19 Responses to “Post-Season One-Run Sudden Death Games”

1. Hartvig Says:
   October 8th, 2011 at 10:18 am

   So Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World" doesn't qualify as post season?

2. Steve Lombardi Says:
   October 8th, 2011 at 10:27 am

   That was a "play-in" regular season game - like the one in 1978 between Boston and New York.

3. Doug Says:
   October 8th, 2011 at 11:12 am

   Funny how the '75 WS will forever be remembered for game 6, despite game 7 being a fine, tense game decided by one run in the 9th inning.

4. birtelcom Says:
   October 8th, 2011 at 11:40 am

   The average runs scored per team per game in the post-season so far is 4.47. That's a bit higher than the major league average of 4.28 during the 2011 regular season. Every regular season from 1993 through 2009 had a runs scored per team per game average over 4.5 (in 1996, 1999 and 2000, it was over 5.0), and then it dropped to 4.38 in 2010 and 4.28 this past season.

5. Snark David Chapman Says:
   October 8th, 2011 at 1:14 pm

   @8 The 'wrong' team won. Doesn't fit the narrative.

6. Snark David Chapman Says:
   October 8th, 2011 at 1:15 pm

   That was supposed to be @3

7. Doug Says:
   October 8th, 2011 at 2:28 pm

   #70 on the list is the game where Enos Slaughter famously scored the winning run from first on an 8th inning double by Harry Walker. It came with 2 outs, so Slaughter was off on contact. Curious how a legend would develop about the hit being a single.

8. Doug Says:
   October 8th, 2011 at 2:34 pm

   #56 is the game George Foster pinch-ran in the 9th, went to second on a single to left, to third on a flyout to right, and scored the walk-off series-winning run on a wild pitch. Earned a 0.375 WPA for his inning's work.

9. Doug Says:
   October 8th, 2011 at 2:57 pm

   #28 is one of the top 5 games I've seen. So many twists and turns.

   Yankees were leading by two in the 8th, when starter David Cone gives up a one-out solo shot to Ken Griffey. Cone remains in the game and struggles through 5 more hitters, walking 3 and allowing the tying run to score. Rookie Mariano Rivera gets the last out of the inning, striking out Mike Blowers with the bases loaded.

   Yankees score one in the 11th on a one-out RBI single by Randy Velarde off of Randy Johnson, relieving on one day's rest following a 117-pitch outing in game 3. Johnson remains in the game and strikes out two to retire the side.

   In the bottom of the 11th, Jack McDowell (who relieved Mariano in the 9th) stays in the game and gives up 2 singles and a game-winning RBI double by Edgar Martinez, with Ken Griffey scoring the winning run.

10. Doug Says:
    October 8th, 2011 at 3:09 pm

    @9.

    Should have mentioned that, like Randy Johnson, McDowell was also relieving on one day's rest after starting and pitching into the 6th inning of game 3. It might seem surprising, then, that Showalter would leave McDowell out there for the 11th. Except that closer John Wetteland had been absolutely shelled in the series, including a 4-batter outing consisting of a walk, single, hit batter and HR, in that order. His ERA for the series came in at not-so-nifty 14.54.

11. Shping Says:
    October 8th, 2011 at 3:27 pm

    #9 -- good call, Doug. I was there in Seattle for both gm 4&5, and it was definitely the most exciting weekend of baseball ive ever experienced, as the Kingdome was rockin'! I remember at one late point during that gm 5, i paused to take it all in, with amazement: Cone was pitching, McDowell was getting ready to relieve, there was anticipation that Johnson was going to do the same, and there on first base was Ken Griffey Jr., talking to Donny Baseball (his last gm, i think). And then, an inning or two later in the 11th, Junior scored on "the Double" by Edgar M. Amazing!! -- and literally saved baseball in Seattle.

12. mack simum Says:
    October 9th, 2011 at 1:01 am

    @11 I totally agree as I was also in attendance for those games.EPIC to say the least

13. Zachary Says:
    October 9th, 2011 at 2:12 am

    @7 - Ted Williams long maintained that it was an injury to Dom DiMaggio that doomed the Sox in that game, not Johnny Pesky's hesitation on the throw home. DiMaggio was a fine defensive center fielder who would adjust his position according to the hitter's tendencies, but his replacement played straight-up.

    The reason it's remembered as a single rather than a double can be seen on video. The ball reached the plate right around the time Walker pulled into second, so he'd have been out by a country mile had Pesky tried for him instead. I honestly have no idea why it was scored a double instead of a single w/ advance on throw.

14. Doug Says:
    October 9th, 2011 at 2:51 am

    @10.

    Speaking of pitching on one day's rest, Walter Johnson also did this in game #77. After an uncharacteristic loss in game 5 (8 IP allowing 6 runs on 13 hits), Johnson came back in game 7 to pitch shutout ball for the last 4 do-or-die innings of Washington's 12-inning victory.

15. Doug Says:
    October 9th, 2011 at 4:09 am

    @13, Zachary.

    Thanks for the idea of watching the Slaughter video. Here's the one I saw.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7IgTE593oA

    I have to agree with calling it a double. It appears that Walker is already at second (actually has rounded second by a few steps) when Pesky makes his throw to the plate. The camera pans away to left field and then pans back to show second base at the right edge of the frame, just as Pesky throws (about the 0:18 mark on the video). At that moment, there are two players standing at second, presumably Doerr and Walker.

    The other thing the video appears to show is that Slaughter was off on the pitch, not on contact. Don't know whether that means it was a full count, or whether there was a steal or hit and run on.

16. Doug Says:
    October 9th, 2011 at 4:15 am

    @15.

    First baseman was holding Slaughter on, so probably not a full count.

17. scott-53 Says:
    October 9th, 2011 at 6:13 am

    Interesting, 8 years since the last sudden death 1 run game. Nice timing. The NFL & MLB are both working on 8 year TV contracts. (2005-2013.)
    The NFL already renewed their Monday Night Football contract for another 8 years (2014-2021) for a reported $1.9 billion a year $15.2 billion total on September 8th 2011.
    The NFL is also setting some comeback records this year 14 of first 62 games were come from behind by 10 or more points victories if I heard right.

18. scott-53 Says:
    October 9th, 2011 at 6:27 am

    @17: oops. Current deals are 2006-2013. 8years.

19. John Garrett Franklin Says:
    October 10th, 2011 at 11:12 am

    The 1971 World Series, followed by both the NL and AL Championship Series, followed by the 1972 World Series constitute four straight series meeting the criteria. In addition, the 1973 NL and AL Championship Series went the full five games and the 1973 World Series went the full seven games (but not decided by one run). It's very apparent why this boy (me), who was introduced to baseball at age 8 with the 1971 World Series, grew up thinking baseball was a very exciting game indeed!