 The Yankees ' 1980s demise and downfall continued into the early 1990s and was at its frustrating peak in 1994 , when they finished with the best record in the American League in a season that was prematurely halted by the 1994 – 95 Major League Baseball strike , which left New York sports fans disappointed that Mattingly had not played in a postseason despite being poised to do so that year . At that time , he led active players in both games played and at @-@ bats without participating in a postseason game . Throughout October , the news media added to the embarrassment when they often made references to dates that games in the World Series would have been played . That year , the Yankees and Red Sox would have finished the season against each other at Fenway Park . Both managers , Buck Showalter of the Yankees and Butch Hobson of the Red Sox , who made their managerial debuts against each other , were fired as a result of or during the strike . 
