In my previous post, BBRT looked at some single-game World Series’ records that may be on players’ radar as the 2014 World Series gets under way click here for that post. As promised, In this post, we’ll look at some overall World Series records.
Bobby Richardson – added a surprising bat to a polished glove in the post season.
We’ll start with the hitting marks. As BBRT looked at the Fall Classic’s top accomplishments at the plate, one name really jumped out – Yankees’ 2B Bobby Richardson. Richardson drove in a World Series’ record 12 runs in 1960 (seven games). This is particularly surprising in light of the fact that Richardson drove in only 26 runs in the entire 1960 regular season and never reached 60 RBI in a season in his career. Richardson also showed his post-season mettle in 1964, when the career .266 hitter (with a .267 average in 1964) banged out a record 13 World Series hits (later tied), averaging .406 for the seven games.
Here’s a look at some World Series hitting records.
Batting Average
Four-Game Series
.750 – Reds’ CF Bill Hatcher (1990, 9-for-12).
Five-Game Series
.529 – Tigers’ 1B/DH Sean Casey (2006, 9-for-17).
Six-Game Series
.688 – Red Sox’ 1B/DH David Ortiz (2013, 11-for-16).
Seven-Game Series
.500 – Cardinals’ CF Pepper Martin (1931, 12-for-24).
.500 – Pirates’ 2B Phil Garner (1979, 12-for-24).
Base Hits
Four-Game Series
10 – Yankees’ LF Babe Ruth (1928).
Five-Game Series
9 – by many players, only Phillies’ 3B Frank Baker notched two nine-hit, five-game Series (1910, 1913).
Six-Game Series
12 – Accomplished four times: First by Yankees’ 2B Billy Martin (1953). Forty years later (1993), two players on the same team tied the six-game Series hits record: Blue Jays’ 2B Roberto Alomar and DH/3B/1B Paul Molitor. In 1996, Braves’ CF Marquis Grissom also enjoyed a six-game, 12-hit World Series.
Seven-Game Series
13 – Three players have managed 13 hits in a seven-game World Series: Yankees 2B Bobby Richardson (1964); Cardinals’ LF Lou Brock (1968); Red Sox’ 2B Marty Barrett (1986).
Home Runs
Four-Game Series
4 – Yankees’ 1B Lou Gehrig (1928).
Five-Game Series
3 – Mets’ 1B Donn Clendenon (1969).
Six-Game Series
5 – Yankees’ RF Reggie Jackson (1977); Phillies’ 2B Chase Utley (2009).
Seven-Game Series
4 – Achieved six times. Dodgers’ CF Duke Snider is the only player to reach four homers in a seven-game World Series twice (1952, 1955). Others on this list: Yankees’ LF/RF Babe Ruth (1926); Yankees’ RF Hank Bauer (1958); Athletics’ C/1B Gene Tenace (1972); Giants’ LF Barry Bonds (2002).
RBI
Four-Game Series
9 – Yankees’ 1B Lou Gehrig (1928).
Five-Game Series
8 – Athletics’ RF Danny Murphy (1910); Reds’ 1B Lee May (1970).
Six-Game Series
10 – White Sox’ 1B Ted Kluszewski (1959).
Seven-Game Series
12 – Yankees’ 2B Bobby Richardson (1960).
Runs Scored
Four-Game Series
9 – Yankees’ RF/LF Babe Ruth (1928); Yankees’ 1B Lou Gehrig (1932).
Five-Game Series
6 – Accomplished eight times.
Six-Game Series
10 – Blue Jays’ DH/1B/3B Paul Molitor (1993); Yankees’ RF Reggie Jackson (1977).
Seven-Game Series
8 – Accomplished eleven times. Only Yankees’ CF Mickey Mantle had two eight-run, seven-game World Series (1960, 1964).
Total Bases
Four-Game Series
22 – Yankees’ RF/LF Babe Ruth (1928).
Five-Game Series
19 – Yankees’ SS Derek Jeter (2000).
Six-Game Series
25 – Yankees’ RF Reggie Jackson (1977).
Seven-Game Series
25 – Pirates’ 1B Willie Stargell (1979).
Walks
Four-Game Series
7 – Giants’ 3B Hank Thompson (1954).
Five-Game Series
7 – Cubs’ LF Jimmy Sheckard (1910); Athletics’ C Mickey Cochrane (1929); Yankees’ 2B Joe Gordon (1941).
