Results tagged “Giants” from The Southpaw

Every World Series has its memorable moment. Or two. Or three.
One player can make a name for himself as a goat or a hero.
Here is each World Series summed up in one sentence.

There are four teams who have made it to the World Series at least 15 times. Who are they?

If the Philadelphia Phillies reach the World Series this year, which they are just two wins away from doing, they will join select company.
You see, the Phillies would not only be the rare team to reach the Fall Classic in back-to-back seasons, but they would be doing so without ever having won 95 games in either seasons.
In all of baseball history there have been just three teams that have reached the Series in consecutive seasons while never winning 95 games in either.
Charlie Finley's Oakland Athletics won 93, 94 and 90 games but earned trips each year from 1972 to 1974.
John McGraw's New York Giants won 94 and 91 games while reaching the World Series in 1921 and '22.
Then there were Ty Cobb and his Tigers in 1907-08. They won 92 and 90 games respectively.
However, history bodes well for the Phils.
The Athletics and Giants won all of the series they played in even though the Tigers did not.

Of course, everyone remembers the out.
Vic Wertz did everything he could to beat the Giants that September day. Nobody remembers that he had four hits and drove in each of his team's 3-2 runs in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series.
Nobody remembers any of that.
When baseball fans hear the name Vic Wertz the thought they develop is not that he absolutely clobbered the ball all day, but that his furthest hit was chased down with a beautiful, over-the-shoulder catch by Willie Mays.
It was the center fielder's signature moment and has been immortalized with statues, pictures and the video of him spinning like a top, his arm unfurling at the right moment as he launches the ball toward the infield to keep the runners from scoring.
When the play is over and being described as an "optical illusion" Mays looks like he's screwed himself into the ground.
Wertz of course is nowhere in the picture.
Like the other York and Adams countians who've made it to baseball's biggest stage, he never shines in the spotlight. Sometimes it wasn't a lack of effort or even production that kept the local boys from being the star. Sometimes there's a connection to a teammate or opponent's glory. Usually, though, their playoff experience is lost to the dusty shelves and box scores of history.
And Wertz is the prime example.
Come to think of it, nobody seems to remember that Wertz had one of the most dominant performances in series history that year. He batted a robust .500. That's right, with a "5." Not .400 or .300.
He also hit a home run, a triple and two doubles.
But he's remembered for the out.
The problem for Wertz is that his teammates never seemed to get on base in that series. So he only drove in three runs.
Again, the circumstances just weren't right.
Which seems to be the theme for area players who've made appearances in the playoffs.

Two teams might not win this year, but could next season.
The Phillies end the weekend on a good note.

We don't know what happened here. We just know it was bad. But that's been the case all season long for the Kansas City Royals who are not named Zack Greinke.
The Nats can get better. Really they can.
Who's going to close for the Phillies?

Bobby Cox makes an announcement.
Are teams going to find out they payed too much?
A quick rundown of the playoff races.

On this date in 1914 the New York Yankees hired Roger Peckinpaugh as their new manager.
What's destinctive about that, you ask.
Mr. Peckinpaugh was 23 years old. Yep, he was younger than Cole Hamels.
Also on that date in history, Joe Paterno had his runningback go straight up the middle.

The Dodgers make some moves.
The Braves make a move.
Ryan Howard's in a groove.

Look, if the entire Pittsburgh Pirates roster were to be annexed by the Philadelphia Phillies, there isn't one player who would get significant playing time for the World Champs other than Zach Duke.
And even then, he'd be the Phils eighth starter.
But Vladimir Guerrero sure has put up some numbers in his career.

The Southpaw returns and has a lot of catching up to do.
The Phillies and Yankees are on fire.
A Mets beat reporter has to defend himself.

So, Joel Hanrahan was the winning pitcher for the Nationals yesterday. Thing is, he pitches for the Pirates. Go figure.

Randy Johnson doesn't look so dominant with the stick.
We've got All-Star news.
Is Mets-Phillies still a rivalry?

We take a look at one of the most underrated pitchers in baseball.
Cubs fans are fed up with Carlos Zambrano.

Another tragedy in Anaheim.
How is it possible a night in front of 4 TVs with 4 games could be bad for The Southpaw's health? They had the Nationals, Pirates, Orioles, and Orioles again on.
How is Jose Canseco helping Barry Bonds?

Troy Tulowitzki likes the high ones. Here he blasts a two-run homer on a pitch that's well above the letters.

CC Sabathia has a big test today.
Is David Ortiz cured?

The Orioles completed a sweep of the Phillies.
John Gonzalez takes on The Herd.
And CC says Seeya in the second.

Who was fighting in the outfield?
Yorvit Torrealba speaks out about his son's kidnapping.
And how come no one cares about Ivan Rodriguez anymore?

On Oct. 7, 1991, David Cone took the hill against Jim Fregosi's Philadelphia Phillies and already had a 3-run lead.
The Phillies were barely ahead of the Mets in the standings going into that final day, but both squads were 20 games back of first place.
No one expected anything special in this game.
Especially not with the Phillies starting lineup of shortstop Kim Batiste, second baseman Mickey Morandini, left fielder Wes Chamberlain, right fielder Dale Murphy, third baseman Dave Hollins, first baseman Ricky Jordan, center fielder Braulio Castio and catcher Doug Lindsey.
Then again, maybe fans should have expected something special. Dale Murphy was aging more quickly than an apple slice on an August day. Hollins and Morandini would each make all-star teams for weak National League squads in the future, but the Phillies' real offensive thunder of Darren Daulton, Lenny Dykstra and John Kruk were MIA.
David Cone, however, was concerned he was going to be arrested. He knew he was under investigation for rape. He didn't know, at the time, that the police would find the woman's allegations to be unfounded.
All David Cone could do on the mound that day was ecape from fear.
And he did.

Oh God. We can't believe we're saying this, but Jimmy Rollins needs to collect some walks.
And Harrisburg Senators fans have Stephen Strasburg in their sights.