1999 World Series

1999 World Series As baseball prepared to close its books on the twentieth century, it seemed fitting that the team who had dominated most of it was returning for their thirty-sixth Fall Classic.

Following one-hundred fourteen regular season wins and eleven post season victories (the most by any team in one-hundred twenty-three years of Major League baseball) as well as a four game sweep in the Series, the perennial champion New York Yankees were back and ready to cement their title as Team of the Century. Manager Joe Torre was ready for another sweep as his Yankees won the American League Division Series over the Texas Rangers (3-0) and the Championship Series (4-1) over Boston Red Sox. The Bronx Bombers had scored a whopping nine-hundred runs and answered their critics who felt that the record-setting '98 season had been a fluke. The Atlanta Braves had risen as a dominant force in the National League over the last decade and were returning for their ninth Series (winning titles in three different cities). Despite the heavy-hitters on both line-ups, many believed that this Classic would all come down to pitching as each rotation combined for thirteen Cy Young Award winners including Roger Clemens, David Cone, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Roger Clemens had waited too long not to savor every moment of this glorious night.

With the final out of the World Series, he bolted for the mound and, flanked by two of his sons, grabbed manager Joe Torre in a bear hug and found it hard to let go.

Then, while his New York Yankees teammates were still dousing each other with champagne, Clemens sprinted back out to the field, climbed on the dugout roof and ran up and down, slapping every outstretched hand in the front row.

The Rocket had landed. The ring was his.

History of the World Series - 1999

By Michael Knisley
The Sportng News

By sweeping the Braves, the Yankees proved again there's no team better. Here's how they've accomplished what they've accomplished and why it should worry you.

You follow baseball, so you already know these New York numbers. Two straight World Series sweeps. Three world championships in the last four years. Victories in 12 straight World Series games. The beat goes on. And on and on and on. The numbers are overwhelming. "Insane," says first baseman Tino Martinez.