6. Josh Beckett, 2003 World Series
Before there was Madison Bumgarner there was Josh Beckett. As a 23-year-old pitching for a franchise just 10 years old Beckett announced himself to the baseball world by pitching a series clinching, complete game shutout over the Evil Empire in Yankee Stadium. It was the Fall Classic's first shutout since Jack Morris in 1991.
2003 was an important year in baseball history. It was the year we were supposed to have a Red Sox vs Cubs World Series. Instead the Yankees had just come off Aaron Boone's incredible walk off home run in game seven of the ALCS while many thought the Marlins were just happy to still be playing. The Marlins were led by Beckett, Ivan Rodriguez, Juan Pierre, and a 20-year-old Miguel Cabrera.
The Yankees were still the most hated franchise in sports at the time but their World Series loss would forever alter the franchise. The pitching staff would lose Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, and David Wells the following season. Instead of replacing them New York tried to strengthen their offense by trading for Alex Rodriguez and signing Gary Sheffield. What happened next everybody knows.
2003 was an important year in baseball history. It was the year we were supposed to have a Red Sox vs Cubs World Series. Instead the Yankees had just come off Aaron Boone's incredible walk off home run in game seven of the ALCS while many thought the Marlins were just happy to still be playing. The Marlins were led by Beckett, Ivan Rodriguez, Juan Pierre, and a 20-year-old Miguel Cabrera.
The Yankees were still the most hated franchise in sports at the time but their World Series loss would forever alter the franchise. The pitching staff would lose Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, and David Wells the following season. Instead of replacing them New York tried to strengthen their offense by trading for Alex Rodriguez and signing Gary Sheffield. What happened next everybody knows.
5. Curt Schilling, 2004 ALCS
What's most forgotten about Curt Schilling's 2004 season is that he was absolute money during the regular season that year. In 32 starts Schilling went 21-6 with a 3.26 ERA and 203 strikeouts while leading baseball in strikeout to walk ratio. He finished second in the Cy Young voting that year although many think he should have won. He cruised to a game one victory in the ALDS against the Angels but hurt his ankle. His status was not in doubt for game one of the ALCS in New York but when the game started it was clear there was a problem.
Schilling got shelled for six runs in three innings. He returned in game six to pitch seven innings of one run ball. That game the Red Sox became the first team to ever force a game seven while trailing three games to none. Schilling's seven innings took on an added importance after the Sox pitching staff had pitched a combined 26 innings the two games prior. The bloody sock made a return in game two of the World Series that year where Schilling pitched six innings to earn the win.
Schilling got shelled for six runs in three innings. He returned in game six to pitch seven innings of one run ball. That game the Red Sox became the first team to ever force a game seven while trailing three games to none. Schilling's seven innings took on an added importance after the Sox pitching staff had pitched a combined 26 innings the two games prior. The bloody sock made a return in game two of the World Series that year where Schilling pitched six innings to earn the win.
4. David Freese, 2011 World Series
2011 is one of just two World Series since 2003 to go all seven games, which puts it in consideration of being an instant classic. The matchup between the Cardinals and Rangers didn't have the historical significance that a Cubs-Indians matchup this year would have, but that didn't mean it wasn't wildly entertaining. In game three of this series Albert Pujols became just the third player to ever hit three home runs in a World Series game yet he wasn't even the hero of this Fall Classic.
Game 6, which was delayed a night due to rain, is the most memorable playoff baseball game of the past 15 years. The Rangers, fresh off their World Series loss a year prior, were ready to redeem themselves with a series clinching win for their first ever franchise championship. Rangers closer Neftali Feliz was trying to protect a two run lead, with two on, two outs, and two strikes on David Freese. In his second biggest hit of the night Freese hit a game tying triple to right field. The Rangers scored two in the tenth, but the Cardinals came back to tie it again. In the bottom of the 11th Freese, who had grown up a Cardinals fan, stepped up to the plate again and hit one of the most dramatic walk off homers in recent memory. The Cardinals became the only team in World Series history to come back from defects in both the ninth and tenth innings.
2011 is one of just two World Series since 2003 to go all seven games, which puts it in consideration of being an instant classic. The matchup between the Cardinals and Rangers didn't have the historical significance that a Cubs-Indians matchup this year would have, but that didn't mean it wasn't wildly entertaining. In game three of this series Albert Pujols became just the third player to ever hit three home runs in a World Series game yet he wasn't even the hero of this Fall Classic.
Game 6, which was delayed a night due to rain, is the most memorable playoff baseball game of the past 15 years. The Rangers, fresh off their World Series loss a year prior, were ready to redeem themselves with a series clinching win for their first ever franchise championship. Rangers closer Neftali Feliz was trying to protect a two run lead, with two on, two outs, and two strikes on David Freese. In his second biggest hit of the night Freese hit a game tying triple to right field. The Rangers scored two in the tenth, but the Cardinals came back to tie it again. In the bottom of the 11th Freese, who had grown up a Cardinals fan, stepped up to the plate again and hit one of the most dramatic walk off homers in recent memory. The Cardinals became the only team in World Series history to come back from defects in both the ninth and tenth innings.
