1995 Major League Baseball postseason

The 1995 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball for the 1995 season. This was the first postseason to be played under the expanded format, as the League Division Series (LDS) was played in both the American and National leagues for the first time since 1981. The league was expanded to three divisions per league, and a new Wild Card berth was added. The winners of the LDS moved on to the League Championship Series to determine the pennant winners that face each other in the World Series.

1995 Major League Baseball postseason
Tournament details
DatesOctober 3–28, 1995[1]
Teams8
Final positions
ChampionsAtlanta Braves
(3rd title)
Runners-upCleveland Indians
(4th World Series appearance)
Most valuable playerTom Glavine
(ATL)

This was the first postseason to take place since the 1994–95 MLB strike.

In the National League, the Atlanta Braves returned to the postseason for the fourth consecutive year, the Cincinnati Reds returned for the first time since 1990, the Los Angeles Dodgers made their first appearance since 1988, and the Colorado Rockies, just two years into their existence, made the postseason for the first time ever.

In the American League, the New York Yankees returned to the postseason for the first time since 1981, and this was the first of thirteen consecutive appearances for the Yankees from 1995 to 2007. The Cleveland Indians made their first postseason appearance since the 1954 World Series, and this was the first of five consecutive postseason appearances for the Indians. The Boston Red Sox made their fourth appearance in the past ten years, and the Seattle Mariners made the postseason for the first time in franchise history.

The postseason began on October 3, 1995, and ended on October 28, 1995, with the Braves defeating the Indians in six games to win their first championship in Georgia, and their first overall since 1957. It was the Braves' third title in franchise history.

Playoff seeds

With each league being split into three divisions, the three division winners of each league automatically qualified for the postseason. The Wild Card was won by the team that posted the best record outside of the division winners.

The following teams qualified for the postseason:

American League

Home-field advantage priority order: West, East, Central

National League

Home-field advantage priority order: Central, East, West

Playoff bracket

Division Series
(ALDS, NLDS) 		League Championship Series
(ALCS, NLCS) 		World Series
         
West Seattle 3
WC NY Yankees 2
West Seattle 2
American League
Central Cleveland 4
Central Cleveland 3
East Boston 0
AL Cleveland 2
NL Atlanta 4
East Atlanta 3
WC Colorado 1
East Atlanta 4
National League
Central Cincinnati 0
Central Cincinnati 3
West Los Angeles 0

American League Division Series
Main article: 1995 American League Division Series

Boston Red Sox vs. Cleveland Indians

Cleveland won the series, 3–0.

GameDateScoreLocationTimeAttendance 
1October 3Boston Red Sox – 4, Cleveland Indians – 5 (13 innings)Jacobs Field5:0144,218[10] 
2October 4Boston Red Sox – 0, Cleveland Indians – 4Jacobs Field2:3344,264[11] 
3October 6Cleveland Indians – 8, Boston Red Sox – 2Fenway Park3:1834,211[12]

This was the first postseason meeting between the Red Sox and Indians. The Indians swept the Red Sox to advance to their first ever ALCS. It was the first playoff series win by the Indians since the 1948 World Series. Aside from an extra-inning Game 1, the Indians would win Game 2 in a 4-0 shutout, and then blow out the Red Sox in Game 3 in Boston to advance to the next round.

Both teams would meet again in the ALDS in 1998, 1999 and 2016, as well as the 2007 ALCS, with the Red Sox winning in 1999 and 2007, and the Indians winning in 1998 and 2016.

Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees

Seattle won the series, 3–2.

GameDateScoreLocationTimeAttendance 
1October 3Seattle Mariners – 6, New York Yankees – 9Yankee Stadium (I)3:3857,178[13] 
2October 4Seattle Mariners – 5, New York Yankees – 7 (15 innings)Yankee Stadium (I)5:1257,126[14] 
3October 6New York Yankees – 4, Seattle Mariners – 7Kingdome3:0457,944[15] 
4October 7New York Yankees – 8, Seattle Mariners – 11Kingdome4:0857,180[16] 
5October 8New York Yankees – 5, Seattle Mariners – 6 (11 innings)Kingdome4:1957,411[17]

This was the first postseason series ever played in the Pacific Northwest. It was also the first postseason meeting between the Mariners and Yankees. The Mariners overcame an 0-2 series deficit to defeat the Yankees in five games and advance to the ALCS for the first time in franchise history.

In the first postseason series played in the Bronx in 14 years, the Yankees prevailed in an offensive duel in Game 1, 9-6, and then took Game 2 after fifteen innings of play to go up 2-0 in the series headed to Seattle. The Mariners won their first playoff game in franchise history with a 7-4 victory in Game 3. Game 4 was a slugfest which the Mariners won 11-8 to force a fifth game. In Game 5, the Mariners rallied in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie the game and send it into extra innings, which was then capped off by Edgar Martinez's series-winning double in the 11th inning of Game 5, known as "The Double" in Mariners' baseball lore.

