MLB Showdown Obsession

 In 1994, with recent expansion done by MLB and more on the way, there was a desire to expand the playoffs to beyond just four teams. They expanded the divisions to add a Central Division to each league and created a Wild Card for the best non-division winner. The players strike delayed the new format until 1995 and the Wild Card era of baseball had begun. No longer would failure to win your division mean certain doom to a teams otherwise outstanding season. But the question now was, could a team that clearly wasn't the best in their division still find a way to win it all in October? The Florida Marlins were entering just their 5th season of existence, but they had been building the framework for a contender pretty much from day 1. To put the finishing touch on the major preparations for winning, Jim Leyland was brought in to be Manager. Still, they played in the National League East, where the Atlanta Braves were in the prime of their NL dynasty. When the regular season played ou...