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ANAHEIM, Calif. -- One last game. One last chance to break out a Game 7 edition of the Useless Information Department:
John Lackey became the first rookie starter to win a Game 7 of the World Series since 1909. But in making the start he was also trying to join a list that's even more impressive in some ways -- starters who won Game 7 on three days' rest.
Since division play began in 1969, only three pitchers have started and won a Game 7 on three days' rest. (This list doesn't count Randy Johnson, who won Game 7 last year in relief -- on no days' rest.)
Jack Morris 1991
Frank Viola 1987
Ken Holtzman 1973
In the 1960s, four starting pitchers won Game 7 on three days' rest -- or less: Mickey Lolich in 1968 (on two days' rest), Bob Gibson in 1967, Sandy Koufax in 1965 (on two days' rest) and Gibson again in 1964 (on two days' rest).
Did Barry Bonds have the greatest World Series ever? The only other player who is in the argument is Lou Gehrig, in a four-game World Series (in which he hit behind Babe Ruth) in 1928. Here's a comparison of their numbers:
Bonds: 8 for 17 (.471), 4 HR, 6 RBIs, 8 runs, 13 BB, .700 OBP, 1.294 SLUG, 1.924 OPS
Gehrig: 6 for 11, 4 HR (.545), 9 RBIs, 5 runs, 6 BB, .706 OBP, 1.727 SLUG, 2.427 OPS.
If it makes Robb Nen feel any better, he isn't the only closer who has blown a save in a game that would have won the World Series. In fact, Nen is the ninth closer in the division-play era who has blown a save like that. And given the situation he inherited _ tying run on third, winning run on second with no outs in the eighth -- his was more excusable than some of the ones that preceded it.
The other interesting part of this list is that three of these teams won the World Series anyway. The complete list (which includes both Bob Stanley and Calvin Schiraldi for the '86 Red Sox because they divided the closer's job):
2002: Robb Nen, Game 6 (5-4)
2001: Mariano Rivera, Game 7 (2-1)
1997: Jose Mesa, Game 7 (2-1)
1992: Tom Henke, Game 6 (2-1) *
1986: Bob Stanley, Game 6 -- 9th inning (3-2); Calvin Schiraldi, Game 6 -- 10th inning (5-3)
1985: Todd Worrell, Game 6 (1-0)
1975: Rawly Eastwick, Game 6 (6-5) *
1971: Dave Giusti, Game 6 (2-1) *
(* -- won World Series anyway)
Livan Hernandez got six outs in his start Sunday night -- the shortest start by any pitcher in a Game 7 since Bob Turley got only three outs in Game 7, 1960. The shortest Game 7 starts since then:
1985: John Tudor 2 1/3 IP (5 runs)
1973: Jon Matlack 2 2/3 IP (4 runs)
1965: Jim Kaat 3 IP (2 runs)
1986: Ron Darling 3 2/3 IP (3 runs)
Of that group, only Darling's team came back to win.
The Giants' starting pitchers in this Series finished with an 8.10 ERA. The Angels' starters had a 7.55 ERA. Here are the only rotations with higher ERAs in a World Series, courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau:
San Diego Padres, 1984, 13.94
San Francisco Giants, 1989
Brooklyn Dodgers, 1947, 9.64
Chicago Cubs, 1932, 9.50
Cincinnati Reds, 1970, 9.15
San Francisco Giants, 2002, 8.10
Anaheim Angels, 2002, 7.55
Of the 16 teams that were around when the Giants last won the World Series in 1954, only four have not won one since:
Red Sox
Cubs
Indians
White Sox
Since the Diamondbacks won the World Series last year, this marks the first time since 1924 that teams won their first World Series in back-to-back years. Here are the four previous times that happened, courtesy of Lee Sinins, of baseball-encyclopedia.com:
1905 Giants, 1906 White Sox, 1907 Cubs
1909 Pirates, 1910 Athletics
1919 Reds, 1920 Indians
1923 Yankees, 1924 Senators
When Dusty Baker started Pedro Feliz as his DH Sunday, it allowed Feliz to join a very quirky club -- players who started Game 7 of a World Series after having started no games in the rest of the postseason. The only three men who had ever done that, according to the Elias Sports Bureau's Ken Hirdt:
Dave Duncan, 1972 (starting catcher for Oakland)
Bernie Carbo, 1975 (starting LF for Boston)
Steve Lake, 1987 (starting catcher, St. Louis)
Oh. And how did those other three do? They went a combined 2 for 9. Carbo doubled in three trips. Lake singled in three at-bats. Duncan went 0 for 3, with two strikeouts.
Just another two-extra-base-hit game for Bengie Molina. He had one in Game 7 of the World Series. He had one during the entire regular season -- on May 31 in the Metrodome (two doubles).
We calculated this for the Giants on Saturday. So here's the Angels' version. How long has that 41-year drought been without a title for this franchise? The Angels have had 13 players hit at least 100 home runs in all that time. The complete list, courtesy of Lee Sinins' Sabermetric Baseball Encyclopedia:
1. Tim Salmon, 269
2. Brian Downing, 222
3. Garret Anderson, 164
4. Chili Davis, 156
5. Bobby Grich, 154
6. Troy Glaus, 148
7. Don Baylor, 141
8. Doug DeCinces, 130
9. Reggie Jackson, 123
10. Jim Edmonds, 121
11. Wally Joyner, 117
12. Jim Fregosi, 115
13. Jack Howell, 100
And in that same time, four pitchers won 100 games for the Angels:
1. Chuck Finley, 165
2. Nolan Ryan, 138
3. Mike Witt, 109
4. Frank Tanana, 102
Before the Angels came from five runs down to win Saturday, the biggest comebacks in elimination games in World Series history were both wild stories.
In Game 7, 1925, the Pirates fell behind Walter Johnson, 4-0, then came back to win, 9-7.
And in Game 6, 1919, the White Sox also came back from a 4-0 deficit to beat the Reds, 5-4. But what was notable about that was that they were the infamous Black Sox, who were getting paid off to lose that World Series.
Tim Worrell took the loss in Game 6 of this World Series. His brother, Todd, took the Game 6 loss in the memorable "Don Denkinger Game" in the 1985 World Series (in which Denkinger, the first-base umpire, blew a call at first that led to the Cardinals blowing a 1-0 lead in the ninth inning and, ultimately, the Series itself).
By allowing that eighth-inning home run to Darin Erstad in Game 6, Tim Worrell now has given up more home runs in the postseason (four) than he did in the regular season (three). Worrell in the regular season: 3 HR in 74 IP. Worrell in the postseason: 4 HR in just 13 IP.
In the World Series that produced the most home runs in Series history (21), it might seem surprising that there were no homers in Game 7. But in fact, there have only been two Game 7 homers since 1986. The two men who hit them, courtesy of the Sultan of Swat Stats, SABR's David Vincent:
Alfonso Soriano 2001
Bobby Bonilla 1997
Jayson Stark is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
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