Ten for Tuesday - Best Individual Postseason Performances!

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The World Series is almost upon us. We have witnessed a fantastic postseason so far, between the Cubs putting their unlucky history to the test and the Miracle Mets pitching their way past Kershaw and the Dodgers. The Toronto Blue Jays, led by Jose Bautista and his "Bat Flip Heard Around the World", are making their GM Alex Anthopoulos look like a genius for his mid-season moves. And the Kansas City Royals are proving to the world that they are by no means a fluke.

Last season, the Royals ran into some bad luck against the Giants' red hot southpaw Madison Bumgarner, whose workload surpassed any other pitcher's in postseason history. They returned this spring with a vengeance, and finished the season with 95 wins led by center fielder Lorenzo Cain and an ensemble of emerging young stars. They pushed their way past an even younger, hungry Houston Astros team and currently are facing off against Canada's team. It has been safe to say this postseason has gone smoothly, however, it was last year too until Bumgarner came to town.

There have been several memorable postseason performers in recent years; players who have been capable of carrying their teams on their back and into the promised land. This week on Ten for Tuesday, I compiled a list of the top ten best modern postseason performances baseball has had to offer.

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Before I begin, let me make two things clear: this list will not delve into anything prior to World War II, as it is too difficult to compare a player from that era with someone today. Christy Mathewson was unhittable in the 1905 World Series, but who knows how he would have fared against professional hitters from today's game. By no means do I wish to take away from their legendary performances, so I decided to exclude them entirely. Also, it will take more than just a single game for someone to make this list. Don Larsen missed the cut, as well as Bobby Thomson, Aaron Boone, Carlton Fisk, Joe Carter, Kirk Gibson, Luis Gonzalez, and Bill Mazeroski.

Ten Best Individual Single-Season Postseason Performances

Honorable Mentions - 
Albert Pujols (2004), Sandy Koufax (1965), Nelson Cruz (2011), Jack Morris (1991), Johnny Bench (1976)

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As usual, it was difficult to leave any of these names off the Top 10. Sandy Koufax may have made the cut if he managed to win all three of his World Series starts, which was more because of a lack of offense than anything else. I hate to take anything away from Koufax, but the following pitchers had even better luck. Nelson Cruz did most of his damage in the 2011 ALCS against the Tigers, slugging 6 home runs throughout the 6 game series. He hit two more in the World Series, but also made a major defensive mistake that proved costly to his Texas Rangers.

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10 - Randy Johnson, 2001, Arizona Diamondbacks

One half of the dynamic duo that took down my Yankees, it was safe to say "The Big Unit" came up big when it mattered most. He wasn't always the consistent ace he needed to be in October, but in 2001, Johnson was at the top of his game. He lost his only start in the NLDS against the Cardinals, but he only allowed 4 runs over the 33.1 Innings he pitched the rest of the way. Let's not forget that he was the first ace southpaw to make an appearance out of the bullpen in Game 7 after pitching the night before. He did everything the Diamondbacks needed him to do, and then some, which resulted in his part-ownership of the World Series MVP Award.

9 - Curt Schilling, 2001, Arizona Diamondbacks

The other Co-MVP of the 2001 World Series, Curt Schilling was slightly more consistent than Johnson that fall. Schilling started 3 Games in the World Series (two of which on 3 days rest) after owning the Cardinals and Braves. In total, he dealt 48.1 innings, which was a postseason record until Madison Bumgarner came along, and won 4 games. He would go on to pitch in many other big games before calling it a career after winning his 3rd World Series with the Red Sox in 2007.

8 - David Freese, 2011, St. Louis Cardinals

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The 2011 Postseason was the best I've ever watched live, and much of it was thanks in part to David Freese's clutch hitting. Freese may never amount to the player he was that October, but his name and story will forever be entranced in every Cardinal fan's memory. His first two playoff series were explosive, as he drove in 14 runs combined against the Phillies and Brewers. He took home NLCS MVP honors, but was not satisfied.

In Game 6 of the World Series against the Texas Rangers, Freese crushed a game tying two run triple to save St. Louis' season. He wasn't content then, either, until he won that game in extra innings with a walkoff solo home run. Freese also knocked in his MLB record 20 and 21st RBI's in Game 7 en route to a Cardinals world title.

