Return to Homepage   Introduction 1981 American 1981 National 1995 American 1995 National 1996 American 1996 National 1997 American 1997 National 1998 American 1998 National 1999 American 1999 National 2000 American 2000 National 2001 American 2001 National 2002 American 2002 National 2003 American 2003 National

We have completed our 4th major section for Baseball-Almanac: The History of the American and National League Divisional Series. Recaps from 1981, 1995-present with complete statistics are online at Baseball-Almanac.com's Division Series section. The draft copy is also available here under Postseason. MLB Postseason History: The Divisional Series by Michael Aubrecht Written for Baseball-Almanac.com's Divisional Series section Sources: Baseball Almanac, Baseball Reference, The Baseball-Library, USA Today Sports, Official MLB Team Sites 1995 American League Divisional Series: Seattle Mariners (3), New York Yankees (2) Cleveland Indians (3), Boston Red Sox (0) The inaugural American League Divisional Series matched the Boston Red Sox against the Cleveland Indians, who were hosting their first postseason game since October 2nd, 1954, as well as the Seattle Mariners, who were making their first postseason appearance ever, against the New York Yankees. Game 1 of the "Beantown versus C-Town" series resulted in the longest postseason game in Major League Baseball history clocking in at just over 5 hours. Indians catcher Tony Pena ended the marathon with a homer in the bottom of the 13th-inning to seal the 5-4 win. Cleveland maintained their momentum for the next 2 outings resulting in a sweep and a ticket to their first American League Championship in franchise history. The Seattle Mariners lost their first game 9-8 at Yankee Stadium despite two home runs by Ken Griffey Jr., but somehow managed to battle back again and again against their favored opponents. With New York scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th in Game 5, Yankee skipper Buck Showalter called on starter Jack McDowell to close the deal. McDowell however, stumbled on the mound and was unable to record a single out. Seattle slugger Edgar Martinez took advantage of the struggling pitcher and knocked a clutch, two-run double down the left-field line, scoring Ken Griffey Jr. and clinching the Divisional series victory for Seattle. Email questions-comments-corrections Copyright © 2002-2003-2004 Pinstripe Press. All Rights Reserved. All essays researched and written by Michael Aubrecht. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the New York Yankees.