1998 World Series in the regular season. It was also the only World Series championship during the Yankees' 1990s dynasty not to be won against either the Mets or the Atlanta Braves. The loss made the Padres the first expansion team to lose two World Series, having lost in to the Detroit Tigers. In addition, the Padres became the first expansion team to lose a World Series at home. As of 2012 the Padres are one of only two teams in Major League Baseball to win at least two league championships and never win the World Series (the other team being the Texas
1997 World Series fire sale so infamous that it has come to synonymize the term in the baseball world. World Series MVP hurler Liván Hernández, however, stayed with the team for two more years. The Marlins had a record of 54–108 in 1998, the worst performance ever by a defending World Series champion. As a result, these Marlins are mockingly referred to as the first "Rent-A-Team" to win the World Series. Jim Leyland, responding to reports that he would retire if the Marlins won the World Series, told NBC during the celebration, "My wife doesn't like me that much. I can't retire." However,