SHOCKTOBER PREVIEW: UNLIKELY WORLD SERIES HEROES (PART I)

 

MICKEY HATCHER

(L.A. DODGERS)

Hatcher was a versatile utility man who appeared at several defensive stations over the course of his 12-year career. He even took the mound once in a blowout loss against the Cardinals in 1989. Known more for his enthusiasm and hustle, Hatcher had little power at the plate and rarely walked. But his performance in the 1988 World Series helped carry the underdog Dodgers to a surprising victory over the A’s. Hatcher hit safely in all five games, leading both teams in homers and RBIs. Prior to the Series, he had knocked just one homer in his previous 118 appearances. Hatcher had another respectable season in ’89, but when his batting average dipped to .212 the following year, he disappeared from the majors. 

 

 HARVEY HADDIX

(PITTSBURGH PIRATES)

A product of the Cardinals’ farm system, Haddix won 20 games during his rookie year and never duplicated the feat. He is best known for tossing 12 perfect innings against the Braves in a game he ultimately lost during the 1959 campaign. A bit on the small side at 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, Haddix—by his own admission—lacked stamina in comparison to other pitchers of the era. “I’ve been a seven-inning pitcher at times because I’m a little man and have to work harder out there than some fellows,” he once said. The diminutive southpaw won 11 games for the pennant-winning Pirates in 1960 while posting a mediocre 3.97 ERA. He was much better in the World Series that year, winning his only start and picking up another victory out of the bullpen in Game 7. The Pirates' win over the Yankees came as a shock to many--especially slugger Mickey Mantle, who remarked sourly: "The better team lost...the only time I ever felt that way. It wasn't even close." 

 

DUSTY RHODES

(NEW YORK GIANTS)

Rhodes’s poor defense kept him on the bench for a majority of his seven-year major league career. But he was immensely popular with teammates. Describing his persona, Hall of Fame manager Leo Durocher once asserted: “He was a buffoon, and I say this affectionately. I loved him on my ball club because of his personality and the funny things he did that kept everybody loose. But I couldn’t have stood two of him.” After compiling a pedestrian .242 batting average in his first two seasons, Rhodes had a breakout year during New York’s pennant-winning effort of 1954. He was unstoppable in the World Series, delivering clutch hits in each of his three appearances. When the curtain closed on the Giants’ improbable sweep of the Indians (winners of 111 games during the regular season), Rhodes had slammed a pair of homers and driven in seven runs in six at-bats. 

SHOCKTOBER PREVIEW: PIVOTAL MOMENTS IN WORLD SERIES HISTORY (PART III)

 

1926 WORLD SERIES

YANKEES vs. CARDINALS

GAME 7

 

Prior to 1926, the Cardinals had been absent from championship play for more than three decades. Although they had four Hall of Famers in residence at the start of the season, their victory over the Yankees (who were stocked with franchise greats from top to bottom) would have been highly improbable without the services of fading superstar Grover “Pete” Alexander. Alexander had captured three consecutive Triple Crowns with the Phillies beginning in 1915. But chronic alcohol issues prompted Cubs’ manager Joe McCarthy to place the hurler on waivers in June of 1926. Believing he was worth the risk, the Cardinals added him to their roster. It proved to be a smart move as the 39 year-old veteran won nine games down the stretch and stymied the Yankees in the World Series. 

 

After beating New York in both of his starts, Alexander was called upon to extinguish a seventh inning Yankee rally in Game 7. The Bombers had loaded the bases against Hall of Famer Jesse Haines, who had developed a blister on his pitching hand and could not continue. Rumors abounded that Alexander was still intoxicated from an all-night bender, but the hurler vehemently denied those claims in later interviews. With two outs and the count at 1-1, Tony Lazzeri blasted a long drive down the left field line. Had it stayed fair, it would have given the Yankees a 6-3 lead. But it hooked just foul at the last second, saving Alexander from being labeled a Series “goat.” Lazzeri struck out and “Old Pete” followed with two innings of shutout ball, sealing a 3-2 Series-clinching victory for the Cardinals. There was no Series MVP Award in those days, but Alexander would have been a front-runner.   

