Most wins in one post-season by a pitcher
Posted by Andy on October 14, 2007
Here's another simple but neat search. Using the PI Pitching Game Finder, set for post-season, with the bubble clicked for "Win" under decision, then just summed by Players w/ games in year, gives you this:
Year Games Link to Individual Games +-----------------+----+-----+-------------------------+ Francisco Rodrigu 2002 5 Ind. Games Randy Johnson 2001 5 Ind. Games David Wells 1998 4 Ind. Games Dave Stewart 1989 4 Ind. Games John Smoltz 1996 4 Ind. Games Curt Schilling 2001 4 Ind. Games Jack Morris 1991 4 Ind. Games Burt Hooton 1981 4 Ind. Games Orel Hershiser 1995 4 Ind. Games Livan Hernandez 1997 4 Ind. Games
These are all the players to win at least 4 games in one post-season. Another 56 players have won 3 games in one post-season. The full list is here.
As you might expect, this list is heavily weighted toward recent players, as there are so many more playoffs games than there used to be. Remember, in the old days, there was just one playoff round--the World Series--and there were very few off-days in the series. So one pitcher didn't start (much less win) as many as 3 games very often. Compare that to today, where there are three playoff rounds (the Divisional Series, the League Championship Series, and the World Series,) tons and tons of off-days thanks to all the money-grubbing folks involved, and the staff ace can conceivably start as many as 8 games in one post-season.
All that being said, the weird thing is that a reliever, K-Rod, makes the top of the list with 5 wins in the 2002 playoffs. Those were interesting games and I invite you to check them out. (Go to his B-R main page and then you can click on the individual series links under his post-season pitching record.)
Not that this has anything to do with anything, but the current format of the playoffs really bothers me. It bothers me that teams play 162 games over about 180 days to determine which ones make the playoffs, but then playoff series are spaced out with off days every 2 or 3 games. When was the last time a #4 or #5 pitcher started in the post-season for a reason other than injury to one of the top three starters? In my mind, it's not right to measure the teams one way in the regular season but then subject them to a different set of rules in the post-season. The Cardinals, for example, would have had no chance last year had they needed to use their entire starting staff in the post-season.
I realize that due to expansion of baseball, there are more cities that are further away than there used to be, and travel days are needed, but at the very least, consecutive games in the same city (such as Games 1 and 2 of the World Series) should be played without an off-day in between. I just don't understand why MLB wants to sacrifice the integrity of the playoffs for a slightly larger TV audience. Don't they realize that by allowing lesser teams a better chance to win, they are driving away lots of fans?
October 14th, 2007 at 10:00 am
If you do it by most postseason losses in a year, Lefty Williams (1919) ties the lead with three.
October 14th, 2007 at 10:13 am
The biggest pitching goat of all time was George Frazier, who, as a middle reliever, lost three games for the Yankees in the 1981 World Series. To lose a game as a middle reliever, you have to come into a game tied or with the lead, and you have to lose the lead. He did that three times!! Talk about a dubious series for the guy.
October 14th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
I agree with your complaint about how many days off there are in the play offs. There could be World Series games in November. Maybe a Rockies-Indians series will have snow outs. Maybe a blizzard will force them to play games in neutral sites. Such fiascoes are not out of reach of this lame MLB leadership.
October 14th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
The amazing thing about K-Rod's 5 post-season victories is that at that point in his career, he had 5 (count 'em 5) regular season appearances.
October 15th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
Andy, you're absolutely right. I contend that part of the reason Wild Card teams peform so well in the playoffs is because they have excellent frontline (#1 and #2) starters, but subpar back ends of the rotation. When a playoff series is extended over so many days, it mutes a team's pitching weaknesses. Reducing the number of off-days in a playoff series would definitely result in a more accurate display of a team's ability.
October 15th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
Remember when Canseco hit a grand slam in the 1988 World Series? Do you remember that was a day game? Does anybody remember daytime playoff baseball? I miss it. (But I'd gladly settle for all night games with fewer off days.)
October 15th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
No question that in general, night games get more attendance and more viewers. But this past Saturday, with only 1 game scheduled, why the hell is it ending at 1:45 AM or whatever it was? The games are toooo fucking long, and why couldn't a weekend game be in the day, at least late afternoon? Do more people want to watch at midnight on a Saturday than at 4 pm? Seems doubtful.
I always thought that K-Rod playoff was somewhat overrated, as I believe he sort of vultured a couple of those wins, blowing the lead and then getting it back. Nevertheless, his cumulative performance still deserves to go down in history, especially as the preview of a fine career.
October 15th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
Lefty Williams may be tied for the lead with 3 loses in a postseason, but keep in mind he was trying to lose the games
So from the perspective of his financial backers, it was 3 wins
October 16th, 2007 at 12:53 am
Johnny Twisto----- It is obvious you were only 7 or 8 years old during the 2002 series; but now that you are almost a teenager, you can take a look at the box scores. He did not allow a run in 4 of the 5 games he earned victories in.
He was perfect in 3 of the 5 victories, and allowed a walk and a WP letting in 1 inherited runner in 0.2 IP in a 4th victory.
Only in ALDS Game 2 did he pitch poorly and get the W. Perhaps when you get to the 8th grade your Mom and Dad (if you have one) will let you stay up until the end of the game, or at least learn how to work the TiVO. Keep in mind, they are looking for some maturity before they give you privileges.
Good Luck in your adolescence.
October 16th, 2007 at 4:58 am
What is the deal with that nasty comment, spartanbill? If you think Johnny's point was wrong about how K-Rod earned those win, why not just say that?
And, excellent point about Lefty Williams, jgeller.
October 16th, 2007 at 5:28 am
I wasn't attempting to be nasty. I saw the profanity and assumed (and still do) that the poster is twelve years old.
October 16th, 2007 at 11:18 am
K-Rod blew two saves. He entered a game with a 2-run lead and gave up a 2-run HR. He entered another game with the bases loaded and walked in a run. I stated that his overall playoff performance was historical. It's also true that he lucked his way into 2 of his 5 wins when his offense picked him up after he allowed the tying runs. I stand by my statements, and I'll add that you can blow me. If you want to continue this, go for it, but I'm not responding any further here.
October 16th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
I'm going to make this very simple. Anybody posting profanity, off-color remarks (such as "blow me"), or name-calling (such as "idiot") is going to be banned from posting on this site. I'll personally see to it that all of your past and future posts are deleted, and of course the software logs your email and IP addresses. And even though post #9 above doesn't break any of those rules, I don't like it either. There will be no warnings, and no fairness. Just try me.
This is a BASEBALL site, folks. We can make our points without using vulgarity and we can disagree while still being mature.
I put in a lot of my free time posting here for YOUR benefit and entertainment. Don't ruin it for me and for everyone else.