October Heroes - Gary Armida's Blog

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Gary Armida's Blog

October Heroes Stuck

Posted on October 15, 2012 at 09:32 AM.

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I was a child of the 1980�s. Living in New York, that meant watching the Yankees miss the playoffs every year after 1981. The Yankees won regular season games, but being that only two teams were able to advance to the League Championship Series, they constantly missed. Then, they got really bad, culminating in what Yankees fans call �The Stump Merrill Years�. As the Yankees hit rock bottom in the late 80�s and early 90�s, the Atlanta Braves were going in the opposite direction. They had gone through even worse times than the Yankees. They finished last in the National League in 1990 with a 65-97 record. But, something was building in Atlanta. Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Steve Avery took some beatings that season, but those experiences led to the magical 1991 season that culminated in a World Series appearance.

Ultimately, pitching was the story of that series as most of the regulars failed to hit over .200. But, one Braves player stood out. He would hit .417/.462/.708 with three triples. He would, along with Terry Pendleton, be the Braves best offensive player in the seven game series. Mark Lemke�s first World Series performance was almost enough to propel the Braves to an unlikely title.

That World Series would put Mark Lemke into the Baseball consciousness, especially during the postseason. Writers and announcers would take seemingly every opportunity to talk about Mark Lemke�s ability in October. Throughout the prime of the Braves� October runs, they would have players such as Chipper Jones, Ron Gant, Fred McGriff, Andruw Jones, and David Justice. But, it was Mark Lemke that became the feared postseason batter.

Some of that was definitely lore, something that fit a narrative. The diminutive second baseman would struggle in some postseason series during his 11 year career. He was never the best player on the field, but in big spots, in front of a national audience, he would have some spectacular moments. 1991 started it, but Lemke�s presence in October was always discussed. It was a presence that didn�t befit a career .246/.317/.324 hitter. And, in total, Lemke�s career postseason slashline would be .272/.335/.353, which doesn�t look all that threatening.

But, he would hit .333/.462/.381 in the 1992 NLCS. In the Braves� 1995 World Series victory, he would hit a solid .273/.360/.270. He followed that up with a 1996 NLCS of .444/.516/.630 with his one career postseason home run. We were all fascinated with how a player with Lemke�s skill set could perform so well on a big stage.

Certainly, role players having success in the playoffs isn�t anything new. The Yankees were able to get big performances from Luis Sojo and Scott Brosius during their late 90�s World Series run. David Eckstein, Brian Doyle, Jim Sundberg, Adam Kennedy, Al Weis, and Bill Mazeroski (sorry, Dad) were all October heroes.

When those types of players do something on the big stage, it resonates with us. Maybe it�s just the surprise of seeing them do things we never saw from them. Maybe it�s that we see a little of ourselves out there as if we would be able to come up big if we got a shot. Or, maybe it�s a reminder that anything is possible.

Whatever it is, Major League Baseball�s playoffs seem to always give these types of performances. The Yankees are down 2-0 to the Detroit Tigers and are heading to a game three match up with Justin Verlander. In one of the most obvious statements ever, it doesn�t look too good for them. But, they wouldn�t even be there without Raul Ibanez.

The 40 year old Ibanez was a free agent signing for the Yankees that was met with some resistance from beat writers and fans. Ibanez has turned in a solid Major League career, but Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui were also available. Many wondered why the Yankees would choose someone older and who never played in New York over two experienced Yankees. The regular season proved Yankees� General Manager Brian Cashman correct as Ibanez filled the role of part time DH and outfielder while both Damon and Matsui were released before season�s end by their respective clubs.

Ibanez is what you would call a late bloomer in that he didn�t get enough attention to get a full chance until he was 30 years old. Once he got his chance, he produced. From ages 30 through 36, Ibanez would average .292/.352/.481 with 22 home runs and 97 RBI. He was a solid player. He received a three year deal from the Phillies following the 2008 season. He would hit a career high 34 home runs in 2009, but then he began to decline. That decline was inevitable as he was approaching 40. He turned in a respectable season for the Yankees, hitting .240/.308/.453 with 19 home runs. It was solid in that he was able to fill a role and wasn�t needed to be a focal point of the offense.

But, Ibanez would be a key player in the Yankees winning the division. His performance against the Red Sox allowed the Yankees to win the American League East. And, then of course, ther was his performance last week.

By now, it has been told many times. Joe Girardi chose Ibanez to pinch hit for Alex Rodriguez. Ibanez hit a homerun to tie the game. In the 12th, Ibanez hit the first pitch he saw for the game winner against the Orioles. Then, in game one of the ALCS against the Tigers, Ibanez hit a game tying home run with two outs in the ninth innings to keep the Yankees in the game. For about a week, Raul Ibanez has been the best hitter in baseball. While having a solid career, none of this was ever expected.

Even more unexpected is Pete Kozma. A few weeks ago, only people in St. Louis knew who Pete Kozma was. Now, he�s the second coming of Mark Lemke, only with power. The 24 year old has taken over as the starting shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals. Following a season ending injury to Rafael Furcal, Kozma was called up. He wasn�t the choice to be the full-time starter, but Kozma seized the job with a .333/.383/.569 performance in 27 games. In those games, he hit 5 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, and drove in 14 runs. The 24 year old seemed like he was ready for the Major Leagues.

That is a bit surprising considering his career Minor League stat line reads: 6 years, 671 games, .236/.308/.344 with 113 doubles, 15 triples, and 40 home runs in 2,429 at bats.

It only gets better.

After a stellar 27 Major League games, Kozma comes up with two outs and his club behind by a run. Kozma singles in the two base runners to allow the Cardinals to win game five against the Nationals and move on to the NLCS. While he didn�t hit for average--just 4 for 16 in the series--he did hit a homerun and added 5 walks.

Adding to Kozma�s lore is his reaction to the game winner. There was no real reaction, as if he was either sleeping or that he was just so accustomed to playoff game winning--and series winning--hits.

Talking about Pete Kozma as if he is a star or even a future star isn�t realistic. His 2,400 Minor League at bats seem to settle that. But, he�s already had one of those moments. His name will forever be linked to the Cardinals. His name will be discussed with names like Musial, Smith, and Pujols. He isn�t even close to being in that league, but his playoff performance--his game winning moment--allows his name to be discussed in Cardinals� history. He could become one of �those guys�, the guys who don�t have spectacular careers, but perform well in the playoffs.

He�s already started adding to his first round glory as he doubled home a run in game one against Giants� starter Madison Bumgarner.

How do guys like Kozma, Lemke, and all of the other non-stars do it? That�s the mystery and that may actually be why we get so fascinated with them. Their performances come from nowhere. They weren�t predicted and for a brief period of time, someone like Pete Kozma or Mark Lemke can add doubt in a pitcher�s mind. In a June start, the pitcher would attack. But, in an October at bat, the pitcher is facing a dangerous hitter. That�s what captures us.

Football and basketball don�t really offer these types of performances. Both sports are star driven and sports that allow for the star to take over. But, baseball is different. In baseball, anyone, even one of the worst players in the sport, can have a big performance at any time. It�s Raul Ibanez�s time to cap off a very good Major League career. And, it�s Pete Kozma�s turn to become an unlikely October hero.

For that chance, we�ll watch and shake our heads when he comes through again. Everything on paper says that Pete Kozma shouldn�t be succeeding, let alone succeeding in a playoff game. Yet, he has. We�ll shake our heads, but also smile at someone playing better than his capabilities in big moments. That�s what we wish for ourselves.

For a while we�ll live vicariously through Pete Kozma.