A grand total of three games have been scoreless after nine frames. So, when looking up pitcher's duel from Fall Classic history, this trio of contests should come to mind.
The most famous one would be game seven of Minnesota and Atlanta in 1991. It was game seven. But the previous two were pretty good as well. One featured the last hit and RBI of Jackie Robinson. The other, back in 1913, ended up being the fourth and final shutout of Christy Matthewson's World Series career.
So it was in the second contest of '13 that Matthewson's New York Giants were up against the powerful Philadelphia Athletics. Eight years earlier, Matty's three shutouts helped the Giants dispose of the A's in just five games. But here, things were different.
Philadelphia had needed just five games to overcome Chicago in the 1910 World Series. The Cubs were no slouches, and sort of the first dynasty in baseball. At least since the current postseason (World Series) had started in 1903. Chicago lost to their cross-town rivals in 1906, then beat Detroit the next two years. Their bid for a third world crown was ended by Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics in 1910.
The New York Giants, meanwhile should have been in the World Series to face the Detroit Tigers in 1908. But a crucial baserunning error by Fred Merkle late in the season cost them a pennant. The Giants, too, had a bit of a dynasty going. But their manager, John McGraw, didn't see the American League as a worthy opponent back in 1904. The first modern World Series had been in 1903 between Boston (AL) and Pittsburgh (NL) , but McGraw wouldn't be playing in one the year after. He saw the American League as not up to par with the National League. McGraw wasn't exactly a fan of American League president Ban Johnson, either. So, no World Series in 1904. The poor Boston Americans had to settle for just the pennant. The New York Giants, meanwhile, settled for one of their own. Good thing it was decided to play a Fall Classic next year. But maybe McGraw had a point? Philly managed only a game two, 3-0 win in the best-of-seven affair against McGraw's boys. Were the Giants that much better than everyone?
Well, the Philadelphia Athletics have to wait until 1911 to face New York again in the October showdown. But now, Philly was much better. The first five games were close, but the Athletics had a 3-2 edge over the Giants. Game six was no contest. Philadelphia beat New York, 13-2. Back-to-back World Series titles for Connie Mack's boys.
New York then had more heartbreak the following year. They narrowly lost to the Boston Red Sox, 4-3 (Plus one game was a tie). They had led, 2-1 going into the bottom of the tenth inning at Fenway Park. But the Red Sox rallied, with Fred Snodgrass and Fred Merkle making some costly mistakes in the field for the New York Giants, leading to a 3-2 walk-off win Boston.
But for the third straight year, New York would head back to the October Classic. Come 1913, both Snodgrass and Merkle showed no mental block from what had happened the previous October. Fred Snodgrass hit .291. The only other regulars to hit higher was catcher Jack Myers and shortstop Art Fletcher. Myers hit .312, but in just 120 games. Fletcher hit .297.
The New York Giants themselves seemed to be unfazed by two previous defeats in the October Classic. They'd won 106 games back in 1904, and 105 more the next year for the franchises first two pennants in the era of the modern Fall Classic. They team didn't win over 100 again until 1912 (They stopped at 99 wins in '11). So come 1913, they "fell" from 103 wins to 101. Maybe it's symbolic in that there were 101 reasons to think they could keep getting back to the final stand every year with the team they had.
The Giants had pitching, for one of those 101 reasons they were great. John McGraw knew good pitching when he saw it. He'd seen it in Christy Mathewson. Matty won 26 games in 1911. Rube Marquard had to settle for the second best pitcher on the Giants that year. But when you win 24 games, you are certainly right up there with Christy. Marquard went on to over 200 career wins, proving he was no one-year wonder. Rube was all alone atop the leader board in the Senior Circuit in 1912 with 26 triumphs. Red Ames is sort of a forgotten pitcher among the Giants' fully armed teamed. But back in 1905, Red won 22 games. By 1911, he was only 11-10.
