The Oakland Athletics won both the pennant and the World Series with ease. They had a great lineup, led by the Bash Brothers, Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. They also re-acquired star Rickey Henderson to add some speed to the lineup. No team could stop the Athletics this year, though Nature almost did; a devastating earthquake struck during the World Series, and theatened to cancel the Series. But the after a delay, the show went on, and the Athletics triumphed.
        It was the ninth, and final, World Series of the century for the Athletics; only the Yankees have won more. It was also their fourth in Oakland. The Athletics have had long stretches of losing seasons over the years, but their great teams have made the most of their opportunities. This edition, managed by Tony LaRussa, was a little disappointing; despite three straight pennants, this was the only championship they were able to win. They were upset both in 1988 and 1990; LaRussa and the Bash Brothers eventually left, and the long process of rebuilding began.

         Though they had a great team, the Athletics did not have a good MVP candidate. Nor did the Blue Jays, who won the East Division; nor did the Orioles or the Royals or the Angels, who also had good teams. This was a rare year in which the best teams in the league didn't have many MVP candidates. The actual vote was a close one between two players on mediocre teams: Robin Yount of the Brewers was the winner, edging out Ruben Sierra of the Rangers.
        Yount won an MVP earlier in the decade as a shortstop, and had now moved to centre field so he could stay healthier. As you can see, there really wasn't a lot of difference between him and Sierra. Sierra led the league in runs produced and total bases, Yount was second in both categories. Yount had a slight edge in OPS, a much larger edge in on-base percentage, was a better baserunner, and was probably a better defensive player. I don't have a good reason for reversing the voters' decision.
        Ruben Sierra was the most talented young player to emerge from Puerto Rico since Roberto Clemente, and this was his best season. He had debuted with the Rangers at age 20, and this year was only 23. Sierra was a switch-hitter with line-drive power, and looked like he would be one of the best players in baseball for the next decade. He had another great season in 1991, then was dealt to the Athletics; his career quickly went downhill in Oakland, and never recovered.
        So far, Sierra has played 15 seasons, has over 1800 lifetime hits and 263 home runs. He did not play in 1999, but came back the next season, and at this writing is still active. There are a number of explanations for why he aged so poorly; one report said that he overdid his weight training, and lost flexibility; others say that he just lacked dedication to the game.
        The East Division was a close race between the Blue Jays and the Orioles that the Jays won in the final weekend of the season. George Bell got a lot of MVP support, but I think it is clear that his numbers were not MVP calibre. He was durable, and drove in a lot of runs, but his on-base percentage was low, he hit only 18 home runs, and he had almost no defensive value. I think Rickey Henderson had a much better season. Rickey joined the Athletics midway through the season; he had a terrific year, though not one of his very best. Rickey also had a great playoff against the Blue Jays, stealing a record eight bases in only five games.
         Because of the close race between the Jays and the Orioles, Bell and Ripken got a lot of exposure and MVP votes. But I honestly don't consider either of them a serious candidate. They were both durable, and both hit in the middle of the order and piled up some good RBI totals, but is that enough? I don't think so.
        Lou Whitaker didn't get a single vote. Was Ripken really so much better than Whitaker? Their batting averages were the same; Whitaker had a lot more power, and got on base more often. His OPS was more than 100 points better than Ripken's. Ripken was more durable, but I think I would rather have 140 games of Whitaker than 162 of Ripken. Ripken would rate a defensive edge, but I still do not consider him an MVP candidate this season.
        Mickey Tettleton was Ripken's teammate, and he didn't get any votes either. Tettleton was a rarity among catchers, a switch-hitter who hit for power and drew walks. Mickey played for 14 seasons, and had his best years in the early 1990's with Detroit. He hit 245 home runs in his career, including several moon shots over the roof of Tiger Stadium.