Six-Game Series
9 – Yankees’ 2B Willie Randolph (1981).
Seven-Game Series
13 – Giants’ LF Barry Bonds (2002).
A few others records of note: Phillies’ 1B Ryan Howard holds the record for strikeouts in a World Series (of any length), with 13 whiffs in 2009; Pirates’ CF Max Carey holds the World Series’ (any length) record for being hit by pitches at three (1925); and, while the record for triples in a 4-, 5- or 6-game Series is two, two players have hit three triples in a seven-game World Series (Yankees’ 3B Billy Johnson in 1947 and Braves’ 2B Mark Lemke in 1991). Lemke, by the way, did not play in Game One of that 1991 World Series
PITCHING RECORDS
The pitching records listed do not include the 1903 best-of-nine World Series between Boston and Pittsburgh (which went eight games). In that match-up, Pittsburgh’s Deacon Phillipes set records for a World Series of any length in games pitched (5); innings pitched (44); hits allowed (38); and runs allowed (19) – while winning three, losing two and putting up a 2.86 ERA.
As BBRT looked at pitching records, Braves’ right-hander Lew Burdette’s (photo above) numbers (good and bad) stood out. In the 1957 World Series (against the favored Yankees), Burdette tied the single World Series mark for games won (3) and complete-game shutouts (2) – tossing three complete games and giving up just two runs (for a 0.67 ERA) and one home run. The very next World Series (1958), against a nearly identical Yankee squad, Burdette set the World Series’ records for runs allowed (17) and home runs allowed (5) – going 1-2, 5.64 in three starts.
Here’s a look at a few World Series pitching records.
Games Pitched
Four-Game Series
4 – Yankees’ Jeff Nelson (1999); Red Sox’ Keith Foulke (2004).
Five-Game Series
5 – Dodgers’ Mike Marshall (1974).
Six-Game Series
6 – Royals’ Dan Quisenberry (1980).
Seven-Game Series
7 – Athletics’ Darold Knowles (1973).
Games Won
Four-Game Series
2 – Many times.
Five-Game Series
3 – Athletics’ Jack Combs (1910); Giants’ Christy Mathewson (1905).
Six-Game Series
3 – White Sox’ Red Faber (1917).
Seven-Game Series
3 – Pirates’ Babe Adams (1909); Indians’ Stan Coveleski (1920); Cardinals’ Harry Brecheen (1946); Braves’ Lew Burdette (1957); Cardinals’ Bob Gibson (1967); Tigers’ Mickey Lolich (1968); Diamondbacks’ Randy Johnson (2001).
Innings Pitched
Four-Game Series
18 – Braves’ Dick Rudolph (1914); Yankees’ Waite Hoyt (1928); Yankees’ Red Ruffing (1938); Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax (1963).
Five-Game Series
27 – Giants’ Christy Mathewson (1905); Athletics’ Jack Coombs (1910).
Six-Game Series
27 – Giants’ Christy Mathewson (1911); White Sox’ Red Faber (1917); Cubs’ Hippo Vaughn (1918).
Seven-Game Series
32 – Tigers’ George Mullin (1909).
Strikeouts
Four-Game Series
23 – Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax (1963).
Five-Game Series
18 – Giants’ Christy Mathewson (1905).
Six-Game Series
20 – Athletics’ Chief Bender (1911).
Seven-Game Series
35 – Cardinals’ Bob Gibson (1968).
Walks
Four-Game Series
8 – Indians’ Bob Lemon (1954).
Five-Game Series
14 – Athletics’ Jack Coombs (1910).
Six-Game Series
11 – Cubs’ Lefty Tyler (1918); Yankees’ Lefty Gomez (1936); Yankees’ Allie Reynolds (1951).
Seven-Game Series
11 – Senators’ Walter Johnson (1924); Yankees’ Bill Bevens (1947).
Other records of note : The record for hit batters in a World Series (any length) is three by the Tigers’ Wild Bill Donovan (1907) and the Pirates’ Bruce Kison (1971); the Giants’ Christy Mathewson threw a single World Series’ record three complete-game shutouts in 1905 – pitchers with two complete game shutouts in a single World Series include the Red Sox’ Bill Dineen (1903); Braves’ Lew Burdette (1957); Yankees’ Whitey Ford (1960); Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax (1965); Dodgers’ Orel Hershiser (1988); and Diamondbacks’ Randy Johnson (2001).
