Teams with multiple pitchers with post season saves since 1969

(Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

The Rangers have played two game in the post season and have two saves from two different pitchers. And neither of those pitchers are named Shawn Tolleson who led the team with 35 saves.

It is refreshing when managers make decisions based on the situation rather than just drag the closer out in the 9th as a default. (Sam Dyson pitched the 9th in Game 1 instead of Tolleson. Manager Jeff Banister used Tolleson in Game 2 when it was NOT a save situation.)

The save became an official stat in 1969. Teams in the post season initially played to the situation instead of using the closer in all close 9th innings. But as saves began to pile up (especially after Tony LaRussa began using Dennis Eckersley one inning at time) and the prices of an innings closers sky rocketed, managers seemed to manage by the book and stick the closer in no matter what.

Every once in a while, a team will have multiple pitchers record a save in a post season. It does not happen often, but they pop up. Just last year, the Giants had 3 different pitchers credited with a save. If Tolleson saves a game, then the Rangers will match that total.

So here are all the teams to use more than one pitcher to save a game since 1969.

Teams with multiple pitchers with post season saves since 1969
1969 New York Mets – Ron Taylor (WS), Nolan Ryan (WS)
1970 Baltimore Orioles – Pete Richert (WS), Dick Hall (WS)
1970 Cincinnati Reds – Clay Carroll (NLCS), Don Gullett (NLCS)
1972 Oakland A’s – Vida Blue (ALCS), Rollie Fingers (WS)
1972 Cincinnati Reds – Clay Carroll (WS), Jack Billingham (WS), Tom Hall (WS)
1973 New York Mets – Tug McGraw (NLCS, WS), George Stone (WS), Ray Sadecki (WS)
1973 Oakland A’s – Rollie Fingers (ALCS, WS), Darold Knowles (WS)
1974 Oakland A’s – Rollie Fingers (ALCS, WS), Catfish Hunter (WS)
1975 Cincinnati Reds – Pedro Borbon (NLCS), Rawly Eastwick (WS), Will McEnaney (WS)
1976 Cincinnati Reds – Pedro Borbon (NLCS), Will McEnaney (WS)
1978 New York Yankees – Ken Clay (ALCS), Rich Gossage (ALCS)
1979 Pittsburgh Pirates – Don Robinson (NLCS), Kent Tekulve (WS)
1980 Philadelphia Phillies – Tug McGraw (NLCS, WS), Ron Reed (WS)
1981 Los Angeles Dodgers – Bob Welch (NLCS), Steve Howe (WS)
1982 Milwaukee Brewers – Pete Ladd (ALCS), Jim Slaton (ALCS), Bob McClure (WS)
1983 Baltimore Orioles – Sammy Stewart (ALCS), Tippy Martinez (WS)
1984 San Diego Padres – Rich Gossage (NLCS), Craig Lefferts (WS)
1985 St. Louis Cardinals – Ken Dayley (NLCS), Todd Worrell (WS), Jeff Lahti (WS)
1986 Boston Red Sox – Calvin Schraldi (ALCS, WS), Bob Stanley (WS)
1987 Minnesota Twins – Juan Berenguer (ALCS), Jeff Reardon (ALCS, WS)
1987 St. Louis Cardinals – Ken Dayley (NLCS, WS), Todd Worrell (NLCS, WS)
1988 Los Angeles Dodgers – Alejandro Pena (NLCS), Orel Hershiser (NLCS), Brian Holton (NLCS), Jay Howell (WS)
1990 Cincinnati Reds – Randy Myers (NLCS, WS), Rob Dibble (NLCS)
1990 Pittsburgh Pirates – Ted Power (NLCS), Bob Patterson (NLCS)
1990 Oakland Athletics – Dennis Eckersley (ALCS), Rick Honeycutt (ALCS)
1991 Pittsburgh Pirates – Bob Walk (NLCS), Roger Mason (NLCS)
1992 Toronto Blue Jays – Tom Henke (ALCS, WS), Mike Timlin (WS)
1992 Atlanta Braves – Jeff Reardon (NLCS), Mike Stanton (WS)
1993 Philadelphia Phillies – Mitch Williams (NLCS), Larry Andersen (NLCS)
1995 Atlanta Braves – Mark Wohlers (DS, NLCS, WS) Greg McMichael (NLCS), Pedro Borbon (WS)
1995 Seattle Mariners – Norm Charlton (DS, ALCS), Bill Risley (DS)
1996 Baltimore Orioles – Randy Myers (DS), Armando Benitez (ALCS)
1997 Cleveland Indians – Jose Mesa (DS, ALCS, WS), Brian Anderson (WS)
1998 San Diego Padres – Trevor Hoffman (DS, NLCS), Donne Wall (NLCS)
1999 Atlanta Braves – Kevin Millwood (DS), John Rocker (DS, NLCS), John Smoltz (NLCS)
1999 New York Yankees – Mariano Rivera (DS, ALCS, WS), Ramiro Mendoza (ALCS)
2000 New York Mets – John Franco (DS), Armando Benitez (NLCS, WS)
2003 Florida Marlins – Ugueth Urbina (DS, NLCS, WS), Braden Looper (NLCS)
2003 Chicago Cubs – Joe Borowski (DS), Mike Remlinger (NLCS)
2003 Boston Red Sox – Derek Lowe (DS), Scott Williamson (ALCS)
2005 Chicago White Sox – Bobby Jenks (DS, WS), Mark Buehrle (WS)
2007 Colorado Rockies – Manny Corpas (DS, NLCS), Ryan Speier (NLCS)
2008 Tampa Bay Rays – Dan Wheeler (DS), David Price (ALCS)
2009 Philadelphia Phillies – Brad Lidge (DS, NLCS), Ryan Madson (WS)
2010 Texas Rangers – Darren Oliver (ALCS), Neftali Feliz (WS)
2011 Detroit Tigers – Jose Valverde (DS, ALCS), Phil Coke (ALCS)
2012 Detroit Tigers – Jose Valverde (DS), Phil Coke (ALCS)
2014 San Francisco Giants – Santiago Castilla (DS, NLCS, WS), Hunter Strickland (DS), Madison Bumgarner (WS)
2015 Texas Rangers – Sam Dyson (DS), Ross Ohlendorf (DS)