But look at Ames earned run average. It had been 2.74 in '05, and 2.66 the next year. 2.16 in 1907. During the New York Giants' run to three straight pennants in the 1910s, it was still excellent. 2.68 in 1911. The next year, Ames didn't lose much. 11-5 was Red's record. 2.46 was his ERA. Perhaps one bad thing thing to say about John McGraw's squad in 1913 was Ames was no longer with them. He was traded to Cincinnati for Art Fromme. Fromme finished '13 just 12-10. Red Ames finished his big league career after the 1919 season (But continued on in the minors until 1923) with 183 wins and an earned run average of 2.63.
Hooks Wiltse was a pitcher who John McGraw must have seen beyond just the mound. Wiltse had twice won twenty games. But by 1911, he wasn't pitching as much as he'd once been. But, Hooks was still helping. He was 12-9 that year, 9-6 the next, and in 1913 had a special place for usage by his manager. Though Doc Crandall was the closer on the team (4-4, 2.86 ERA and 6 saves), Hooks Wiltse was without question the ace of the bullpen. Wiltse didn't win any of his seventeen games he appeared in (Just two starts). However, when Crandall didn't close, Wiltse did. Hooks collected three saves of his own. And while Doc Crandall had his excellent earned run average, Hooks Wiltse bested him by a mile. Wiltse's was 1.56.
And better still, for the starting rotation, was the emergence of rookie Jeff Tesreau in 1912. Tesreau won 17 and topped the National League in ERA that year, 1.96. Tesreau upped his win total to 22 the next year, to join Christy Mathewson (25 wins) and Rube Marquard (23 wins) as part of a "Big Three" aces club on New York. Rookie Al Demaree came through with a 13-4 record and a 2.21 earned run average. The team had it, be it starting or relieving.
Philadelphia, their American League counter-parts in 1913, had an amazing array of starting pitchers. Six to be exact. And when one started, it seemed like the other five were ready to hop in from the bullpen. Eddie Plank won 18. Chief Bender won 22. Boardwalk Brown won 17 and Bullet Joe Bush won 15. Still another strong pitcher was Byron Houck, who won 14 games.
Frank Baker, who would later acquire the nickname, "Home Run", lived up to that calling in 1913. He swatted a very impressive (For the time) twelve that year. Eddie Collins did it all at second (He hit .345). Stuffy McInnis hit .324.
Looking to make it three World Series titles in four years, it was the Athletics who took game one on the road, 6-4. Chief Bender got the better of Rube Marquard. It was up to Christy Mathewson to get things even for the Giants.
Game two was a tough one for New York. Matty struggled in the bottom of the first as Philly got two men on. Something unusual happened in the top of the third. John McGraw, perhaps guessing (Correctly), that New York was going to have trouble scoring on Eddie Plank, brought in Hooks Wilkse to run for Fred Snodgrass. Snodgrass, the first basemen, had singled with one away, then advanced to third when their outstanding pitcher followed with a base hit of his own. It was here where McGraw put in Wilkse into the game. In trying to get Snodgrass at third, Matty went to second. The move by the Giants' manager made no difference. Buck Herzog hit a grounder that Hooks Wiltse tried to score on. Wiltse was out at the dish. At least Mathewson made it to third, while Herzog very alertly went to second. But the visiting team failed to score.
A gem of a pitcher's duel emerged between Eddie Plank and Christy Mathewson. It seemed like there was great likelihood of this World Series heading back to New York with Philadelphia up 2-0, though. Come the last of the ninth, it was scoreless. Would it stay that way after Amos Strunk and Jack Barry singled?
Barry had bunted towards second base. Larry Doyle tried to nail Jack at first. All he ended up doing was making a bad throw, which made matters dire for the Giants. Amos Strunk made it to third, and Jack Barry was on second.
So the winning run was ninety feet away. No outs. Jack Lapp grounded to first, Strunk headed home. So it was up to a fielder who was normally a pitcher to snap a fastball home. Hooks Wiltse did just that and Strunk was DOA.
But Jack Barry was now on third, and Lack was on first. Philadelphia still had an excellent chance to win it. A double play could get New York out of this. Eddie Plank, matching goose eggs with Christy Mathewson all game long, hit a grounder to first. Again Hooks Wiltse got to it, and again fired home. A rundown ensued. Larry McLean, the catcher, threw to Buck Herzog at third. Herzog tossed it to pitcher Christy Matthewson. Matty made the putout.
