Monday, March 28, 2022

Marvelous On The Giants In 1954, Part 2

So what about Marv Grissom's other stats in 1954? How about how he fared in the World Series that Fall against the Cleveland Indians (Winners of 111 games)? We shall take a look.

Obviously, the pitcher most associated with relief in the 1950s (And 60s) was Grissom's very own teammate on that great 1954 New York Giants, Hoyt Wilhelm. But the circumstances, described here in part one of Marv Grissom, enabled our boy to take over the closer spot.

Not that Hoyt didn't contribute in '54. In fact, you'll notice that comparing their stats from that year, their win totals, games pitched and games finished were very close. Was Grissom better in other areas?

Well, being the New York Giants' closer, Marv ended up with a team-leading seventeen saves. Hoyt had seven. Both their earned run averages were great. Grissom's was 2.35 and Wilhelm's was a little better, 2.10. How about everyone's favourite new stat? Wins Above Replacement. Both were great, and Grissom's was a bit better. Hoyt Wilhelm had a 3.4 WAR. Grissom's was 4.2

Hoyt Wilhelm might have seemingly had an edge. His prized pitch was a baffling knuckleball (Bob Purkey and Barney Schultz were two other pitchers in the mid-late 1950s that used it) that was tough for any catcher to handle. But Hoyt only threw two wild pitches in 1954. He fanned an average of 5.2 batters per nine innings, while Marv Grissom was at 4.7. Wilhelm had a lower walks and hits allowed per nine.

The funny thing is, Hoyt Wilhelm was pretty much equal to Marv Grissom that year, but certainly below him the next. Yet, as mentioned earlier, who is remembered as the better pitcher? Wilhelm saw his earned run average go up to 3.93 in 1955, but Marv Grissom's was well below that, 2.92. Grissom would also end up with a little bit of MVP consideration. The reliever also saw some action in the Mid-Summer Classic.

Staying with 1954, the New York Giants won the pennant, and faced an excellent Cleveland Indians team. Everyone remembers game one. Don Liddle came on in the top eighth inning to relieve Sal Maglie. The scored was tied 2-2. But now Cleveland had two on and no outs. And worse still, their big bat, Vic Wertz was up.

Wertz was having "One of those days". One of those days when you couldn't get him out. He'd hit a clutch two-run triple in the first (With two away) to break the ice. He singled in the fourth. Vic singled again in the sixth. 3-3.

So here, in the top of the eighth, he launched one to centre. But there was the great Willie Mays to make an unbelievable, over-the-shoulder catch to rob Vic Wertz of another triple. Or maybe an inside-the-park home run.

But Larry Doby, on second, tagged and went to third after this spectacle. And for all of Mays' heroics, there was still only one out. Who would put out this fire? Marv Grissom.

Hank Majeski had been sent up by Cleveland to bat for right fielder Davey Philley. That's what brought in the right-handed Grissom in to pitch. So Al Lopez, the Cleveland manager, sent up left-handed hitting Dale Mitchell to the dish after Marv Grissom entered.

It's unreal to think this plate appearance has been forgotten. Mitchell, of course, made headlines two years later, when he was the last out in Don Larsen's perfect game, which was the fifth contest of the 1956 Fall Classic.

Dale coaxed a walk from Marv Grissom here, loading the bases. There was just one out. Good thing Wertz didn't bat here, in the seventh spot. Instead, it was George Strickland who batted next. But Al Lopez removed him and sent up another pinch hitter (Who was left on the bench now, after all this?) to the dish. Dave Pope. Marv Grissom came through with the clutch strikeout. Jim Hegan kept the ball away from Willie Mays in centre, only to be retired on a fly to left.

New York seemed destined to take the lead in the bottom of that frame. Hank Thompson drew a walk from Bob Lemon. A sacrifice bunt moved him to second. Davey Williams grounded out, Thompson did not advance. However, pitching to Wes Westrum, Lemon threw a wild pitch. The go-ahead run was now at third. Westrum hit it to centre. Larry Doby got it.

In the top of the ninth, things started out like child's play for Marv Grissom. Bob Lemon and Al Smith both flied out to Monte Irvin in left. But then Bobby Avila reached when Smith made a two-base error. Larry Doby was walked intentionally. Al Smith redeemed himself, by putting his name in the record books. He made the third putout of the frame when he caught Al Rosen's fly.

