Ken Caminiti MVP Trophy Presentation

Lore & Background

The Padres advanced to the World Series by defeating the Houston Astros in the NL Division Series, three games to one, and then the Atlanta Braves in the NL Championship Series, four games to two. It was San Diego's second World Series appearance overall, their first since losing in 1984. Key players included Tony Gwynn, Greg Vaughn, Andy Ashby, Trevor Hoffman, and Kevin Brown.

Reader's Guide

The Padres entered the 1998 postseason as the #3 seed in the National League. They defeated the second-seeded Houston Astros in the division series 3 games to 1, then defeated the top-seeded Atlanta Braves in the NLCS 4 games to 2 to win the franchise's second pennant.

Did You Know?

• The 1998 World Series was the first World Series that Bud Selig presided over as Commissioner of Baseball.
• For the first time, the same city—San Diego—hosted both the final World Series game and the Super Bowl the same year, both held at Qualcomm Stadium.
• Greg Vaughn hit two home runs in Game 1 of the series.
• Tony Gwynn hit his first home run in postseason play during Game 1.