The Mariners and Yankees would meet again in the 2000 and 2001 ALCS, with the Yankees winning both series.

National League Division Series
Main article: 1995 National League Division Series

Atlanta Braves vs. Colorado Rockies

Atlanta won the series, 3–1.

GameDateScoreLocationTimeAttendance 
1October 3Atlanta Braves – 5, Colorado Rockies – 4Coors Field3:1950,040[18] 
2October 4Atlanta Braves – 7, Colorado Rockies – 4Coors Field3:0850,063[19] 
3October 6Colorado Rockies – 7, Atlanta Braves – 5 (10 innings)Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium3:1651,300[20] 
4October 7Colorado Rockies – 4, Atlanta Braves – 10Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium2:3850,027[21]

This was the first postseason series ever played in the Mountain West region. The Braves defeated the Rockies in four games to advance to the NLCS for the fourth year in a row.

In Denver, the Braves narrowly took Game 1, and then took Game 2 by three runs to go up 2-0 in the series headed to Atlanta. The Rockies won their first playoff game in franchise history with a 7-5 victory in Game 3 after 10 innings. However, the Braves closed out the series in Game 4 by blowing out the Rockies, 10-4, to advance to the NLCS.

This would be the last postseason appearance by the Rockies until 2007, where they went on a Cinderella run to the World Series.

Cincinnati Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Cincinnati won the series, 3–0.

GameDateScoreLocationTimeAttendance 
1October 3Cincinnati Reds – 7, Los Angeles Dodgers – 2Dodger Stadium3:1544,199[22] 
2October 4Cincinnati Reds – 5, Los Angeles Dodgers – 4Dodger Stadium3:2146,051[23] 
3October 6Los Angeles Dodgers – 1, Cincinnati Reds – 10Riverfront Stadium3:2753,276[24]

The Reds swept the Dodgers to return to the NLCS for the second time in six years. This series was not close - the Reds blew out the Dodgers in Game 1 in Los Angeles, with the only close contest coming in Game 2, which the Reds won 5-4 to go up 2-0 in the series heading back to Cincinnati. In Game 3, the Reds again blew out the Dodgers to advance to the NLCS.

As of 2022, this is the last time the Reds won a playoff series. The Dodgers returned to the postseason the next year, but were swept by the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.

American League Championship Series
Main article: 1995 American League Championship Series

Seattle Mariners vs. Cleveland Indians

Cleveland won the series, 4–2.

GameDateScoreLocationTimeAttendance 
1October 10Cleveland Indians – 2, Seattle Mariners – 3Kingdome3:0757,065[25] 
2October 11Cleveland Indians – 5, Seattle Mariners – 2Kingdome3:1458,144[26] 
3October 13Seattle Mariners – 5, Cleveland Indians – 2 (11 innings)Jacobs Field3:1843,643[27] 
4October 14Seattle Mariners – 0, Cleveland Indians – 7Jacobs Field3:3043,686[28] 
5October 15Seattle Mariners – 2, Cleveland Indians – 3Jacobs Field3:3743,607[29] 
6October 17Cleveland Indians – 4, Seattle Mariners – 0Kingdome2:5458,489[30]

This was the first postseason meeting between the Mariners and Indians. The Indians defeated the Mariners in six games to return to the World Series for the first time since 1954. Both teams split the first two games in Seattle, and when the series moved to Cleveland for Game 3, the Mariners prevailed to take a 2-1 series lead. However, their lead would not hold, as the Indians won the next three games to secure the pennant.

The Indians and Mariners would meet again in the postseason in 2001, with the Mariners defeating the Indians in five games in the ALDS. The Indians would win the pennant again in 1997 over the Baltimore Orioles in six games.

The Mariners would return to the postseason in 1997, but they would lose to the Orioles in the ALDS. This was the first of three consecutive losses in the ALCS for the Mariners - they returned to the ALCS in 2000 and 2001, losing both to the New York Yankees.

National League Championship Series
Main article: 1995 National League Championship Series

Cincinnati Reds vs. Atlanta Braves

Atlanta won the series, 4–0.

GameDateScoreLocationTimeAttendance 
1October 10Atlanta Braves – 2, Cincinnati Reds – 1 (11 innings)Riverfront Stadium3:1840,382[31] 
2October 11Atlanta Braves – 6, Cincinnati Reds – 2 (10 innings)Riverfront Stadium3:2644,624[32] 
3October 13Cincinnati Reds – 2, Atlanta Braves – 5Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium2:4251,424[33] 
4October 14Cincinnati Reds – 0, Atlanta Braves – 6Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium2:5452,067[34]

The Braves swept the Reds to return to the World Series for the third time in five years (in the process preventing an all-Ohio World Series from taking place). In Cincinnati, the Braves took Games 1 and 2 in extra innings, and when the series moved back to Atlanta, the Braves completed a sweep of the Reds with a 6-0 shutout in Game 4.

