For Bobby Thomson's sake... Let's pick it up Giants!

On August 11th, I wrote about how the Giants had about as good a chance as any to win the NL Pennant assuming they made the post season.

None of the other NL Teams were powerhouses and San Francisco could steamroll them through the NLCS.

The Giants have dropped 4 of the next 6 games including the brutal first few games of the Phillies series.

So now the Giants have fallen out of a playoff spot... they look lost and even my dad, the biggest Giants fan I know declared them dead.

But guess what? They looked dead in 1951 as well.

While I wrote about the Giants hopes on August 11th this year, on August 11th 1951 the Giants were 13 1/2 games behind the Dodgers before they completed the Miracle at Coogan's Bluff and Bobby Thomson hit the Shot Heard 'Round The World.

Thomson passed away this week and while that was nearly 60 years ago, the home run still resonates in baseball lore and should be looked on as hope for the current Giants club.

OK, there's no Willie Mays or Monte Irvin on this squad. And yeah, their starting pitching is in a huge slump.

There's no 13 1/2 deficit to overcome. In fact if the Giants and Jonathan Sanchez can beat the Phillies and Cole Hamels this evening, they'll be only 2 games back in the loss column with 40 games to play.

Making up 2 games in 40 games isn't a miracle. It's focus.

Come on Giants. You can still win the Pennant! You can still win the Pennant!

Monte Irvin and #20

Yesterday the Giants announced that they were retiring Monte Irvin's #20. And thankfully, Monte is still alive and will be at the ceremony.

Chances are Monte Irvin’s number retirement in San Francisco will get some nice applause at AT&T Park and some heartfelt commentary from baseball experts and most baseball fans will have no clue who he is.

He never played a day as a member of the San Francisco Giants, so you can forgive their fans if they don't get worked up when #20 gets retired.

But if things had played out a little differently, #20 would already have been retired all over baseball.

No less of an authority than Cool Papa Bell thought that Monte Irvin was going to be the player to break the color barrier.

He certainly was a more established professional baseball player than Jackie Robinson was. As an outfielder for the Newark Eagles in the Negro Leagues, he was a five time All Star and batted over .400 in 1940. He also was the MVP of the Mexican League in 1942.

Like Robinson, Irvin was talented at many sports. He was a champion javelin thrower as well as a star on the Lincoln University football team. Like Robinson, Irvin had served in the military during the Second World War and was a married family man.

When Branch Rickey was looking for the right candidate to break the color barrier, he wanted more than a good ballplayer.

He wanted an upstanding human being and one who would be willing to take the punishment and respond not with their fists but with their play.

And oh yeah, he also wanted to make A LOT of money!

Irvin fit all the qualifications... solid player, family man, college educated, military service and a person of strong character.

And supposedly Rickey approached Irvin to be part of his great experiment. Legend has it that Irvin didn't think he was ready to play at the Major League level so soon after leaving the service.

Rickey went with Robinson and Irvin would eventually join the Giants. Irvin led the National League in RBIs in 1951 when the Giants would over take the Dodgers behind Bobby Thomson's homer. He was also an All Star in 1952 and helped the Giants win the 1954 World Series, the last one the team has won to date.

He worked for the Mets and the Commissioners office after his retirement and became a member of the Hall of Fame in 1973, a year after Jackie Robinson's untimely death.

But imagine if he had said yes to Rickey.

Maybe it would have been Monte Irvin whose legacy we celebrate in breaking the color barrier.

Maybe school children would be taught to marvel at the dignity, talent and bravery of the great Monte Irvin.

And chances are Jackie Robinson, not given the directive by Branch Rickey to curb his well known hot temper, may not have lasted long. Perhaps Jackie would be known as a former UCLA football star who briefly played in the majors.

Maybe Jackie would have joined his former UCLA football teammates Woody Strode and Kenny Washington as racial pioneers in the NFL.

People might say something like "What Monte Irvin was to baseball, Jackie Robinson was to the National Football League."


And maybe in 1997, on the 50th anniversary of the color barrier being broken, Bud Selig and Bill Clinton would have retired #20 all over baseball instead of #42.

We'll never know. But what we DO know is Monte Irvin deserves to have #20 retired.
And if you are at that game... stand up and applaud.

He had All Star stuff and the heart of a pioneer.

Sully Baseball Honors... BOB SHEPPARD

Bob Sheppard, the voice of Yankee Stadium, is retiring.

He's 99 years old... the fact that they have to announce that he is retiring and explain why he won't be able to even do one game next year says a lot about him.

Most people when they reach 99 years old have been dead for about 20 years.

But Sheppard is alive and does a job that seems to be essential... he gives class and dignity to announcing the Yankee line up.

The man first announced the lineups for the 1951 World Champion Yankees that featured Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, Billy Martin, Allie Reynolds and was managed by Casey Stengel.