Lemon, who now would lose the game if New York scored just one run, got the message. 1-2-3 went the Giants in the bottom of the ninth. Marv Grissom was needed again. Guess who was back up? Vic Wertz. 3-4. Make that 4-5. Vic hit a double to the gap in left. Wertz had learned where not to hit it. Rudy Regalado ran for him. A sacrifice moved Regalado ninety feet away from scoring. Dave Pope was walked intentionally. Bill Glynn was up, but Marv Grissom was clutch. Strikeout. Bob Lemon batted for himself and lined out to first.

Lemon stayed in the game. He started out the bottom of the tenth on the right foot. Don Mueller fanned. But then Willie Mays again found a way to disrupt the flow of the game. He walked and stole second. The home team suddenly had an excellent chance to win this contest. Hank Thompson was put on, so a double play would get the Indians out of this.

The batter was Monte Irvin. Well, he was the next scheduled hitter. But instead, it would be pinch hitter Dusty Rhodes to face Bob Lemon. And, what an ending to this unforgettable game! A clutch three-run home run! The Giants had drawn first blood in the 1954 Fall Classic!

The second game was close again, but New York took a narrow 3-1 win. What a pitcher's duel between Cleveland's Early Wynn, and New York's Johnny Antonelli.

When the World Series shifted to Cleveland, it was New York that let it be known their intentions were for a sweep. The easily won game three, 6-2. When trouble came in the bottom of the eighth, as the Indians scored a run and put two more on, Hoyt Wilhelm extinguished the flames. 

The next game appeared to be an even easier breeze. The visiting Giants stormed out of the gate, and went ahead 7-0 after 4 1/2 innings. Back came the Indians with a three-run salvo in the bottom of the fifth (Via a pinch-hit, three run home run by Hank Majeski). In the bottom of the seventh, it was Rudy Regalado with a pinch-hit single to make the score closer still. This World Series seemed to have a lot of runs scored via reserves' RBIs.

So instead of using Marv Grissom, the Giants held off. Hoyt Wilhelm got New York out of that mess. However, Wilhelm put a man on in the eighth, and Johnny Antonelli replaced him. Well, Vic Wertz was proven to be human after all. Antonelli fanned him. And Wally Westlake. Sam Dente walked to open the ninth, but that then the Giants' pitcher really came through. Jim Hegan popped out. Dave Philley batted. You'd probably have expected him to hit a two-run home run here, given what we'd seen in this series, or even just in this game. Had that happened, it's a 7-6 ballgame. But Johnny Antonelli fanned him. The last batter of the game happened to be the same hitter that Don Larsen would fan two years later, Dale Mitchell. Dale popped out to Hank Thompson at third.

Marv Grissom might have been disappointed about not being able to contribute more in the World Series. Sadly, this was his only Fall Classic appearance. He got a win to his name, but since that was in the Willie Mays contest, it has since been forgotten. Sadly, it proved to be the last World Series appearance of the New York Giants, too. The joy of winning their first Fall Classic in 21 years would soon be followed by a hole in the heart of all the Giants fans in New York. Given the strength of the team, and the fact that it was there second pennant in three years, there did not appear to be any reason for the club to worry. It wasn't like Grissom was a one-year wonder, either.

So 1955 was a good year? 1956 saw the New York Giants drop to just 67 wins. Again, Hoyt Wilhelm was average at best, 4-9, 3.83 earned run average. At this point, who would have considered him for the Hall of Fame? Marv Grissom pitched 1956 like he was headed towards Cooperstown. 1-1, 1.56 ERA, seven saves.

The next year was a sad one for not only Marv Grissom, but the entire team. The Giants did the unthinkable: They were playing their last season in New York! A double-whammy as their long-time rivals the Dodgers were on the move out of Brooklyn for 1958.

The Giants limped to the finish line of their last season at the Polo Grounds with just 69 wins. Hoyt Wilhelm was gone, but Marv Grissom was excellent. He went 4-4 with fourteen saves and an earned run average of 2.61. Sadly, not only was this the end of an era, but it was also Grissom's last great year.

So, 1958 began with the Giants in San Francisco and their rivals the Dodgers not too far away in Los Angeles. It's odd that it was the Giants that were good that year and the Dodgers bad.