Given the chance to get out of this unscathed, Christy took Eddie Murphy's grounded and tossed to Hooks Wiltse at first for the third out.
How valuable a player was Christy Mathewson this game? Well, he'd singled and walked in three trips up to the dish. But it was his fourth plate appearance that cemented Matty as the MVP of this game. It had been a tough year for him at the plate. Mathewson hit .264 in 1912, but jut .184 in '13.
But this game was in the Fall Classic, where Christy would usually hit well. He'd hit .250 in 1905, to go along with the three big shutouts. Then, there was 1911, where Matty hit .286. 1912 had produced just a .167 batting average for this terrific pitcher in the World Series. One year later, he was back to finding holes in the infield and outfield to get the ball through.
Larry McLean had seen his batterymate survive quite a scare the previous half inning. Leading off the top of the tenth, McLean singled. John McGraw sent in Eddie Grant to run for him. A ballplayer named Eddie Murphy and another named Eddie Grant in the same game in 1913? Too bad it wasn't the singer or actor!
Anyways, Hooks Wiltse got the bunt down, and Grant made it to second. Christy Mathewson made it 2-3 at the dish with an RBI single! Buck Herzog then reached on an error by second basemen Eddie Collins. Matty made it to third, Herzog to second. The Athletics had this scenario with one away in the bottom of the ninth, and failed to score. Here, a run was in for the visiting Giants, and more scoring was to follow.
Larry Doyle got hit by Plank, and the bases were loaded, with just one out. Art Fletcher singled home Christy Mathewson and Buck Herzog with a single, and it was 3-0 for New York. George Burns fanned and Tillie Shafer flew out, but the damage had been done.
Christy Matthewson wasn't about to let the game get away from the New York Giants. First, he retired Rube Olding on a grounder to start the ninth. Eddie Collins came to the plate, and looked at strike three. Frank Baker grounded out.
So, a nice series-tying shutout for the great Christy Mathewson. Alas, Philly just regrouped at the Polo Grounds. The A's handed Jeff Tesreau an 8-2 loss in game three. Chief Bender was staked to an early 6-0 lead in the fourth contest back at Shibe Park. The Giants nearly came back, falling only 6-5. Eddie Plank avenged his game two loss, beating Christy Mathewson in game five, 3-1. Philadelphia had their third World Series title.
So a gem like game two was a long ways away from happening again. When it did, it was quickly forgotten.
It was a long time. 1956, to be exact. Brooklyn vs. New York. But New York, as in Yankees. The Dodgers had broken through the previous year for their first World Series title, and now looked to make it two in a row.
While they won their first two games, it seemed like their American League counterparts' were better than they'd been the year before. Mickey Mantle, who'd missed some games in 1955, including big ones in October, did it all in 1956 for New York. He won the Triple Crown. There was also Yogi Berra. Moose Skowron.
Brooklyn had a strong pitching staff in 1956, but could it match up to New York's? The Yankees had Whitey Ford with 19 wins. Johnny Kucks had 18. Kucks had a high earned run average, though. It was 3.85. Ford's was best on the staff, 2.47. Tom Sturdivant was 16-8 with a very good ERA of 3.30. Don Larsen had a 3.26 ERA, but could only go 11-5. There was Bob Turley, who was 8-4, but his earned run average was over five.
There bullpen didn't seem very good, as only Tommy Byrne and Bob Grim stood out. That starting staff was one that probably didn't need much of a bullpen, anyways.
What about Brooklyn? There two aces were Don Newcombe and Sal Maglie. This team needed a bullpen. Newk won 27 games, also posting an earned run average of 3.06. Maglie was only there for 28 games, and went 13-5 with a 2.87 ERA. Roger Craig was a win one, lose one pitcher, 12-11. So was Carl Erskine, 13-11. Neither had a good earned run average.
