1997 Cleveland Indians: The Tribe

1997 Cleveland Indians: The Tribe

[paypal_donation_button]1997 Cleveland Indians: The Tribe

The 1997 Cleveland Indians will be remembered for getting within a single pitch of winning the World Series, but only to lose it in an 11 inning Game 7 against the Florida Marlins at Pro Player Stadium in Miami. Otherwise a reliable closer for the Indians in 1997, Jose Mesa pitched 1.2 innings late in the game and struck out 2 batters, but giving up 4 hits and a costly sacrifice fly to Marlins second baseman Craig Counsell in the bottom of the 9th inning, Mesa blew the save. The Marlins then won the World Series in the bottom of the 11th with an RBI single by shortstop Edgar Renteria.

Nevertheless the Indians had a successful season as they went 86-75, finishing 6 games ahead of the Chicago White Sox and 8 games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League Central division. The Indians acquired third baseman Matt Williams in a trade with the San Francisco Giants on November 13, 1996 and signed free agent second baseman Tony Fernandez on December 28. Then during spring training on March 25, 1997 they acquired center fielder Marquis Grissom and right fielder David Justice in a trade with the Atlanta Braves.

Mainly playing as the designated hitter, David Justice batted .329 with 33 home runs and 101 RBI’s off 163 hits and 31 doubles. Right fielder Manny Ramirez batted .328 with 26 home runs and 88 RBI’s off 184 hits and 40 doubles. Catcher Sandy Alomar batted .324 with 21 home runs and 83 RBI’s off 146 hits and 37 doubles. First baseman Jim Thome batted .286 with 40 home runs and 102 RBI’s off 142 hits and 25 doubles.

Tony Fernandez batted .286 with 11 home runs, 117 hits and 21 doubles. Shortstop Omar Vizquel batted .280 with 158 hits, 23 doubles, 6 triples and 43 stolen bases. Matt Williams hit 32 home runs and had 105 RBI’s off 157 hits, 32 doubles and 12 stolen bases. Left fielder Brian Giles had 17 home runs, 101 hits, 15 doubles and 13 stolen bases. Utility player Julio Franco batted .284 in 78 games, getting 82 hits, 13 doubles and 8 stolen bases.

The ace of Cleveland’s pitching staff was Charles Nagy, who went 15-11 with 149 strikeouts, 1 complete game and 1 shutout. Orel Hershiser went 14-6 with 107 strikeouts and 1 complete game. At the young age of 21, Jaret Wright went 8-3 with 63 strikeouts. Jose Mesa was a reliable closer throughout the regular season as he recorded 16 saves. Relief pitcher Michael Jackson recorded 15 saves and Paul Assenmacher recorded 4 saves and a 2.44 ERA.

The Indians took on the defending World Series Champion New York Yankees in the American League Division Series, and the Indians would prevail in 5 games. In game 1 on September 30 at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees beat the Indians 8-6. In the bottom of the 1st inning Manny Ramirez had an RBI single and later scored on a wild pitch. Sandy Alomar followed with a 3-run home run. In the bottom of the 2nd inning third baseman Wade Boggs grounded into a forceout at second base to score center fielder Bernie Williams. Indians left fielder Bip Roberts had an RBI single in the top of the 4th, and the Yankees responded with a home run by first baseman Tino Martinez in the bottom of the 4th along with a sacrifice fly by designated hitter Tim Raines, and a monstrous 6th inning with an RBI single by second baseman Rey Sanchez, a Tim Raines 2-run home run, and a pair of solo home runs by shortstop Derek Jeter and right fielder Paul O’Neill.

The Indians bounced back to win Game 2 on October 2 7-5. Though the Yankees struck first in the bottom of the 1st with a 2-run double by Martinez and a sacrifice fly by third baseman Charlie Hayes, David Justice, Sandy Alomar and Jim Thome each had RBI singles in the top of the 4th along with a 2-run double by Tony Fernandez. Matt Williams then went deep in the top of the 5th with a 2-run home run. The Yankees could only counter with pinch hitter Mike Stanley getting hit by a pitch to score Williams in the bottom of the 8th and a Derek Jeter solo home run in the bottom of the 9th, which wouldn’t be enough.