How could this be? Los Angeles had a loaded starting rotation. You had Don Newcombe and Johnny Podres. Then you had the kids, Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax and Stan Williams. But for this year, it was the Giants whose pitchers made the adjustment to the new surroundings.

Johhny Antonelli won sixteen games. Rubem Gomez was 10-12 and a nineteen-year old name Mike McCormick was 11-8. It was their spot starters and relievers that seemed to find a way to win the games.

Al Worthington won eleven games, on his own way to an outstanding career as a reliever. Marv Grissom, now 40 years old, won seven of his own. But his earned run average was nearly four. He still managed to lead the team in saves (Tied for third best in the National League). Marv was still effective, but it was clear his best days were behind him. The team, however, appeared to be on their way back to the top of the Senior Circuit. 1957 and 1958 saw the Milwaukee Braves (Who moved themselves out of Boston in the early 1950s) win the pennant, and nearly made it three in a row in 1959.

Stu Miller also pitched for the Giants in 1958, and both started and relieved. The end result was six wins and a 2.47 earned run average. The only other good reliever on San Francisco that year (Minimum of ten appearances) was Gordon Jones. The team finished 80-74.

The Giants, however, had to settle for only a minor improvement. The team won 83 games. However, their old rivals, the Dodgers, were just too strong. For the Giants, and the Braves. Los Angeles went all the way in 1959. Sadly, Marv Grissom did not finish the year in the majors.

In fact, just to start that season, Marv had to get used to new surroundings. He was involved in a trade to St. Louis. The Cardinals not only got Grissom, but a very good pitcher named Ernie Broglio, in exchange for three players. Broglio is best remembered as being part of a one-sided trade between the Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs in 1964. The Cubs parted ways with a few players, but among them was some kid named Lou Brock, whereas the unfortunate Broglio was out of baseball not long after. The Cubs also got Bobby Shantz in the deal, but he was out of baseball after 1964. The trade itself looked good at the time, as Ernie seemed destined to add a lot to Chicago. The problem was, Broglio's arm was pretty much shot. Ernie had been 60-38 with a 3.15 earned run average from 1960-1963.

Marv Grissom was pretty much out the door in 1959. The Cardinals had no doubt hoped that he and Sal Maglie (Acquired from the New York Yankees the previous season) were going to help a team that had a starting rotation that included Larry Jackson, Vinegar Bend Mizell, Ernie Broglio and Bob Miller. St. Louis also had some kid named Bob Gibson, but he only pitched thirteen times for the Cards that season.

But Maglie was released on April 10th, ending his playing career. His old teammate from the Giants was not around much longer. Marv Grissom didn't get into a game until June 4th. Although it went well, it was Marv's last hurrah. After giving up a run against Philadelphia three days later in the first game of a doubleheader, it was obvious Grissom didn't have it anymore. If there was any doubt, Marv's June 11th outing sealed his fate. He failed to retire a batter, giving up four runs, all earned. It was not long after, feeling the effects of a back injury, he told St. Louis that it was time to leave. The Cardinals, however, kept him on active payroll through the rest of that season and to the end of 1960.

Ironically enough, the San Francisco Giants had a rookie that year, that must have seemed ironic to Marv. Grissom had spent so much time with knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm. Just as Grissom was going out, Eddie Fisher came in. Fisher's prized pitch? A knuckleball. It would have been nice to have Marv Grissom bridge the gap between Wilhelm and Fisher. But by the time Fisher made his debut in 1959 (June 22nd), Grissom was a goner.

The pitcher did not throw another pitch in a major league game. Finally released after the '60 season, the former Giant took over as a pitching coach for the expansion Los Angeles Angels. Marv held that position for six years. After stops in Chicago (White Sox) and back again with Los Angeles, the coach was getting around. Minnesota had Marv tending to the pitchers in 1970-71. The Chicago Cubs hired him in 1975 to teach his pitching wisdom. One final stop in Los Angeles followed from 1978-79.

Marv eventually retired and enjoyed his time hunting, gardening, fishing and golfing. He passed away, age 87, in 2005.

