May 1998
The five-year-old Florida Marlins combined the wily leadership and manager Jim Leyland with a team built through shrewd draft picks, trades, and talented free agents. They won the National League wild card--then became the first wild card team to reach the World Series by sweeping the Giants and shocking the Braves. The Cleveland Indians were a far different team than the one that battled in the 1995 World Series. This year, nobody expected them to beat the Yankees or the Orioles--but somehow they did. And so, these two underdog warriors slugged it out in the heat and snow of the World Series until they reached that quintessential moment--Game Seven. Even then, it went on--into the 11th inning--the second longest Game Seven in history--before Edgar Renteria sent all of Florida into a state of delirious celebration.