Rickey Henderson carried the A's by going 6-for-15 (.400) with a double, triple, two homers, eight runs, five RBIs, seven walks and eight stolen bases -- including four steals in Game 2, making him the first player in history to steal that many in a postseason game. He seemed to be up constantly, always running the bases and generally driving the Blue Jays crazy. The Hall of Famer was a unanimous pick as ALCS MVP, leading Oakland to a relatively easy return to the World Series, where it would meet Bay Area neighbor San Francisco in a Fall Classic marred by a tragic earthquake.

Toronto's only victory of the series came in Game 3, its first postseason win since the 1985 ALCS, when the Blue Jays extended Kansas City to seven games. This was a more dominant foe, having posted the Majors' best record and combining stellar starting pitching with an almost untouchable closer (Dennis Eckersley) and the power of the "Bash Brothers" -- epitomized early in Game 4, when Jose Canseco followed Henderson's two-run homer by becoming the first player to hit a ball into the fifth deck of the SkyDome.

Path to the ALCS: Oakland (99-63) won the AL West by seven games; Toronto (89-73) won the AL East by two games?

Managers: Tony LaRussa, OAK; Cito Gaston, TOR

MVP: Rickey Henderson