7 - Orel Hershiser, 1988, Los Angeles Dodgers

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Kirk Gibson may be the face you automatically think of when 1988 comes to mind, but Orel Hershiser owned the opposition every time he took the mound. Continuing one of the best pitched seasons of his generation, "Bulldog" truly earned his nickname after leading the Dodgers to their most recent World Series championship. Hershiser started 5 games for LA, winning three total and delivering an ERA just above 1.00 against both the Mets and the powerhouse Oakland A's offense. Any man who could shut down the Bash Brothers (Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco) like he did is worthy of a placement on this list.

6 - Reggie Jackson, 1977, New York Yankees

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"REGGIE, REGGIE, REGGIE!" Mr. October was one of the first shoo-ins that came to mind when I decided to look into this particular topic. You often hear about how certain players seek the limelight and perform well under pressure in comparison to others, and Jackson was one of those guys. He claimed to have been the "straw that stirred the drink" upon his arrival in New York, and frequently fought with manager Billy Martin about his playing style. His turbulent, quick-tempered mindset was not what the Yankees wanted, but was what they needed.

Reggie didn't end up as "Mr. October" overnight. He actually batted only .125 in 18 at bats in the ALCS against the Kansas City Royals. It wasn't until Game 3 of the World Series when his bat started to pick up the pace. But once he started, he could not be contained. Jackson homered in Games 4 and 5, and then delivered a mammoth three home run performance in Game 6 that captivated the hearts of New York for years to come. After his career defining game, Reggie Bars must have tasted a little better.

5 - Lew Burdette, 1957, Milwaukee Braves

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Lew who? Burdette is not a household name, but after his miraculous 1957 World Series performances, he really should be. He was an above average pitcher for 18 seasons; a majority of which came with the Braves. The Yankees were the best team in the league during the 1940's and 1950's, and had a team filled with superstars from the top of their roster to the very bottom. They were the reigning champions going into the '57 Series, but were not prepared for what Lew was about to do.

In Game 2, Burdette allowed 2 earned runs while throwing a complete game and ultimately being awarded the win. You would think you would be more prepared for a pitcher the second time around after seeing him for an entire game, but Lew would beg to differ. He shut out the Bronx Bombers in Game 5 in a 1-0 Braves victory, and then finished the job in Game 7, once again shutting out one of the best lineups ever recorded. Considering the series went a full seven games, it goes to show just dominant Burdette was to be able to prevent the Yankees from exploding three separate times.

4 - Carlos Beltran, 2004, Houston Astros

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So far, every player on this list has been part of a World Series winning team the year they dominated. Until now. Carlos Beltran became somewhat of a mythical figure in 2004 with the Houston Astros after being traded for at the Trade Deadline in a three team deal. Houston's stars Craig Biggio, Lance Berkman, and Jeff Bagwell were integral to winning a Wild Card spot, but it was Beltran that took the weight off their shoulders and guided them into the Championship Series. In the Division Series, he hit four home runs; even winning Game 4 with a walkoff blast. He kept up his heroics the next round, smashing four more pitches into the seats, but it was not enough for the Astros to advance.

Regardless of the outcome, Beltran's performance should not be forgotten. His impact on the Astros lineup was unparalleled by just about any midseason acquisition any team has ever made. He was rewarded for his efforts months later to the tune of $119 million dollars from the Mets. His postseason legacy continued in future years, and he is now known as "Señor Octubre".

3 - Madison Bumgarner, 2014, San Francisco Giants

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One of the hardest things to do when creating a list is to make sure to avoid using a recency bias. But yeah, what we all saw a year ago was good enough for the third greatest single season postseason performance in modern history. "Mad-Bum" was nothing short of epic for the Giants last fall, delivering every single time he was called upon (even if his appearance wasn't planned). When all was said and done, Bumgarner won 4 games after pitching a record 52.2 innings and striking out 57 batters. He threw a complete game shutout against the Pirates in the Wild Card Game to start their magical run and closed out the final game of the World Series after being called upon on short rest.

