SHOCKTOBER PREVIEW: UNLIKELY WORLD SERIES HEROES (PART II)

 

HANK GOWDY

(BOSTON BRAVES)

Tall and lean at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, Gowdy was once referred to as a “fair-haired skyscraper.” Originally property of the Giants, he came to Boston in a 1911 trade involving two other players. 1914 was Gowdy’s first season as a full-time catcher. The Braves got off to a rocky start, but Gowdy helped turn things around, leading major league backstops in extra-base hits. He faced three of the best pitchers of the era in the Fall Classic that year—Charles Bender, Eddie Plank, and Bullet Joe Bush. Rising to the challenge, Gowdy gathered a cumulative total of six hits and five walks, guiding the so-called “Miracle Braves” to a sweep of the powerful A’s, who had won three of the previous four World Series. Sportswriters began referring to Gowdy as “Hammerin’ Hank,” but as the Braves gradually sank in the standings, Gowdy faded into relative obscurity. His critical error for the Giants in the 1924 Fall Classic made him a Series “goat.”

 

DANNY BAUTISTA

(ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS)

Bautista was no stranger to postseason play. He came up through the Tigers farm system and wound up being traded to the Braves in 1996. Serving as a utility outfielder, he made sporadic appearances in the ’97 and ’98 playoffs. Acquired by the Marlines in 1999 and the Diamondbacks the following year, Bautista became a regular in the Arizona outfield during the 2001 slate. Prior to then, he had never appeared in 100 games for any team in a single season. The Diamondbacks clinched the pennant in spite of Bautista’s abysmal 1-for-10 showing at the plate in the Division Series and League Championship Series. Bautista caught fire against the Yankees in the Fall Classic, tying for the team lead in RBIs despite sitting out two of the seven games. He ended up with a .583 batting average as Arizona stunned New York. 

 

DAVID FREESE

(ST. LOUIS CARDINALS)

A late arrival to the majors, Freese was 27 years-old in his rookie season with the Cardinals. The St. Louis lineup was stocked with stars and Freese became part of a third base platoon that included veteran slugger Pedro Feliz. In 2011, Freese shared hot corner responsibilities with rookie Daniel Descalso. Freese was more adept with a bat and became St. Louis’s primary third-sacker in the 2011 playoffs. After capturing MVP honors in the NLCS against Milwaukee, he led the underdog Cardinals to a World Series victory over the Rangers, raking Texas pitching for 5 extra-base hits and 7 RBIs. He hit a walk-off homer in the sixth match and a game-tying double in the finale. His performance earned him another MVP award. He finished the 2011 postseason with 5 homers and 21 ribbies in 18 games. Freese returned to the World Series with the Dodgers in 2018, but was unable to recapture the magic that had put him on the map. He retired after the 2019 slate.