1997 American League Championship Series

Infobox LCS
alcs = yes


year = 1997
champion = Cleveland Indians (4)
champion_manager = Mike Hargrove
champion_games = 86-75, .534, GA: 6
runnerup = Baltimore Orioles (2)
runnerup_manager = Davey Johnson
runnerup_games = 98-64, .605, GA: 2
date = October 8–October 15
MVP = Marquis Grissom (Cleveland)
television = FOX
announcers = Joe Buck, Tim McCarver and Bob Brenly
radio_network = CBS Radio
umpires = Joe Brinkman, Jim Joyce, John Hirschbeck, Durwood Merrill, Larry McCoy, Mike Reilly
LDS1 = Baltimore Orioles over Seattle Mariners (3-1)
LDS2 = Cleveland Indians over New York Yankees (3-2)The 1997 American League Championship Series pitted the Cleveland Indians, who won coming back against the defending World Series champion New York Yankees in the AL Division Series, and the Baltimore Orioles, who went wire-to-wire and beat the Seattle Mariners in the Division Series. The Indians stunned the Orioles, winning on bizarre plays or remarkable comebacks, and won the Series 4 games to 2, but went on to lose to the Florida Marlins in the well-fought, seesaw, seven-game battle of the 1997 World Series. The Orioles had home field advantage, which was predetermined and assigned to either the Eastern Division champions or their opponents in the Division Series.

ummary

Cleveland Indians vs. Baltimore Orioles

Cleveland wins the series, 4-2

Game summaries

Game 1

Wednesday, October 8, 1997 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MarylandLinescore
Road=Cleveland|RoadAbr=CLE
R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=0|RH=4|RE=1
Home=Baltimore|HomeAbr=BAL
H1=1|H2=0|H3=2|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=X|HR=3|HH=6|HE=1
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Scott Erickson (1-0)|LP=Chad Ogea (0-1)|SV=Randy Myers (1)
RoadHR=|HomeHR=Brady Anderson (1), Roberto Alomar (1)|

Game 2

Thursday, October 9, 1997 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MarylandLinescore
Road=Cleveland|RoadAbr=CLE
R1=2|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=3|R9=0|RR=5|RH=6|RE=3
Home=Baltimore|HomeAbr=BAL
H1=0|H2=2|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=2|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=4|HH=8|HE=1
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Paul Assenmacher (1-0)|LP=Armando Benitez (0-1)|SV=Jose Mesa (1)
RoadHR=Manny Ramírez (1), Marquis Grissom (1)|HomeHR=Cal Ripken, Jr. (1)|

In Game 2, Charles Nagy and Jimmy Key struggled to get a much needed win. Key allowed a two run homer to Manny Ramírez in the top of the 1st. Nagy would also allow a two run homer in the bottom of the 2nd to Cal Ripken Jr. Then Mike Bordick hit the go-ahead two run single off Nagy in the 6th that knocked Nagy out of the game. With the Tribe trailing 4-2 in the top of the 8th inning, two walks put two men on with two out. Armando Benitez faced Marquis Grissom and Grissom would deliver a stunning three run homer that gave the Indians a 5-4 lead. That lead would stand as the Cleveland bullpen kept the Orioles in check to even the series at a game a piece. Grissom's homer would turn the tide in the series.

Game 3

Saturday, October 11, 1997 at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, OhioLinescore
Road=Baltimore|RoadAbr=BAL
R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=1|R10=0|R11=0|R12=0|RR=1|RH=8|RE=1
Home=Cleveland|HomeAbr=CLE
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=1|H8=0|H9=0|H10=0|H11=0|H12=1|HR=2|HH=6|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Eric Plunk (1-0)|LP=Randy Myers (0-1)|SV=|

With the Series evened a 1 game a piece, a classic pitching clinic unfolded when Orel Hershiser took on Orioles pitcher Mike Mussina at Jacobs Field. In this game, Mussina would set a LCS record with 15 strikeouts, which would be matched by Liván Hernández in the NLCS the same year. The Indians had a 1 to 0 lead in the ninth, but Jose Mesa blew the lead after Marquis Grissom lost the fly ball from Brady Anderson in the lights and the game moved on into the 12th inning. With Randy Myers on the mound for Baltimore, Marquis Grissom walked, then a single by Tony Fernández moved him to third. With one out, Omar Vizquel motioned to bunt. When the pitch came, it went through the strike zone, Omar apparently missed the ball, and the ball got away from Orioles catcher Lenny Webster, allowing Grissom to score. Webster and Myers thought the ball was fouled off and no one did anything to stop Grissom, but the ball was not ruled as a foul ball, and the Indians won the game. Although Orioles manager Davey Johnson argued too that the ball was fouled off, the Indians had already won. Replays later showed Omar did miss the ball.