And the scariest thing of all: he is only 26 years old. His past may be near impossible to match, but we haven't seen the last of Bumgarner in October. That, my friends; is a dangerous thing.

2 - David Ortiz, 2004, Boston Red Sox

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David Ortiz has been the most dangerous playoff hitter of our century, as far as I'm concerned. Albert Pujols has also been lethal, but Ortiz is a one man wrecking crew. "Big Papi" began to pick up the pace in 2004, when he hit 41 home runs and led the Red Sox to a Wild Card spot for the second consecutive year. In the playoffs, he was even better; batting .409 with 5 home runs and 23 RBI over the course of some of the greatest games ever played. In Game 3 of the ALDS against the Angels, Ortiz delivered a walk off home run. He hit 2 more walk offs in the famous ALCS series against the Yankees in Games 2 and 5. He was named MVP of the ALCS after the Sox completed a remarkable series comeback win. And he kicked off the World Series with a three run blast that the Red Sox never looked back from; winning their first World Series in 86 years and breaking the dreaded "Curse of the Bambino".

Ortiz ranks among the top 10 All Time in postseason plate appearances, runs scored, hits, total bases, doubles, home runs, RBI, and walks. As a Yankee fan, it's difficult to root for the guy, but I can't deny how talented he is. He's a Hall of Famer in my book.

1 - Bob Gibson, 1967, St. Louis Cardinals

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When the word "dominant" is mentioned, several names should come to mind in baseball. One of them better be Bob Gibson. This former Cardinals hurler was responsible for the pitcher's mound being lowered by 5 inches in 1969 just to make it more of a fair fight for opposing hitters! Gibson had made a name for himself by 1967, appearing in 3 All Star Games and winning two Gold Gloves. He was a gifted athlete who once starred for the Harlem Globetrotters before focusing in on baseball. He wasn't afraid to make a statement on the mound when he felt it was necessary to invoke fear in the opposition; even if it meant intentionally hitting batters.

In July of 1967, Gibson suffered a gruesome fractured fibula injury, and his outlook for the remainder of the season was in question. He returned on September 7th to help St. Louis win the NL Pennant, and his legacy was on the precipice. In his three games started against the Red Sox, Gibson completed all 3 and finished with a 1.00 ERA. He earned three victories and was the MVP of the World Series when the Cardinals finished off the Sox.

Gibson would go on to win the Cy Young in two of the next 3 years and pitched very well in the 1968 World Series. He would be elected into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 1981.

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It's too early to tell if anyone will make a lasting imprint on the playoffs the way these men have. Daniel Murphy and Kyle Schwarber have put their power on display so far, and Jacob deGrom has won two crucial games for the Mets. If their streaks continue, this list may need to be revised. But the beauty of the postseason is that you never really know what to expect.

Enjoy the last few games of what has been another spectacular year.

Thoughts on Cano

Hey guys, Drew back here. In case you haven't heard, Jay-Z brought my favorite player away from New York and all the way to Seattle. Yeah, you heard that right. It's unbelievable to me that a man who lives for New York took away one of the Yankees' finest pieces without putting a lot of effort into the negotiation. Alicia Keys brags on Jay-Z's classic "Empire State of Mind": "New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of". Mr. Carter obviously is infatuated with everything about the Bronx, but I guess he dropped that love when he went and took Robinson Cano as far from the Big Apple as possible. Hopefully Robby likes seafood and rainy days, because while Seattle is a beautiful city, there is no place like New York.

From a business standpoint though, it makes sense. The Yankees weren't budging from their original offer of 7 years and $170 million, and Seattle, fresh off a $2 billion TV deal, was willing to open their wallets for the star second baseman. After a supposed hiccup between Jay-Z and Mariners owner Howard Lincoln, the two sides eventually agreed to a 10 year, $240 million dollar deal. The move put Seattle back on the map for the first time since the times of Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, Edgar Martinez, and Ken Griffey Jr. While the move doesn't project them to now be a playoff caliber team, they supposedly aren't done. They've been linked to free agents Nelson Cruz and Shin-Soo Choo, and have expressed interest in trading top pitching prospect Taijuan Walker for a David Price or Matt Kemp. The Mariners finally have the money they needed to contend with Texas and Oakland (who seemingly gets it done without all the money). This move also makes Jay-Z look great, as he was only $60 million off from his original goal of a $300 million dollar move, which at first sounded absolutely ridiculous to anyone but him.

