Awards!

Ken Griffey Jr. is named the NL's MVP.

Alex Fernandez finishes second in the Cy Young voting, with Scott Erickson in 5th.

Luke Wilkins and Jared Carmony finish second and third in Rookie of the Year voting.

Robb Nen somehow finishes fifth in Fireman voting.

Griffey Jr. wins the Silver Slugger award in center; Brady Anderson and Jay Buhner win Gold Gloves in LF and RF, respectively.

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Montreal will face San Diego in the first round of the playoffs. The two teams split 12 games this season, with the Conquistadors sweeping Montreal in the most recent meeting.

GAME 1, at Montreal

Kevin Appier (11-3) vs. Alex Fernandez (18-7)

Midseason pickup Appier rolls through three perfect innings while his teammates score two off Fernandez in the second. Montreal finally puts a man on base in the fourth, and Ken Griffey Jr. singles home Brady Anderson after Anderson steals second. In the fifth, Alex Rodriguez hits a two-run homer and San Diego goes up 4-1. Montreal scores on groundouts in the eighth and ninth but it's not enough for a comeback and the Spectres drop the opener 5-3.



GAME 2, at Montreal

Shawn Estes (15-12) vs. Scott Erickson (19-8)

Estes singles with one down in the third and eventually scores ahead of Brett Butler and Jason Giambi when Vinny Castilla hits a bases-loaded double. Estes then singles home a run in the fourth, and the sixth. The Spectres are helpless against such hitting prowess.

Montreal climbs back within a run when Tony Phillips homers in the eighth, but Kelvim Escobar implodes in the ninth; San Diego scores three times and walks away with an 8-4 win and a 2-0 series lead.



Game 3, at San Diego

Willie Blair (10-7) vs. Mark Clark (15-6)

Given a chance to preserve the season, Willie Blair fails miserably. Three batters into the game, San Diego leads 2-0 with a man on second. They score two more in the first and another two in the second; when Blair leaves in the third he has given up 10 hits. Montreal hits three home runs but the 2-4-6 hitters are 0-12 for the game; San Diego advances to the LCS with an easy 8-5 win.

1997 in review:

Montreal ranked seventh in the league with 968 runs scored and hit 215 home runs (with 353 doubles). They ranked third with a 4.08 ERA and allowed 775 total runs (only 657 earned)



HITTING

Catcher: Eddie Taubensee (.254/.311/.443) was somewhat disappointing but scored 33 and drove in 36 in 60 games, hitting 20 doubles and eight homers. Raul Casanova (.177/.245/.245) was a disaster and Carlos Hernandez (.392/.402/.585) was a revelation playing against LHP.

First Base: Carlos Delgado (.262/.340/.532) continues to improve; he clubbed 44 doubles, six triples, and 26 homers, driving in 107. Needs to improve his contact a bit as he struck out 133 times but the club doesn't want him to lose his aggressiveness.

Second Base: Tony Phillips (.291/.393/.384) can still get on base but has almost no power in his bat. Batting towards the bottom of the lineup, he scored only 66 runs. Edgardo Alfonzo (.341/.423/.512) was spectacular but spent most of his time at SS. Alfonzo hit 15 homers, scored 84, and drove home 87. Bret Boone (.198/.280/.267) was a complete disaster, with only 19 RBI in 202 at bats.

Shortstop: Greg Gagne (.280/.322/.396) finished his career with a solid effort, hitting 10 home runs with 55 RBI. Willie Greene (.279/.384/.476) hit 15 bombs and drove in 47.

Third Base: Ken Caminiti (.297/.397/.511) followed up a spectacular '96 with a very nice season, hitting 24 homers and driving in 108. His 34 doubles and 79 walks ranked fourth on the team.

Outfield: Ken Griffey Jr. (.314/.395/.673) had a monster year, collecting 202 hits including 53 doubles, two triples, and 58 homers. He scored 162 and drove in 179 to collect league MVP honors. He walked 83 times, stole 15 bases in 19 attempts, and struck out 118 times.

Jay Buhner (.228/.392/.453) slipped at the plate but drew 131 walks to make himself a valuable hitter. He hit 30 home runs and scored 105 times while driving in 94.