This would be the last postseason appearance by the Reds until 2010, where they were swept by the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. This was the last postseason series ever played at Riverfront Stadium.

As of 2022, this is the last time that the Reds appeared in the NLCS. The Braves would return to the NLCS the next year, where they overcame a 3 games to 1 series deficit against the St. Louis Cardinals to return to the World Series.

1995 World Series
Main article: 1995 World Series

Cleveland Indians (AL) vs. Atlanta Braves (NL)

Atlanta won the series, 4-2.

GameDateScoreLocationTimeAttendance 
1October 21Cleveland Indians – 2, Atlanta Braves – 3Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium2:3751,876[35] 
2October 22Cleveland Indians – 3, Atlanta Braves – 4Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium3:1751,877[36] 
3October 24Atlanta Braves – 6, Cleveland Indians – 7 (11)Jacobs Field4:0943,584[37] 
4October 25Atlanta Braves – 5, Cleveland Indians – 2Jacobs Field3:1443,578[38] 
5October 26Atlanta Braves – 4, Cleveland Indians – 5Jacobs Field2:3343,595[39] 
6October 28Cleveland Indians – 0, Atlanta Braves – 1Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium3:0151,875[40]

This was a rematch of the 1948 World Series, which the Indians won in six games over the then-Boston Braves. After two previous failed attempts, the Braves finally prevailed, defeating the Indians in six games to win their first title since 1957.

The Braves narrowly took Games 1 and 2 by one run each to go up 2-0 in the series. When the series moved to Cleveland, the Indians narrowly prevailed in an 11-inning Game 3 to avoid a sweep. However, the Braves would prevail in Game 4, 5-2, to go up 3-1 in the series. The Indians narrowly won Game 5 by a 5-4 score to send the series back to Atlanta. In Game 6, the Braves prevailed in a 1-0 shutout, capped off by Atlanta's Marquis Grissom catching the final out in the top of the ninth inning. This was the first professional sports championship for the state of Georgia.

The Braves returned to the World Series the next year, but lost to the New York Yankees in six games. They would win their next title in 2021, against the Houston Astros, also in six games.

The Indians would return to the World Series in 1997, but they fell to the Florida Marlins in seven games. They would also reach the World Series in 2016, where they lost to the Chicago Cubs in seven games after leading the series 3 games to 1.

Broadcasting

This was the only postseason in which telecasts were produced by The Baseball Network, the broadcasting joint venture between ABC, NBC and Major League Baseball that began in the 1994 season. Under the original plan, NBC was suppose to air both League Championship Series in even-numbered years while ABC would have all four Division Series and the World Series. Then in odd-numbered years, ABC was suppose to air both League Championship Series while NBC would have all four Division Series and the World Series.[41][42][43] After the 1994–95 MLB strike forced the cancellation of the 1994 postseason and delayed the start of the 1995 regular season, both networks elected to dissolve the partnership with MLB on June 22, 1995.[44][45][46][47] To salvage the remains of the partnership, ABC and NBC elected to share coverage of the 1995 postseason including the World Series.[48][49]

The Baseball Network still kept its original plan that not all postseason games (aside from the World Series) were guaranteed to be shown nationally.[50][51][52][53] To increase viewership by preventing games from being played in the afternoon (the league was the only professional sports league in the country to play postseason games on weekday afternoons), the National League and American League's Division and Championship Series games were instead played simultaneously[54] in primetime, and affiliates could only air one game each night, which were again determined regionally.[55][56] If one playoff series had already concluded, the remaining games would be aired nationally.[57] For example, Games 1 and 2 of all four Division Series were aired regionally on NBC on October 3–4 before ABC televised Games 3 and 4 on October 6–7. Likewise, Games 1 and 2 of both LCS were regionally televised on ABC on October 10–11 before NBC aired Games 3 and 4 on October 13–14. ABC then had Games 1, 4, and 5 of World Series while NBC aired Games 2, 3, and 6.[41] Had the World Series gone to a seventh game, it would have then been broadcast by ABC.[58]