Greatest Relief Seasons of All-Time Stat Set 2


Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Bernhard 1899 0 ? ? ? 2.65 23 1.6 1.179 2.0
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Walsh 1904 1 ? ? ? 2.60 57 4.6 1.102 0.1
                     
Griffith 1905 1 ? ? ? 1.68 46 4.1 0.954 3.3
                     
Ferguson 1906 7 ? ? ? 2.58 32 5.5 1.280 0.2
                     
Keefe 1907 3 ? ? ? 2.50 20 3.1 1.387 2.0
                     
Chappelle 1908 0 ? ? ? 1.79 23 2.9 1.095 0.3
                     
Leever 1909 2 ? ? ? 2.83 23 3.0 1.257 -0.1
                     
Dygert 1909 0 ? ? ? 2.42 79 5.2 1.216 -0.4
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Phillipe 1910 4 ? ? ? 2.29 30 2.2 0.986 2.0
                     
Benz 1911 0 ? ? ? 2.26 28 4.5 1.168 0.7
                     
Baskette 1912 1 ? ? ? 3.18 51 4.0 1.336 2.2
                     
Crandall 1913 6 ? ? ? 2.86 42 3.9 1.290 0.5
                     
Wolfgang 1914 0 ? ? ? 1.89 50 3.8 1.073 1.8
                     
Bressler 1914 2 ? ? ? 1.77 96 5.9 1.138 3.5
                     
Conzelman 1914 2 ? ? ? 2.94 39 3.5 1.267 0.8
                     
Mays 1915 7 ? ? ? 2.60 65 4.4 1.063 1.0
                     
Hughes 1916 5 1 0.833 ? 2.35 97 5.4 1.068 2.5
                     
Danforth 1917 9 ? ? ? 2.65 79 4.1 1.324 3.2
                     
Bender 1917 2 ? ? ? 1.67 43 3.4 0.973 3.7
                     
Coumbe 1917 5 2 0.714 1 2.14 30 2.0 1.146 1.1
                     
Dubuc 1919 3 ? ? ? 2.66 32 2.2 1.182 0.6
                     
Luque 1919 3 0 1.000 ? 2.63 26 3.4 1.179 1.1
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
S.Smith 1920 3 ? ? ? 1.85 33 2.2 1.181 3.2
                     
Morton 1921 1 ? ? ? 2.76 45 3.8 1.207 2.3
                     
Baumgartner 1925 3 ? ? ? 3.57 18 1.4 1.368 2.5
                     
Marberry 1926 22 ? ? ? 3.00 43 2.8 1.348 3.1
                     
Clark 1927 2 ? ? ? 2.32 32 2.3 1.262 2.8
                     
Haid 1928 5 ? ? ? 2.30 21 4.0 1.064 0.4
                     
Rommel 1929 4 1 0.800 1 2.85 25 2.0 1.484 1.6
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Lindsey 1931 7 1 0.875 ? 2.77 32 3.9 1.634 1.1
                     
Quinn 1932 13 ? ? ? 2.66 24 3.5 1.383 1.1
                     
Russell 1933 13 ? ? ? 2.69 28 2.0 1.218 3.1
                     
Malone 1936 9 1 0.900 0 3.81 72 4.8 1.515 2.9
                     
Brown 1938 5 ? ? ? 3.80 55 3.7 1.500 0.4
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Beggs 1940 7 4 0.636 0 2.00 25 2.9 1.161 2.2
                     
Murphy 1941 15 7 0.682 0 1.98 29 3.4 1.397 2.2
                     
Adams 1943 9 2 0.818 0 2.82 46 3.0 1.254 3.0
                     
Heving 1944 10 ? ? 0 1.96 46 3.5 1.228 1.9
                     
Maltzberger 1944 12 ? ? 0 2.96 49 4.8 1.095 1.8
                     
Berry 1944 12 4 0.750 0 1.94 44 3.6 0.907 3.7
                     
Karl 1945 15 1 0.938 1 2.99 51 2.5 1.245 3.6
                     
Christopher 1947 12 2 0.857 0 2.90 33 3.7 1.277 1.4
                     
Wilks 1948 13 1 0.929 1 2.62 72 4.9 1.163 4.8
                     
Page 1949 27 11 0.711 0 2.59 99 6.6 1.315 4.2
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Konstanty 1950 22 4 0.846 0 2.66 56 3.3 1.039 4.7
                     