Brady Anderson (.284/.384/.471) lost a lot of power, hitting only 18 homers, but he did collect 48 doubles and eight triples to put himself in scoring position for Griffey Jr. Anderson scored 138 times and drove in 93. He drew 90 walks but slipped badly on the bases, stealing only 26 times in 47 attempts.

Pitchers: Alex Fernandez (.244/.275/.395) hit 13 doubles, beating Bret Boone's total, and 21 total hits. Chuck Finley had 10 hits and three doubles and tied Fernandez with six RBI.

PITCHING

Alex Fernandez (18-7, 3.38 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, .218/.287/.364) had four complete games and two shutouts. He struck out 211 in 231.2 innings and allowed only 192 hits. He did surrender 29 home runs but generally stayed out of trouble.

Scott Erickson (19-8, 3.57, 1.33, .260/.312/.374) emerged as a premier pitcher, allowing only 15 homers in 214 innings and striking out 158.

Chuck Finley (13-8, 3.98. 1.27, .228/.304/.417) allowed only 162 hits but 32 were home runs, keeping his ERA near the 4.00 range. He struck out 178, second on the team.

Willie Blair (10-7, 3.82, 1.36, .266/.320/.399) allowed only 17 homers and 55 walks in 188.1 innings.

Dave Burba (15-8, 4.25, 1.39, .247/.323/.430) struck out 163 in 184.1 innings and emerged as a legitimate starting pitcher in this league.

Mike Remlinger (1-4, 3/3, 5.90, 1.58, .255/.357/.412) struck out 140 and pitched a ridiculous 122 innings in relief, but walked 68.

Bob Wickman (4-6, 2/5, 4.12, 1.36, .227/.314/.345) also had control problems, walking 44 in 91.2 innings and allowing 10 homers.

Eddie Guardado (4-3, 0/1, 5.02, 1.52, .292/.348/.476) was almost entirely ineffective despite striking out 60 in 52 innings.

Rick Aguilera (5-2, 1/6, 4.33, 1.31, .250/.317/.405) struck out 52 in 43.2 innings.

Robb Nen (0-6, 34/42, 5.32, 1.88, .278/.395/.401) had a rough year but still managed to save 34 games. He walked 34 in 45.2 innings but allowed only two homers.

Two prospects, Luke Wilkins (7-2, 0/2, 4.10, 1.61) and Jared Carmony (2-1, 1/5, 2.83. 1.14) played important roles in the bullpen, combining for 78 innings. Kelvim Escobat pitched only 6.1 innings but saved six in seven opportunities.

1998 Draft:

Montreal needs only two draft picks for '98, needing to replace Greg Gagne, who has retired, and Alex Fernandez, who blew out his arm in offseason workouts.

With the 21st pick in the first round, the Spectres select young -handed hitting outfielder Geoff Jenkins. Jenkins has a strong arm and projects as a corner outfielder.

In the second round, the Spectres go for pitching, drafting reliever FelixRodriguez.

1998 Preview:

Montreal attempts to defend its division title with largely the same cast that won it in '97. Only two personnel losses, but both significant.

Seemingly perennial Cy Young candidate Alex Fernandez blew his arm out in spring training and will miss the entire season. Shortstop Greg Gagne has decided to retire.

The rotation, therefore, will look a bit different with Bret Saberhagen likely filling a spot. Omar Daal looks ready to take on more responsibility, and Robb Nen looked rejuvenated this spring, determined to assert his hold on the closer role.

On offense, the core is growing a bit old, but youngsters Carlos Delgado and Edgardo Alfonzo look promising. If the team can fill the void at shortstop they should be able to compete for the division title again.

The 1998 season begins at Dodger Stadium.

Game 1: Bret Boone hits a tie-breaking grand slam in the eighth and Jay Buhner adds a three-run shot in the ninth as the Spectres spoil LA's home opener with a 12-6 victory. Catcher Bob Henley hits two doubles and drives home three. Bob Wickman gets the win in relief despite allowing two runs.

Game 2: Willie Greene gets the start at shortstop and blasts a three-run homer to start a seven-run fourth inning. Robb Nen walks two in the ninth but gets out of the jam to earn his first save in a 7-6 Spectre victory.

