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1999 National League Division Series
The 1999 National League Division Series (NLDS), the opening round of the 1999 National League playoffs, began on Tuesday, October 5, and ended on Saturday, October 9, with the champions of the three NL divisions—along with a "wild card" team—participating in two best-of-five series. They were: *(1) Atlanta Braves (Eastern Division champion, 103–59) vs. (3) Houston Astros (Central Division champion, 97–65): Braves win series, 3–1. *(2) Arizona Diamondbacks (Western Division champion, 100–62) vs. (4) New York Mets ( Wild Card, 97–66): Mets win series, 3–1.The higher seed (in parentheses) possessed home field advantage (Games 1, 2 and 5 at home), which was determined by playing record. Although the team with the best record was normally scheduled to host the wild card team, teams in the same division cannot play against each other until the championship series round. The Braves played the Astros, rather than the wild card Mets. The Mets clinched the wild card spot th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1999 Atlanta Braves Season
The 1999 Atlanta Braves season marked the franchise's 34th season in Atlanta and 129th overall. The Braves won their eighth consecutive division title with a 103-59 record and 6 game lead over the New York Mets. The Braves appeared in the World Series for the fifth time during the 1990s. The Braves lost all four games of the 1999 World Series to the New York Yankees, resulting in a sweep. The Braves played their 2nd World Series against the Yankees in 4 years, with the first being in 1996, which they lost in six games. Until 2021, this represented the Braves last National League pennant they have won. They would not return to the World Series until 22 years later. Two key players on the 1999 Braves were Chipper Jones and John Rocker. Jones won the National League's Most Valuable Player award with a .310 average, 45 HRs, 110 RBIs, and sealed the award with his September heroics against the New York Mets. Rocker recorded 38 saves as Atlanta's closer, but later created controversy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ray Knight
Charles Ray Knight (born December 28, 1952) is an American former Major League Baseball infielder best remembered for his time with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets. Originally drafted by the Reds in the tenth round of the 1970 Major League Baseball Draft, he is best remembered to Reds fans as the man who replaced Pete Rose at third base, whereas Mets fans remember Knight as the man who scored the winning run of game six of the 1986 World Series and as the MVP of that series. He was most recently a studio analyst and occasional game analyst for the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network's coverage of the Washington Nationals from 2007 to 2018. Early life Knight grew up in Albany, Georgia, and attended Dougherty High School and Albany Junior College. Career Cincinnati Reds Knight made his major league debut with Cincinnati as a September call-up in . He spent all of and with the triple A Indianapolis Indians. In 1976, with only one home run coming into the final month of the s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mark Hirschbeck
Mark Hirschbeck (born September 22, 1960 in Bridgeport, Connecticut) is a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from to , and both Major Leagues from until his retirement in . He wore uniform number 4 (previously worn by former NL umpire Satch Davidson) throughout his NL career, but changed to 20 when the umpiring staffs unified in 2000. His brother John is also a major league umpire, making the Hirschbecks the first pair of brothers to umpire in the Major Leagues at the same time. (Brothers Tim and Bill Welke became the second such pair.) Mark Hirschbeck's assignments included the 1997, 1999 and 2002 National League Division Series, the 2001 American League Division Series, the 1996 NLCS, the 2000 ALCS, and the 1998 and 2001 World Series. Hirschbeck also officiated the 1993 and 2000 All-Star Games. Hirschbeck was forced to retire seven games into the 2003 season after it was discovered that he needed a hip replacement. Although Hirschbeck ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wally Bell
Wallace Robert Bell (January 10, 1965 – October 14, 2013) was an American umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB) who worked in the National League from 1992 to 1999 and in both major leagues from 2000 to 2013. He wore the number 36 while a National League umpire, then changed to 35 when the American League and National League staffs were merged in 2000. Tim McClelland wore number 36 longer and he claimed the number. Umpiring career Bell graduated from Austintown-Fitch High School in 1983. He began umpiring Little League and summer league games when he was 17. Bell and fellow Austintown-Fitch graduate Brian O'Nora attended umpiring school together the next year. Both men became major league umpires. Bell umpired in the International League, Triple-A Alliance, Dominican Republic League, Southern League, Carolina League, South Atlantic League and New York–Penn League during his minor league career. He spent eight years in the minor leagues before being promoted to the majors ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brian Gorman
Brian Scott Gorman (born June 11, 1959) is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball. After working in the National League from 1991 to 1999, he umpired in both leagues from 2000-2021. Gorman was promoted to crew chief in 2010. He is the son of Tom Gorman, who served as an NL umpire from 1951 to 1977. He wore uniform number 9 throughout his career. Born in Whitestone, Queens, he moved with his family as a child to Closter, New Jersey. After graduating from the University of Delaware, he began umpiring in the minor leagues in 1982, eventually reaching the American Association before being promoted to the NL. He umpired in three World Series (2004, 2009, 2012) and in two All-Star Games (1998 and 2009). He has also umpired in the 2014 National League Wild Card Game, seven American League Championship Series (2002, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018), and in 10 Division Series (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012). During Game 3 of the 2012 ALDS, G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jerry Meals
