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Look back at: Divisional Playoffs |
League Championship
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Sunday, October 22
Useless facts from the World Series
By Jayson Stark
ESPN.com
Useless information from Game 1 of the World Series:
When Al Leiter and Andy Pettitte matched zeroes on the board through the first five innings, it was the first time a World Series game had stayed scoreless that long since Game 3 of the '98 Series. Starting pitchers in that game: David Cone and Sterling Hitchcock.
They never made it, but the last time a World Series game was 0-0 through six, seven, eight or nine innings: The Game 7 classic between Jack Morris and John Smoltz in 1991.
Last opener of a World Series to be 0-0 after five innings: The Mets' last World Series, Game 1 in 1986: Ron Darling vs. Bruce Hurst.
It became a moot point after the fifth inning, but no team has ever thrown a shutout in the last game of a League Championship Series and then thrown another shutout in the first game of the World Series. You'll recall that Mike Hampton threw one against the Cardinals in the NLCS finale.
Equally moot: The last team to throw two straight postseason shutouts was the '91 Braves, in Steve Avery and John Smoltz starts in Games 6 and 7 of the 1991 NLCS.
David Justice's two RBI gave him 53 in 99 postseason games, the most in history. Next is Reggie Jackson, with 48 RBI (but in only 77 postseason games).
Bubba Trammell got 18 pinch-hit at-bats as a Met during the regular season -- and drove in one run. In his first pinch at-bat for the Mets in the World Series, he drove in two runs.
Here's how much Jose Vizcaino's role had receded in the Yankees' big picture over the last month: The Yankees hadn't won a game he'd started since Sept. 7 -- 44 days ago and 34 games ago.
Mike Piazza's numbers as a Mets DH going into Game 1: 10 for 36 (.278), with three home runs (one every 12 at-bats) and six RBI in 10 games. The Mets went 4-6 in those 10 starts. When Piazza hasn't DH-ed, he hit .324, with 98 homers (one every 14 at-bats) and 307 RBI.
During the season, Leiter went 1-2, with a 6.20 ERA, when Todd Pratt caught him, and 15-6, 2.80, when Piazza caught him.
Mike Bordick became the third player in history to play in the All Star Game in one league and then play in that year's World Series for a team from the other league. The others: Johnny Mize (1949, played in Series for Yankees) and David Cone (1992, played in Series for Blue Jays).
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