Game 3: Any thoughts of a sweep are brutally crushed as LA's Rolando Arrojo dominates the Spectre bats, allowing only three hits in seven innings. Dave Burba is not nearly as effective and the Looters cruise to a 10-1 win give Montreal their first loss.

Home opener will be against the Chicago Bootleggers.

Game 4: Willie Blair doesn't quite have control of his emotion as he takes the mound for the home opener. He allows homers in the first, third, and fourth, allowing seven runs in five innings. The Spectres keep it close; Ken Caminiti hits a three-run double in the third and Willie Greene drives in three more with doubles in the third and fifth. Blair trails 7-6 when he exits. The Bootleggers continue to put people on base, but the Spectre bullpen doesn't break. In the bottom of the ninth, Brady Anderson singles with one out and scores on Ken Griffey Jr.'s double. Rick Aguilera gets the first two outs in the tenth, and Mike Remlinger strikes out Ben Grieve for the third. Bret Boone singles with one out in the bottom half and moves to second when Eddie Taubensee is walked. Ricky Gutierrez pinch hits for Remlinger and singles! Boone scores and the Spectres have an 8-7 win.

Game 5: Bret Saberhagen's '98 debut is horrifying. Chicago puts seven across in the fourth and goes on to an easy 11-5 win. Ken Caminiti drives in four runs for Montreal but there isn't much else to be happy about.

Game 6: Brian Jordan's three-run homer in the fifth puts the Bootleggers on top 4-2 and the Spectres can never quite catch up. Kelvim Escobar and Rick Aguilera have rough outings and Chicago drops the Spectres 7-4.

Montreal falls back to 3-3 and heads west to face San Diego, who has won four straight and is 5-1 on the season.

Game 7: Eddie Taubensee gets his first hit of the season, a home run, and Bret Boone is 4-4 as the Spectres rally for a 6-5 win over the Conquistadors. Ken Griffey Jr. hits his first homer of the season as well as the Spectres survive three longballs from San Diego.

Game 8: Geoff Jenkins hits a two-run double in his first major league start and Ken Caminiti hits a two-run homer as the Spectres beat San Diego 7-4. Robb Nen gets the final out for his third save.

Game 9: Ken Griffey Jr. and Jay Buhner hit home runs and Mike Remlinger pitches four scoreless innings in relief as the Spectres win 7-5. Robb Nen allows a run in the ninth but earns his fourth save.

Montreal returns home to face Cincinnati.

Game 10: Brady Anderson walks three times and scores three runs and Bret Saberhagen bounces back with seven scoreless innings as the Spectres take the opener 10-1. Geoff Jenkins doubles for the third straight game.

Game 11: Carlos Delgado hits his first home run of the season and Scott Erickson pitches six scoreless innings to lead the Spectres to a 4-2 win over Cincy. The Stingers' only run comes on an error by Geoff Jenkins.

Game 12: Robb Nen suffers his first blown save, allowing two in the ninth, but the Spectres pull out a victory in the 12th inning when Eddie Taubensee doubles home Brett Boone. Mike Remlinger pitches two scoreless innings after taking over for Nen.

Divisional play begins with a trip to Pittsburgh.

Game 13: Carlos Delgado crushes a two-run homer in the first, and Ken Caminiti hits one in the eighth. In between, Dave Burba and Kelvim Escobar pitch well enough to give Montreal the lead. Robb Nen, fresh off his first blown save, allows two baserunners in the ninth but shuts the door to preserve a 6-4 win.

Game 14: Pittsburgh scores twice in the first off Willie Blair, but Blair settles down after that and allows nothing else through the sixth. The Spectres don't do much damage themselves until Curtis Leskanic relieves Mike Oquist in the eighth. Brady Anderson greets him with a home run, tying the game at two. In the ninth, Willie Greene blasts a two-out, two-run pinch hit homer off Leskanic, putting Montreal on top. Edgardo Alfonzo drives in a run later and Robb Nen closes out a 5-2 win with a three-batter ninth.