Jacobs Field would host Game 3 on October 4, but the Indians didn’t deliver a win for their home crowd as the Yankees won 6-1. David Wells pitched a complete game for New York as he gave up 5 hits and 1 run while recording 1 strikeout. Paul O’Neill had an RBI single in the top of the 1st inning, and Tony Fernandez countered by grounding into a forceout at second base to score Matt Williams. Martinez then had an RBI single in the top of the 3rd, and O’Neill came back in the top of the 4th to blast a grand slam home run.

The Indians then evened the series at 2 games apiece by winning Game 4 on October 5 3-2. O’Neill put the Yankees on the board first with an RBI double in the top of the 1st, followed by an RBI single by designated hitter Cecil Fielder. However, David Justice hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 2nd, Alomar hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 8th, and Omar Vizquel’s infield RBI single won the game.

The Indians then won Game 5 on October 6 to eliminate the Yankees by the score of 4-3. Ramirez hit a 2-run ground rule double in the bottom of the 3rd inning, followed by Williams having an RBI single. Fernandez then had a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 4th. The Yankees tried to come back with RBI singles by Bernie Williams in the top of the 5th and Wade Boggs in the top of the 6th, but New York would fall short.

The Cleveland Indians faced the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series, and in Game 1 on October 8 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the Orioles shut out the Indians 3-0. In the bottom of the 1st center fielder Brady Anderson hit a solo home run, and then second baseman Roberto Alomar hit a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 3rd.

The Indians responded with a 5-4 win in Game 2 on October 9. Manny Ramirez hit a 2-run home run in the top of the 1st, but Orioles third baseman Cal Ripken Jr. countered with his own 2-run home run in the bottom of the 2nd. The Orioles pulled ahead when shortstop Mike Bordick had an RBI single in the bottom of the 6th, but Marquis Grissom silenced the Baltimore crowd with a 3-run home run in the top of the 8th.

Returning to Cleveland for Game 3 on October 11, the Indians won in a fantastic 12 inning battle by the score of 2-1. Matt Williams had an RBI single in the bottom of the 7th and Brady Anderson responded for Baltimore in the top of the 9th with an RBI double. In the bottom of the 12th inning during Vizquel’s at bat, Grissom stole home plate to win the game.

The Indians won another close battle in Game 4 on October 12 by the score of 8-7. Orioles left fielder B.J. Surhoff had an RBI double in the top of the 2nd, and Alomar responded with a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 2nd. Anderson then hit a solo home run in the top of the 3rd, which would be followed by a Harold Baines 2-run home run and a solo home run by first baseman Rafael Palmeiro. Grissom had an RBI single in the bottom of the 4th, and in the bottom of the 5th Ramirez hit a solo home run and Sandy Alomar had an RBI single, and then scored on a wild pitch. Baltimore right fielder Gerinomo Berroa had an RBI single in the top of the 7th and Palmeiro had an infield RBI single in the top of the 9th. Sandy Alomar then had a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 9th.

A bump in the road occurred for Cleveland in Game 5 on October 13 as they lost 4-2. Berroa had a 2-run single in the top of the 3rd, and then in the top of the 9th pinch hitter Eric Davis hit a solo home run and Ripken would get an RBI single. A pair of RBI doubles by Williams and Fernandez in the bottom of the 9th wouldn’t be enough for Cleveland.

Fortunately for the Indians, 1 run would be enough in another tight 11 inning affair as they won Game 6 on October 15 1-0 to eliminate the Orioles and win the American League pennant as Tony Fernandez hit a solo home run in the top of the 11th inning. Marquis Grissom would be named the ALCS Most Valuable Player.