The best teams in the league this year were the Indians and the Yankees. They met in the playoffs, and the Tribe ousted the defending champions. In the World Series, the Indians fought hard against an upstart Florida team; in Game Seven, they took a lead into the ninth inning, and appeared to have won their first championship since 1948. But the Marlins fought back against closer Jose Mesa, and won both the game and the Series. Fifty years after their last World Series victory, the Indians were still waiting for another.
        Meanwhile, Rocket Roger Clemens left the Boston Red Sox after 13 years of service. He joined the Toronto Blue Jays, and won his fourth Cy Young Award.

         Clemens had a losing season in 1996; though it was a disappointing year, he ended it on a good note, pitching well down the stretch, and striking out 20 batters in a game for the second time. After the joining the Blue Jays, Clemens continued where he left off. He won his first eleven decisions, on his way to perhaps the best season of his career. Clemens won the pitchers' Triple Crown, leading the AL in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. His ERA was the third-lowest in the AL since the DH rule began in 1973; only Ron Guidry in 1978 and Clemens himself in 1990 have had lower ERAs.
        Randy Johnson returned from serious back problems to have a wonderful year. In many other years, it would have been the best in the league, but he was not quite as good as Clemens. Johnson was 18-2 in 1995; in 1996 he was 5-0 in an injury-plagued season. From 1995-97, Johnson's combined won-loss record was 43-6. Obviously, very few pitchers have ever reached a level of performance equal to that of Randy Johnson in the late 1990's.
        Brad Radke finished third in the Cy Young vote. Radke was a very talented young pitcher who had his first big season; though it is still his best to date, Radke has remained one of the better pitchers in baseball. But I think that Yankee ace Andy Pettitte was better, with an ERA a full run lower than Radke's. Like Radke, Pettitte is another young pitcher who has yet to match his level of performance from this season.
        Randy Myers actually led all pitchers in the MVP vote, the idea being that he may not have been the best pitcher in the league, but he was the most valuable. Maybe; Myers certainly had a terrific year, but I prefer Mariano Rivera. More games, more innings, more wins, better control. Myers has more saves and a slightly lower ERA. It's close, but I will stick with Rivera, who had his first great season as a closer, and has since emerged as the best in the league.