SHOCKTOBER PREVIEW: PIVOTAL MOMENTS IN WORLD SERIES HISTORY (PART II)

 

1924 WORLD SERIES

NEW YORK GIANTS vs. WASHINGTON NATIONALS

GAME 7

 

The Giants were among the most powerful teams in baseball, having captured four consecutive pennants. The Nationals (often referred to as the “Senators”) had established a long tradition of losing, placing sixth or lower in the standings from 1901 through 1911. Their poor performances in the early years inspired a long-running joke: “Washington—first in war, first in peace, and last in the American League.” Trailing three games to two in the Series, the Nationals took the Giants completely off guard with a tense 2-1 victory over veteran pitcher Art Nehf, who was widely considered to be New York’s most reliable big-game pitcher. The Series finale was among the most unusual in history.

 

More than 31,000 fans flocked to Griffith Stadium in D.C. to see if the Nationals could finally shed their image as perennial losers. The Giants jumped out to a 3-1 lead before Washington’s player/manager, Bucky Harris, tied the game with an RBI single that took a bad hop at third base and bounced past Hall of Fame infielder, Freddie Lindstrom. The game was still knotted at three in the bottom of the 12th, when Muddy Ruel of the Nationals hit a one-out pop-up near home plate. It should have been an easy play, but Giants’ catcher Hank Gowdy tripped over his own discarded mask, dropping the ball. Given new life, Ruel ripped a double. Legendary hurler Walter Johnson, who had delivered four innings of scoreless relief for Washington on short rest, followed with a playable grounder to shortstop Travis Jackson. Jackson—a Hall of Famer who carried the nickname “Stonewall” for his sensational defense—booted the ball. Defying credibility, Nationals’ center fielder Earl McNeely followed with a sharp grounder that took another bad hop at third base and bounced into left field, bringing Ruel home with the Series-clinching run. Washington owner Clark Griffith believed it was divine intervention. Relief pitcher Jack Bentley (who was charged with the loss) later said it was one of the “weirdest” games he ever played in.

SHOCKTOBER PREVIEW: PIVOTAL MOMENTS IN WORLD SERIES HISTORY (Part I)

 

1906 WORLD SERIES

CHICAGO CUBS vs. CHICAGO WHITE SOX

GAME 5

 

The Chicago Cubs won 116 games in 1906 (a record that still stands) and carried four Hall of Famers on their roster. Their pitchers combined for 30 shutouts (an NL high) and a 1.75 ERA—tops in the majors. They were expected to make quick work of the White Sox, who had stunned the baseball world by capturing the AL pennant with an anemic .230 team batting average. Only one club fared worse at the plate that year—the Boston Nationals, who wound up with 102 losses.

 

With the Series tied at two games apiece, the White Sox defense completely fell apart, spotting the Cubs five unearned runs on an astounding total of six errors. But in a surprising turn of events, the ChiSox—dubbed “The Hitless Wonders” by sportswriters—outmuscled their intra-city rivals by a score of 8-6. Second baseman Frank Isbel led the charge for the Southside crew, clubbing four doubles—a World Series record. The resilient Sox followed their improbable Game 5 victory with another offensive explosion, knocking Hall of Fame pitcher Mordecai Brown out of the box by the second inning. The 8-3 victory completed a stunning upset. The 16 runs scored by the Sox in their last two outings exceeded the club’s collective total in their previous seven games.

MY LATEST BOOK RELEASE: SHOCKTOBER: The Biggest Upsets in World Series History

 

While the Dodgers' victory over the Yankees in the 2024 World Series was far from surprising, baseball's October Showcase has held many twists and turns over the years. The Boston Braves beat the Chicago Cubs in the 1906 Fall Classic after posting an anemic .230 team batting average during the regular season (the lowest mark by any championship team). The so-called "Miracle Mets" won the NL pennant and ousted the powerful Orioles in the 1969 World Series after finishing below .500 in each of the previous seven seasons. And in 2001, the Diamondbacks staged a late-inning, series-clinching rally off of the greatest relief pitcher in baseball history. These stories--along with many others--appear in my latest book: Shocktober: The Greatest Upsets in World Series History.  The book is set for release on January 7, 2025. In anticipation of its arrival, I'll be posting various articles and excerpts in the coming weeks. To order a copy, click the link on the right side of my blog page (may not appear on mobile devices).