Sure, the move makes sense for a Seattle franchise that is struggling tremendously to put fans in their seats. However, they can't stop here, or else they will essentially throw $240 million out the window. They aren't paying $24 million a year for Cano's age 41 season, they're paying $240 million over 10 total years in order to bring Seattle its first World Series championship. If they don't win during this next decade, the contract will be a colossal failure. Cano is already 31 years old, and if they expect him to put up similar numbers to what he's produced for New York during his prime years, they're crazy. Take a look at similar moves, especially Albert Pujols, who got the exact same deal as Cano but was a year older at that time than Cano is now. Pujols was expected to bring Los Angeles back to the top, but now they're drowning in his enormous contract as his performance is making him look like more and more of an average player. Seattle has the money and prospects to build a winner now, but they have to keep in mind there are plenty of other elite teams out there, including the Yankees, whose signings have already made up for the loss of Cano. With just Cano leading the way in New York's lineup last season, the team struggled tremendously. However, with the money they would've used mostly towards Cano, they've already signed Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Carlos Beltran, and seem to be far from done!

I'm not calling the Yankees geniuses for dumping Cano and his enormous contract off with the Mariners. I've never liked the way the Yankees have handled their roster. Since the days where they allowed players such as Jeter, Posada, Bernie, Pettitte, and Rivera to develop into All Stars, they've practically bought their whole team. Cano was one of the last remaining pieces that came straight out of their farm system, and he was in the midst of writing his script to being the next Yankee to take his career straight to the Hall of Fame. Instead, he chose to start a new chapter in Seattle that could make or break his chances to eventually be enshrined in Cooperstown. But in this day in age in baseball, the best business decision for New York was to let Cano walk. The Yankees certainly don't have to worry about money, however their revenues decrease significantly if they don't have a contending, playoff caliber team on the field, which was proven during their injury riddled 2012 season. With 3 potential All Stars now in the heart of the Yankees lineup, nothing could go wrong, right?

Wrong. Ellsbury is signed for 7 years and $153 million dollars, and he's faced numerous injuries over the past four years with Boston. McCann will most likely have to be moved to 1st base a few years into his 5 year contract, and you never know how Beltran's knees will hold up, especially in year 3 of his deal. The Yankees outfield now consists of tortoises Beltran, Wells, Soriano, and Ichiro, and hares Ellsbury and Gardner. At least one of those 6 is now expendable, Gardner easily having the most trade value. The Yankees believe that having two speed threats and top notch defenders would be a good thing, but I think their top priority should be finding a short term solution at either second or third base. I also believe New York needs to add a solid reliever that can close if needed such as Joaquin Benoit, or maybe even Grant Balfour. Nobody knows how David Robertson will fare stepping into Rivera's shoes, so having some dependability as backup will be key. I believe the rotation needs one more solid upgrade too, even despite their resigning of Hiroki Kuroda. I'm not confident enough in David Phelps to have him lock down one of their five rotation slots, but I'm willing to give Michael Pineda a shot at least in Spring Training to prove his worthiness. Without Cano, the Yankees should get by just fine, however, if they don't make the playoffs after all their spending it could significantly impact their financial situation as well. You're taking a gamble any time you go and add a big fish from free agency to your team, because besides for believing his talents will translate, you also have to hope he has the right mindset to get along with the players and become a leader. I think Cashman is choosing the right type of players for the team, specifically McCann, who draws a lot of leadership/talent comparisons to Thurman Munson.

While having Cano for the rest of his career would be a nice story, it was in the best interest of the Yankees organization to start off on a new foot, especially after the chaos that took place last season. The team wasn't awful, but it didn't offer a lot of hope towards current and future attempts at contention. The Mariners are right for giving Cano a chance to revitalize their organization, but only if they can add more pieces to surround him.

