Saturday, October 1st, 1994, Denver, Colorado, 7:53 pm. Marvin Freeman is on the mound for the Colorado Rockies as Matt Williams steps up to the plate for the second time. Williams struck out in his first at bat in the 1st inning, now it's the 3rd. Despite playing on the road, the crowd raises to their feet roar into cheers. The cameras pan into the stands where we see the Maris family sitting behind the dugout. It has been 33 years since Roger Maris hit 61 home runs and now, Williams is looking to tie that record. First pitch is low and away for ball 1. Second pitch is supposed to be high and away, according to where Joe Girardi is holding his glove, but Freeman misses his target and the ball floats right over the middle of the plate. Williams swings, the crowd holds their breath....
"That ball is BACK! And...IT'S GONE! MATT WILLIAMS JUST HIT NUMBER 61, TYING ROGER MARIS FOR THE SINGLE SEASON HOME RUN RECORD! I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Bob Costas is screaming on the air. The crowd is going crazy. This is only the second year baseball has been played in Colorado and already they have witnessed one of the greatest milestones ever. And the best part is that Williams should have at least 2 more at bats to break the record. Not to mention he's playing in Denver where the air is thin and the ball flies.
Williams comes up again in the 5th, but grounds out to second base. Now it's the 7th and Willie Blair is pitching for the Rockies. Blair is not the best of relief pitchers. In fact, most people are wondering why he is even in to pitch to Williams. But in their hearts, they know it's because Rockies Manager Don Baylor wants to give him the chance to hit 62. The Rockies have nothing to gain. The Dodgers have already clinched the NL West and it will mean more to the fans if Williams hits 62, than it will if the Rockies win. Blair throws the first pitch high and outside for ball 1. Pitch 2 is low and inside, ball 2. Next pitch is in the dirt, 3-0 count. The fans start to boo. The 4th pitch is a hanging breaking ball and Williams connects...
"That's a deep fly ball to left field. Eric Young is back. Jumps at the wall! IT'S OUT OF HERE. MATT WILLIAMS IS THE NEW SINGLE SEASON HOME RUN LEADER. 62!" Again Costas roars.
Play stops and Bud Selig along with the Maris family come onto the field to congratulate him.
Meanwhile...
San Diego, California, 10:07 pm.
It's the top of the 9th and the Padres lead the Dodgers 3-2. Emotions are mixed in the crowd. Tony Gwynn came into the day batting .393. So far he has gone 3 for 3 and brought his average up to .399. He is due up 4th, but with the Padres leading 3-2 and Trevor Hoffman on the mound, it doesn't look like he'll get another at bat. Piazza steps up to the plate, there is a runner on 1st. Hoffman has given up just 5 home runs in 78 2/3 innings pitched this year. There are two outs. Piazza rips the ball to deep left center and it's gone. His 35th of the year and the Dodgers take a 4-3 lead. Tim Wallach strikes out and we go to the bottom of the 9th.
Todd Worrell is the closer for the Dodgers. Luis Lopez pinch hits for Trevor Hoffman. Strikes out. Bip Roberts now up. Roberts grounds out to 3rd. Two outs, Craig Shipley at the plate. After 14 pitches, including 9 foul balls, the count is full. 15th pitch...inside, ball 4. The crowd erupts. Tony Gwynn steps up to the plate needing one hit to hit .400. He takes the first pitch for a strike. Next pitch is low, ball 1. Pitch 3 is high and outside for ball 2. 2-1 pitch. Gwynn swings...
"It's a blooper to left and that will fall in. Tony Gwynn has is now batting .400." Jon Miller calmly says on ESPN's broadcast. Phil Plantier strikes out and for the first time since Ted Williams in 1941, someone has batted .400.
Now as we all know, the 1994 season stopped on August 12th due to the player's strike. But this could've have been the greatest season in MLB history. This is what could have happened:
Several other hitters looked like they could come close to hitting 61. Ken Griffey Jr. and Jeff Bagwell both hit 58. Frank Thomas hit 54, while Barry Bonds and Albert Belle both hit 53.
Perhaps the biggest surprises were the late season runs by the Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals. The Mariners, thanks to Griffey and Randy Johnson, rallied past the Oakland A's and Texas Rangers to win the AL West and make their first playoff appearance in franchise history. The Royals had a much similar run passing the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox to win the AL Central to make the playoffs for the first time since they won the World Series in 1985. The Yankees won the AL East with no real challenges to make their first playoff appearance since 1981 (the first year the MLB tried the wild card and coincidentally, a strike year). With the MLB bringing back the three division format and the wild card for just the second time, the Chicago White Sox beat out the Indians and Baltimore Orioles to make their second straight playoff appearance.
The NL Central was probably the best race in baseball in '94 with the Houston Astros beating the Cincinnati Reds by 1 game making their first playoff appearance since '86. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Montreal Expos both won their divisions easily giving them their first appearances since '88 (when the Dodgers won the World Series), and '81 for the Expos. The Atlanta Braves win the Wild Card giving them their 4th straight playoff appearance.