The team had two kids who were talented pitchers. Sandy Koufax and rookie Don Drysdale. But both were a few years away from truly helping out the Dodgers. Koufax had showed plenty of promise as a rookie (Albeit not getting much work), going 2-2 with an earned run average of just 3.02 in 1955. Both his wins were shutouts. Though added to the postseason that year, Brooklyn did not use him in the World Series (Koufax was unfortunate in that every other Dodger pitcher named to the postseason roster did see action). But now, just a year later an with more limited duty, Sandy took a step back. He went just 2-4 with a 4.91.
Truth be told, from here on in, the lefty improved. Well, slowly. He was 5-4 with a 3.88 ERA. The team moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958, and Koufax won eleven games. His ERA climbed to 4.48 that year, but from there, came down until 1965. It was 4.06 in 1959. 3.91 in 1960. 3.52 in 1961. At this point, Koufax was ready to dominate. '61 had seen him win 18 games. From 1962-1966, Sandy won the ERA crown every year. But this was still 1956, and Koufax had struggled to make believers out of Brooklyn.
Even in 1955, you couldn't necessary blame the Brooklyn Dodgers for not using him in the World Series vs. New York. Koufax had a 2-0 record and a 2.05 earned run average after nine appearances with the club. It was September 3rd. But the next three outings were bad, 0-2, 5.73 ERA.
A year later, September was not kind to Koufax. Arm trouble in June seemed to set him back. Sandy had been unavailable to pitch for ten days that month. And to make matters worse for the Dodgers, their ace, Don Newcombe, had some shoulder issues. As June started, Koufax had appeared in just six games. By August, Brooklyn had seemingly given up on him. Koufax pitched just once in August (A start that say him fail to retire a batter in the second inning), and once more in September (A tad better, as Sandy started, made it to the fifth inning, but allowed a one out single to Red Schoendienst and then a double by Willie Mays). The Dodgers ended up losing the game 4-1 as the lefty was touched up for five hits, four walks and four runs. Though named to the postseason roster again, there would be no action in the 1956 World Series for Sandy Koufax.
Don Drysdale, in 1956, had shown plenty of promise. Similar to what Sandy Koufax had the year before. But his earned run average was better in 1956 than what Koufax's had been in '55. It was just 2.64. Brooklyn seemed alright with using him. They were careful. Three appearances in April. Three more in May. Brooklyn seemed to settle on him for bullpen use as July moved into August. From July 13th to August 26th, Drysdale was used exclusively in relief. In the seven outings, Don tossed 11 2/3 innings and posted an earned run average of 0.00. This earned him a start on August 28th, which Drysdale lost.
Nonetheless, Brooklyn stuck with him. In September, the tall righty went 2-1 with an earned run average of 1.63 in his six outings. There'd be a spot for him in the World Series against the mighty New York Yankees.
But Drysdale was only able to make a two-inning relief appearance in the fourth contest, which the Dodgers lost 6-2 (The pitched gave up a two-run home run to Hank Bauer). The fifth game was all New York. Don Larsen retired all twenty-seven men who faced him for a 2-0 win. The perfect game put the Yankees up 3-2 as the Fall Classic shifted back to Ebbets Field.
Brooklyn had won game one, although the New York Yankees collected nine hits and four walks against Sal Maglie (A 6-3 loss). Game two, started out as a rout. Poor Don Newcombe had been quickly sent to the showers. It was 6-0 after 1 1/2 innings. But from there, the Dodgers woke up, rallying for a 13-8 win.
It seemed, alas, like their bats had died in the three games at Yankee Stadium. Brooklyn scored just five runs in the trio of contests. New York had scored 24 runs through five games.
Sal Maglie had sort of slowed them down in game five, holding them to just five hits and keeping pace with Don Larsen. But now, come game six, New York was looking to put this thing away. They sent out Bob Turley, who's story was similar to Don Larsen.
Yep, both Turley and Larsen just weren't good pitchers on the St. Louis Browns. But then they came to New York and suddenly they both were. A coincidence, perhaps? Both righties pitched with no-windup. To further stir the pot, the Yankees weren't through getting hurlers that served them well, and had once been Browns. Ryne Duren bounced around the big leagues, but in 1957 the Yankees got him, and his career took off. Back then, the New York Yankees stole many-a-player from the Kansas City Athletics (The A's moved there from Philly in 1955, later moving to Oakland for 1968, where they are to this day). But it seems their was plenty of help from the Browns, who about to move to Baltimore.
