Series Wrapup

Story

Major League Baseball elected to undergo its first major realignment in 25 years prior to the start of the 1994 campaign when it adopted a new three-division setup in each league.  The basic provisions of the new structure called for five-team divisions in the East and the Central, a four-team division in the West, an additional round of playoffs, and the institution of a wild-card entry into the postseason tournament.

The initial division setup in the National League had the Atlanta Braves, Florida Marlins, Montreal Expos, New York Mets, and Philadelphia Phillies taking up residence in the East.  The Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals comprised the circuit’s Central Division.  Meanwhile, the Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and San Diego Padres called the Western Division home.

The new alignment created additional fan interest the first few months of the season since more teams had a realistic chance of advancing to the playoffs.  However, the players’ strike that ended the season prematurely on August 12 destroyed whatever growth in popularity the sport enjoyed from April through July.  It took a record-setting performance turned in by the New York Yankees and an epic home run race waged between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa to bring back much of the disenchanted fan base four years later.   

In spite of the unhappy ending, the 1994 baseball season offered some exciting pennant races, memorable moments, and outstanding team and individual performances.

After winning 104 games and advancing to the playoffs for the third straight time the previous year, the Atlanta Braves entered the 1994 campaign as favorites to capture the N.L. East title.  The Braves played solid ball before the players left their jobs, posting a record of 68-46.  They had the league’s best pitcher in Greg Maddux, and their lineup featured one of the circuit’s top sluggers in Fred McGriff.  Maddux earned Cy Young honors for the third consecutive time by leading all N.L. hurlers with 16 wins, a 1.56 ERA, 10 complete games, three shutouts, and 202 innings pitched.  McGriff batted .318 and placed among the league leaders with 34 home runs and 94 runs batted in.   

Nevertheless, the Braves trailed the first-place Montreal Expos by six full games at the conclusion of play on August 12.  The Expos seemed destined to return to the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade after they compiled a major-league best 74-40 record over the season’s first four months.  Only the players’ strike likely prevented them from winning their first N.L. East title since 1981.

A young and talent-laden ball club, Montreal thrived under manager Felipe Alou, who had the honor of penciling his own son’s name onto his team’s lineup card every day.  Moises Alou led the Expos with 22 homers and a .339 batting average, and he also finished second on the team with 78 runs batted in and 81 runs scored.  Larry Walker homered 19 times, drove in 86 runs, and batted .322.  Marquis Grissom batted .288, scored 96 runs, and stole 36 bases.  Meanwhile, Ken Hill finished 16-5, to tie Maddux for the league-lead in victories.  A 22-year-old Pedro Martinez joined Hill at the top of Montreal’s starting rotation, placing second on the team with 11 wins and leading the club with 142 strikeouts.

While the Expos posted baseball’s best record, the Los Angeles Dodgers held onto first place in the N.L. West even though they barely won more games than they lost.  The Dodgers claimed the division’s top spot by compiling a mark of 58-56 that left them 3 ½ games ahead of the second-place San Francisco Giants.

Mike Piazza and Tim Wallach were the Dodgers’ two best players.  Piazza led the club with 24 homers, 92 runs batted in, and a .319 batting average.  Wallach added 23 homers and 78 RBIs.  

San Francisco’s lineup featured the division’s top two sluggers in Barry Bonds and Matt Williams.  Bonds batted .312 and placed among the league leaders with 37 home runs, 81 runs batted in, and 89 runs scored.  Williams topped the circuit with 43 homers and finished second with 96 runs batted in.

Meanwhile, San Diego’s Tony Gwynn continued to excel even though his team ended play on August 12 with the National League’s worst record.  Mounting the first real challenge to the magical .400-mark since George Brett batted .390 for the Royals in 1980, Gwynn concluded the campaign with a mark of .394 that represented the highest figure compiled by any player since Ted Williams batted .406 for Boston in 1941.  Gwynn also led the league with 165 hits.

The closest division race in the senior circuit took place in the N.L. Central, where the Cincinnati Reds compiled a record of 66-48 that left them just a half-game in front of the second-place Houston Astros.  Kevin Mitchell and Hal Morris paced Cincinnati’s offense, which ranked first in the league in runs scored (609), batting average (.286), on-base percentage (.350), and slugging average (.449).  Mitchell hit 30 home runs, knocked in 77 runs, and batted .326.  Morris drove in 78 runs and placed among the league leaders with a .335 batting average.

The runner-up Astros, who also finished second to Cincinnati in the league rankings in most offensive categories, featured the circuit’s best player in Jeff Bagwell.  The slugging first baseman earned N.L. MVP honors by hitting 39 home runs, batting .368, and leading the league with 116 runs batted in, 104 runs scored, 300 total bases, and a .750 slugging average.

Other outstanding performers, notable events, and points of interest from around the league follow:

• Claiming he felt he could no longer play at his usual high level, Ryne Sandberg announced his retirement on June 13.

• Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith recorded his 8,017th assist, breaking Luis Aparicio’s major league record for shortstops.

• New York’s Dwight Gooden was suspended on June 18 for violating his drug aftercare program for the second time.

• Raul Mondesi of the Dodgers (.306 batting average) earned N.L. Rookie of the Year honors.

Seasons of the National League

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