Game 15: Bret Saberhagen pitches eight scoreless innings and Ricky Gutierrez has a three-hit game as the Spectres shut out the Melons, 5-0. Jay Buhner hits his fourth home run.

Game 16: Pittsburgh hits two home runs off Scott Erickson and the Melons' Hideo Nomo baffles the Spectre hitters, striking out 11 in eight shutout innings. Pittsburgh avoids the sweep with a 7-1 win.

Montreal heads to New York to face the Cosmos.

Game 17: Ken Griffey Jr. homers twice and drives in five to back Chuck Finley, who walks six batters in six innings but only allows two hits in winning his second game of the season, 7-1 over the Cosmos.

Game 18: The Cosmos commit five errors and Ken Griffey Jr. drives in four more runs with a home run and a double as the Spectres record a 16-10 win over New York. The Cosmos score eight times in the ninth, five unearned, to make the score a bit more respectable, but the Spectres had this one in hand all the way.

Game 19: One day after that 16-10 slugfest, the two teams combine for only 10 hits. The only run of the game comes in the seventh when New York's Keith Lockhart homers off Willie Blair. The Spectres load the bases with none out in the ninth but Eddie Taubensee hits into a double play and Willie Greene pops out to end it.

Game 20: Keith Lockhart strikes again, hitting a seventh-inning grand slam off Bob Wickman to snap a 4-4 tie; the Cosmos earn a series split with the 8-4 victory.

The Spectres begin interleague play with a stern test, facing PL Central powers Kansas City and Detroit back-to-back.

Game 21: The '96 World Series proved that the Spectres could not beat Curt Schilling, but Schilling apparently thought a refresher course was needed. He strikes out 10 in eight innings, allowing only three hits, as the visiting Blue Devils destroy Scott Erickson 9-2. Tony Phillips connects for his first home run of the season off Schilling, accounting for Montreal's only scoring.

Game 22: Ken Griffey Jr.'s seventh home run and two doubles from catcher Sandy Martinez help the Spectres take a 4-3 lead after six, but the Montreal bullpen fails to protect that lead, allowing the tying run in the eighth and the winner in the bottom of the ninth. KC Sweeps the Spectres with a 5-4 decision. Eddie Guardado gets the blown save, Rick Aguilera the loss.

Game 23: Detroit gets homers from Darren Lewis and Scott Rolen, giving David Cone more support than he needs in a 4-1 win over the Spectres. Cone pitches the distance for the Facerockers, evening his record at 2-2.

Game 24: Montreal drops its sixth straight game, another 4-1 decision to Detroit. This time it's Jeff Fassero stifling the Spectre bats, striking out nine in seven frames.

Dropping into second place with this skid, the Spectres will complete the first round of divisional play with a visit from the now-division leading Philadelphia Keystones.

Game 25: Bret Saberhagen and Denny Neagle lock up in a pitchers' duel to start the series. Saberhagen throws seven scoreless while the Spectres finally get on the board in the seventh on Willie Greene's solo homer.. it's the Spectres' third hit of the day. It takes Robb Nen only two batters to lose that lead in the ninth, allowing a single, a stolen base, and another single. In the bottom half, the Spectres try the same formula after Ken Griffey Jr. reaches on an error... he steals second and then races around third on Bret Boone's single.. Mondesi throws home... SAFE!!! Spectres win, 2-1.

Game 26: Scott Erickson allows two Keystone homers but manages to barely outpitch Mike Mussina as the Spectres retake the division lead with a 5-4 win. Montreal hits five doubles and gets a save from Robb Nen, who pitches a scoreless ninth inning.

Game 27: Philly scores three unearned runs in the first but the Spectres tie it back up in the second, then take a 6-3 lead on consecutive homers by Brady Anderson and Ricky Gutierrez in the fourth. Things get ugly, however, when the Montreal bullpen is entrusted to hold the lead. The Keystones score in every inning after the fifth and tie up the division again with a 10-7 victory.

Game 28: Dave Burba pitches six solid innings and hits two solo home runs as the Spectres reclaim the division lead with a 5-3 win. The Spectre bullpen is back on track as they contribute three scoreless innings.

Interleague sets with Cleveland and Baltimore are next.