On a personal note though, I'm going to miss the heck out of Robinson Cano. He's been my favorite player besides for the Core Four members for years now, and if you've been to my blog before, you'd know he's an enormous part of my collection. I'm currently not planning on parting ways with any of my Cano PC, and I'll continue to add to it, but probably to a lesser extent. He's still one of my favorite players, I mean you can't blame him for taking a contract worth $65 million more than the next best offer. Had he agreed with Seattle if they only offered $20-30 million more than the Yankees did, I'd be genuinely upset in him and probably would look to sell a majority of my collection of his. However, this deal was too enormous for him to pass up, even if it means being stuck in gloomy Seattle for the next decade (which won't happen anyway most likely- see Alex Rodriguez's Texas contract and Prince Fielder's Detroit deal). Cano was the first player I really followed from the very beginning, as he was an up and comer when I first started to follow baseball. I've been honored to watch him develop into the Hall of Fame caliber player he's become, and he's been a heck of a lot of fun to root for. I'll continue trying to be a fan of his, up until Seattle and New York face off in the playoffs. It's going to be fun.

I'm going to miss you Robby Cano, don't you know?

See Ya.

Check Out My Cards via Check Out My Cards!

Hey guys, Drew back here! So, school is in session once again, which normally means something along the lines of a semi-hiatus on the blog. I hate doing it, but I have to do it, especially due to the difficulty of junior year. But, the homework load was light tonight, and I didn't feel like getting ahead of myself, so here are a few cards I got in from Check Out My Cards the other day!

First, out of the new Topps Tribute, I got the Robinson Cano base card. I figured with the extra bit of store credit I had, I'd knock this one out considering it's rare for a blogger to send out Tribute cards in trades. Who could blame us, they look incredible?

Please, don't judge. Over the years, you've seen me post stuff about Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Aerosmith, and a lot of other old bands. However, my music taste is very diverse, and it does indeed extend to rap. Jay-Z is obviously one of the biggest rappers to ever exist in the industry, and his older music definitely was influential to a lot of young rappers today. I'm not a Lil Wayne fan, and don't get me started on Nicki Minaj, but Jay-Z, along with 2Pac, Biggie, Eminem, and a few others I definitely am a fan of.  

Getting back to baseball, here's a 2002 Donruss Team Heroes autograph of current Yankees closer Rafael Soriano! It's been weird seeing somebody other than Mariano Rivera close out games, but for the most part, he's been just about untouchable. I guess Brian Cashman really did know what he was doing by signing this guy a couple of years back. I find it funny that I picked this card up for about $3 when he was first signed by the Yankees, and I didn't ship it until just now. Oh, the joys of store credit. 

Well, I had to get these for the Tier One set. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bought them. I do like David Wright, and I'm glad to see he's having a solid year again. I love the black Beltran relic though, despite not being a big fan of his. He's ok, I guess.

THIS guy was just a bit better than ok! I absolutely love the look of the Johnny Bench relic, and I'm glad I finally picked this one up. Now, the only card remaining in the set that I need is the Babe Ruth dual relic, which I plan to ask for this Christmas! If I get it then, it would be one year total since I started the set, which is a relatively quick time for a rather expensive set! 

The final two cards from my order happened to both be of the Jets variety, and it's only fitting that I show them after their beautiful butt-whipping of the Bills yesterday, 48-28! It was the most points they ever scored in an opening season game, and Mark Sanchez looked terrific! I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high, but it was certainly encouraging.

As for the card, this one was out of 2011 Topps Inception, a Bilal Powell rookie relic autograph numbered out of 75. Rex Ryan is a big fan of Powell for his quickness and agility, and I hope he has a fairly decent role on the team this season. Shonn Greene bores the light out of me, so maybe this guy could get a few more opportunities!

This guy, on the other hand, doesn't need any introduction! Out of 2011 National Treasures, this Darrelle Revis Pro Bowl relic certainly was a great way to cap off my purchase! Revis played a good game yesterday, having an interception early on. Unfortunately, his day ended after Bart Scott's cleat happened to fall towards his head, and he received a mild concussion. I hope for the best that Revis is ok, and that he'll be ready to go by next Sunday, especially since we're playing the Steelers. The card here is numbered only 30 of 99.

Like I said before, no promises on how often I'll be around in the coming months, but I'm going to make an effort to check in once in a while! Thanks everybody!

See Ya!