With Matt Williams and Tony Gwynn both hitting major milestones in the final game of the year, they became just the second pair of Co-MVP's in MLB history (Willie Stargell and Keith Hernandez did it in 1979).
In the first round of the playoffs the Yankees beat the White Sox, the Royals beat the Mariners, the Expos beat the Dodgers, and surprisingly, the Astros beat the Braves. This set up an Expos/Astros NLCS and a Yankees/Royals ALCS, reviving a rivalry from the late 70's. The Yankees and Royals met in the ALCS in '76, '77, and '78 with the Yankees winning all three. This time, it would be the same. The Yankees win an uneventful best of 7 in 5 games with the Expos doing the same to the Astros.
The Yankees have now returned to the World Series for the first time since 1981 and will make their second attempt to win number 23 for the franchise. The Expos are going to the Series for the first time. Again, it's another uneventful series with the Expos winning in 5 games. Larry Walker is named World Series MVP.
Not everything about the 1994 season, however, has a warm outcome.
September 3rd, 1994, New York, New York.
Baltimore Orioles @ New York Yankees.
In the 6th inning Jamie Moyer is pitching to Paul O'Neill. Moyer throws some chin music to O'Neill which produces loud boos from the crowd. On the next pitch Moyer hits O'Neill in the back, leading to Moyer's ejection and a near bench clearing brawl. The next inning things get ugly. Bob Wickman is the new pitcher for the Yankees and he decides to retaliate by hitting an Orioles player. He hits the player in the wrist and fractures it. It just so happens that player is Cal Ripken Jr. He was playing in his 2,030th consecutive game. The fractured wrist ends his streak, leaving him 100 games shy of Lou Gherig's record.
Now what are the ramifications of the completed '94 season? Let's take a look.
After becoming the World Series MVP, Larry Walker is now a free agent. The Colorado Rockies push hard to sign him, but in the end Walker decides to re-sign with the Expos. The 'Spos also consider trading Marquis Grissom to the Milwaukee Brewers for 3 players, but decide to keep him and make another run at the World Series.
This becomes a major set back for the Rockies and instead of making the playoffs in 1995, they hang around at the bottom of the standings.
With the combination of low attendances due to hot weather, a major late season collapse keeping them out of the playoffs, and George W. Bush no longer an owner of the team, the Texas Rangers pack up, and move back to Washington.
Over the next 10 years the Expos constantly battle it out with the Atlanta Braves, preventing the Braves from winning 11 straight pennants. Also this keeps the Expos in Montreal, as well as Pedro Martinez.
With Matt Williams being the new single season home run leader, come 1997 the Giants decide against trading Matt Williams to the Indians, and Williams finishes career in San Francisco.
With Williams not going to the Indians, they do not go to the World Series and Manny Ramirez does not have his break out year. For this reason Manny never signs with the Boston Red Sox.
With the Red Sox not getting Manny or Pedro, as of 2009 they have now gone 90 years without a World Series Championship.
"That ball is BACK! And...IT'S GONE! MATT WILLIAMS JUST HIT NUMBER 61, TYING ROGER MARIS FOR THE SINGLE SEASON HOME RUN RECORD! I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Bob Costas is screaming on the air. The crowd is going crazy. This is only the second year baseball has been played in Colorado and already they have witnessed one of the greatest milestones ever. And the best part is that Williams should have at least 2 more at bats to break the record. Not to mention he's playing in Denver where the air is thin and the ball flies.
Williams comes up again in the 5th, but grounds out to second base. Now it's the 7th and Willie Blair is pitching for the Rockies. Blair is not the best of relief pitchers. In fact, most people are wondering why he is even in to pitch to Williams. But in their hearts, they know it's because Rockies Manager Don Baylor wants to give him the chance to hit 62. The Rockies have nothing to gain. The Dodgers have already clinched the NL West and it will mean more to the fans if Williams hits 62, than it will if the Rockies win. Blair throws the first pitch high and outside for ball 1. Pitch 2 is low and inside, ball 2. Next pitch is in the dirt, 3-0 count. The fans start to boo. The 4th pitch is a hanging breaking ball and Williams connects...
"That's a deep fly ball to left field. Eric Young is back. Jumps at the wall! IT'S OUT OF HERE. MATT WILLIAMS IS THE NEW SINGLE SEASON HOME RUN LEADER. 62!" Again Costas roars.
Play stops and Bud Selig along with the Maris family come onto the field to congratulate him.
Meanwhile...
San Diego, California, 10:07 pm.
It's the top of the 9th and the Padres lead the Dodgers 3-2. Emotions are mixed in the crowd. Tony Gwynn came into the day batting .393. So far he has gone 3 for 3 and brought his average up to .399. He is due up 4th, but with the Padres leading 3-2 and Trevor Hoffman on the mound, it doesn't look like he'll get another at bat. Piazza steps up to the plate, there is a runner on 1st. Hoffman has given up just 5 home runs in 78 2/3 innings pitched this year. There are two outs. Piazza rips the ball to deep left center and it's gone. His 35th of the year and the Dodgers take a 4-3 lead. Tim Wallach strikes out and we go to the bottom of the 9th.