Aloma 1951 3 1 0.750 0 1.82 25 3.2 1.096 3.2
                     
Wilhelm 1952 11 1 0.917 1 2.43 108 6.1 1.155 2.7
                     
Paige 1952 10 5 0.667 1 3.07 91 5.9 1.254 3.4
                     
Kinder 1953 27 8 0.771 4 1.85 39 3.3 1.140 4.5
                     
Mossi 1954 7 0 1.000 0 1.94 55 5.3 1.022 3.3
                     
Grissom 1954 17 4 0.810 0 2.35 64 4.7 1.226 4.2
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Narleski 1955 19 2 0.905 6 3.71 94 7.6 1.281 2.5
                     
Craig 1955 2 0 1.000 0 2.78 48 4.8 1.368 1.8
                     
Freeman 1956 18 3 0.857 2 3.40 50 4.1 1.344 2.6
                     
Farrell 1957 10 3 0.769 0 2.38 54 5.8 1.320 2.4
                     
Zuverink 1957 9 8 0.529 0 2.48 36 2.9 1.278 2.7
                     
Hyde 1958 18 5 0.783 0 1.75 49 4.3 1.136 4.9
                     
Duren 1959 14 7 0.667 1 1.88 96 11.3 1.200 3.8
                     
Staley 1959 15 4 0.789 2 2.24 54 4.2 1.169 2.5
                     
Face 1959 10 9 0.526 1 2.70 69 6.7 1.243 3.2
                     
Sherry 1959 3 1 0.750 0 2.19 23 6.9 1.251 3.6
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
McDaniel 1960 26 6 0.813 1 1.29 95 8.2 0.863 6.0
                     
Brosnan 1960 12 2 0.857 2 2.36 62 5.6 1.020 2.7
                     
Arroyo 1961 29 10 0.744 1 2.19 87 6.6 1.109 3.3
                     
Fox 1961 12 2 0.857 3 1.41 32 5.0 1.012 2.6
                     
Radatz 1963 25 3 0.893 0 1.97 162 11.0 1.096 5.7
                     
Perranoski 1963 21 8 0.724 0 1.67 75 5.2 1.202 4.5
                     
Baldschun 1963 16 5 0.762 1 2.30 89 7.0 1.240 2.0
                     
Lee 1964 19 8 0.704 1 1.51 111 7.3 1.058 4.3
                     
Ellis 1964 14 2 0.875 1 2.57 125 9.2 1.054 3.1
                     
Hall 1964 9 2 0.818 2 1.85 52 5.3 0.844 3.0
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Miller 1965 24 1 0.960 1 1.89 104 7.8 0.997 4.3
                     
Regan 1966 21 7 0.750 1 1.62 88 6.8 0.934 5.0
                     
Hoerner 1966 13 3 0.813 4 1.54 63 7.5 1.026 3.0
                     
Drabowsky 1967 12 5 0.706 3 1.60 96 9.1 0.955 3.2
                     
Abernathy 1967 28 6 0.824 1 1.27 88 7.4 0.978 6.2
                     
Wyatt 1967 20 4 0.833 2 2.60 68 6.6 1.179 2.2
                     
Wood 1968 16 5 0.762 7 1.87 74 4.2 1.006 5.4
                     
V. Romo 1968 12 3 0.800 1 1.60 54 5.8 0.901 2.8
                     
Segui 1968 6 1 0.857 4 2.39 72 7.8 1.000 1.3
                     
Tatum 1969 22 1 0.957 2 1.36 65 6.8 1.042 4.3
                     
Watt 1969 16 5 0.762 1 1.65 46 5.8 1.056 1.9
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Williams 1970 15 4 0.789 7 1.99 76 6.0 1.032 2.8
                     
McMahon 1970 19 5 0.792 0 2.96 74 7.1 1.219 3.0
                     
Grant 1970 24 3 0.889 2 1.86 58 3.9 1.064 4.9
                     
Richert 1970 13 4 0.765 3 1.98 66 10.9 1.098 2.3
                     
Sanders 1971 31 4 0.886 0 1.91 80 5.3 1.064 4.1
                     
Carroll 1971 15 6 0.714 4 2.50 64 6.1 1.281 1.8
                     
Giusti 1972 22 5 0.815 0 1.93 54 6.5 1.058 2.3
                     
Knowles 1972 11 3 0.786 5 1.37 36 4.9 1.310 2.5
                     
Brewer 1972 17 7 0.708 0 1.26 69 7.9 0.843 3.5
                     
Hiller 1973 38 4 0.905 0 1.44 124 8.9 1.021 8.1
                     
Borbon 1973 14 5 0.737 6 2.16 60 4.5 1.421 2.5
                     
Beene 1973 1 0 1.000 0 1.68 49 4.8 1.033 3.0
                     
Marshall 1974 21 12 0.636 9 2.42 143 6.2 1.186 3.1
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Gossage 1975 26 5 0.839 1 1.84 130 8.3 1.193 8.2
                     
