MLB 1995

1. Greg Maddux: Won his 4^th straight NL Cy Young award. He was a unanimous choice. He finished 3^rd in the NL MVP voting.

He earned the Gold Glove, Pitcher of the Year awards by AP, Sporting News and Baseall Digest. He was the NL Pitcher of the Month in July and September.

He led the league in wins (19), winning percentage (.905) after losing just twice. He was the leader with a 1.63 ERA (3^rd lowest since 1968), 10 complete games, 3 shutouts, 209.2 IP and .81 WHIP.

He was an NL All-Star team.

Maddux went an amazing 51 IP without allowing a walk.

In the playoffs, the “mad dog” won the clinching Game Four over Colorado going seven while striking out seven.

In the NLCS sweep of Cincinnati, Maddux went eight innings giving up just one earned run to pick up the win in Game Three.

In the World Series opener, Maddux outdueled Orel Hersheiser and the high powered Indians. He allowed just two hits and two unearned runs en route to a complete game 3-2 Braves win.

Atlanta upset Cleveland in six games to win the World Series. The Braves went 90-54 (144 games due to the strike) and won the NL East.

2. Albert Belle: Was Sporting News and Baseball Digest Player of the Year in MLB. He finished 2^nd in the AL MVP voting. He was also the starting LF for the AL All-Stars and a Silver Slugger.

He led the league in Home Runs (50), RBIs (126),doubles (52), total bases (377), runs (121), slugging (.690) and was second in OPS (1.091). He also hit .317 which was good for 8^th in the AL.

He was the player of the month in the AL in August and September.

Belle was the first major leaguer with 50 HR and 50 doubles in the same season.

The Indians left fielder finished with a vengeance 18 HR in the final 29 games.

In Game 1 of the ALDS Belle pull Cleveland even with Boston twice, including a two-run double in the sixth off Roger Clemens and a solo HR in the eleventh. Cleveland would go onto win 5-4 in 13.

In Game 5 of the World Series he helped Cleveland force a Game Six with a two-run bomb in the first inning off Greg Maddux, and scored thego-ahead run in the sixth following and intentional walk.

For the postseason Belle homered four times and drove in eight runs and scored eight times in 14 games.

The Indians won a ML best 100 games and were an incredible 30 games in front of second place Kansas City in the Central Division. They swept Boston in the ALDS and beat Seattle in six in the ALCS before falling to Atlanta in the World Series in six games.

Cleveland led baseball with 840 runs scored and a .291 team batting average.

3. Randy Johnson: Won the AL Cy Young. He was the Sporting News AL Pitcher of the Year, starter of the AL All-Star team, and 6^th in the MVP.

The Big Unit led the AL in ERA (2.48) and was 18-2 (tops in winning percentage), and his 294 strikeout were best in the league.

He also had six CGs and 3 SHOs.

Johnson dominated down the stretch including a 7-0 mark in his final ten games as Seattle erased a 13 game division deficit to California.

In the one game playoff win over the Angels Johnson stuck out 13 and just gave up three hits and one run in a complete game.

In the ALDS Seattle held off elimination when Johnson went seven and struck out ten in their 7-4 win.

With one day rest Johnson came on in relief and rescued the Mariners in Game Five. He pitched a scoreless ninth and tenth (allowed one run in the top of the 11th). He struck out six in those three innings and got the win as Seattle scored twice in the bottom of the 11^th to advance to the ALCS.

In the ALCS Game 3 he gave the Mariners a 2-1 series lead with 8 IP 6 K’s 4 H and 1 ER as Seattle won 5-2 in 11.

He finished the postseason with a 2.48 ERA and 29 K’s in 25.1 IP.

Seattle went 79-66, and won the AL West. They beat New York in five to get to their first ALCS, which they fell to Cleveland in six games.