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Remembering A Disastrous World Series Performance

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The worst bullpen meltdown of the 2001 World Series was not the one you think. You probably go right to Byung-Hyun Kim blowing saves in games four and five in Yankee Stadium, putting the Diamondbacks on the brink of elimination heading into game six. But that’s not it.

You might also think of Mariano Rivera blowing the save in game seven. Mark Grace singled, Rivera turned a sac bunt attempt into runners on first and second, Tony Womack eventually knocked home the tying run. Then Tim McCarver – without so much as a spoiler alert – laid out exactly what was about to happen like he’d seen it already, and Luis Gonzalez shoveled a ball over the drawn in infield to win the World Series. Just like that, the greatest closer of all time blew game seven of the World Series, ending a Yankee dynasty in its tracks.

But that’s not it either. I’m talking about Jay Witasick’s beautifully disastrous performance in game six.

With the Yankees up three games to two in the 2001 World Series, the series shifted back to Arizona for a critical game six. The Yankees were just one win away from their fourth consecutive World Series championship, while the Diamondbacks, in their fourth season, hadn’t yet existed in a world in which the Yankees were not the champs. Kim’s consecutive blown saves put Arizona in this position, but in game six, it would be the Yankees bullpen that would implode. Though Jay Witasick’s meltdown didn’t come in as high a leverage situation as Kim’s (nor Rivera’s), it was something to behold.

Witasick entered Game 6 with runners on second and third with the Yankees trailing 5-0. It was still early. The game was in reach. Here’s how hitters fared against Witasick that inning:

  • Single to LF
  • Single to LF
  • Single to LF
  • Single to RF
  • Tony Womack strikes out swinging (phew!)
  • Single to CF
  • Double to LF
  • Single to CF
  • Double to CF
  • Reggie Sanders strikes out swinging (finally!)

In a game when the Yankees could have clinched a World Series victory, Joe Torre let Witasick stay in the game to surrender four consecutive hits – twice! – in one inning. By the time Reggie Sanders finally struck out, the Diamondbacks led 12-0. Relievers are often made to wear it the way Witasick did here, but a win in this game meant a World Series title. This wasn’t a normal game. This was the type of game when – normally – you never give up. Witasick’s 8 earned runs tied him with Grover “Pete” Alexander for the most runs ever given up in a World Series game. Alexander took 2 1/3 innings to give up that many in the 1928 World Series against the Yankees. 

Witasick would give up two more hits the next inning (he started another inning!), giving him a final line that looks like this (parents, cover your children’s eyes): 1 ⅓ innings, 10 hits, 9 runs (8 earned), 4 strikeouts. Randy Choate came on and allowed Witasick’s stragglers to score, by which point the Diamondbacks led 15-0. Luis Gonzalez – their consensus best player – was pulled for rest in the bottom of that inning (the 4th inning!). Given the stakes of the game, it’s amazing that Torre allowed Witasick to get shelled the way he did. 

I’ll give Torre this: games four and five of the 2001 World Series went into extra innings, and leading 3 games to 2 going into game six, the Yankees had some cause to pack it in by the time Andy Pettitte left the game without recording an out in the third inning. And it’s not as if Witasick was giving up home runs. These were mostly bleeders through the left side of the infield – but they weren’t totally cheap knocks either. 

On the other hand, when Pettitte exited the game, it was still just a 5-0 deficit in the 3rd inning. Of course, Torre also had reason to doubt whether his offense could come back from a deficit that large. In the first five games of the series combined, the Yankees had scored a total of four runs in innings 1 through 8. Without a pair of clutch ninth-inning home runs from Tino Martinez and Scott Brosius, the Yankees came dangerously close to losing all 7 games of the series (which, of course, would have been impossible). 

Still, Witasick’s ill-fated stint in the third and fourth inning of game 6 stands out as a woeful performance with the season on the line. Witasick put together a solid professional career, pitching for 7 teams over 12 years with a 4.64 ERA/4.69 FIP, and it’s hardly his fault that Torre decided to pack this one in by the third inning, but it’s worth a re-watch nonetheless.

Quick Hits: Girardi, Signs, Angels

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For those in the mood for a game of “connect the dots”, today’s news regarding the USA Baseball national team should put your pencils to the ready. Joe Girardi, previously the USA team’s manager, has officially stepped down in advance of the “Premier 12” Olympic qualifier, according to this tweet from Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe (Twitter link). Scott Brosius, longtime Yankee and a two-time Olympic gold medalist in his own right, will manage the American side moving forward.

While those obsessed with the sport of Olympic baseball will find this to be a cataclysmic development, the rest of us will feel inclined to view this announcement in light of its implications on the MLB managerial market. While Girardi himself has not issued a statement regarding his decision to step down from USA duties, it might be inferred that he could be prepping to accept a job as skipper of a big league club. Girardi, who has not managed in the bigs since his contract with the Yankees expired in 2017, has recently interviewed for the Cubs, Mets, and Phillies openings. Keep track of all managerial maneuverings with MLBTR’s Managerial Search Tracker.