Hrabosky 1975 22 6 0.786 3 1.66 82 7.6 1.097 3.9
                     
McEnaney 1975 15 4 0.789 11 2.47 48 4.7 1.264 1.5
                     
Eastwick 1976 26 9 0.743 1 2.09 70 5.9 1.115 2.8
                     
Lyle 1977 26 8 0.765 1 2.17 68 4.5 1.197 3.7
                     
Sutter 1977 31 9 0.775 0 1.34 129 10.8 0.857 6.5
                     
Johnson 1977 15 7 0.682 1 3.13 87 5.3 1.806 2.5
                     
Stanley 1978 10 5 0.667 1 2.60 38 2.2 1.242 4.1
                     
Blair 1978 28 5 0.848 2 1.97 91 8.2 1.246 4.1
                     
Lolich 1978 1 0 1.000 2 1.56 13 3.4 1.183 1.1
                     
Tekulve 1979 31 6 0.838 8 2.79 75 5.0 1.176 3.2
                     
Lopez 1979 21 5 0.808 1 2.41 106 7.5 1.150 5.3
                     
Davis 1979 9 10 0.474 2 2.85 43 4.5 1.313 2.2
                     
E.Romo 1979 5 8 0.385 12 2.99 106 7.4 1.276 1.8
                     
Monge 1979 19 7 0.731 5 2.40 108 7.4 1.221 3.0
                     
Sosa 1979 18 7 0.720 4 1.96 59 5.5 1.179 3.1
                     
Palmer 1979 2 1 0.667 0 2.64 72 5.3 1.141 2.2
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
McGraw 1980 20 5 0.800 0 1.46 75 7.3 0.921 4.7
                     
Garvin 1980 8 5 0.615 5 2.29 52 5.7 1.173 3.4
                     
Fingers 1981 28 6 0.824 0 1.04 61 7.0 0.872 4.2
                     
Caudill 1982 26 6 0.813 0 2.35 111 10.4 1.045 4.4
                     
Reardon 1982 26 8 0.765 2 2.06 86 7.1 1.128 3.5
                     
Bedrosian 1982 11 6 0.647 10 2.42 123 8.0 1.155 4.2
                     
L.Smith 1983 29 4 0.879 1 1.65 91 7.9 1.074 4.8
                     
Stewart 1983 8 5 0.615 5 2.60 78 5.2 1.237 3.1
                     
Quisenberry 1983 45 8 0.849 0 1.94 48 3.1 0.928 5.5
                     
Orosco 1983 17 5 0.773 1 1.47 84 6.9 1.036 3.8
                     
Hernandez 1984 32 1 0.970 0 1.92 112 7.2 0.941 4.8
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Lamp 1985 2 5 0.286 8 3.32 68 5.8 1.164 1.3
                     
