1997 World Series

The 1997 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball in 1997. It was the 93rd World Series and a best-of-seven playoff. The teams were the American League champion Cleveland Indians and the National League champion Florida Marlins. The Marlins won, beating the Indians four games to three, and got their first World Series title.

The series started on October 18 and ended on October 26. Game 7 ended just after midnight on October 27. The game went into extra innings and Édgar Rentería hit a walk-off single to win it. Marlins pitcher Liván Hernández was named the World Series Most Valuable Player.

The Indians got to the World Series by beating the New York Yankees and then the Baltimore Orioles. The Marlins beat the San Francisco Giants and then the Atlanta Braves to reach the World Series. The Marlins made a record by getting to the World Series in just their fifth season. This was the fourth time a Game 7 went into extra innings, and it did not happen again until the 2016 World Series. The Marlins were the first wild card team to ever win the World Series.

Summary

See also: 1997 Major League Baseball postseason

NL Florida Marlins (4) vs. AL Cleveland Indians (3)

Matchups

The 1997 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's 1997 season. It featured the American League champion Cleveland Indians and the National League champion Florida Marlins. The Marlins, who were not expected to win, won the series four games to three, earning their first World Series title.

The series started in Florida, with the Marlins winning the first game. The Indians tied the series in the second game. The third game had many runs, and the Marlins won to lead the series 2–1. The fourth game was played in very cold weather, and the Indians won to tie the series again. The Marlins won the fifth game to lead 3–2. The sixth game was in Miami, where the Marlins won to tie the series at 3–3. The final game, Game 7, was close. The Marlins won in the bottom of the eleventh inning, winning the World Series.

Composite box

The 1997 World Series was the big championship game of Major League Baseball that year. The 1997 World Series (4–3): Florida Marlins (N.L.) won against the Cleveland Indians (A.L.). The Marlins were not expected to win, but they surprised everyone by winning their very first World Series title!

Aftermath

The Florida Marlins, in just their fifth year, became the fastest new team to win the World Series. But many of their best players left after 1997, so the team did badly the next year. The team was sold and changed a lot, but they came back to the World Series in 2003 with only one player from the 1997 team.

The Cleveland Indians also did well after 1997 but didn’t return to the World Series until 2016. The 1997 World Series had a lot of fans watching, more than 400,000 people.

Radio and television coverage

NBC showed the World Series on TV across the country. This was the first time NBC alone showed the World Series since the 1988 World Series. Bob Costas led the show, with Bob Uecker and Joe Morgan helping to explain the game. Hannah Storm and Keith Olbermann hosted shows before the games, and Storm helped celebrate after the final game.

CBS Radio spoke about the games on the radio for the last time in 1997. Vin Scully talked about the games for the eleventh time before he stopped working as a broadcaster. This was also the last game talked about by Herb Score for the Indians Radio Network before he retired.