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ALCS notebook Wilson ends longest postseason hitless streak in history
Updated: Wednesday October 18, 2000 2:41 AM
NEW YORK (AP) -- By most standards, it was not the most impressive hit ever.
But for Dan Wilson, his soft single to the opposite field Tuesday night in Game 6 of the AL Championship Series was a long time coming.
Wilson snapped the longest hitless streak in postseason history, ending his 0-for-42 slump with a blooper in the fifth inning. The previous mark was 0-for-31 by Detroit's Marv Owen in the 1934-35 World Series.
"It's not anything that was a huge concern. The postseason is about winning," Wilson said.
"It's nice to contribute offensively, and it was nice to get the monkey off my back, so to speak, but October is about the team," he said.
The Seattle catcher did not get much time to enjoy being on base. Stan Javier followed with a hit-and-run line drive right at Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, and Wilson was doubled off.
Wilson went 1-for-3 against Orlando Hernandez, striking out twice. Wilson is 3-for-61 (.049) overall in postseason play.
DerailedThe Seattle Mariners had heard all the talk of a Subway Series before Game 6 of the ALCS. They preferred to go home -- to start the World Series at Safeco Field.
"The only thing they have not talked about is an all-wild card World Series," Mariners manager Lou Piniella said Tuesday. "I've never read anything about that at all."
Before the Mets won the NL pennant Monday night, the 1997 Florida Marlins had been the only wild card to advance to the Series. The Marlins upset the Braves in the NL championship series and the Cleveland Indians in the World Series.
Seattle's Stan Javier remembered when Oakland met San Francisco.
"I was very honored to play in the Bay Bridge series in 1989, and I know how excited the city can be," he said.
After the Mariners were eliminated by their 9-7 loss to the Yankees, former Mets first baseman John Olerud said he would be rooting for his old club.
"I know a lot of those guys over there. The regular season games were crazy, so I can only imagine what it will be like. But we definitely would have liked to have messed that up," he said.
Luis, LuisSeven of the 25 players on the Yankees roster weren't with the team during spring training. While David Justice has been the biggest addition to the offense and Denny Neagle to the pitching staff, Luis Sojo has been the biggest addition to the clubhouse.
Sojo played for the Yankees when they won the World Series in 1996, 1998 and 1999. New York let him become a free agent, planning to use young D'Angelo Jimenez as its backup infielder. A week after Sojo signed with Pittsburgh, Jimenez was in a car accident that caused him to miss most of the season.
The Pirates put Sojo on waivers in August and the Yankees, worried about Chuck Knoblauch's throwing arm, quickly took him back.
"He stirs things up, makes guys smile, keeps it loose," Knoblauch said. "You have a good time with him off the field in the clubhouse. With all the additions we've made he certainly has been, I guess, one of the most key up to this point."
Letter-men
After spelling his name wrong on a sign in their spring training clubhouse and on a sign posted in the dugout runway during their first four home games of the playoffs, the Yankees finally got his name right on a new sign in the runway Tuesday: Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
It appears under a quote from the five-star general, meant to inspire the Yankees as they walk from their clubhouse to their dugout: "There can be no substitute for victory."
Previously, the Yankees spelled it: "McArthur."
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