TommyJohn
10-28-2004, 11:30 AM
The Hitless Wonder factor lives! A couple of years ago, I got tired of all
the blahblahblah about the infernally stupid "ex-Cub" factor, so I did a
little research on my own and found an "ex-Sox" factor. That is, a team
having three or more ex-Sox has pulled off a tremendous comeback to
win the pennant, pulled off an upset to win the World Series, or both.
I call it the "Hitless Wonder" factor, after the 1906 White Sox, who came
back from 9 games down to win the AL pennant and beat the winningest
single season team in baseball history (the Cubs, 116-36) in a World Series
upset. Sometimes, the ex-Sox contribute mightily, as only they can. So
the teams are:
1968 Detroit Tigers: Norm Cash, Don McMahon, Denny McLain. I'm fudging
on McLain, because he never played a league game with the White Sox,
but he did play with them in spring training and wore the uniform, so the
magical Sockie pixie dust rubbed off on him. The Tigers won the AL pennant
going away (thanks to McLain's 31 wins) then fell behind 3 to 1 to a superior
Cardinal team. They came back to win the series, getting a must-win Game
6 win from McLain. Norm Cash's .385 average also contributed. I don't know
if the Cardinals were favored or not, they were a faster team and had Bob Gibson. I'll say they were. Now that I am a serious baseball writer, I am
allowed to make stuff up as I go along.
1969 New York Mets: Tommie Agee, Al Weis, J.C. Martin. Everyone knows
their story. Down 10.5 games to the Cubs, they roared back to win the NL
East, win the NL and beat the mighty Baltimore Orioles in a tremendous
upset. Agee, Martin and Weis ALL made significant World Series contributions.
Agee with his spectacular catches, Martin with his famous sacrifice bunt, and
Weis with his game 5 home run. Where all these bunts, bops and breathtaking
catches were in 1967 when the White Sox needed them is a mystery.
1978 New York Yankees: Bucky Dent, Goose Gossage, Jim Spencer, Bob
Lemon. The mother of them all!!! Down by 14.5 games to the eternally
woeful, suffering, suffering Boston Red Sox, the Yankees roared back to
tie them for the AL East. The one game playoff went down in history of
course, with Bucky Dent hitting a historic home run that would help beat
the Red Sox and give the Boston media, Doris Kearns Goodwin, John Updike
and Dan Shaugnessy reams and reams of useful material. Goose Gossage
closed out the Red Sox in the 9th. Dent was also the World Series MVP.
To be continued in next post.
the blahblahblah about the infernally stupid "ex-Cub" factor, so I did a
little research on my own and found an "ex-Sox" factor. That is, a team
having three or more ex-Sox has pulled off a tremendous comeback to
win the pennant, pulled off an upset to win the World Series, or both.
I call it the "Hitless Wonder" factor, after the 1906 White Sox, who came
back from 9 games down to win the AL pennant and beat the winningest
single season team in baseball history (the Cubs, 116-36) in a World Series
upset. Sometimes, the ex-Sox contribute mightily, as only they can. So
the teams are:
1968 Detroit Tigers: Norm Cash, Don McMahon, Denny McLain. I'm fudging
on McLain, because he never played a league game with the White Sox,
but he did play with them in spring training and wore the uniform, so the
magical Sockie pixie dust rubbed off on him. The Tigers won the AL pennant
going away (thanks to McLain's 31 wins) then fell behind 3 to 1 to a superior
Cardinal team. They came back to win the series, getting a must-win Game
6 win from McLain. Norm Cash's .385 average also contributed. I don't know
if the Cardinals were favored or not, they were a faster team and had Bob Gibson. I'll say they were. Now that I am a serious baseball writer, I am
allowed to make stuff up as I go along.
1969 New York Mets: Tommie Agee, Al Weis, J.C. Martin. Everyone knows
their story. Down 10.5 games to the Cubs, they roared back to win the NL
East, win the NL and beat the mighty Baltimore Orioles in a tremendous
upset. Agee, Martin and Weis ALL made significant World Series contributions.
Agee with his spectacular catches, Martin with his famous sacrifice bunt, and
Weis with his game 5 home run. Where all these bunts, bops and breathtaking
catches were in 1967 when the White Sox needed them is a mystery.
1978 New York Yankees: Bucky Dent, Goose Gossage, Jim Spencer, Bob
Lemon. The mother of them all!!! Down by 14.5 games to the eternally
woeful, suffering, suffering Boston Red Sox, the Yankees roared back to
tie them for the AL East. The one game playoff went down in history of
course, with Bucky Dent hitting a historic home run that would help beat
the Red Sox and give the Boston media, Doris Kearns Goodwin, John Updike
and Dan Shaugnessy reams and reams of useful material. Goose Gossage
closed out the Red Sox in the 9th. Dent was also the World Series MVP.
To be continued in next post.