Gerald William Meals (born October 20, 1961) is an American retired Major League Baseball umpire. After serving as an NL reserve umpire from 1992 to 1997, he became a full-time umpire in 1998. Meals was promoted to crew chief in 2015, and worked the World Series in 2014 and 2020. He retired following the 2022 season. Early life and career Meals was a 1979 graduate of Salem High School, where he played second base and briefly competed on the wrestling team. After umpiring local baseball for four years, Meals graduated from the Joe Brinkman Umpire School in 1983. At age 21, Meals received his first minor league umpiring assignment in the Class A Appalachian League. By 1985, Meals had moved to the South Atlantic League, where he was partnered with 20-year-old future MLB umpire Wally Bell. While working in the Southern League in 1989, Meals was featured in an ESPN documentary on minor league umpires. His family and fellow umpires Chris Jaksa and Fieldin Culbreth also appeared in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bruce Froemming
Bruce Neal Froemming (; born September 28, 1939) is Major League Baseball Special Assistant to the Vice President on Umpiring, after having served as an umpire in Major League Baseball. He first umpired in the National League in 1971, and from 2000 to 2007 worked throughout both major leagues. Early in the 2007 season, Froemming tied Bill Klem for the most seasons umpired (Klem's final season, 1941, included only 11 games as a substitute). Previously, on August 16, 2006, Froemming umpired his 5,000th game between the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, making him the second umpire to reach that milestone; Klem retired after 5,374 games. Froemming now stands third on the all-time list of games umpired, having been passed when Joe West officiated his 5,164th Major League Baseball game on August 14, 2019. On April 20, 2007, he umpired at first base in the Cleveland Indians-Tampa Bay Devil Rays game, passing Klem to become – at age 67 years 204 days – the man then bel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gerry Davis (umpire)
Gerald Sidney Davis (born February 22, 1953) is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball. He worked in the National League from 1982 to 1999 and in Major League Baseball from 2000 to 2021. He was promoted to crew chief in 1999. Davis has umpired five World Series, nine League Championship Series and eleven League Division Series. He has also worked in the All-Star Game four times. Davis has worn uniform number 12 throughout his career. Umpiring career Davis began umpiring in the minor leagues in 1976. He worked in the Midwest League, Eastern League and American Association before being promoted to the majors in 1982. He has officiated in 22 postseasons, including the World Series in 1996, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2012; the League Championship Series in 1990, 1992, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2010, 2013, 2014, and 2018; the Division Series in 1996, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2015; and the Wild Card Game in 2013, 2014 and 2018. He al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rich Rieker
Richard Gregory Rieker (born November 9, 1961) is an American former professional baseball umpire, who is the Director of Umpire Development for Major League Baseball (MLB). Career Rieker spent thirteen seasons as a minor league umpire. Rieker made major league appearances as early as 1992 and he joined the National League full-time in 1996, after the death of John McSherry. Rieker worked throughout both major leagues in 2000 and 2001. He wore uniform number 16 during his National League career, then switched to number 38 after the National League and American League umpiring staffs merged in 2000. Rieker umpired 1,001 regular season major league games in his 10-year career. He umpired in two division series (1999 and 2000), and the 1998 All-Star Game. Rieker was behind the plate when Mark McGwire hit his record-setting 69th and 70th home runs on September 27, 1998. Rieker has worked in supervisory roles for Major League Baseball since his 2001 retirement as an active umpire. In ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charlie Williams (umpire)
Charles Herman Williams (December 20, 1943 – September 10, 2005) was an American baseball umpire who officiated in the National League from 1978 to 1999, and in both leagues from 2000 to 2001. He was the fourth African American to serve as a full-time MLB umpire, and in 1985 became the first Black umpire of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. In 1993 he became the first African American umpire to work behind home plate in a World Series game. He wore uniform number 25. Williams was born in Denver, Colorado, attended George Washington High School, and became an All-America football player at Long Beach City College, later attending California State University, Los Angeles. In his rookie season, Williams umpired third base for Tom Seaver's only no-hitter on June 16, 1978. Williams was the only umpire to eject Steve Garvey from a game, which occurred during the 1986 season and received media coverage for the incident. Williams was the first base umpire in a 1990 game between ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mike Winters
Michael John Winters (born November 19, 1958) is an American former umpire (baseball), umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the National League from 1988 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 to 2019, wearing number 33. For the 2011 season, Winters was named a crew chief following the retirements of Jerry Crawford, Mike Reilly (umpire), Mike Reilly, and Chuck Meriwether. Umpiring career He umpired in the minor leagues from 1982 to 1989 before joining the NL's regular staff in 1990. Winters wore uniform number 33 his entire career. He has officiated the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, All-Star Game in 1995 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, 1995, 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, 2007, 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, 2010, and 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, 2016, the Division Series in 1998 National League Division Series, 1998, 1999 National League Division Series, 1999, 2000 American League Division Series, 2000, 200 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dusty Baker
Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker Jr. (born June 15, 1949) is an American baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in the MLB for 19 seasons, most notably with the Los Angeles Dodgers. During his Dodgers tenure, he was a two-time All-Star, won two Silver Slugger Awards and a Gold Glove Award, and became the first NLCS MVP, which he received during the 1977 National League Championship Series. He also made three World Series appearances, winning one in 1981. After retiring as a player, Baker served as the manager of the San Francisco Giants from 1993 to 2002, the Chicago Cubs from 2003 to 2006, the Cincinnati Reds from 2008 to 2013, and Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2017. He has served as the manager of the Astros since 2020. Baker won the 2022 World Series with the Astros and is the oldest manager to win a championship in the four major North American sports. He is also the first MLB manager ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