B.Smith 1985 27 6 0.818 1 2.27 40 4.5 1.084 1.6
                     
Lahti 1985 19 1 0.950 6 1.84 41 5,4 1.302 2.3
                     
D. Moore 1985 31 8 0.795 0 1.92 72 6.3 1.087 3.6
                     
Eichhorn 1986 10 4 0.714 7 1.72 166 9.5 0.955 7.4
                     
Righetti 1986 46 10 0.821 0 2.45 83 7.0 1.153 3.8
                     
Todd Worrell 1986 36 10 0.783 0 2.08 73 6.3 1.225 2.5
                     
Henke 1987 34 8 0.810 1 2.49 128 12.3 0.926 3.3
                     
Burke 1987 18 4 0.818 5 1.19 58 5.7 0.890 4.3
                     
Dayley 1987 4 6 0.400 6 2.66 63 9.3 1.393 1.5
                     
Henneman 1988 22 7 0.759 2 1.87 58 5.7 1.051 3.3
                     
Parrett 1988 6 4 0.600 2 2.65 62 6.1 1.211 1.6
                     
Pena 1988 12 2 0.857 9 1.91 83 7.9 1.081 1.7
                     
Lancaster 1989 8 3 0.727 7 1.36 56 6.9 1.032 3.9
                     
Russell 1989 38 6 0.864 0 1.98 77 9.5 0.950 2.5
                     
McDowell 1989 23 5 0.821 2 1.96 47 4.6 1.272 1.2
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Eckersley 1990 48 2 0.960 0 0.61 73 9.0 0.614 3.3
                     
Thigpen 1990 57 8 0.877 0 1.83 70 7.1 1.038 3.4
                     
Nelson 1990 5 3 0.625 18 1.57 38 4.6 0.964 2.3
                     
Dibble 1990 11 6 0.647 17 1.74 136 12.5 0.980 4.0
                     
Henry 1991 15 1 0.938 3 1.00 28 7.0 0.833 2.2
                     
Aguilera 1991 42 9 0.824 0 2.35 61 8.0 1.072 2.4
                     
Ward 1992 12 4 0.750 24 1.95 103 9.1 1.135 3.1
                     
Rojas 1992 10 1 0.909 13 1.43 70 6.3 1.043 3.9
                     
Olin 1992 29 7 0.806 0 2.34 47 4.8 1.211 2.7
                     
Jones 1992 36 6 0.857 0 1.85 93 7.5 1.102 2.8
                     
Wetteland 1993 43 1 0.977 0 1.37 113 12.0 1.008 4.2
                     
Harvey 1993 45 4 0.918 0 1.70 73 9.5 0.841 4.0
                     
Beck 1993 48 4 0.923 0 2.16 86 9.8 0.882 2.4
                     
Martinez 1993 2 1 0.667 14 2.61 119 10.0 1.243 3.0
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Hoffman 1998 53 1 0.981 0 1.48 86 10.6 0.849 4.1
                     
Urbina 1998 34 4 0.895 0 1.30 94 12.2 1.010 3.2
                     
Williamson 1999 19 7 0.731 5 2.41 107 10.3 1.039 2.8
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Rhodes 2001 3 4 0.429 31 1.72 83 11.0 0.853 2.5
                     
Smoltz 2003 45 4 0.918 0 1.12 73 10.2 0.870 3.3
                     
Tim Worrell 2003 38 7 0.844 1 2.87 65 7.5 1.302 0.8
                     
Cormier 2003 1 3 0.250 13 1.70 67 7.1 0.933 2.6
                     
Timlin 2005 13 7 0.650 24 2.24 59 6.6 1.320 2.9
                     
Nathan 2006 36 2 0.947 0 1.58 95 12.5 0.790 3.3
                     
Ryan 2006 38 4 0.905 1 1.37 86 10.7 0.857 3.6
                     
Putz 2007 40 2 0.952 0 1.38 82 10.3 0.698 4.0
                     
Rivera 2008 39 1 0.975 0 1.40 77 9.8 0.665 4.3
                     
Jenks 2008 30 4 0.882 0 2.63 38 5.5 1.103 2.5
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Bell 2010 47 3 0.940 0 1.93 86 11.1 1.200 1.9
                     
Soriano 2010 45 3 0.938 0 1.73 57 8.2 0.802 2.1
                     
Aceves 2011 2 3 0.400 11 2.61 80 6.3 1.105 2.7
                     
Axford 2011 46 2 0.958 0 1.95 86 10.5 1.140 2.3
                     
Downs 2011 1 3 0.250 26 1.34 35 5.9 1.006 2.0
                     
Cook 2012 14 7 0.667 21 2.09 80 9.8 0.941 2.6
                     
Chapman 2012 38 5 0.884 6 1.51 122 15.3 0.809 3.6
                     
Johnson 2012 51 3 0.944 0 2.49 41 5.4 1.019 2.4
                     
Smyly 2013 2 4 0.333 21 2.37 81 9.6 1.039 2.6
                     
Davis 2014 3 3 0.500 33 1.00 109 13.6 0.847 3.7
                     
Clippard 2014 1 6 0.143 40 2.18 82 10.5 0.995 1.5
                     
Rondon 2015 30 4 0.882 8 1.67 69 8.6 1.000 2.2
                     
O'Day 2015 6 5 0.545 18 1.52 82 11.3 0.934 2.7
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Britton 2016 47 0 1.000 0 0.54 75 9.9 0.836 4.2
                     
