Fansided

Top 25 MLB pennant races of all time

By Joshua Sadlock

(Original Caption) Bucky Dent is a happy fellow as he jumps on home plate and is greeted by Roy White and Chris Chambliss after he hit a three-run home run in the 7th inning at Fenway Park.
(Original Caption) Bucky Dent is a happy fellow as he jumps on home plate and is greeted by Roy White and Chris Chambliss after he hit a three-run home run in the 7th inning at Fenway Park. /
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17 Oct 1995: Oufielder Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners watches his shot during a game playoff game against the Cleveland Indians at the Kingdome in Seattle, Washington. The Indians won the game 4-0.
17 Oct 1995: Oufielder Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners watches his shot during a game playoff game against the Cleveland Indians at the Kingdome in Seattle, Washington. The Indians won the game 4-0. /

22. The Mariners storm into the playoffs, 1995

The image of Ken Griffy Jr. making his mad dash and sprinting around the bases to score the game-winning run in Game 5 of the 1995 ALDS to defeat the heavily-favored New York Yankees is forever burned into the minds of baseball fans in Seattle. What gets forgotten by MLB fans at large is that the Mariners had to get through one of the best pennant races in league history to get there in the first place.

Following the strike in 1994, baseball needed a shot in the arm to win the fans over again after the first cancelled World Series since 1904. Exciting pennant races were a good place to start. In the National League, the upstart Colorado Rockies were drawing in 50,000 a night and went to the playoffs for the first time in their history.

The best pennant race in the American League was taking place in the AL West. The California Angels looked invincible with an 11-game lead in early August. The wheels fell off, however, and the Angels went 18-31 to end the year.

The Mariners worked through a slow start in the early months of the short season, with star Griffey hobbled by various injuries. Their true talent level finally began to shine through in September. This was a team whose ace, Randy Johnson, went 18-2. The Mariners also had Edgar Martinez, Tino Martinez and Jay Buhner. Seattle had the superior talent, and finished the year on a 17-5 run to tie the Angels. Junior drove in 17 runs in the final 18 games of the year.

By the time the Mariners and Angels squared off in their one-game playoff, it was clear Seattle was the team to beat. The Angels were listless in a 9-1 loss and the Mariners won the division and took down the Yankees in an epic series. This playoff race likely saved the future of baseball in Seattle.

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