1998 International League season

Last updated

The 1998 International League season took place from April to September 1998.

Contents

The Buffalo Bisons defeated the Durham Bulls to win the league championship.

Triple-A realignment and expansion

Four new teams joined the International League in 1998. Three of these teams, the Buffalo Bisons, Indianapolis Indians, and the Louisville Redbirds joined as a result of the dissolution of the American Association. All three cities had previously competed in the IL at some point in time. One team, the Durham Bulls became a Triple-A expansion team. The Bulls were previously a Class A baseball team. [1] As a result of these moves, the IL expanded from 10 teams to 14 teams. A new division, the IL South, was also formed. The playoffs would be determined by the three division winners and one wild card winner. This would be the playoff format for the league until after the 2019 season.

Attendance

Standings

Source: [2]

International League - North Division
TeamWinLoss %GB
Buffalo Bisons 8162.566
Syracuse SkyChiefs 8062.563½
Pawtucket Red Sox 7764.5463
Rochester Red Wings 7074.48611.5
Ottawa Lynx 6974.48312
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons 6775.47213.5
International League - South Division
TeamWinLoss %GB
Durham Bulls 8064.556
Norfolk Tides 7072.4939
Charlotte Knights 7073.4909.5
Richmond Braves 6480.44416
International League - West Division
TeamWinLoss %GB
Louisville Redbirds 7767.535
Indianapolis Indians 7667.531½
Columbus Clippers 6777.46510
Toledo Mud Hens 5289.36923.5

Playoffs

Division Series

North Division Champion (Buffalo 81-62) defeated Wild Card Champion (Syracuse 80-62) 3 games to 2

South Division Champion (Durham 80-64) defeated West Division Champion (Louisville 77-67) 3 games to 1

Championship series

Buffalo defeated Durham 3 games to 2

Buffalo advanced on to the first Triple-A World Series in Las Vegas, Nevada. The World Series pitted the International League Champions (Buffalo) against the Pacific Coast League Champions (New Orleans). The New Orleans Zephyrs won the Series three games to one.

References

  1. "Triple-A still thriving after 1998 realignment".
  2. "1998 International League". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2025-01-20.