 

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – October 9, 2015

Outside of Trader Joe’s, I discuss watching baseball in the west coast, the dull games, why Pete Rose needs to shut his mouth and why everything is pumpkin flavored.

It is a 4 Playoff Games In One Day episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Jose Altuve, Delino Deshields, Jake Diekman, Collin McHugh, Edwin Encarnacion, Kendrys Morales and Chris Young all added to their totals for Who Owns October

My post season predictions can be found HERE.

MIKE TORREZ – Sully Baseball Unsung Post Season Hero of October 9

File Photo – AP

OCTOBER 9, 1977 – American League Championship Series Game 5

The 1977 Yankees are one of the most written about and talked about World Series winners in the history of baseball. The combination of George Steinbrenner’s madness, Billy Martin’s paranoia and Reggie Jackson’s ego under the microscope of a tumultuous summer filled with blackouts, elections and the Son of Sam made the soap opera of the Yankees too much to resist. Even a miniseries was made about that team.

The team had a spectacular conclusion, with Reggie Jackson homering with his final three swings of the season and delivering the Yankees their first championship since 1964. The pitcher on the mound for the clinching was not Cy Young winning closer Sparky Lyle but rather Mike Torrez, a steady veteran who never played a full season with the Yankees.

Torrez pitched a pair of complete game victories in the World Series and made his imprint on the 1977 title. But this entry is not about his World Series. This is about his performance in the ALCS, where his positive contributions were not as obvious as in the World Series but no less important.

The native of Kansas did not even begin the season with the Yankees. The 30 year old right hander was a steady 225 inning a year pitcher who bounced around from the Cardinals, Expos, Orioles and A’s between 1967 and 1977. (He was sent from Baltimore to Oakland in the deal that sent Reggie Jackson to the Birds.)

He found himself joining the Yankee staff in a deal that sent Dock Ellis to the A’s (Ellis lasted in Oakland for about an hour and a half before becoming a Ranger.)

Torrez was a relatively anonymous starter in a staff that featured future Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter, World Series hero Don Gullett and rising stars Ed Figueroa and Ron Guidry. Torrez was steady, unspectacular and reliable for Billy Martin, hardly a boat rocker on a team full of them.

In the ALCS, Martin gave Torrez the ball to start Game 3 in Kansas City with the series tied at one. He fell behind early and eventually finished with an unimpressive 5 2/3 inning outing, allowing 5 runs and getting the loss. The Yankees were on the brink of elimination on Torrez’s shoulders.

Sparky Lyle’s arm and the bat and speed of Mickey Rivers forced a 5th and deciding game between the Royals and Yankees for the second straight year. Billy Martin rattled the controversy cage again by benching Reggie Jackson for the finale. Ron Guidry got the start but did not have his best stuff. Brett’s triple and Al Cowens’ single put the Yankees in a 3-1 hole with 1 out in the third.

Martin lifted Guidry and brought in Torrez to stop the bleeding. He struck out Amos Otis and John Wathan to end the 3rd inning rally.

Then Mike Torrez worked around a lead off hit to throw a scoreless 4th. He tip toed around 2 base runners for a scoreless 5th. He tossed a 1-2-3 inning in the 6th and 7th. All the while Paul Splitorff kept the Yankees from scoring, but the Royals could not pad the lead.

Reggie Jackson came off the bench to make it a one run game before Torrez came out to pitch the 8th. He got the first two outs before walking the next two batters. Lyle relieved him and worked out of the jam. In the end, Torrez threw 5 1/3 shutout innings and kept the game from getting out of hand.

The Yankees would rally for three runs in the 9th and capture the pennant. Lyle clinched the game and was credited for the win. Torrez’s performance probably saved the game and put the Yankees in a position to win. Had Torrez not pitched well, the Royals would have won the pennant and the “Reggie Jackson in New York” experiment would have ended with him on the bench in the post season, nursing a reputation of being a small market player.

Torrez shone in the World Series. When he caught the clinching out, Yankees shortstop Bucky Dent was one of the players who embraced him. Less than a year later, those two would be linked forever as Torrez left for Boston in the off season and served up his former teammate one of the most memorable (and profane inducing) homers in baseball history.

But for Yankee fans, thank Torrez for giving them a chance to see a title and lead to Reggie’s signature moment.

For that reason, Mike Torrez is the Unsung Postseason Hero of October 9.