<prompt> Qedela umusho olandelayo: Ngaphambi kwesizini ka-1996, u-Angelos waqasha uPat Gillick njengomphathi jikelele. Njengoba enikezwe ukukhanya okuluhlaza ukuze asebenzise imali eningi kumathalente asunguliwe, uGillick wasayina abadlali abambalwa be-premium abanjengoBJ Surhoff, uRandy Myers, uDavid Wells noRoberto Alomar. Ngaphansi komqeqeshi omusha uDavey Johnson nangamandla okuqopha i-major league irekhodi lama-home run angama-257 ngesizini eyodwa, ama-Orioles abuyela kuma-playoffs ngemuva kokungabikho kweminyaka eyi-12 ngokufaka ikhadi le-AL. U-Alomar wabangela isiphepho ngoSepthemba lapho ekhafulela umphathi wendawo uJohn Hirschbeck ebusweni ngesikhathi kunempikiswano eToronto. Kamuva wamiswa emidlalweni emihlanu yokuqala yesizini ka-1997, yize iningi lalifuna ukuthi angangeni emdlalweni wokugcina. Ngemva kokunqoba iCleveland Indians ngo-3-1 kuma-Division Series, i-Orioles yanqotshwa yiYankees ngo-4-1  <response>: I-ALCS iphawuleka ngokwehluleka kuka- umpire wesigcawu sokudla uRich Garcia ukubiza ukuphazamiseka kwabalandeli emdlalweni wokuqala wochungechunge, lapho umlandeli weYankee oneminyaka engu-12 ubudala uJeffrey Maier efinyelela odongeni lwangaphandle ukubamba ibhola elidlalwayo, elatholwa njengebhola eliya ekhaya likaDerek Jeter, elihlanganisa umdlalo ngo-4-4 emdlalweni wesishiyagalombili. Ngaphandle kokungenelela kukaMaier, kwakubonakala sengathi ibhola kungenzeka ukuthi lalingekho odongeni noma libanjwe ngumdlali wasenkundleni ongakwesokudla uTony Tarasco. AmaYankees aqhubeka nokuwina lo mdlalo emidlalweni eyengeziwe ngokuhamba ekhaya okuvela kuBernie Williams. 