Todd Worrell is the closer for the Dodgers. Luis Lopez pinch hits for Trevor Hoffman. Strikes out. Bip Roberts now up. Roberts grounds out to 3rd. Two outs, Craig Shipley at the plate. After 14 pitches, including 9 foul balls, the count is full. 15th pitch...inside, ball 4. The crowd erupts. Tony Gwynn steps up to the plate needing one hit to hit .400. He takes the first pitch for a strike. Next pitch is low, ball 1. Pitch 3 is high and outside for ball 2. 2-1 pitch. Gwynn swings...
"It's a blooper to left and that will fall in. Tony Gwynn has is now batting .400." Jon Miller calmly says on ESPN's broadcast. Phil Plantier strikes out and for the first time since Ted Williams in 1941, someone has batted .400.
Now as we all know, the 1994 season stopped on August 12th due to the player's strike. But this could've have been the greatest season in MLB history. This is what could have happened:
Several other hitters looked like they could come close to hitting 61. Ken Griffey Jr. and Jeff Bagwell both hit 58. Frank Thomas hit 54, while Barry Bonds and Albert Belle both hit 53.
Perhaps the biggest surprises were the late season runs by the Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals. The Mariners, thanks to Griffey and Randy Johnson, rallied past the Oakland A's and Texas Rangers to win the AL West and make their first playoff appearance in franchise history. The Royals had a much similar run passing the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox to win the AL Central to make the playoffs for the first time since they won the World Series in 1985. The Yankees won the AL East with no real challenges to make their first playoff appearance since 1981 (the first year the MLB tried the wild card and coincidentally, a strike year). With the MLB bringing back the three division format and the wild card for just the second time, the Chicago White Sox beat out the Indians and Baltimore Orioles to make their second straight playoff appearance.
The NL Central was probably the best race in baseball in '94 with the Houston Astros beating the Cincinnati Reds by 1 game making their first playoff appearance since '86. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Montreal Expos both won their divisions easily giving them their first appearances since '88 (when the Dodgers won the World Series), and '81 for the Expos. The Atlanta Braves win the Wild Card giving them their 4th straight playoff appearance.
With Matt Williams and Tony Gwynn both hitting major milestones in the final game of the year, they became just the second pair of Co-MVP's in MLB history (Willie Stargell and Keith Hernandez did it in 1979).
In the first round of the playoffs the Yankees beat the White Sox, the Royals beat the Mariners, the Expos beat the Dodgers, and surprisingly, the Astros beat the Braves. This set up an Expos/Astros NLCS and a Yankees/Royals ALCS, reviving a rivalry from the late 70's. The Yankees and Royals met in the ALCS in '76, '77, and '78 with the Yankees winning all three. This time, it would be the same. The Yankees win an uneventful best of 7 in 5 games with the Expos doing the same to the Astros.
The Yankees have now returned to the World Series for the first time since 1981 and will make their second attempt to win number 23 for the franchise. The Expos are going to the Series for the first time. Again, it's another uneventful series with the Expos winning in 5 games. Larry Walker is named World Series MVP.
Not everything about the 1994 season, however, has a warm outcome.
September 3rd, 1994, New York, New York.
Baltimore Orioles @ New York Yankees.
In the 6th inning Jamie Moyer is pitching to Paul O'Neill. Moyer throws some chin music to O'Neill which produces loud boos from the crowd. On the next pitch Moyer hits O'Neill in the back, leading to Moyer's ejection and a near bench clearing brawl. The next inning things get ugly. Bob Wickman is the new pitcher for the Yankees and he decides to retaliate by hitting an Orioles player. He hits the player in the wrist and fractures it. It just so happens that player is Cal Ripken Jr. He was playing in his 2,030th consecutive game. The fractured wrist ends his streak, leaving him 100 games shy of Lou Gherig's record.
Now what are the ramifications of the completed '94 season? Let's take a look.
After becoming the World Series MVP, Larry Walker is now a free agent. The Colorado Rockies push hard to sign him, but in the end Walker decides to re-sign with the Expos. The 'Spos also consider trading Marquis Grissom to the Milwaukee Brewers for 3 players, but decide to keep him and make another run at the World Series.
This becomes a major set back for the Rockies and instead of making the playoffs in 1995, they hang around at the bottom of the standings.
With the combination of low attendances due to hot weather, a major late season collapse keeping them out of the playoffs, and George W. Bush no longer an owner of the team, the Texas Rangers pack up, and move back to Washington.
Over the next 10 years the Expos constantly battle it out with the Atlanta Braves, preventing the Braves from winning 11 straight pennants. Also this keeps the Expos in Montreal, as well as Pedro Martinez.
With Matt Williams being the new single season home run leader, come 1997 the Giants decide against trading Matt Williams to the Indians, and Williams finishes career in San Francisco.
With Williams not going to the Indians, they do not go to the World Series and Manny Ramirez does not have his break out year. For this reason Manny never signs with the Boston Red Sox.
With the Red Sox not getting Manny or Pedro, as of 2009 they have now gone 90 years without a World Series Championship.
if only we could really live life in a fantasy.
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