The 1998 New York Yankees
The 1998 New York Yankees Were The Second Best Team Ever
The New York Yankees have had many great seasons over the years, but their 1998 edition was at least the second best team ever, if not the best.
Perhaps the 1998 New York Yankees greatness was first revealed on May 17, 1998. On that day, veteran David Wells threw the fifteenth perfect game in baseball history. The 4-0 victory over the Blue Jays on that beautiful Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium was a harbinger of good things to come.
The 1998 New York Yankees Pitching
Wells had his best season, going 18-4 with a 3.41 ERA. Clubhouse leader David Cone went 20-7 with a 3.55 ERA and 209 strikeouts. Andy Pettitte was tough and reliable all season, pitching 217 innings and going 16-11.
But the team’s most fascinating pitcher was Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez. El Duque had been the ace for the Cuban National Team for a decade. In the winter of 1997, however, he defected to America on a raft. The he signed with the Yankees and changed the face of pitching. Using a high leg kick and a misleading delivery to throw his cupboard of cockeyed pitches, Hernandez went 12-4 with a 3.13 ERA.
The 1998 Yankees Offense
The 1998 New York Yankees offense was all about patience and plate discipline. They had the most walks and the third least strikeouts in the American League. But they also had a lot pop.
Tino Martinez had 28 home runs and 123 RBI. Bernie Williams hit .333 with 26 homers. Paul O’Neill had the best year of his life, hitting .317 with 20 HR, 116 RBI and 15 SB. Even former Mets slugger Darryl Strawberry had a nice resurgence, with 24 HR and 57 RBI in 295 at-bats.
The real offensive surprises of the year were shortstop Derek Jeter, and journeyman third baseman Scott Brosius. Jeter finished third in AL MVP voting after hitting .324 with 19 HR, 127 Runs, and 30 SB. Brosius hit an even .300 with 19 homers and 98 RBI.
The Best Team Ever?
The 1998 New York Yankees won 114 regular season games, the most ever by an American League Team.
In the ALDS, they faced the potent offense of the Texas Rangers. Texas scored just one run in three ALDS games, and their season was over.
In the ALCS, the Yankees ran into trouble when the Yankees let the Indians win Game 3 and take a 2-1 Series lead. But the Bronx Bombers battled back in Game 4 behind El Duque’s brilliant shutout performance. The Yankees also prevailed in thrillers in Games 5 and 6, and got ready to face the San Diego Padres in the 1998 World Series. The Padres had won 98 Games. Their lineup included Tony Gwynn, 1996 NL MVP Ken Caminiti, and Greg Vaughn, who hit 50 homers in 1998.
Their rotation was headed by Kevin Brown, who was untouchable in 1998. Brown in18 games, struck out 257 batters, and had a 2.39 ERA. He pitched almost 260 innings, threw seven complete games, and had a 6-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. San Diego also had tough starters Andy Ashby and Sterling Hitchcock to round out the rotation. Trevor Hoffman was their All-Star closer. None of them could slow down the Yankee machine.
Game One was decided by a seventh inning upper deck Grand Slam by Tino Martinez that landed 450 feet from home plate.
In Game 3, the Padres held a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth inning. With one out and a man on first, manager Bruce Bochy released closer Trevor Hoffman (53 Saves, 1.48 ERA) from his cage. He came out to the blaring sounds of AC/DC’s Hells Bells as the crowd of 65,000 went absolutely insane.
Hoffman got Bernie Williams to fly out, but then he walked Tino Martinez. The crowd clenched like one giant nerve but held out hope that Hoffman could save the day. He didn’t. He threw a hard slider that didn’t slide very much to Scott Brosius, who promptly deposited the pitch 450 feet away over the center field fence. Twenty minutes later, the Yankees had a 3-0 series lead.
Andy Pettitte pitched the game of his life the next night, throwing eight shutouts innings. Rivera closed out the ninth, as usual.
The 1998 New York Yankees record, including the playoffs and World Series, was 125-50. Their series win seemed more like a coronation than just a championship. They were the second best team ever.