Game 4

Sunday, October 12, 1997 at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, OhioLinescore
Road=Baltimore|RoadAbr=BAL
R1=0|R2=1|R3=4|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=1|R8=0|R9=1|RR=7|RH=12|RE=2
Home=Cleveland|HomeAbr=CLE
H1=0|H2=2|H3=0|H4=1|H5=4|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=1|HR=8|HH=13|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Jose Mesa (1-0)|LP=Alan Mills (0-1)|SV=
RoadHR=Brady Anderson (2), Harold Baines (1), Rafael Palmeiro (1)|HomeHR=Manny Ramírez (2), Sandy Alomar, Jr. (1)|

With one bizarre play, the Indians had built some momentum. With Scott Erickson back on the mound against Indians starter Jaret Wright, the game was destined to be the swing game of the Series. With an early 1 to 0 lead, Erickson allowed a two-run homer to Sandy Alomar, Jr., but the Orioles scored 4 more runs off Wright to build a 5 to 2 lead. The Indians closed to within 2 in the fourth, but in the fifth, an even more bizarre play than Vizquel's missed bunt occurred. With Erickson tiring after giving up two more runs, Arthur Rhodes came in the game with two men on and two outs. He threw a wild pitch with Grissom at bat, allowing David Justice to score from third. However, he collided with Rhodes at home, and the umpire obscured the view of the ball for the catcher Webster. The umpire motioned for someone to get the ball as Sandy Alomar raced for home. He would also score since no one was able to get the ball in time to make an out. The Indians now had a two run lead. However, the Orioles would tie the game in the ninth again off Jose Mesa. But Sandy Alomar, having a great postseason thus far, singled in the winning run in the ninth, giving the Indians an 8 to 7 win, and a 3 games to 1 lead in the Series.

Game 5

Monday, October 13, 1997 at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, OhioLinescore
Road=Baltimore|RoadAbr=BAL
R1=0|R2=0|R3=2|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=2|RR=4|RH=10|RE=0
Home=Cleveland|HomeAbr=CLE
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=2|HR=2|HH=8|HE=1
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Scott Kamieniecki (1-0)|LP=Chad Ogea (0-2)|SV=
RoadHR=Eric Davis (1)|HomeHR=|

Game 6

Wednesday, October 15, 1997 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MarylandLinescore
Road=Cleveland|RoadAbr=CLE
R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|R10=0|R11=1|RR=1|RH=3|RE=0
Home=Baltimore|HomeAbr=BAL
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|H10=0|H11=0|HR=0|HH=10|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Brian Anderson (1-0)|LP=Armando Benitez (0-2)|SV=Jose Mesa (2)
RoadHR=Tony Fernández (1)|HomeHR=|

Another pitching masterpiece occurred. This time it was Mussina against Charles Nagy. It was scoreless baseball until the 11th. That's when a wonderous Series subplot unfolded. Tony Fernández hit a batting practice ball that bruised Bip Roberts, so Tony took his place at second base. With two outs, Fernandez hit a home run that gave the Indians a 1 to 0 11th inning lead. With two outs in the bottom half of the 11th inning, Brady Anderson singled to right off Jose Mesa, who would represent the tying run. Roberto Alomar came up to bat, and what, to him, seemed like a ball inside as he flinched away from the plate, was actually a called strike, which gave Cleveland the out and the trip to the World Series. He was shocked to hear it called a strike because he shied far away from the plate, thinking he was going to get hit.

Composite Box

1997 ALCS (4-2): Cleveland Indians over Baltimore OriolesLinescore
Road=Cleveland Indians
R1=2|R2=2|R3=0|R4=1|R5=4|R6=0|R7=1|R8=3|R9=3|R10=0|R11=1|R12=1|RR=18|RH=40|RE=5
Home=Baltimore Orioles
H1=1|H2=3|H3=8|H4=0|H5=0|H6=2|H7=1|H8=0|H9=4|H10=0|H11=0|H12=0|HR=19|HH=54|HE=5Total Attendance: 282,441 Average Attendance: 47,074|

Quotes of the Series

Notes

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1997_ALCS.shtml 1997 ALCS at Baseball-Reference.com]