As the Dodgers and Red Sox prepare to face off in tonight’s 2018 World Series Game One (read BBRT’s World Series Preview here), Baseball Roundtable would like to take a look at some Fall Classic targets – most particularly total hits by a player in a single World Series.
Three players – Bobby Richardson, Lou Brock and Marty Barrett – share the record for base hits in a single World Series (13) – and all three collected their Baker’s Dozen safeties in losing causes.
Bobby Richardson, 2B, Yankees … 1964 World Series
Bobby Richardson went 13-for-32 (.406) in the 1964 World Series – as the Yankees lost to the Cardinals in seven games. Richardson collected two doubles and eleven singles, drove in three runs and scored three in a Series that saw the Cardinals top the Yankees in seven games. The MVP of the Series was the Redbird Bob Gibson, who went 2-2, 3.00 with 31 strikeouts in 27 innings. Gibson allowed 23 hits in his 27 innings, with Richardson collecting seven safeties in 15 at bats versus the Cardinals ace.
Richardson, by the way, was a “Big Game” hitter. The defensive whiz (a seven-time All Star and five-time Gold Glover) had a .266 career average over 12 MLB seasons. In seven World Series (36 games), he hit .305.
Yankees’ 2B Bobby Richardson is the only player to win the World Series MVP Award for a losing team. In 1960, as the Yankees lost to the Pirates in seven games – despite outscoring Pittsburgh 55-27, out-homering the Pirates 10-4 and outhitting them .338 to .256 – Richardson earned the MVP Award by hitting .367 (11-for-30), with two doubles, two triples, one home run, 12 run batted in (still the single World Series record) and eight runs scored.
Lou Brock, LF, Cardinals …. 1968 World Series
Hall of Famer Lou Brock went 13-for-28 (.464) in the 1968 World Series as his Cardinals lost to the Tigers in seven contests. Brock had three doubles, one triple, two home runs and five RBI in the losing cause. Notably, Brock was coming off a 1967 World Series when he came within one hit of the 13-hit record – going 12-for-29, with three homers and seven RBI as the Cardinals topped the Red Sox.
Brock, like Yankee Bobby Richardson – whose 13-hit World Series record he tied – was at his best in big games. In three World Series (21 games), Brock hit .391-4-13. In a 19-season MLB career, Brock was a six-time All Star. A .293 career hitter, Brock’s 3,023 hits are 27th all-time and his 938 stolen bases are second only to Rickey Henderson. (Brock led the NL in steals eight times.)
The MVP of that 1968 World Series was Tigers’ starter Mickey Lolich, who gave up just five runs in three complete-game victories.
In the 1967 World Series, Lou Brock set a Fall Classic record by stealing seven bases (in seven attempts). Proving it wasn’t a fluke, he tied the record with seven steals (in nine attempts) in the 1968 World Series. Brock is still the only player to swipe seven bags in a single World Series.
Marty Barrett, 2B, Red Sox … 1986 World Series
Marty Barrett was never selected to an All Star team in his ten-season MLB career – but, in 1986, he was clearly a post-season All Star. First, as his Red Sox topped the Angels in the American League Championship Series, Barrett won ALCS MVP honors by going 11-for-30 (.367) with two doubles, five RBI and four runs scored. But his post-season run of excellence was far from over.
In the World Series, Barrett collected a record-tying 13 safeties (as the Red Sox lost to the Mets in seven games). He went 13-for-30 (.433) with two doubles and five walks (versus just two strikeouts) – scoring one run and driving in five. The MVP of the Series was the Mets’ 3B Ray Knight, who went 9-for-23 (.391), with one home run and five RBI.
Barrett played 941 games in ten MLB seasons, hitting .278, with 18 home runs and 314 RBI.
Mary Barrett – a skilled bunter – led the league in sacrifice bunts three consecutive seasons (1986-88), with 18, 22 and 20 sacrifices, respectively.
So, there’s a look at the three players who share the record for base hits in a single World Series. As the Dodgers and Red Sox face off, here are a few other single World Series targets:
HITTING
Batting Average – .750
Billy Hatcher, Reds, 1990 (12-for-15).
Home Runs – 5
Reggie Jackson, Yankees, 1977
Chase Utley, Phillies, 2009
George Springer, Astros, 2017
Runs Batted In – 12
Bobby Richardson, Yankees, 1960
Runs Scored – 10
Reggie Jackson, Yankees, 1977
Paul Molitor, Blue Jays, 1990
Walks – 13
Barry Bonds, Giants, 2002
PITCHING
Earned Run Average – 0.00
There are more than a dozen players with at least ten innings pitched in a World Series with a 0.00 ERA. Only two have put up perfect ERA while tossing 27 innings in a single Fall Classic.
Christy Mathewson, Giants, 1905
Waite Hoyte, Yankees, 1921 World Series.
Wins – 3
Plenty of three-game winners, the most recent being:
Randy Johnson, Diamondbacks, 2001
Strikeouts – 35
Bob Gibson, Cardinals, 1968
Shutouts – 3
Christy Mathewson, Giants, 1905
Game Appearances – Seven
Darold Knowles, A’s, 1973
Brandon Morrow, Dodgers, 2017
Innings Pitched – 44
Deacon Phillippe, Pirates, 1903
Saves – 4
John Wetteland, Yankees, 1996
Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball-Almanac.com
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