Comments on: Bloops: Most Valuable World Series HRs

By: eorns

eorns — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 01:01:35 +0000

Reading about Hal Smith reminded me of Endy Chavez taking a home run AWAY from Scott Rolen in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS. It wasn't the World Series (and it only had a .08 WPA) but it belongs on the list of plays that would be remembered much much more if it weren't for events outside of the player's control. If there could be such a thing as fielding WPA, that one would be high up there! Can anyone think of any other game-saving or otherwise spectacular defensive plays in such a high-leverage situation?

By: Reference…? | Marcel Blog

Reference…? | Marcel Blog — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 19:08:28 +0000

[...] Bloops: Most Valuable World Series HRs » Baseball-Reference Blog … [...]

By: Kahuna Tuna

Kahuna Tuna — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:57:41 +0000

I googled my "apocryphal" Bobby Shantz story, and darned if the traded-for-scouting-reports account isn't published as truth in at least one reputable source. From David Finoli and Bill Ranier, The Pittsburgh Pirates Encyclopedia (Sports Publishing, L.L.C., 2003), p. 138 (link): Before the 1961 season, “. . . it appeared [GM] Joe L. Brown had helped add depth [to] the Pirates by making an unusual trade. [1960 Pirates coach] Mickey Vernon had been named to manage the expansion Washington Senators in the American League. Expansion was a new procedure, and the Washington franchise had not prepared particularly well. Not only had they needed a manager, but they needed help deciding who[m] they would select in the draft. Brown worked out an arragement with the club that the Pirates would share their American League scouting reports with Washington, if the Senators agreed to draft Bobby Shantz, the left-handed reliever who had nearly beaten the Bucs in Game 7 of the Series, from the Yankees and trade him to Pittsburgh. “Brown sent pitcher Bennie Daniels and two players who did not figure in the team’s plans, first baseman R.C. Stevens and infielder Harry Bright, [to Washington] in return for Shantz.”

By: Kahuna Tuna

Kahuna Tuna — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:42:46 +0000

And how many [players] have been drafted in 2 or more expansion drafts? No player has been drafted in more than two expansion drafts. Besides Bobby Shantz, the only other player that I know was drafted in two different expansion drafts is Al Fitzmorris. Shantz pitched for the Yankees in 1960, including the WS, was selected by the new Senators in the expansion draft, then was traded to the Pirates before the 1961 season. Probably apocryphal, but I recall reading somewhere that the new Senators, woefully unprepared for the expansion draft, traded Shantz to Pittsburgh immediately in exchange for two players and — the real prize — the Pirates' AL scouting reports, which they then used in drafting the rest of their expansion picks. I wouldn't bet on the story's standing up to close scrutiny, but it is amusing.

By: LJF

LJF — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:56:21 +0000

@ 26 - Scott, that is so cool.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 06:08:13 +0000

Don't know about your second question but I know Renteria played for St. Louis in the series losing to Boston, then was (I believe) signed in that off season by Boston.

By: kds

kds — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 05:29:47 +0000

Thanks Mike Gaber, Shantz pitched for the Yankees in 1960, including the WS, was selected by the new Senators in the expansion draft, then was traded to the Pirates before the 1961 season. After the season he was selected by Houston in the NL expansion draft. So, how many players played for one team in a WS and their opponents in that Series the next year? And how many have been drafted in 2 or more expansion drafts?

By: Mike Gaber

Mike Gaber — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:26:53 +0000

Another interesting player who appeared in the Maz/Hal Smith WS Game # 7 of 1960, was a pitcher named "Little" Bobby Shantz all 5'6", 139 pounds of him.
BBRef.com doesn't list "Little" as his knick name, but that's what I remembered he was generally called by the media.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/shantbo01.shtml

Although he got knocked around in this game he had a nice 16 season career (1949-1964) and was the 1952 American League MVP going 24-7.

He also won the AL Pitcher Gold Glove award 12 straight times.
I bring the GG awards up since we have a nice heated discussion going on in another current post on the GG subject.

By: scott silveira

scott silveira — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 23:41:57 +0000

I have a scoresheet of my grandmothers of this seventh game, taken either from radio or TV broadcast. Her handwriting appears overcome on Maz's HR, denoted by four lines strewn all over. An amazing game.

By: Joe Garrison

Joe Garrison — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 23:04:07 +0000

Ugh... Maz got into the HOF on his record. The home run ensured we did not forget about him while the voters finally got around to electing him.

That said... yeah, it is the hall of FAME, and the homer did make him famous so I can see the reasoning behind the above posts.