Marlins Win World Series in OT
Associated Press
October 27, 1997
MIAMI (AP) -- Edgar Renteria ended one of the most thrilling Game 7s ever, singling home the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Florida Marlins their first World Series championship with a 3-2 win over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday night.
The 5-year-old Marlins became the youngest expansion team to win a championship, while adding more heartbreak to the nearly half-century of disappointment for the Indians.
The Marlins, masters of the late-inning comeback, tied it at 2-2 in the ninth on Craig Counsell's sacrifice fly and then took advantage of second baseman Tony Fernandez's error to score the winning run. This marked just the third time in history that a Game 7 had gone to extra innings.
A see-saw Series finished with the teams alternating wins for all seven games. Devoid of drama for the first six games, Game 7 packed an entire season's worth of thrills into one night that kept getting better as the clock passed midnight.
Jay Powell pitched one inning for the victory. Charles Nagy, passed over in favor of rookie Jaret Wright for the Game 7 start, lost in relief.
Florida pitcher Livan Hernandez became just the second rookie to win the Series MVP award, joining Larry Sherry of Los Angeles in 1959. The trophy was even more special for the 22-year-old Hernandez, who Games 1 and 5, because his mother was allowed by Cuban officials to visit the United States for the final game.
Marlins manager Jim Leyland celebrated his first trip to the Series, watching the wild-card Marlins win after spending nearly $100 million during the winter to bolster a team that had never had a winning record.
``I guess every little boy imagines this might happen at one time. It's a total fantasy for me,'' Leyland said. ``I was a little concerned. We haven't given up all year -- tonight wasn't the time to give up. When we walked into the clubhouse tonight, we knew we were going to be world champions.''
Indians manager Mike Hargrove found no joy on his 48th birthday. Born a year after the Indians' last title in 1948, his club added another heartbreak to a city that has only known losing for too long. It was their second World Series loss in three years.
``I don't really know what to tell the team, other than they played hard all year long,'' Hargrove said. ``We overcame long odds to get where we're at. We played hard, we didn't give the game away, it could've gone either way. It just happened to go the Marlins' way.''
Cleveland relief ace Jose Mesa was just a double play grounder away from clinching the championship in the ninth, but Counsell tied it with a deep fly to right.
Bobby Bonilla, one of Florida's high-priced free agents, singled to start the 11th against Nagy. One out later, Counsell hit a grounder to the right side and Bonilla may have screened Fernandez, racing to third when the ball rolled past the second baseman's glove.
Visions of Bill Buckner's misplay in the 1986 Series stirred as the Indians intentionally walked Jim Eisenreich to load the bases. Devon White grounded into a force play at the plate before Renteria lined an 0-1 pitch past Nagy for the victory.
The Marlins raced on to the field in triumph while Indians first baseman Jim Thome crouched alone in front of the mound.
Fernandez gave the Indians the lead in third with a two-run single off Florida starter Al Leiter.
Bonilla made it 2-1 in the seventh with a home run, the only run allowed by the 21-year-old Wright.
Thome drew a leadoff walk in the third and Marquis Grissom followed with a single on another full count. That brought up Wright, and once again a Cleveland pitcher came through at the plate.
A day after starter Chad Ogea had two hits and drove in two runs in a 4-1 win, Wright put down a sacrifice bunt to the right side. First baseman Darren Daulton, starting ahead of Jeff Conine because of his bat and not his glove, bobbled the ball and cost himself a chance to make a play at third.
The runners were forced to stay at second and third when Omar Vizquel popped up. But Fernandez delivered them with a soft single to center field.
The Marlins had a threat in the opening inning when Renteria doubled and Gary Sheffield walked with one out.
Daulton hit a grounder to Fernandez, and the second baseman flipped to Vizquel for a force play. Sheffield also was called out on the play for interference when he veered wide and slid at Vizquel. Sheffield briefly argued with second base umpire Joe West.
Notes: The game started 25 minutes late so NBC could finish its coverage of the NFL. ... Plate umpire Ed Montague's late father, Ed Sr., played infield for the Indians in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Ed Sr. later became a longtime scout for Giants and signed Willie Mays. ... It was 80 degrees with 88 percent humidity at gametime. ... Vizquel tied a Series record by stealing two bases in the fifth inning. He stole five bases in the Series and was not caught.
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