References
  1. "1995 Major Leagues Schedule". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  2. "1995 Boston Red Sox Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  3. "1995 Cleveland Indians Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  4. "1995 Seattle Mariners Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  5. "1995 New York Yankees Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  6. "1995 Atlanta Braves Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  7. "1995 Cincinnati Reds Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  8. "1995 Los Angeles Dodgers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  9. "1995 Colorado Rockies statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  10. "1995 ALDS - Boston Red Sox vs. Cleveland Indians - Game 1". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  11. "1995 ALDS - Boston Red Sox vs. Cleveland Indians - Game 2". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  12. "1995 ALDS - Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox - Game 3". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  13. "1995 ALDS - Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees - Game 1". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  14. "1995 ALDS - Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees - Game 2". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  15. "1995 ALDS - New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners - Game 3". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  16. "1995 ALDS - New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners - Game 4". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  17. "1995 ALDS - New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners - Game 5". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  18. "1995 NLDS - Atlanta Braves vs. Colorado Rockies - Game 1". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  19. "1995 NLDS - Atlanta Braves vs. Colorado Rockies - Game 2". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  20. "1995 NLDS - Colorado Rockies vs. Atlanta Braves - Game 3". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  21. "1995 NLDS - Colorado Rockies vs. Atlanta Braves - Game 4". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  22. "1995 NLDS - Cincinnati Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers - Game 1". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  23. "1995 NLDS - Cincinnati Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers - Game 2". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  24. "1995 NLDS - Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Cincinnati Reds - Game 3". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  25. "1995 ALCS Game 1 - Cleveland Indians vs. Seattle Mariners". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  26. "1995 ALCS Game 2 - Cleveland Indians vs. Seattle Mariners". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  27. "1995 ALCS Game 3 - Seattle Mariners vs. Cleveland Indians". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  28. "1995 ALCS Game 4 - Seattle Mariners vs. Cleveland Indians". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  29. "1995 ALCS Game 5 - Seattle Mariners vs. Cleveland Indians". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  30. "1995 ALCS Game 6 - Cleveland Indians vs. Seattle Mariners". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  31. "1995 NLCS Game 1 - Atlanta Braves vs. Cincinnati Reds". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  32. "1995 NLCS Game 2 - Atlanta Braves vs. Cincinnati Reds". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  33. "1995 NLCS Game 3 - Cincinnati Reds vs. Atlanta Braves". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  34. "1995 NLCS Game 4 - Cincinnati Reds vs. Atlanta Braves". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  35. "1995 World Series Game 1 - Cleveland Indians vs. Atlanta Braves". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  36. "1995 World Series Game 2 - Cleveland Indians vs. Atlanta Braves". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  37. "1995 World Series Game 3 - Atlanta Braves vs. Cleveland Indians". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  38. "1995 World Series Game 4 - Atlanta Braves vs. Cleveland Indians". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
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  40. "1995 World Series Game 6 - Cleveland Indians vs. Atlanta Braves". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  41. "More tales of The Baseball Network". SIU Daily Egyptian. July 26, 1995. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved February 12, 2015. ABC lost the 1994 World Series; this was supposed to be NBC's year. Instead, they split the spoils. Who got the better of the deal? Let's see. The networks each get 6 percent of the advertising revenues; baseball gets 88 percent. Call it a draw.
  42. Fritz Quindt (July 15, 1994). "Once a week, The Baseball Network will wield control over all but the inevitable". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  43. "Baseball players unlikely to endorse new playoffs". The Daily Reporter. August 24, 1993.
  44. Jack Craig (August 20, 1995). "Fans not wild about baseball". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  45. "Abc And Nbc Quit Baseball Network". The Philadelphia Inquirer. June 23, 1995. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
  46. Jack McCallum; Christian Stone (July 3, 1995). "Scorecard". Sports Illustrated.
  47. Richard Sandomir (June 27, 1995). "TV SPORTS; All Are to Blame for Baseball Network's Demise". The New York Times.
  48. Ben Walker (July 21, 1995). "The World Series may come down to Kenny Lofton vs. Deion Sanders". Associated Press News. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  49. Steve Nidetz (July 21, 1995). "Abc, Nbc To Share World Series Coverage". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
  50. Mike Burton (October 2, 1995). "Television / Analysis -- Who's on TV? Playoff Format One Big Mess - - Baseball Network Won't Show All Games". The Seattle Times.
  51. Steve Nidetz (October 3, 1995). "Viewers Get Playoff Coverage Bonanza". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
  52. Bruce Jenkins (July 16, 1995). "Baseball Should Listen to Berman". San Francisco Chronicle.
  53. Bruton, Mike (October 5, 1995). "Tbn TV's Baseball Nonsense". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  54. Sandomir, Richard (October 15, 1993). "WORLD SERIES: TV SPORTS; CBS Is Getting Out Just as It Gets It Right". The New York Times.
  55. "TV's Coverage of Playoffs a 'Who's On?' Routine". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 1, 1995. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  56. Ernest Hooper (September 29, 1994). "Baseball strikes out - again Series: TV / Radio; Fanfare". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  57. Taylor, Chuck (October 3, 1995). "During Baseball Playoffs, No National TV Coverage". The Seattle Times.
  58. Halberstam, David J. (October 21, 2019). "The cancelled '94 World Series: Network voices remember a baseball low point 25 years ago".
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