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October 29, 2007
WORLD SERIES NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
ROOKIES ABOUND: Boston started a pair of rookies in Game One – DUSTIN PEDROIA and JACOBY ELLSBURY – the first World Series team since the New York Mets in 2000 (Timo Perez and Jay Payton) to start two rookie position players in Game One of a World Series. Colorado’s TROY TULOWITZKI became the fifth rookie shortstop to start a World Series game since 1969, joining DAVE CONCEPCION (1970), WALT WEISS (1988), KEVIN STOCKER (1993) and DEREK JETER (1996).
DUSTIN PEDROIA: Became the second player to lead off the first game of the World Series with a home run, joining DON BUFORD, who homered for Baltimore in Game One of the 1969 World Series against the Mets (October 11). In addition, Pedroia became the first rookie to hit a leadoff home run to start any World Series game.
JOSH BECKETT:
• Beckett’s four consecutive strikeouts to begin Game One were the third most ever to start a World Series game, behind SANDY KOUFAX (LA, Oct. 2, 1963 vs. NYY) and MORT COOPER (STL, Oct. 11, 1943 vs. NYY), who both had six straight strikeouts to begin a World Series game.
• Became the 19th pitcher to start a World Series game in both leagues, as he previously opened for Florida in 2003. He is the first to do so since ROGER CLEMENS and ANDY PETTITTE for Houston in 2005 after starting for New York (AL) on multiple occasions.
• Recorded his fourth victory of the postseason in Game One, becoming the ninth pitcher to win four games in one postseason as a starting pitcher. Beckett joins BURT HOOTON (1981), DAVE STEWART (1989), JACK MORRIS (1991), OREL HERSHISER (1995), JOHN SMOLTZ (1996), DAVID WELLS (1998), RANDY JOHNSON (2001) and CURT SCHILLING (2001). No pitcher has ever won five games as a starter in a single postseason.
UBALDO JIMENEZ: With his Game Two start for Colorado, he became the fifth pitcher ever to start a World Series game with fewer than 90 regular season innings of major league experience, the first since MARTY BYSTROM made a Game Five start for the Phillies in 1980.
MATT HOLLIDAY collected four hits in Game Two, the 57th time in World Series history a player has collected four or more hits in a game.
CURT SCHILLING: With his Game Two victory, he became just the second pitcher over 40 (40 years, 11 months, 11 days) to start and win a World Series game, joining KENNY ROGERS, who started and won Game Two of 2006 Series against St. Louis at 41 yrs, 11 mos, 12 days. He is the fourth pitcher overall over 40 to win a World Series game, with two winning in relief: DOLF LUQUE, 43 years, 2 months, 3 days when he defeated Washington in relief for the Giants in the 5th and deciding game of the 1933 World Series on October 7, and JOHN FRANCO, 40 years, one month, 7 days when he defeated the Yankees in relief with the Mets on October 24, 2000, Game 3.
1-2 PUNCH: JOSH BECKETT and CURT SCHILLING combined to go 7-0 this postseason, the first time a pair of teammates have gone 7-0 in a single postseason since DAVE STEWART (4-0) and MIKE MOORE (3-0) guided the 1989 Oakland A’s to a world title…Information courtesy of Elias Sports Bureau.
ROOKIE TANDEMS: JACOBY ELLSBURY and DUSTIN PEDROIA started Game Three in the top two spots of the Red Sox order. They became the first set of rookies in World Series history to hit 1-2 in a lineup. The last rookies to hit back-to-back in a lineup were TIMO PEREZ (batting 7th) and JAY PAYTON (batting 8th) in Game Five for the 2000 New York Mets. ELLSBURY and PEDROIA also became the first pair of rookies in World Series history to each collect at least three hits in the same Fall Classic game with their Game Three performances.
ROOKIE LEAD-OFF MAN: Ellsbury was the first rookie to hit lead off for a World Series game since TIMO PEREZ led off for the Mets in Game Four of the 2000 World Series, October 25, against the Yankees.
DOUBLE MAN: JACOBY ELLSBURY hit two doubles in the third inning of Game Three, becoming the second player in World Series history to collect two doubles in an inning. He joined MATT WILLIAMS (Ari.), Nov. 3, 2001 (3rd inning) as the only player to accomplish the feat. With four hits in the game, Ellsbury became the first rookie to record a multi-hit game since Chicago’s TADAHITO IGUCHI on Oct. 25, 2005 against Houston (Game 3). It was the third time a rookie had four hits in a game in World Series play, joining FRED LINDSTROM (1924 Game Five for New York Giants) and JOE GARAGIOLA (1946 Game Four for St. Louis). Ellsbury totaled three doubles, tied for second most ever in a World Series game, behind FRANK ISBELL (CWS), October 13, 1906.
DAISUKE WITH THE BAT: In Game Three, DAISUKE MATSUZAKA became the first pitcher to record a hit in a World Series game since JEFF SUPPAN (STL) recorded a hit in Game Three of the 2004 World Series (10/26/04). He’s the first Red Sox pitcher to get a hit in World Series play since BILL LEE in Game Seven of the 1975 World Series.
MANY RUNS: With 25 runs over the first three games of the series, the Red Sox have matched the second-highest total for runs scored in the first three games of a World Series. In 1911, Philadelphia scored 25 runs in three games, while the 1960 Yankees scored 30 runs, most ever in three games.
BOBBY KIELTY became the 32nd player in World Series history to homer in his first World Series at-bat, when he led off the 8th inning with a pinch-hit home run on the first pitch to lead off the 8th inning off BRIAN FUENTES. He is the 21st player in World Series history to hit a pinch-hit home run. In both cases, he is the first since Chicago’s GEOFF BLUM hit a game-winning 14th inning home run in Game Three of the 2005 World Series at Houston (Oct. 25).
WINNING STARTERS: Red Sox starting pitchers recorded the win in each of the four games of this series, just the 2nd time in World Series history four starting pitchers won the first four games for a winning team, joining the 1927 Yankees staff of WAITE HOYT (Gm. 1), GEORGE PIPGRAS (Gm. 2), HERB PENNOCK (Gm. 3) and WILCY MOORE (Gm. 4).
MIKE LOWELL: Lowell is the eighth third baseman in World Series history to win the MVP Award, the first since Anaheim’s TROY GLAUS in 2002, the most represented position with the MVP. Lowell is the second Boston MVP in history, joining MANNY RAMIREZ in 2004. The Red Sox World Series championship roster features four World Series MVPs: Lowell (2007), Ramirez (2004), JOSH BECKETT (2003) and CURT SCHILLING (2001).
TERRY FRANCONA becomes the 19th manager to win 2 World Series, the second consecutive year a manager has won his 2nd, joining TONY LaRUSSA with St. Louis (2006). Francona is the 11th manager to win his 1st two World Series appearances. Francona joins BILL CARRIGAN (1915 and 1916) as the only managers to win multiple World Series for the Red Sox.
Posted by Art Martone 
at 1:11 AM | Permalink
Mike | October 29, 2007 1:40 PM link
Very informative
thanks