October 27, 1999: Clemens, Rivera shut down Braves to sweep World Series

“We’re just like everyone else. When good things are happening, sad things happen as well.” – Joe Torre, October 27, 19991

“Making good on your moves does make you seem smart. Getting help from everyone makes you even smarter.” – Writer Shaun Powell describing Joe Torre and his cast of heroes after the 1999 World Series2

It had been a very trying year for the New York Yankees, beginning with manager Torre being treated for prostate cancer and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre being treated for multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood cells. Darryl Strawberryhad not joined the team until September, following treatment for colon cancer, a suspension for drug possession, and a 21-game rehab stint in Triple A.

Through this and even more adversity, the team from the Bronx had prevailed. On September 12, third baseman Scott Brosius had lost his father to prostate cancer, and on October 21, second baseman Luis Sojo had lost his father to an aortic aneurysm. Now, on the day when outfielder Paul O’Neill had lost his father to heart disease, the Yankees were on the precipice of their 25th World Series championship. O’Neill was stationed in right field, and, at the end of the game, he was teary-eyed, an equal measure of sadness and joy. His uniform, like those of the other Yankees, showed remembrances of two former Yankees who had died in 1999. Joe DiMaggio’s number 5 was on one shoulder after his death in March, and a black armband was added when Catfish Hunter died in September.

The starting pitcher for the Yankees was Roger Clemens, three years removed from the rival Red Sox. The prior October, he had not been in the postseason after registering a 20-6 record with the Toronto Blue Jays. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, not content with 114 regular-season wins in 1998 and World Series championships in 1996 and 1998, sought to bolster his pitching staff. On the first day of spring training, the Yankees acquired Clemens from Toronto in a trade for David Wells, Homer Bush, and Graeme Lloyd. Clemens responded with a 14-10 record and pitched the Yankees to a win in Game Three as they swept the Division Series against the Texas Rangers. A win on this evening would mean another sweep and the first World Series championship ring for Clemens since he came to the major leagues in 1984.

The Braves countered with John Smoltz, whose record in the postseason was 12-3 coming into the game. In 1999 he had gone 11-8 with the Braves, posting a 3.19 ERA.

The pitching of Clemens and Smoltz was dominant in Game Four. However, while Clemens was putting down the Braves on a minimum of pitches (he averaged fewer than 13 an inning in the first five innings), the Yankees were making Smoltz work, showing patience at the plate. He threw 75 pitches in the first three innings, facing eight batters in a 34-pitch third when the Yankees manufactured a trio of runs on four hits. The opportunistic Yankees did not hit the ball particularly hard but, in the words of old Yankee Wee Willie Keeler, “hit ’em where they ain’t.” Walt Weiss fielded Chuck Knoblauch’s grounder in the hole between short and third, but the Atlanta shortstop was unable to make a play. Derek Jeter’s broken-bat single to right field advanced Knoblauch to third. The hit extended Jeter’s record of hitting in postseason games to 17. Jeter stole second base as O’Neill struck out. Bernie Williams received an intentional walk, and Tino Martinez sent a single into right field off the glove of Atlanta first baseman Ryan Klesko to drive home Knoblauch and Jeter. After Strawberry struck out (in his next-to-last big-league at-bat), the last of the inning’s three runs came in when Jorge Posada, on the second 3-and-2 pitch, singled home Williams.

Those were the only runs that the Yankees scored against Smoltz. The Atlanta starter came out when the Braves took the field in the bottom of the eighth inning. He had allowed six hits (only one coming after the third inning) and struck out 11 batters.

Defensively, the Yankees shined. Clemens spent the night pitching groundballs, and his infielders backed him up (not a single putout was earned by a Yankee outfielder while Clemens was in the game). They turned a double play – Brosius to Knoblauch to Martinez in the fifth inning – and the climax came in the sixth inning when Brosius made a brilliant play at third base, robbing Chipper Jones of a hit to end the inning. Clemens ran to the dugout leaping toward the sky with his arms held high. And Knoblauch, who had been having difficulties making routine throws to first base, was errorless, his three throws to first being right on the money.

Before leaving the game in the eighth inning shortly after a slight injury covering first base on an infield single by Weiss, Clemens had allowed only four hits, and not a runner had advanced past second base. Weiss had hit the ball to first baseman Martinez, who went to his right to field the ball. The ball, Clemens, and Weiss arrived at first base together and Weiss apparently stepped on Clemens’ right foot.3 Umpire Gerry Davis ruled Weiss safe, much to the disappointment of most of the crowd of 56,752.4 After Gerald Williams singled, sending Weiss to second base, Clemens was replaced by Jeff Nelson, who faced only one batter. Bret Boone singled up the middle to drive home Weiss and send Williams to third base. With two out and runners on the corners, Atlanta was threatening to close the gap further when Torre emerged from the Yankee dugout, the bullpen door swung open, and Mariano Rivera jogged in to douse Atlanta’s hopes.