Osuna 2016 36 6 0.857 0 2.68 82 10.0 0.932 2.1
                     
Brach 2016 2 5 0.286 24 2.05 92 10.5 1.038 2.5
                     
Miller 2016 12 2 0.857 25 1.45 123 14.9 0.686 3.8
                     
Robertson 2017 14 2 0.875 8 1.84 98 12.9 0.849 2.9
                     
Jansen 2017 41 1 0.976 1 1.32 109 14.4 0.746 2.9
                     
Albers 2017 2 4 0.333 14 1.62 63 9.3 0.852 2.5
                     
Kimbrel 2017 35 4 0.897 1 1.43 126 16.4 0.681 3.6
                     
Morrow 2018 22 2 1.158 0 1.47 31 9.1 1.076 1.4
                     
Trivino 2018 4 5 0.444 23 2.92 82 10.0 1.135 1.5
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Treinen 2018 38 5 0.884 5 0.78 100 11.2 0.834 4.1
                     
Jeffress 2018 15 5 0.750 18 1.29 89 10.4 0.991 3.3
                     
Yarbrough 2018 0 0 0.000 1 3.91 128 7.8 1.290 1.1
                     
Hader 2018 12 5 0.706 21 2.43 243 15.8 0.811 2.1
                     
Strop 2018 13 4 0.765 9 2.26 57 8.6 0.989 2.1
                     
Workman 2019 16 6 0.727 15 1.88 104 13.1 1.033 3.2
                     
Robles 2019 23 4 0.852 2 2.48 75 9.3 1.018 2.6
                     
Walden 2019 2 4 0.333 8 3.81 76 8.8 1.192 1.2
                     
W.Smith 2019 34 4 0.895 0 2.76 96 13.2 1.026 0.4
                     
Oberg 2019 5 3 0.625 8 2.25 58 9.3 1.107 2.4
                     
Littell 2019 0 1 0.000 1 2.68 32 7.8 1.162 0.9
                     
Whitlock 2021 2 3 0.400 15 1.96 81 9.9 1.105 2.9
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR


Notes


Hughes and Sherry Smith appeared as a starter thirteen times.


Baumgartner and Bernhard appeared as a starter twelve times.


Wolfgang and Baskette appeared as a starter eleven times.


Craig and Coumbe appeared as a starter ten times.


Danforth, Malone, Stewart, Sherry, Luque and Conzelman appeared as a starter nine times.


Phillipe and Walsh appeared as a starter eight times.


Morton and Griffith appeared as a starter seven times.


Paige, Mays, Chappelle, Rommell and Yarbrough appeared as a starter six times.


Marberry, Mossi, Lee, Ellis and Dubuc appeared as a starter five times.


Leever, Aceves and Beene appeared as a starter four times.


Russell, Stanley, Adams, Keefe, Bedrosian and Grissom appeared as a starter three times.


Brown, McDaniel, Wood, Crandall, Brosnan, Lindsey, Karl, Wilks, Martinez, Clark and Lolich appeared as a starter two times.


Beggs, Quinn, Narleski, McGraw, Aloma, Robles, Ferguson, Vincente Romo, and Trivino appeared once as a starter.


Maltzberger, Hyde, Konstanty, Duren, Brosnan, Tekulve and Henke all wore glasses.


References


Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. New York, 2005.


Freedman, Lew. Knuckleball: The History of the Unhittable Pitch. Sports Publishing, 2015.

“Marv Grissom Minor League Baseball Statistics on Statscrew.com.” Stats Crew, Stats Crew, https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/stats/p-c24a00a7. 28 Mar. 2022.

Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992.


---------------- The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903-1989. St. Martin's Press, 1990.


Nemec, et al. The Baseball Chronicle: Year-By-Year History of Major League Baseball. Publications International, Ltd., 2008. 


Society for American Baseball Research, SABR, https://sabr.org/. 28 Mar. 2022.


Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. https://www.baseball-reference.com/. 28 Mar. 2022.

Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/. 28 Mar. 2022.