The last team he called was the 2007 Wild Card team that featured Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens, Robinson Cano, Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, Joba Chamberlain, Mike Mussina and was managed by Joe Torre.

That's stretching over some serious time.

He was featured in Seinfeld, Anger Management and was the final voice over in Billy Crystal's surprisingly good 61*.

And yes, while I am a Red Sox fan, I admit I got chills when I heard his voice.

My first memories was hearing names like "Chris Chambliss" "Reggie Jackson" and "Willie Randolph."

And let me tell you, when I was at NYU in the early 1990s and the Yankees were awful, he made some of those names sound good.

"Hensley Meullens."
"Don Slaught."
"Alvaro Espinoza."
"Mel Hall."

Any chump can say Mickey Mantle or Thurman Munson... but to make Oscar Azocar sound like a great Yankee took some talent.

So give yourself a break... and I hope Bob Sheppard reaches well beyond 100 years.

Reggie Jackson called Sheppard "The Voice of God."

God should take that as a compliment!

Sully Baseball Presents...PITCHERS WHO CLINCHED BACK TO BACK WORLD SERIES

I have a fascination with the last out of the World Series. It was my fantasy moment that I would reenact in my front lawn as a kid… getting the last out and having the team mob me on the mound.

I used to throw my arms up a la Tug McGraw.

Brad Lidge had the honors of being mobbed last October and if the Phillies win the World Series again, there’s the chance he could clinch back to back World Series.

And that got me thinking, who ELSE has clinched World Series in back to back seasons?

Now seeing this is Sully Baseball, I can’t have an idle thought like that without writing a list.

By clinching it, I mean throwing the last pitch of the World Series for an out… not necessarily being the winning pitcher or even getting the save… but getting the final out.

As I write this, I don’t know what the answer will be.

I know Mariano Rivera clinched three straight and would have clinched four straight had the Diamondbacks not rallied in 2001.

I also know off of the top of my head that Rollie Fingers did NOT clinch two World Series in a row even though he was the closer for the 1972, 1972 and 1974 World Champion A’s. Dick Williams had Darold Knowles clinch the 1973 World Series against the Mets.

Also, the closer role wasn’t a dominant position until the late 1960s and 1970s… so I am guessing that most World Series were clinched by starting pitchers.

So, let’s look back at…

PITCHERS WHO CLINCHED THE WORLD SERIES IN BACK TO BACK SEASONS

ART NEHF, 1921 and 1922 NEW YORK GIANTS

The 20 game winner pitched a complete game shutout in Game 8 of the first All New York World Series in 1921. (It was the last year of the best of 9 format.)

The Giants scored the only run of the game on a 2 out error in the first inning. Nehf held the Yankee lineup to only 4 hits as they played without an injured Babe Ruth. Ruth eventually pinch hit for Wally Pipp (what is it about Yankee legends subbing for Pipp?)

THE LAST PITCH (1921): With Aaron Ward on first with one out, Frank Home Run Baker came to the plate as the winning run. Baker grounded out to second and Ward tried to take third where he was gunned down to end the World Series.


A year later, the Yankees and Giants met up again. With one game called for darkness, the Series went to Game 5 with the Giants up 3-0-1. Nehf pitched well but the Yankees had the lead until the Giants rallied off of Joe Bush for a 5-3 lead.

THE LAST PITCH (1922): Aaron Ward again made the final out, this time in a more traditional way. With two outs and nobody one, Ward flew out to right fielders and future Hall of Famer Ross Youngs to give the Giants back to back titles against the Yankees.


BOB KUZAVA, 1951 and 1952 NEW YORK YANKEES

Kuzava was a mediocre spot starter and reliever who the Yankees plucked from Washington midway through the 1951 season.

He made only one appearance in the 1951 World Series and only one in the 1952 World Series... but Casey Stengel must have had confidence in him because his lone appearances were the assignment of clinching the World Series

Once again the Giants and Yankees were facing off in an all New York 1951 World Series. Kuzava was brought in to relieve Johnny Sain and stop a Giants rally as they were hoping to tie the series at 3 a piece.

THE LAST PITCH (1951):

After letting up a pair of sacrifice flies that cut the Yankee lead to 4-3 and had the tying run on second, Kuzava got pinch hitter Sal Yvars to line out to right fielder Hank Bauer to end the series.


A year later, the World Series again stayed within the bounds of New York City. The 1952 Series was between the Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers and is considered to be one of the best of all time. Kuzava worked out of a bases loaded jam in the 7th inning, aided by Billy Martin's running catch on Jackie Robinson's pop up. After working around an error in the 8th, Kuzava retired the first two in the 9th.

THE LAST PITCH (1952): Kuzava faced Pee Wee Reese with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th. He got a weak pop fly to left fielder Gene Woodling to end the series and have the honor of Yogi Berra jumping on his back.


