It was the season that Sosa and Macgwire were both chasing Roger Maris` single season home run record.
2007-05-12 19:08:12 · 12 answers · asked by HHH 1 in Sports ➔ Baseball
If you wanna say its the "best" you might say its the saddest. I think all of America knows the home run record set that year was illegitimate.
2007-05-12 19:11:36 · answer #1 · answered by Snee4137 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'll say it was the best for one reason. It brought the fans back. After the 94 strike baseball was in recession and was a shadow of the national pastime of old. The Sosa, McGuire home run chase brought the fans back. While steroids were involved, people wanted to watch it. It may not be right, but it saved the sport. When McGuire hit number 62 against the Cubs and Sosa congratulated him, this was an iconic moment for sport, tainted or not.
The 98 Yankees were a team for the ages. They won more games than anyone in history including the postseason. Boston won the wild card, after finishing 22 games behind them. And this was not the Yanks of today, with big stars and bigger contracts, this was a team built on teamwork and farm players and traditional baseball values.
Plus Wells had a perfect game. Piazza had back to back grand slams, I think Dan Wilson had an in the park grand slam. Not bad for catchers. Kerry Wood had 20 Ks in his rookie season.
And these are just what I remember.
2007-05-13 02:41:25 · answer #2 · answered by Arun K 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In the AL, at least, it was one of the most undramatic, unsurprising, uninteresting seasons in a long time. The Yankees were a genuinely, even historically, great team, steamrolled the league, stormed the postseason, and took the title. It was like watching paint dry -- took a while, nothing unexpected happened the whole time, and you knew how it was going to end.
Just as well, really. Had the 1998 Yanks not won it all, we'd never stop hearing about it -- history denied, Steinbrenner furious, why the playoffs need to be changed so the Yankees automatically win as per historical mandate -- gaah. Glad we were spared that. No one much ever waxes about the had-more-wins 2001 Mariners, but if the Yankees had fallen, well, they're the Yankees and so all must be subjected to hearing about it. Thankfully, no, and the team has another trophy gathering dust in some cabinet.
2007-05-13 09:44:33 · answer #3 · answered by Chipmaker Authentic 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It may be looked at as the worst.
Sosa and McGwire are both fallen heroes, whose poor conduct in front of Congress will be the final memories of them. Sosa pretended he didn't understand English when asked questions, and McGwire saying he wasn't there to talk about the past. McGwire did say to Congress that he would help warn others about the dangers of steroid use but then has vanished since then.
Roger Maris is still the true home run king.
2007-05-13 02:17:42 · answer #4 · answered by romanseight 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
At the time it may have been the season the saved baseball. A sport that was failing to attract spectators and teams were horribly losing money. Also I have to add that Griffey Jr. also smacked 56 (without roids), making it the first year that 3 players had 50 or more. It was a year that brought the fans back after there was so much distaste for the sport after the strike. Being only 17 at the time it was hard for me to understand but it took the problems off the true baseball fan's mind. It gave us all something to cheer for, drug enhanced or not. To wrap it up it was the best of our generation but it only saved baseball so that it may later be devoured by a congressional committee. I mean seriously don't they have more important issues to discuss?
2007-05-13 04:26:35 · answer #5 · answered by Gregg B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think 1941 was better. Ted Williams hit .400, and Joe DiMaggio had a 56 game hitting streak.
Other great seasons of note: 1969 - The Mets came back from 12.5 games down to win the World Series.
1947 - Jackie Robinson's first season, and he won Rookie of the Year, and took the Dodgers to the World Series.
1968 - Year of the Pitcher. Bob Gibson had a 1.12 ERA, and Denny McLain won 31 games.
1973 - Nolan Ryan's persuit of the strikeout record, and the no-hitter and two 1-hitters he pitched. Steve Busby of the Royals also pitched 2 no-hitters that year.
2007-05-13 11:45:17 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Some will say it's the year that brought baseball fans back after the strike in 1994, with the Chase for 62.
Personally, with all of the steroid allegations and such, the '98 season will go down in history as the begiining of Steroid Era
2007-05-13 02:19:27 · answer #7 · answered by Chappy 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No way, 1941 was probably the best year, Joe DiMaggio's hit streak, Ted Williams .400 average, and the Brooklyn Dodgers' penent run.
Who the hell won in 1998??? ...The Yankees!!
2007-05-13 12:37:36 · answer #8 · answered by samdugan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it was sad and can be seen on the faces of the Maris kids when Mark broke Roger's record.
2007-05-13 02:25:50 · answer #9 · answered by Iron What? 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it was a great season but my personal fave was the 1993 season.....I loved the wild bunch of the phillies
2007-05-13 02:22:05 · answer #10 · answered by sandyandrooz 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