1997 American League Division Series
The 1997 American League Division Series (ALDS), the opening round of the 1997 American League playoffs, began on Tuesday, September 30, and ended on Monday, October 6, with the champions of the three AL divisions – along with a "wild card" team – participating in two best-of-five series. The teams were:
- (1) Baltimore Orioles (Eastern Division champion, 98-64) vs. (3) Seattle Mariners (Western Division champion, 90-72): Orioles win series, 3-1.
- (2) Cleveland Indians (Central Division champion, 86-75) vs. (4) New York Yankees (Wild Card, 96-66): Indians win series, 3-2.
The higher seed (in parentheses) had the home field advantage, which was not tied to playing record but was predetermined – a highly unpopular arrangement which was discontinued after the conclusion of the 1997 playoffs. Also, the team with home field "advantage" was required to play the first two games on the road, with potentially the last three at home, in order to reduce travel. The Orioles played the Mariners, rather than the wild card Yankees, because the Orioles and Yankees are in the same division.
The Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians went on to meet in the AL Championship Series (ALCS). The Indians became the American League champion, and lost to the National League champion Florida Marlins in the 1997 World Series.
Managers:
- Mike Hargrove, Cleveland; Joe Torre, New York
- Davey Johnson, Baltimore; Lou Piniella, Seattle
Umpires: Tim McClelland, Dale Ford, Ken Kaiser, Greg Kosc, Dave Phillips, Rocky Roe (Orioles-Mariners, Games 1-2; Indians-Yankees, Games 3-5); Tim Tschida, Dan Morrison, Rick Reed, Dale Scott, Rich Garcia, Derryl Cousins (Indians-Yankees, Games 1-2; Orioles-Mariners, Games 3-4)
Television:
| Series | Network(s) | Play-by-play | Color Commentator(s) |
| Cleveland Indians/New York Yankees | FOX (Games 1, 2, 4, 5) NBC (Game 3) |
Joe Buck (Games 1, 2, 4, 5) Bob Costas (Game 3) |
Tim McCarver and Bob Brenly (Games 1, 2, 4, 5) Bob Uecker and Joe Morgan |
| Baltimore Orioles/Seattle Mariners | NBC (Game 1) ESPN (Games 2, 4) FOX (Game 3) |
Bob Costas (Game 1) Jon Miller (Games 2, 4) Joe Buck (Game 3) |
Bob Uecker (Game 1) and Joe Morgan (Games 1, 2, 4) Tim McCarver and Bob Brenly (Game 3) |
Baltimore Orioles vs. Seattle Mariners
Series Summary:
- Game 1 @ Kingdome: Orioles 9, Mariners 3
- Game 2 @ Kingdome: Orioles 9, Mariners 3
- Game 3 @ Camden Yards: Mariners 4, Orioles 2
- Game 4 @ Camden Yards: Orioles 3, Mariners 1
Orioles win series: 3-1
Cleveland Indians vs. New York Yankees
Series Summary:
- Game 1 @ Yankee Stadium: Yankees 8, Indians 6
- Game 2 @ Yankee Stadium: Indians 7, Yankees 5
- Game 3 @ Jacobs Field: Yankees 6, Indians 2
- Game 4 @ Jacobs Field: Indians 3, Yankees 2
- Game 5 @ Jacobs Field: Indians 4, Yankees 3
Indians win series: 3-2
Notable Quotes
Into right field, well hit...track...wall...TIED! - Joe Buck, calling Sandy Alomar's dramatic home run off Mariano Rivera to tie Game 4, CLE vs. NYY
Off [Ramiro] Mendoza, base hit! There will be Game 5 tomorrow night! - Joe Buck, calling Omar Vizquel's game-winning hit in Game 4, CLE vs. NYY
Into left centerfield, [Brian] Giles is there...celebrate! - Joe Buck, calling the final out in Game 5, CLE vs. NYY
External links
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