became the quickest expansion team and the first ever wild card-quailfied team to reach (and win) the World Series, as they won it in their fifth season in existence. TheArizona Diamondbacks then became the quickest to reach and win the World Series, as they did it in their fourth year in2001. The Marlins would win their next and most recent title in2003 over theNew York Yankees in six games.
The Indians would not return to the World Series again until2016, where they blew a 3–1 series lead to theChicago Cubs, who won their first title in108 years.
This was the second season under a five-year U.S. rights agreement withESPN,Fox, andNBC. Division Series games aired across the three networks. Fox then televised theAmerican League Championship Series, while NBC aired both theNational League Championship Series and theWorld Series.