Duren would have been a nice addition on the team one year earlier, but Bob Turley and Don Larsen might have outshined him. Maybe Turley wasn't that bad in the first place. He was 2-6 in 1953, but had a 3.28 earned run average. The next year, Bob improved to 14-15 and had a 3.46 ERA. So, the Yankees got him for 1955, and Turley was a 17-game winner. But now, in 1956, he'd sort of come down to earth.
Come postseason in '56, Turley was making life difficult for Brooklyn. They'd had their way with him in the 1955 Fall Classic, but what a difference a year can make! Bob faced three batters a game one relief appearance and retired all three. Two strikeouts. The only batter he faced in the second contest struck out.
So, manager Casey Stengel gave the kid with a 5.05 earned run average a chance. Brooklyn went with Clem Labine. Notice how I didn't mention him earlier when talking about the starting pitchers on the Dodgers in 1956? That's because Labine was more a closer than a starter. Not that he was a bad pitcher. Clem topped the National League in saves in 1956 with nineteen. But, Labine had just three starts to his name. Yes, he'd won ten games, but he must have felt out of place here. This could easily have cost Brooklyn their 1956 season.
But instead, Clem delivered the goods. It seemed like, in the past, when they needed a big win, Labine got them one. He'd won eight games in 1952. Eleven more the next year. Thirteen in 1955. Even in 1951, Clem had five wins to his name in just fourteen games pitched. Two of them had been shutouts to keep Brooklyn in the hunt with the New York Giants.
Still, reality check: Of the 246 games to this point in his career, just 35 were starts! Clem had pitched alright against the New York Yankees in the 1953 Fall Classic, posting a 3.60 earned run average. However, New York got ten hits off him in just five innings. 1955 was better. In four relief outings, the right-hander posted a 2.89 ERA. A year later, a two-inning relief stint saw Labine give up just an unearned run in game three. Could he cut it as a starter?
The first four inning saw the New York Yankees get men on and failed to get them home. New York had five hits, but no runs. They collected another hit in the fifth inning via a Yogi Berra double. It was the American League Champions first extra-base hit of the game. Enos Slaughter then drew a walk. But all this after Clem Labine had retired Joe Collins and Mickey Mantle. Bill Martin popped out to foul territory.
Turley though four innings: Two hits allowed, two walks, five strikeouts! He was just getting warmed up. Brooklyn went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth as Turley struck out the side. The Dodgers did not get a hit off him in the sixth, or seventh. In the eight, it seemed like Bob's luck had run out. Clem Labine batted for himself an hit a leadoff double. But Jim Gilliam fanned. Pee Wee Reese flied out. Duke Snider was put on deliberately. But Jackie Robinson, who was playing in the second-last game of his career, popped out to third.
Clem had given up a double of his own in the top of the eighth. However, after walking Mickey Mantle intentionally, Labine got out of it. The next inning was easy as New York went down in order. Brooklyn actually put the winning run on in the bottom of the frame, as Sandy Amoros (Who's big catch off Yogi Berra in the seventh game the previous year had helped preserve a 2-0 Dodgers' win) drew a one-out walk. Amoros could once again be the hero. But the next two batters were retired by Bob Turley.
So normally, now would be the end of the game. Bob Turley had pitched well. No runs allowed. Three hits allowed. Eleven strikeouts. The one glaring concern had to be the bases on balls. Turley was up to six. His counterpart on Brooklyn, had allowed just two.
So here two great teams were, without a scoring play. Sal Maglie's fine effort had been in vain the previous contest, and there was that possibility that Clem Labine's would also not be enough. At least the pair had found a way to stop the explosive Yankee bats. Mickey Mantle had three home runs to his name through the first three games in the 1956 World Series.
The Mick was no doubt itchin' to hit another four-bagger as the tenth inning started. He'd bat after Joe Collins, who was the third hitter due up. Bob Turley was scheduled to lead off, and did just that. Bob was 0-3. Clem Labine fanned him. Hank Bauer grounded out. So did Joe Collins.