More news from around the game on this eerily baseball-free Wednesday…

  • From the “unwritten rules” department: according to SNY’s Andy Martino, the Yankees dugout was incensed during the course of Game 1, when several Astros players were heard whistling in advance of certain pitches on Saturday night. “I would consider whistling a tired act that goes beyond what is acceptable,” an unnamed major league executive told Martino. “If the Astros or anyone else was doing it, it would be considered a break in the unwritten rules. I have not been part of any team that used a whistle from the dugout for pitch type or location.” Of course, sign stealing is a time-honored part of baseball gamesmanship that has taken many different forms over the past few centuries; recently, MLB has even considered the implementation of on-field earpieces for pitchers and catchers, according to some 2018 reportage on the part of Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston.
  • In our recent poll “Executives Under Pressure”, MLBTR readers voted on which club GM they thought would most be feeling the pressure in 2020 to put out a winning club–or else. Angels GM Billy Eppler placed third in the polling (behind Neal Huntington of the Pirates and Matt Klentak of the Phillies), with 11.81% of readers positing that LA’s fifth-year GM will likely be maneuvering to keep his job this offseason. In the view of The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, today’s hiring of Joe Maddon to the club’s manager seat might be further evidence toward Eppler’s occupational insecurity (link). “From every indication, owner Arte Moreno drove the hiring of Maddon, and by doing so, undercut his GM,” writes Rosenthal. Eppler will be tasked with several challenges heading into this winter, including the reinforcement of a pitching staff recently decimated by injuries and the loss of hurler Tyler Skaggs.

Byung-Hyun Kim Announces Retirement

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South Korean submariner Byung-Hyun Kim announced his retirement from professional baseball in an interview with Lee Jae-kook of SPOTV Sports Time, covered here by Naver Sports. Kim played in Australia last season at the age of 39 after stints in the MLB, Korea and Japan.

Kim is unfortunately best known for blowing saves in back-to-back games against the Yankees during the 2001 World Series. He surrendered crushing home runs to Derek Jeter and Scott Brosius in games four and five, marring an otherwise breakout season for the electric 22-year-old. Kim’s quick delivery, submarine arm slot and sweeping breaking ball made him an engaging character on the Diamondbacks’ lone championship team, for whom he was tremendous up until the World Series. Two games after Kim’s second blown save, Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera would do him a solid and prove that a blown save can happen to anyone, as the Diamondbacks game back in the bottom of the ninth against Rivera to win their first and only World Series. That season Kim saved 19 games with a 2.94 ERA over 98 innings while recording 10.4 K/9.

Kim bounced back from the rough showing in the World Series with a career year in 2002, earning 36 saves with 2.04 ERA in 84 innings. The Diamondbacks version of Kim would have fit nicely in today’s game as a high-usage multi-inning reliever, though it was a short run of success. He was traded to the Red Sox in May of 2003, where his career eventually unraveled, though he did turn in a strong 79 1/3 innings of 3.18 ERA baseball for Boston that season, including five starts. Kim also played for the Rockies and Marlins, last appearing in the major leagues for Florida in 2007.

Kim returned to Arizona for the 20th Anniversary and took part in the festivities. His strongest major league seasons were without a doubt his early years in Arizona, where he recorded 70 of his 86 career saves. For his career, Kim finished with a 54-6o record with a 4.42 ERA in 394 appearances, 87 of which were starts. Kim is fourth on the Diamondbacks all-time saves list.

Scott Brosius Won’t Return To Mariners’ Coaching Staff; Perry Hill Likely To Be Hired

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Mariners third base coach Scott Brosius won’t be returning to the organization in 2019, reports Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. The organization had hoped to renew Brosius’ contract and had formally invited him back, per the report, but Brosius decided weeks ago that he’d be pursuing other opportunities, it seems.

The departure of Brosius comes in the wake of the Mariners’ dismissal of pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. and the resignation of hitting coach Edgar Martinez, who passed up an opportunity to return in order to spend more time with his family moving forward. Martinez asked that the Mariners work with him to find a new role, which prompted the creation of an “organizational hitting advisor” position; he’ll remain with the organization in that capacity next season.

It seems, though, that the Mariners are also close to announcing a veteran addition to their staff, as MLB.com’s Greg Johns points out that former Marlins first base/infield coach Perry Hill recently changed his Twitter bio to include “Seattle Mariners-Infield Coach.” Beyond that, Johns noted that second baseman Dee Gordon, who knows Hill well from the pair’s time with Miami, posted an Instagram photo celebrating Hill’s hiring today. Hill was let go by Miami earlier this offseason amid a wide swath of coaching changes.

It’s not clear what other duties Hill would have with the Mariners — he could step in as the third base coach or perhaps push incumbent first base coach Chris Prieto to another role on the staff — but he’ll bring considerable experience to the table. The highly respected 66-year-old has a dozen years of experience in the Marlins organization in addition to numerous coaching roles with the Pirates, Expos, Tigers and Rangers dating back to the 1993 season. Johns notes that the staff is expected to be finalized this week.

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