WILL McENANEY, 1975 and 1976 CINCINNATI REDS

For all of the books and documentaries and retrospectives of the 1975 World Series, it is amazing how infrequently the last moment is shown.

Yeah Pete Rose, Carlton Fisk, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan, Luis Tiant, Bernie Carbo, Ed Armbrister, Dwight Evans and Fred Lynn all had amazing highlights...

But it was Will McEnaney who got the final word (and the cover of Sports Illustrated.)

THE LAST PITCH (1975): After the Reds scored off of rookie reliever Jim Burton in the 9th inning, they were poised to clinch their first World Series since 1940. McEnaney got pinch hitters Juan Beniquez and Bob Montgomery for the first two outs. The third batter was a little more challenging: Carl Yastrzemski, who was having a terrific series. With a 2-1 count and Carlton Fisk on deck, McEnaney got Yaz to pop up to Cesar Geronimo, ending arguably the greatest World Series ever played.


A year later, the Reds seemed poised to repeat and have their place in history as one of the greatest teams of all time. They faced the Yankees in the newly remodeled Yankee Stadium (not to be confused with the newly built Yankee Stadium of this year.) It was no contest as the Reds won the first three games and came from behind to take the lead in the 4th game. The Reds pulled away with a 4 run 9th and McEnaney took the mound in the 9th with a 7-2 lead.

THE LAST PITCH (1976): After quickly retiring Otto Velez and Mickey Rivers, McEnaney went 2-0 on Roy White. He flew out harmlessly to George Foster in left field to give the Reds their second straight title and the right to be called a dynasty.



MARIANO RIVERA, 1998, 1999 and 2000 NEW YORK YANKEES

The only one to do it three years in a row and would probably love to see Lidge NOT make this list.

It's amazing when you consider how quickly closers flame out that 13 seasons after exploding onto the scene as John Wetteland's set up man that he is still the best in the business.

He is so cool and so effective than the few times he DID fail are considered to be two of the biggest post seaon upsets in history (the 2001 World Series and the 2004 ALCS.)

And yet there are still morons out there who consider him to be overrated.

The 1998 team is considered to be one of the great teams in baseball history and rightfully so. The Padres actually put up a fight in games 1, 3 and 4... but couldn't hold onto a lead in any of those games. Rivera came into game 4 in the 8th inning and got out of a bases loaded jam. He actually came to bat in the top of the 9th.

THE LAST PITCH (1998): After getting a double play off of the bat of Carlos Hernandez, Rivera faced Mark Sweeney with the bases empty and a 3-0 lead in the game and the series. I remember when I was watching the game I thought "The Padres have the Yankees JUST WHERE THEY WANT THEM!" Sweeney grounded out to third base, completing the sweep and the coronation of the 1998 Yankees.


The 1999 Yankees were great again. They made it past the Rangers and my Red Sox in the playoffs with only one loss and faced the Braves in what was supposed to be a dynasty showdown. It wasn't a contest. The Yankees won game 1 in come from behind fashion, crushed the Braves in Game 2 and won Game 3 on a walk off shot by Chad Curtis.

Game 4 was a formality and it looked like Roger Clemens was going to throw a complete game shutout for his first ring (and denying Rivera a spot on this list.) But for the second straight year, Rivera came into the game in the 8th inning to get the Yankees out of a jam.

THE LAST PITCH (1999): Rivera got two quick outs before facing Keith Lockhart, who flew out harmlessly to Game 3 hero Chad Curtis. Rivera went 1-0 with 2 saves and a 0.00 ERA to earn MVP honors in the World Series.


The 2000 Yankees limped into their title defense with an 87-74 record, but after a scare from the A's made it back to the World Series. And like in 1921, 1922, 1951 and 1952, it was a Subway Series. This time it was the Mets who clashed with the Yankees. While the games were competitive, all but one went to the Yankees.

After scoring 2 in the 9th off of Al Leiter in Game 5, the Yankees gave the ball to Rivera again. Were you expecting Allen Watson?


THE LAST PITCH (2000): With a runner on third and 2 outs, Rivera faced off against Mets hero Mike Piazza, representing the tying run. On an 0-1 count he hit a deep drive that for a moment looked like a game tying homer. But Bernie Williams tracked it down to give the Yankees (and Rivera) 3 in a row. Little did they know that it would be their last title until at least this year.



AND THAT'S IT!

It thought for sure there would be a few more in there... but alas that's it.

Yeah the Yankees won back to back titles in the 1970s... but in 1977 Mike Torrez closed out the World Series and in 1978 he was too busy serving up home run balls to Bucky Dent.

The Blue Jays won back to back titles in the 1990s, but Mike Timlin clinched the 1992 series and was merely watching in 1993 as Joe Carter slugged that homer.

So maybe Brad Lidge will be added to this list this year...
Or maybe it will be another notch on Mariano Rivera's belt.