“When we got him, we said ‘NLCS MVP or bust.’ So fortunately, we don’t bust.”
Sure, tongue in cheek about mid season pickup Tommy Edman from Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, but these things happen.
Of course your world series MVP is more likely to be Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge. Juan Soto, Mookie Betts, or Giancarlo Stanton but don’t be surprised if another Edman jumps out of the shadows.
Make no mistake, hall of famers like Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, Frank Robinson and of course Reggie Jackson and his 3 homer game won the award.
However, there’s a long history of those with some notoriety and a few with next to none that have turned the fall classic on it’s ear.
One thing to get out of the way is the fact that they didn’t even select a series MVP until 1955, so that would be 1903 until 1955. The season after that they handed out the first Cy Young, but I’m getting off track.
Johnny Podres. Dodgers pitcher won the first one as the team won their only Brooklyn championship. Dodger teamates Roy Campinella and Duke Snyder finished 1-2 in regular season MVP voting. Don Newcombe was the ace but Podres won the award.
None of the hitters stood out and Podres won both his starts including an 8 hit 2-0 shutout win in game 7 and the ‘Bums’ had their title in Brooklyn. Podres was a middling 9-10 3.95 regular season. The series landscape is littered with such instances.
Tip 10 most unlikely world series MVPs
1 – Bucky Dent (1978) – Yes Dent did the Red Sox in during that one game playoff but after a 3-15 ALCS, Dent was a menace in 7 series games going 10-24 and driving in 7. Reggie Jackson did go 6/13 with 2 homers and 6 RBI but Dent got the award
2 – Pat Borders (1982) – The Blue Jays catcher had the most hits (9) of any player, a homer and 3 RBI in an offensively challenged series, Toronto scored just 17 in 6 games but beat the Braves 4 games to 2.
3 – Rick Dempsey (1983) – Another catcher, all five of his hits went for extra bases, four doubles and a homer. Cal Ripken was the young star of this team, but the league MVP went just 3-18 as the Orioles beat the Phils in five.
4 – David Eckstein (2006) – Five games (over the Tigers) Not enough for a pitching hero. The shortstop went 8/22 and tied for must runs with 3 and RBI with 4. Yes this team had noted playoff performer Albert Pujols who went 3-15 with one home run
5 – Steve Pearce (2018) – Not Mookie Betts or even Chris Sale who won twice in 2 starts and a relief appearance for the Red Sox. Pearce aquired at mid season from Toronto had just 4 hits. Three were homers, knocking in eight.
6 – Larry Sherry (1959) – The Dodgers had both Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale and they allowed just 2 runs between them in 16 innings. Sherry? Two wins, two saves in 4 games, allowing one run. He also led the Dodgers in innings with 12 2/3.
7 – Donn Clendenon (1969) – The miracle Mets were of course Tom Seaver’s team but it was Jerry Koosman who went 2-0 and allowed only 7 hits in two starts. Clendenon hit 3 of the Mets 6 homers. He drove in just 4 but also went 5 for 14.
8 – Ralph Terry (1962) – The Yankees got one home run from Mickey Mantle and Roger Marris combined, the team hit 3 in seven games. Terry, who had served up Bill Mazeroski’s walk off in 1960 got redemption. He had two wins and two complete games.
9 – Gene Tenace (1972) – The catcher homered in his first 2 series at bats. The A’s without an injured Reggie Jackson hit 5 homers in beating Cincinnati in seven. Tenace hit four of the five.
10 – Don Larsen – (1956) – The dude pitched the only perfect game in series play and he could have ranked higher here. However, after going 3-21 for Baltimore two years earlier, He was very good in 1955-56 going 20-7, 3.19. He really only had one more good year.
While researching I had both Edgar Renteria and David Freese for a moment but Renteria was at the end of a fine career and Freese was an all start for his only time that season.
Brian Doyle didn’t win series MVP and had just 32 big league hits but for seven games in 1978, Doyle kept getting hits, 7 for 16 playing second base for the injured Willie Randolph.
Is it time for some lesser light to step up again? Dodgers and Yankees next.