My, how times have changed in this great sport of baseball. Clem Labine due up to start the bottom of the frame. Billy Martin, the second basemen on the Yankees, took his popup. Evidentially, both managers were going all the way with their starting pitchers (Which, of course, would never happen today, even in game seven). Jim Gillian drew Bob Turley's seventh walk. Though there was one out, Pee Wee Reese dropped down a bunt. Bob Turley, to Joe Collins at first. Two away. This, however, was the last batter Turley retired. Duke Snider was back up. As was the case in the eighth inning, New York put him on intentionally. Jackie Robinson was back up. He launched one to left, where Enos Slaughter misjudged it. The Dodgers took it on the walk-off.
It certainly had been a gem of a pitcher's duel. Neither Clem Labine or Bob Turley are remembered today the way Christy Mathewson or Eddie Plank was. But in terms of scoreless duels after nine innings in the October Classic, this was a long time due, right?
The effects of the game seemed more like a brief halt rather than a key win, alas. Game seven, after two classics, was a let down. Don Newcombe went out to try and clinch the second straight World Series for Brooklyn. But, Don was overmatched by a pitcher named Johnny Kucks. When the smoke cleared, Newcombe lasted just three innings. It was 5-0 for the visiting New York Yankees. After nine, Brooklyn was still at zero runs, but the winning Yankees had scored nine times.
Well, 35 years later, it was a "Home team wins every game" series. For the Minnesota Twins, it was 1987 all over again. They'd beaten the St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh contest at home. Four years later, the stubborn Atlanta Braves refused to die. Minny won the first two games at home, then lost all momentum in Atlanta. The Braves seemed to be in a new world at home, winning all three contests.
To cap the irony here, the Braves (In Milwaukee) had last won a World Series in 1957, the year after the Turley / Labine duel). When they came into the 1991 World Series, they rode the arms of pitchers John Smoltz and Tom Glavine. But they also had Charlie Leibrandt, who won fifteen games, and Steve Avery, who won eighteen.
Minnesota had Jack Morris. Morris was 18-12 and destined for three Fall Classic starts. Kevin Tapani won sixteen games and posted an earned run average of 2.99. Scott Erickson won twenty games. But the Twins other two starters, Allan Anderson and David West, both had ERAs over four.
Morris himself was stuck with a 3.43 earned run average. Yet out he went and beat Atlanta 5-2 in game one. Jack was Mr. Clutch. In the American League Championship Series that preceded this, he beat the Toronto Blue Jays in games one and four. A pitcher's duel in the fourth contest in that year's World Series saw neither him or John Smoltz get a decision. But the win by Atlanta squared this thing.
So going into game six, it was Minnesota who needed a win to stay alive. They got it via a 4-3 decision in Atlanta. That setup a rematch of game four, as Smoltz and Morris seemed poised to deliver a classic.
Well, maybe not Jack Morris, right? His high earned run average in the regular season was more his trademark rather than an off-season. Jack's best year had been 1986, when he won 21 games and posted a 3.27 ERA for Detroit. But he had plenty of postseason experience. Two years earlier, he'd pitched the Tigers to the World Series title, winning a pair of games in the Fall Classic.
So, Morris was looking to get two more wins under his belt in the 1991 World Series. But, he'd never pitched a shutout in the postseason before. Was he up to the task?
Certainly. But let's not look past how good John Smoltz was. Smoltz watched as Morris had a 1-2-3 sixth. But when it was the Atlanta's pitcher's turn that inning, he matched that. Top of the seventh was 1-2-3 for Morris. And 1-2-3 for Smoltz.
John Smoltz and Jack Morris could have been teammates at one point. When Morris was pitching for Detroit in 1987, there was an August trade between Detroit and Atlanta. To the Braves went prospect Smoltz. Sadly, the Tigers never got him into a regular season game, despite drafting him in 1985.
Myself being a Toronto Blue Jays' fan, the circumstances leading to Smoltz and Alexander are interesting. Alexander was a very good pitcher, sometimes an even great one. It didn't matter where he went, he'd help your starting rotation out. If you had two good pitchers, then with Alexander you know had three.
