In our previous tour through history, we took a look at baseball’s greatest forgotten offensive postseason performances. This time, we’ll examine the hurlers and fireballers who graced the mound during postseason play. However, we won’t deal with names like Mariano Rivera, Christy Mathewson, or Justin Verlander. Instead, we will be dealing with those names that have been lost to time. Yes, these are the greatest forgotten pitched postseasons.
Now, we must give credit where it’s due. Many of these names would not be here without some of the aforementioned giants who helped lead their teams to the postseason. However, those legendary names play only a minuscule role in the story of the greatest forgotten pitched postseasons. Herein, there are names unlike any other that we may think of. There might be one or two surprises, even among those. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
MLB’s Greatest Forgotten Pitched Postseasons
Kenny Rogers-2006
At the age of 41, many baseball players are thinking of retirement. Kenny Rogers is an exception to that rule. In 2006, not only did Rogers pitch regularly, but he was also a key component in the Detroit Tigers run to an AL pennant. Over three starts in the postseason, Rogers did not give up a run. He also struck out 19 batters in 23 innings. Though he did allow 16 baserunners, he kept his WHIP for each series below one. His longevity in games allowed the Tigers to make it to the World Series. Unfortunately, these efforts weren’t enough, as Detroit lost to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Mike Boddicker-1983
In 1983, the Baltimore Orioles were well known for their solid pitching staff. Mike Boddicker was one of the cruxes of this staff. This became especially true in the postseason. Boddicker won ALCS MVP honors as he hurled a complete game shutout with 14 strikeouts in his only start against the Chicago White Sox. Then, he pitched a complete game in the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. He gave up one unearned run and struck out six. Overall, Boddicker pitched 18 innings of one-run ball with 20 strikeouts and only three walks. His terrific play helped the Orioles win their third World Title.
Mike Scott-1986
From 1985 to 1990, very few pitchers in baseball were better than Mike Scott. The Houston Astros hurler won 95 games in the span with an ERA of just a tick over three. However, his seasonal cream of the crop was 1986. Not only did he win the Cy Young Award, but he also had a performance that landed him on this list of the greatest forgotten pitched postseasons. He won NLCS MVP honors while tossing two complete games. His strikeout numbers were staunch as well, punching out 19 hitters. This led to a WHIP of .500 and a K/9 metric of 9.5. This is a small sample size, but it is worth noting. Unfortunately, as with Rogers earlier, Scott’s excellent work did not help the Astros advance. The New York Mets defeated them.
Burt Hooton-1981
By the time 1981 rolled around, Burt Hooton had been pitching in the big leagues for nearly a decade. He’d also had a fair bit of success, posting good to great numbers and finishing second in Cy Young voting in 1978. His Los Angeles Dodgers also made the playoffs that year. However, that is not what lands him on this list of the greatest forgotten pitched postseasons. No, that one should have been lost to time. Instead, it was his rebound in 1981 that put him here. Over 33 innings, Hooton only gave up five runs. He struck out 12 and allowed a meager two home runs. Though he had a lot of traffic (40 total baserunners), he always managed to pitch himself out of jams. This helped lead him to an NLCS MVP Award and a World Series championship for the Dodgers.
Sterling Hitchcock-1998
Sterling Hitchcock had three calling cards: strikeouts, wild pitches, and walks. Indeed, from 1995 through 1999, he fanned 711 batters in 908 innings. He also walked 320 batters and threw 41 wild pitches. In 1998, he played for a San Diego Padres team that was among the best in baseball. Indeed, they posted 98 wins and made their second playoff appearance in three seasons. Hitchcock was a regular cog in their rotation who performed admirably in the playoffs. But that’s not what gets him on this list of the greatest forgotten pitched postseasons. He could be wild and work his way out of it. Indeed, in 22 innings, he struck out 32 batters while allowing 24 baserunners, nine of which reached via free passes. So, while this may not have been the most dominant performance ever, it was enough to get the Padres to their first World Series since 1984.
Main Photo Credits: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