Rivera, the World Series MVP, went about his business with his usual degree of cool and calm. In a sport in which pitchers often have had scoreless streaks measured in innings and games, Rivera’s scoreless streaks are measured in months. He had not given up an earned run since July 21. That was 28 regular-season appearances and seven postseason games. On this evening, in this third appearance in the 1999 Series, he retired Jones on a grounder to end the eighth after Chipper, on a pitch early in the at-bat, had rifled a shot down the first-base line that just went foul.

Terry Mulholland replaced Smoltz on the mound for Atlanta in the bottom of the eighth. After he recorded two quick outs, Jim Leyritz was sent up to pinch-hit. Leyritz homered to extend the Yankees’ lead to 4-1, and a double by Posada brought manager Bobby Cox to the mound to change pitchers. Russ Springer got Chad Curtis out on a popup, and then it was three-up and three-down in the bottom of the ninth. As designated hitter Keith Lockhart’s fly ball was descending toward the waiting glove of Yankee left fielder Curtis, the celebration began with catcher Posada charging the mound to embrace Rivera, and the crowd joining Frank Sinatra in singing, “Start Spreading the News!”

The postgame celebration for the team that had thus won 12 consecutive World Series games in which they had played was relatively low key. Their manager, Torre, liked it that way. As noted by Dominic Amore in the Hartford Courant, the team “could be remembered as much for its manners as for its homers. Celebrations are kept low-key by Torre. Demonstrations (however) are unabashed when it comes to respecting the opposition or caring about their own.”5

Nevertheless, the postgame celebration was, by Yankee standards, exuberant. Jeter put an end to a media interview with team owner Steinbrenner by dousing the Boss with champagne. The players made their way back to the field and were greeted with cheers by the fans who had stayed behind. In his time on the field, Jeter, who went on to play a season’s worth of games (158) in the postseason, batting .308 with 200 hits, said, “This is what everybody plays for. This is when you want to do your best.”6

The streak of wins in 12 consecutive World Series games tied the record sent by the Yankees of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in 1927, 1928, and 1932. The Yankees would tack on two more wins at the beginning of the 2000 series to set a major-league record for the team and its manager, Joe Torre.

After the game, Smoltz expressed his belief that “in every facet of the game, [the Yankees] had an answer. I don’t believe we were outmatched; I do believe we were outplayed.”7

Sources

In addition to the sources shown in the notes, the author used BaseballReference.com, Retrosheet.org, and the following:

Amore, Dominic, David Heuschkel, and Jack O’Connell. “Heavy Heart for O’Neill,” Hartford Courant, October 28, 1999: C7.

Heyman, Jon. “His Saving Grace: Cool as Always, Rivera Deflects Praise in MVP Show,” Newsday (Long Island, New York), October 28, 1999: 104.

Howard, Johnette. “Clemens Steps Up,” Newsday, October 28, 1999: 107, 92.

Jacobs, Jeff. “From Ruth to Clemens, Monumental Dynasty,” Hartford Courant, October 28, 1999: C-1, C-6.

Rocca, Lawrence. “Joy of Yankees Twinged with Sorrow,” Newsday, October 28, 1999: 106, 92.

“Yankees Sweep Braves for 25th Title as Clemens Gets His Series Dream,” New York Times, October 28, 1999.

Notes

1 Steve Jacobson, “Torre Has Life Perspective,” Newsday, October 28, 1999: 103.

2 Shaun Powell, “All in Pinstripes Deserve Award,” Newsday, October 28, 1999: 105.

3 Peter Botte, “Yanks Notch Series Sweep: Stake Claim to Greatness,” New York Daily News World Series Supplement, October 28, 1999: 3.

4 Bill Madden, “Boss Leads the Cheers for Roger,” New York Daily News World Series Supplement, October 28, 1999: 7.

5 Dominic Amore, “Sweep, Glorious Sweep,” Hartford Courant, October 28, 1999: A1, A13. In 1999, caring about their own was a very key theme. Tim Raines, who had been with the team from 1996 through 1998, was no longer with the team when he was diagnosed with lupus in early 1999. When he returned to get his 1998 World Series ring, the team collectively rushed from the dugout to the field to embrace their stricken teammate.

6 Mark Herrmann, “Jeter Comfortable as a Young Leader,” Newsday, October 28, 1999: 104.

7 Bob Herzog, “Braves Agree: Yanks Superior Team,” Newsday, October 28, 1999: 100.