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1996 World Series
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1996 World Series
The 1996 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1996 season. The 92nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion (and defending World Series champion) Atlanta Braves and the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees. The Yankees defeated the Braves four games to two to capture their first World Series title since 1978 and their 23rd overall. The series was played from October 20–26, 1996, and was broadcast on television on Fox. Yankees relief pitcher John Wetteland was named the World Series Most Valuable Player for saving all four Yankee wins.
The Yankees advanced to the World Series by defeating the Texas Rangers in the AL Division Series, three games to one, and then the Baltimore Orioles in the AL Championship Series, four games to one. It was the Yankees' first appearance in a World Series since 1981. The Braves advanced to the Series by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Division Series, three games to none, and then the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Championship Series, four games to three. It was the Braves' second consecutive appearance in a World Series.
The Yankees lost the first two games at home, being outscored by the Braves, 16–1. However, they rebounded to win the next four games, the last three in close fashion, including a dramatic comeback win in Game 4 to tie the series. They became the third team to win a World Series after losing Games 1 and 2 at their home stadium, following the Kansas City Royals in 1985 and the New York Mets in 1986. They also became the first team since the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981 to win four consecutive games in a World Series after losing the first two. It would be 29 years before another team lost Games 1 & 2 at home in a best-of-seven series (LCS or World Series) and come back to win the series, when the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Seattle Mariners in the 2025 American League Championship Series, 4–3.
Game 5 was the final game to be played at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, as the Braves moved into Turner Field the following season. Atlanta became the only city to host the World Series and the Olympics in the same year and Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium became the only stadium to host baseball in an Olympics and the World Series in the same year. The Yankees victory also resulted in general manager Bob Watson becoming the first African-American general manager to win the World Series.
The 1996 World Series marked the beginning of the New York Yankees' dynasty of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Despite the rich playoff history of the Yankees, the defending champion Atlanta Braves entered the Series as heavy favorites.
The Yankees had reached the Fall Classic after their ALCS victory over the Baltimore Orioles, while the Braves had rallied from a 3–1 deficit to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS.
The Braves used the dominant pitching of Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, as well as timely hitting, to defeat the Indians the year before, and looked to reuse that recipe against the upstart Yankees. In 1996, John Smoltz returned to form, winning 24 games and a Cy Young Award, providing another serious pitching threat for Atlanta. New York brought a lineup mixed with veterans, like Paul O'Neill, and young stars, like rookie Derek Jeter. The Yankees bullpen was also vastly superior to the Atlanta bullpen, which would prove to be the deciding factor in the Series.
New York's season was marked by tragedy and triumphant. Joe Torre managed through the season while his brother Rocco died of a heart attack in June, and his other brother, Frank, underwent a heart transplant during the World Series. Utility infielder Luis Sojo missed time after his father died, and Paul O'Neill's father died during the World Series. Early in the season, David Cone's career nearly came to abrupt end after he was diagnosed with a rare aneurysm in his right armpit. Cone later came back in September and nearly threw a no-hitter in his first start against the Oakland Athletics. Dwight Gooden, who one of the premier pitchers in the 1980s, was given up on after poor pitching and failing multiple drug test before signing with the Yankees in 1995. On May 14, 1996, he no-hit the Seattle Mariners 2–0 at Yankee Stadium, which was the first Yankees no-hitter by a right-handed pitcher since Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series.
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1996 World Series AI simulator
(@1996 World Series_simulator)
1996 World Series
The 1996 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1996 season. The 92nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion (and defending World Series champion) Atlanta Braves and the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees. The Yankees defeated the Braves four games to two to capture their first World Series title since 1978 and their 23rd overall. The series was played from October 20–26, 1996, and was broadcast on television on Fox. Yankees relief pitcher John Wetteland was named the World Series Most Valuable Player for saving all four Yankee wins.
The Yankees advanced to the World Series by defeating the Texas Rangers in the AL Division Series, three games to one, and then the Baltimore Orioles in the AL Championship Series, four games to one. It was the Yankees' first appearance in a World Series since 1981. The Braves advanced to the Series by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Division Series, three games to none, and then the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Championship Series, four games to three. It was the Braves' second consecutive appearance in a World Series.
The Yankees lost the first two games at home, being outscored by the Braves, 16–1. However, they rebounded to win the next four games, the last three in close fashion, including a dramatic comeback win in Game 4 to tie the series. They became the third team to win a World Series after losing Games 1 and 2 at their home stadium, following the Kansas City Royals in 1985 and the New York Mets in 1986. They also became the first team since the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981 to win four consecutive games in a World Series after losing the first two. It would be 29 years before another team lost Games 1 & 2 at home in a best-of-seven series (LCS or World Series) and come back to win the series, when the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Seattle Mariners in the 2025 American League Championship Series, 4–3.
Game 5 was the final game to be played at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, as the Braves moved into Turner Field the following season. Atlanta became the only city to host the World Series and the Olympics in the same year and Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium became the only stadium to host baseball in an Olympics and the World Series in the same year. The Yankees victory also resulted in general manager Bob Watson becoming the first African-American general manager to win the World Series.
The 1996 World Series marked the beginning of the New York Yankees' dynasty of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Despite the rich playoff history of the Yankees, the defending champion Atlanta Braves entered the Series as heavy favorites.
The Yankees had reached the Fall Classic after their ALCS victory over the Baltimore Orioles, while the Braves had rallied from a 3–1 deficit to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS.
The Braves used the dominant pitching of Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, as well as timely hitting, to defeat the Indians the year before, and looked to reuse that recipe against the upstart Yankees. In 1996, John Smoltz returned to form, winning 24 games and a Cy Young Award, providing another serious pitching threat for Atlanta. New York brought a lineup mixed with veterans, like Paul O'Neill, and young stars, like rookie Derek Jeter. The Yankees bullpen was also vastly superior to the Atlanta bullpen, which would prove to be the deciding factor in the Series.
New York's season was marked by tragedy and triumphant. Joe Torre managed through the season while his brother Rocco died of a heart attack in June, and his other brother, Frank, underwent a heart transplant during the World Series. Utility infielder Luis Sojo missed time after his father died, and Paul O'Neill's father died during the World Series. Early in the season, David Cone's career nearly came to abrupt end after he was diagnosed with a rare aneurysm in his right armpit. Cone later came back in September and nearly threw a no-hitter in his first start against the Oakland Athletics. Dwight Gooden, who one of the premier pitchers in the 1980s, was given up on after poor pitching and failing multiple drug test before signing with the Yankees in 1995. On May 14, 1996, he no-hit the Seattle Mariners 2–0 at Yankee Stadium, which was the first Yankees no-hitter by a right-handed pitcher since Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series.