3. Luis Gonzalez, 2001 World Series
The 2001 World Series is not just one of the best from this century, it's one of the best of all time. That entire season was insane. Barry Bonds hit 73 homers. Ichiro won Rookie of the Year and the MVP. Derek Jeter made "The Flip" play. Not only was the World Series was being played in New York just over a month since 9/11 but it turned out to be one of the most entertaining fall classics in the game's history.
Trailing 2-1 in the Series the three time defending champion Yankees walked off in both games four and five. In each game they trailed 3-1 in the ninth, only to hit game tying homers off Byung-Hyun Kim and walk off later in each game. Game four is when Derek Jeter became "Mr. Novemeber" as his walkoff happened the first time baseball was ever played in that month (since the season was delayed a week after 9/11). After the Yankees lost game six the Series matched Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling in a win or take all game seven.
Tied at 1 in the top of the eighth Alfonso Soriano hit a solo home run off Schilling, which gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead. In came Mariano Rivera for the six out save. He cruised through the eighth, which lowered his postseason ERA to a record 0.70. However, Rivera blew the save in the ninth on a Tony Womack double, which set up a bases loaded at bat for Luis Gonzalez in a tie game. With just one out the Yankees decided to bring the infield in and Gonzalez hit a weak single over the head of Derek Jeter that landed right where he would have been in normal positioning. The Yankees would not win the World Series for the first time since 1997.
The 2001 World Series is not just one of the best from this century, it's one of the best of all time. That entire season was insane. Barry Bonds hit 73 homers. Ichiro won Rookie of the Year and the MVP. Derek Jeter made "The Flip" play. Not only was the World Series was being played in New York just over a month since 9/11 but it turned out to be one of the most entertaining fall classics in the game's history.
Trailing 2-1 in the Series the three time defending champion Yankees walked off in both games four and five. In each game they trailed 3-1 in the ninth, only to hit game tying homers off Byung-Hyun Kim and walk off later in each game. Game four is when Derek Jeter became "Mr. Novemeber" as his walkoff happened the first time baseball was ever played in that month (since the season was delayed a week after 9/11). After the Yankees lost game six the Series matched Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling in a win or take all game seven.
Tied at 1 in the top of the eighth Alfonso Soriano hit a solo home run off Schilling, which gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead. In came Mariano Rivera for the six out save. He cruised through the eighth, which lowered his postseason ERA to a record 0.70. However, Rivera blew the save in the ninth on a Tony Womack double, which set up a bases loaded at bat for Luis Gonzalez in a tie game. With just one out the Yankees decided to bring the infield in and Gonzalez hit a weak single over the head of Derek Jeter that landed right where he would have been in normal positioning. The Yankees would not win the World Series for the first time since 1997.
2. Madison Bumgarner, 2014 World Series
The three most clutch professional athletes I've seen in my lifetime are Tom Brady, David Ortiz, and Madison Bumgarner. The way I see it is if my life was on the line and I had to choose one pitcher to start and win a game it would be Bumgarner and it's not particularly close. While he has dominated October all four seasons his even year Giants have made it his performance in 2014 was his best. He began those playoffs on the road in a one game playoff and pitched nine shutout innings. In the World Series that year he gave up just one run in 21 innings (0.43 ERA), winning both his starts and pitching five innings of relief in game seven to earn the save on just two days rest. His overall postseason numbers are a 2.11 ERA in over 100 innings pitched. His 2014 playoff performance, which included a record breaking 52.2 innings pitched, is the best we have ever seen from a pitcher in the postseason.
1. David Ortiz, 2004 ALCS, 2013 ALCS
In the 2013 ALCS the Red Sox were trailing 5-1 in game two and in danger of losing the first two at home in a best of seven series, which no team has ever come back from. In stepped Ortiz who hit a first pitch grand slam to tie the game. It's the hit that propelled Boston to the World Series where Ortiz would go on to hit .688 and win MVP. It's remarkable that this is only his second biggest hit in the playoff as a member of the Red Sox. No playoff moment, even going back to the beginning of the World Series, could ever top what Ortiz did in games four and five of the 2004 ALCS. Those two hits not only helped the Sox win their first World Series in 86 years, but were the reasons they became the first team to ever win a best of seven series while trailing three games to none. And they did it against their arch rival, who the year prior had come back to win despite being down three runs in the eighth inning of game seven of the 2003 ALCS. In seven games in the '04 ALCS Ortiz hit .387 with three home runs and 11 RBI. He's the greatest clutch hitter in baseball history.
BIAS
ReplyDelete