The 1994 World Series Is Canceled

On September 14, 1994, acting Commissioner Bud Selig announced the cancellation of the remainder of the major league season, including the playoffs and the World Series. It was the first time since 1904 that baseball would not crown a champion. The players had been on strike since August 12, and after 34 days without a resolution, the owners chose to shut the season down.

The dispute centered on a salary cap. Owners wanted to tie player salaries to a fixed percentage of league revenue. The Players Association, led by Donald Fehr, refused. Both sides dug in, and the sport paid the price.

The timing of the cancellation was particularly painful because the 1994 season had been one of the most compelling in years. Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres was hitting .394, threatening to become the first player to bat .400 since Ted Williams in 1941. Matt Williams of the San Francisco Giants had 43 home runs in 115 games, on pace to challenge Roger Maris's single-season record of 61. The Montreal Expos had the best record in baseball at 74-40 and appeared ready to reach the postseason for the first time since 1981. All of it evaporated.

The strike lasted 232 days, wiping out 948 games and the entire 1994 postseason. It did not end until April 2, 1995, when a federal judge issued an injunction against the owners. The 1995 season started three weeks late with replacement players sent home and regulars returning to a sport that had deeply damaged its relationship with its fans.

Attendance dropped sharply in 1995 and did not fully recover for years. The cancellation of the 1994 World Series remains the most severe labor disruption in the history of American professional sports. The season that never finished left behind some of the most tantalizing what-ifs in baseball history.