Case and point was when Toronto got him in 1983. Doyle had won twelve games once for Baltimore. Seventeen games once for Texas. Even a previous stop in Atlanta (Long before they had a powerhouse team) in 1980 produced fourteen wins. The watchful eye of Braves' manager Bobby Cox would see this pitcher again in three years. From there, an excellent 1981 followed. Alexander was now on the San Francisco Giants. There, he went 11-7 with a 2.89 earned run average.
Yet Doyle was on the road the next season. He was back with the New York Yankees in 1982, having previously been a part of their 1976 pennant-winning team. And that was no small feat. The mighty Yankees had gone twelve years without seeing the postseason. While '76 had been a success for Doyle (10-5, 3.29 ERA after going just 3-4 with a 3.50 earned run average earlier that season for the Orioles), his stop there in 1982 was not.
So, come 1983, it was time for Alexander to head north. From New York to Toronto. Doyle was able to go 7-6 in just 17 games with the Blue Jays, but never looked back. He won seventeen games in 1984. Again in 1985. The '85 Toronto Blue Jays won 99 games, a still-standing club record. Their manager? Bobby Cox. Catching Doyle as part of a platoon system was Alexander's old battery-mate from back in the Bronx, Buck Martinez.
What a pitching staff Doyle was a part of. But without him, as we'd see years later in John Smoltz, his team was short an arm. Toronto had Dave Stieb. Now, Stieb was awesome in 1985. His earned run average was just 2.48. Alas, Dave's W-L record was just 14-13. A bad W% was foreign to Doyle Alexander at this point in his career. Alexander had led the American League in that category the previous year. Jim Clancy and Jimmy Key (Taking over from Luis Leal) were the other two starters. But they were both question marks coming into 1985. Clancy was just 13-15 in 1984, possibly holding Toronto back? They'd won 89 games in any event that year. Key was merely another one of the countless closers the Blue Jays had previously tried prior to Bill Caudil. Key had tied Roy Lee Jackson for the club lead in saves in '84 with ten. Now, suddenly, here he was in the starting rotation as 1985 started. April saw Jimmy go 0-2 in the new role. In May, he was back in the bullpen. But with Luis Leal struggling after a pretty good April of 1985, the door was back open for a spot in the starting rotation.
Jimmy Key, the lefty, took advantage of the situation, and slammed the door behind him. There was simply no way that Leal (Who by July was pitching at "AAA" for Syracuse, never to see the mound again at the major league level) or anyone else was going to take his spot. All Jimmy did was go 14-6 in 1985.
Jim Clancy only won nine games, which on the surface isn't that good. But the team went 16-7 in games he started. And still another good starter that year was Tom Filer. Filer went 7-0 that year in limited duty. So between them, Clancy and Filer were really helping.
But how about Doyle Alexander? He won seventeen games again. With that, you'd think he'd be around a while. But he lost both his starts in the American League Championship Series vs. Kansas City (And the Blue Jays ultimately lost the series in seven), and was sadly on his way out of town. Toronto traded him to Atlanta (Who had nabbed Bobby Cox back from Toronto) in 1986, for a young pitcher named Dwayne Ward.
So Alexander was just 11-10 with the Jays / Braves in 1986. The next year, he was just 5-10 with Atlanta, and that's where the big Smoltz / Alexander deal was made. While it energized Doyle to the point of pitching like Grover Cleveland Alexander the rest of 1987, for John Smoltz, it appeared to do little.
Indeed, the trade might have looked one-sided at the time. Detroit now had Jack Morris and Doyle Alexander. Coincidentally, it was Alexander that helped Detroit nudge out Toronto for first place in the American League East Division that year. Doyle went 9-0 with a 1.53 earned run average. Then he went 14-10 in 1988, but bottomed out in his final big-league season, going a disappointing 6-18. In any event, to put Alexander in perspective, he finished his big league career with 194 wins. Dave Stieb won 177 and Jimmy Key 186. Clancy won just 140 games (Against 167 losses).
