2001 American League Division Series
The 2001 American League Division Series (ALDS), the opening round of the 2001 American League playoffs, began on Tuesday, October 9, and ended on Monday, October 15, with the champions of the three AL divisions—along with a "wild card" team—participating in two best-of-five series. The teams were: *(1) Seattle Mariners (Western Division champion, 116–46) vs. (3) Cleveland Indians (Central Division champion, 91–71): Mariners win series, 3–2. *(2) New York Yankees (Eastern Division champion, 95–65) vs. (4) Oakland Athletics (Wild Card, 102–60): Yankees win series, 3–2. The Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees went on to meet in the AL Championship Series (ALCS). The Yankees became the American League champion, and lost to the National League champion Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series. This was the first time that in either league that both Division Series winners in their respective league advanced to the League Championship Series after overcoming ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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2001 Seattle Mariners Season
The Seattle Mariners' 2001 season was the 25th since the franchise's inception. They finished with a record, tying the major league record for wins set by the 1906 Chicago Cubs, and setting the record for wins by an American League team. Of those wins, 59 were by four or more runs, a record for the number of games won by such a margin. They also led the majors in both runs scored and fewest runs allowed. The 2001 season was also notable for the Major League debut of star Japanese outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, who led the league in batting average and won both the AL Rookie of the Year and the AL MVP awards. Additionally, the Mariners hosted their second All-Star Game during the season. Winning the American League West division, the 2001 season marked the first (and to date, only) time the Mariners reached the postseason in consecutive seasons. The team defeated the Cleveland Indians in the American League Division Series in five games, but fell to the New York Yankees in five game ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Steve Rippley
Thomas Steven Rippley (born May 2, 1954 in St. Petersburg, Florida) is a former professional baseball umpire. He worked in the National League from 1983 to 1999, and throughout both major leagues from 2000 to 2003. Rippley wore uniform number 27 through his NL career, but changed to number 3 when the umpiring staffs were merged in 2000. Rippley umpired 2,514 regular season major league games in his 21-year career. He umpired in four division series (1996, 1997, 2001, and 2002), three League Championship series (1992, 1998, and 2000), three World Series (1996, 1999, and 2001 (crew chief)), and the 1990 All-Star Game. Controversy On May 27, 1984, Rippley (in his rookie season) called a long fly ball hit by Chicago Cubs third baseman Ron Cey against the Cincinnati Reds as a home run, which immediately drew protests from manager Vern Rapp, pitcher Mario Soto (who bumped Rippley during the argument) and several other Reds players. Rippley discussed the play with crew chief Bob E ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major league status. It is sometimes called the Junior Circuit because it claimed Major League status for the 1901 season, 25 years after the formation of the National League (the "Senior Circuit"). At the end of every season, the American League champion plays in the World Series against the National League champion; two seasons did not end in playing a World Series (1904, when the National League champion New York Giants refused to play their AL counterpart, and 1994, when a players' strike prevented the Series). Through 2021, American League teams have won 66 of the 117 World Series played since 1903, with 27 of those coming from the New York Yankees alone. The New York ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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American League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring each of the two division winners with the best records and the winners of the wild-card play-off. History The Division Series was implemented in 1981 as a one-off tournament because of a midseason strike, with the first place teams before the strike taking on the teams in first place after the strike. In 1981, a split-season format forced the first ever divisional playoff series, in which the New York Yankees won the Eastern Division series over the Milwaukee Brewers (who were in the American League until 1998) in five games while in the Western Division, the Oakland Athletics swept the Kansas City Royals (the only team with an overall losing record to ever make the postseason). In 1994, it was returned permanently when Major League Bas ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Greg Gibson (umpire)
Gregory Allan Gibson (born October 2, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball umpire who worked in the National League from 1997 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 to 2022. He was promoted to crew chief for the 2022 season. Umpiring career Gibson has worked two Wild Card Games (2012, 2013), ten Division Series (2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2021), five National League Championship Series (2005, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018), the 2011 World Series, and the 2008 All-Star Game. He has also officiated in two World Baseball Classics (2009, 2013). Gibson was the home plate umpire for Randy Johnson's perfect game on May 18, , as well as Tim Wakefield's 200th win. Before reaching the major leagues, he umpired in the Appalachian League (1991), Florida Instructional League (1991 and 1994), South Atlantic League (1992), Florida State League (1993), Eastern League (1994–1995) and International League (1996–1999). Controversy During the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ed Rapuano
Edward Stephen Rapuano Jr. (born September 30, 1957) is an umpire supervisor in Major League Baseball who previously worked as an on-field umpire in the National League from 1990 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 to 2012. Umpiring career Rapuano officiated in the World Series in 2001 and 2003, as well as the All-Star game in 1995 and 2008. He also worked in five League Championship Series (1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005) and seven Division Series (1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2010), and the NL's one-game wild card playoff in 1999. He was also an umpire in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Rapuano wore number 19 from 2000 to his retirement in 2012 (Rapuano wore number 23 during his NL tenure, but AL umpire Rick Reed had more seniority and claimed the number). Controversies In 2002, Rapuano made contact with New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine during an exchange in a game with the Florida Marlins. Valentine was subsequently ejected from the game and fined, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Rick Reed (umpire)
Rick Alan Reed (March 3, 1950 – July 16, 2020) was an American umpire in Major League Baseball. He joined the American League staff in 1979, and worked throughout both major leagues from 2000 to 2009. He was named a crew chief in 1999. Reed wore uniform number 23. His professional umpiring career began in the Appalachian League in 1973. Reed earned a B.A. in business administration from Eastern Michigan University while umpiring in the Appalachian League. He advanced through the minors to the International League for the 1978 season. He worked his first major league game toward the end of the umpire's strike in 1979. He returned to the International League when it ended. From 1980 to 1982, Reed was a substitute umpire in the AL. He earned a permanent spot on the AL staff in 1983. He worked in 7 postseasons, including the 1991 World Series; the American League Championship Series in 1989, 1995, and 1999 (serving as crew chief); and the Division Series in 1997, 2000, and ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Paul Schrieber
Paul Warren Schrieber (June 30, 1966 – November 12, 2020) was an American professional baseball umpire, who worked in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2015. His first game was on June 6, 1997. He wore uniform number 43. He umpired the MLB All-Star Game in 2000 and 2015 and the Division Series in 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2014. Career Prior to his major league promotion, Schrieber umpired in the Northwest League (1990), California League (1991–92), Florida State League (1993), and the Southern League (1994–95). In his first major league game, he held an empty seat for his mother, who died from breast cancer. According to a report in ''The Hardball Times'', Schrieber had one of the smallest strike zones during the 2011 season. Personal life He resided in Scottsdale, Arizona, and has two sons, Jack and Kevin. Schrieber was a second-generation professional umpire; his father umpired as high as Class AAA. Schrieber graduated from Canada Junior College and attended Portland Sta ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Jeff Nelson (umpire)
Jeffrey Brian Nelson (born June 1, 1965) is an American professional baseball umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB), who was named to the National League (NL) staff prior to the 1999 season, and has worked throughout both major leagues since 2000. A graduate of Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, he wears uniform number 45. Nelson was promoted to crew chief starting with the 2014 season. Umpiring career Nelson was named as the Top Prospect at the Joe Brinkman Umpiring School in 1989. He was promoted to the National League prior to the 1999 season along with Paul Nauert to fill vacancies left by the retirements of Jim Quick and Harry Wendelstedt. While in the minor leagues, Nelson was the chief rules instructor at the former Brinkman-Froemming umpire school in Cocoa, Florida from 1997 until the school's closing in 1998. He continues to teach at umpire clinics in the off-season. Additionally, Nelson is currently the secretary/treasurer of the major league umpires' unio ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Dana DeMuth
Dana Andrew DeMuth (born May 30, 1956) is a former umpire in Major League Baseball. Umpiring career DeMuth advanced through the minor leagues to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League before joining the National League staff full-time June 3, 1983. He continued umpiring in the National League until the umpiring staffs of the American and National Leagues merged in 2000. He was a crew chief from 1999 to 2019. DeMuth wore the uniform number 32 throughout his career. His postseason assignments included 11 Division Series (1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2017), 5 League Championship Series (1991, 1995, 2000, 2002 and 2007), and 5 World Series ( 1993, 1998, 2001, 2009 and 2013). He also umpired in the All-Star Game in 1990, 2001, and 2009, working behind the plate for the second and third contests, and worked the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Following the 2019 season, DeMuth announced his retirement. He umpired 4,283 regular season games and 101 postse ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ron Kulpa
Ronald Clarence Kulpa (born October 5, 1968) is an American umpire in Major League Baseball. He wears uniform number 46. Umpiring career Kulpa's professional umpiring career began in 1992 and he advanced to the Pacific Coast League in 1998. Kulpa was one of the 22 umpires promoted in the wake of the Major League Umpires Association's mass-resignation strategy in July , and was named to the National League staff for the remainder of the 1999 season. When the umpiring staffs from the two leagues merged for the season, Kulpa began working in both leagues. He has worked several MLB Special Events, including the All-Star Game (2001, 2015), Wild Card (2020), Division Series (2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2017, 2020, 2021), League Championship Series (2005, 2013, 2014), and World Series (2011, 2021). He also officiated in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Kulpa was named a Crew Chief for the 2022 MLB season. Controversies Kulpa was head-butted by Carl Everett of the Boston ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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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]   |