And Smoltz? Well, he finally got to the big-league level in 1988, and was clearly not the pitcher Alexander was. Smoltz finished that year just 2-7 with a 5.48 earned run average. Although he improved to a 2.94 ERA in 1989 (As his pal Doyle Alexander was finishing up his career), he was a win one, lose one pitcher (12-11). John didn't seem to break out. In 1991, he was just 14-13 with a 3.80 ERA.
So maybe Smoltz' postseason pitching helped leapfrog him to not only a clutch performer in October, but a great pitcher April to September?
See, that was the big difference between Doyle Alexander and John Smoltz. When you look at Alexander's postseason performances, you see an 0-5 record and an 8.38 earned run average.
John Smoltz was nothing like that. The 1991 National League Championship Series versus Barry Bonds and the Pittsburgh Pirates proved that: 2-0, 1.76 earned run average!
And game four of the Fall Classic that year was a must-win for Atlanta. Lose it, it's 3-1 for Minnesota. Win it, and it's all tied, 2-2. Although John Smoltz did not get a decision, he kept the Atlanta Braves in it, working seven innings, allowing just two runs. The Braves went on to win.
Now, in game seven, Smoltz had battled Jack Morris to a standstill. His performance in this "For all the marbles" contest was terrific.
The Braves put two on in the top of the eighth, but Jack Morris got out of that. But when the Twins looked to break the deadlock in the bottom of the frame, Braves' manager Bobby Cox removed John Smoltz. A tough decision, but the goal here is to win. Mike Stanton put the dangerous Kirby Puckett on. Bases loaded. One out. Kent Hrbek lined into an inning-ending double play.
It's too bad John Smoltz would sort of be the forgotten one when this magnificent game reached it conclusion. All he'd done was go 7 1/3 innings, allowing no runs and six hits. And it's not like Smotlz had any intentions of slowing down next year in the postseason. Smoltz was 3-0 in the 1992 playoffs, even beating Jack Morris in the fifth contest of the October Classic.
But here was a year earlier, and Jack Morris was bringing it. He needed just eight pitches to retire the side in order in the top of the ninth. The first two Minnesota batters reached in the bottom of the frame, but Alejandro Pena, who was quite the closer (Here and here if you want to see), got Atlanta out of this tough spot, sending this scoreless contests to extra innings.
And Jack Morris was still pitching. The poor Atlanta Braves didn't seem to have a chance against him. Again, just eight pitches were needed to set down the Braves' batters 1-2-3. On to the bottom of the tenth, scoreless.
Dan Gladden got the home team off on the right foot with a double. So much for a double play. Chuck Knoblauch bunted Gladden to third. So the World Series-winning run was ninety feet away. A fly to the outfield would win it, as there was just one out. The dangerous Kirby Puckett was up. Atlanta needed a double play. So Puckett was put on. Alejandro Pena then faced Ken Hrbek, a lefty. Pena was a righty. It was decided, rather than bring in a left-handed pitcher, to also put Hrbek on. It loaded the bases, but now a double play could be turned on a grounder, going to home first, if necessary.
Gene Larkin wasn't about to wait around at the dish. Finding Alejandro Pena's first pitch to his liking, he stroked a single to left, and Dan Gladden trotted home, putting to an end a most memorable World Series of 1991.
So more than thirty Fall Classics have elapsed since, and no game has gone past nine scoreless. Even the most recent World Series (In 2021, won coincidentally by Atlanta), would have two shutouts, but no scoreless deadlocks through nine. So if we are talking about pitching duels in the October Classic, there are three games to compare them to, that set the bar.
References
Brunt, Stephen. Diamond Dreams: 20 Years of Blue Jays Baseball. CNIB, 1999.
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. New York, 2005.
Gamester, George, and Gerald Hall. On Top of the World: The Toronto Star’s Tribute to the ‘92 Blue Jays. Doubleday Canada, 1992.
Golenbock, Peter. Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964. Contemporary Books, 2000.
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.
Shapiro, Michael. The Last Good Season: Brooklyn, the Dodgers, and Their Final Pennant Race Together. Broadway Books, 2004.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. https://www.baseball-reference.com/. 28 Feb. 2022.
Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/. 28 Feb. 2022.
