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spt_mroctober[i++] = new Array("","NEW MR. OCTOBER","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/040601/040601_yankeesJeter_vmed_8p.vlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Mike Segar", "REUTERS", "354", "278", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_mroctober[i-1].body = "Could it be there is another Yankee who better deserves one of baseball’s catchiest nicknames? Could it be that the original Mr. October, Reggie Jackson, should no longer be the frame of reference for future major-leaguers who excel in the postseason?If you’ve watched the Yankees over the last decade, you already know that Derek Jeter is the embodiment of clutch performances in October. The Yankees’ captain doesn’t deliver home runs the way Reggie did, nor does he have a candy bar named after him. But he doesn’t run and hide when the spotlight shines brightest, either.
Jeter has been in the middle of nearly every important October rally the Yankees have staged since he burst onto the scene as American League Rookie of the Year in 1996.
MSNBC Sports salutes Jeter as the 21st Century version of Mr. October and presents a few other position players who always seem to have enough left in their tanks to star in the seventh and final month of the marathon that is a baseball season.";
spt_mroctober[i++] = new Array("","Derek Jeter","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/031017/031017_sld2fishfry.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Ezra Shaw", "Getty Images", "284", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_mroctober[i-1].body = "
Eyewitnesses swear that Yankee Stadium has never been louder than in 1996, when Joe Girardi tripled off Greg Maddux to key the winning rally in when the Yankees won their first World Series since 1978. But few remember it was the rookie, Jeter, who singled home Girardi to tie the game.
A trend had begun. In the Subway Series of 2000, it was Jeter's first-pitch leadoff home run off Bobby Jones in Game 4 that stopped whatever momentum the Mets had built with their Game 3 victory. He won the Series MVP that year and hit in 14 straight World Series games from 1996-2000.
Given ample opportunities because of the extra playoff rounds that didn't exist in previous eras, Jeter is the all-time leader in career postseason hits with 123 in 99 games. His famous 'flip' to catcher Jorge Posada that saved the Yankees in the LDS against Oakland in 2001 would rank among the greatest defensive plays in postseason history had it occurred in the Series.
It is fitting, however, that in the first World Series game that went beyond October –- because of the delay in the season caused by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 -- Jeter hit a walkoff homer after midnight on Halloween to beat the Diamondbacks. As he rounded the bases in a cauldron of noise at Yankee Stadium, a clever fan held up a sign that read, \"Mr. November.\" Jeter's got that one all to himself.
STAT LINES: LDS batting average of .358; World Series average of .302.";
spt_mroctober[i++] = new Array("","Reggie Jackson","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/zz_Projects_done/Whine_Week/040523_whine_jackson.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Susan Ragan", "Reuters file", "90", "90", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_mroctober[i-1].body = "
Before he ever came to the Yankees as a free agent in 1977, Reggie Jackson had proven himself in October, leading the Oakland A's to three consecutive World Series titles (1972-74) with timely hitting. But those performances were mere warmup acts.
In the first of his five tumultuous seasons in pinstripes, Jackson put on a show in the World Series that has not been matched before or since. In Game 6 at Yankee Stadium, Reggie hit three home runs -– all on the first pitch -– as the Yankees ousted the Dodgers for their first world championship since 1962. Only Babe Ruth has ever hit three homers in a World Series game. After the third one, Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey shielded his body from teammates and discreetly applauded in his glove as Jackson rounded first.
For the Series, he compiled a record five homers, 25 total bases and 10 runs. A year later, he struck out famously in a riveting Game 2-ending duel with Bob Welch, but came back in the Game 6 clincher to belt a two-run homer off Welch. The World Series is a grand stage and Mr. October knew how to perform on it.
STAT LINES: World Series batting average of .357 with 10 homers; OBP in Series was .457.";
spt_mroctober[i++] = new Array("","Mickey Mantle","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_mroctober[i-1].body = "
The man who played in more games as a Yankee than any other –- a feat he was most proud of –- also had the opportunity to appear in 12 World Series. Those were the days before the postseason also included extra playoff rounds, but Mantle remains the all-time home run leader in World Series history with 18, and also retired No. 1 on the Series list for walks, runs, RBIs, extra-base hits and total bases.
Though his batting average was only .257 in the Series, he provided many dramatic moments. In 1952, he homered in both Games 6 and 7 as the Yankees rallied past Brooklyn. Facing the Dodgers again in 1953, he had a game-winning homer in Game 2 and a game-turning grand slam in Game 5.
He saved Don Larsen’s perfect game with a spectacular running catch in Game 5 of the 1956 Yankees-Dodgers classic and also homered in the 2-0 gem. He hit a walk-off home run on the first pitch he saw from St. Louis knuckeball specialist Barney Schultz in Game 3 of the 1964 World Series. That homer was memorable for another reason: It was his 16th in World Series play, surpassing Babe Ruth for the all-time record.
STAT LINE: All-time leader with 18 World Series homers. Also has 40 RBIs, 42 runs in 65 games.";
spt_mroctober[i++] = new Array("","Lou Gehrig","","","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Paul Sancya", "AP file", "144", "198", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_mroctober[i-1].body = "
It was never easy for Gehrig, playing in the shadow of the great Babe Ruth. Not that the Iron Horse ever sought the spotlight. But his accomplishments are often overlooked because he played with perhaps the most colorful character in baseball history and the all-time home run leader for nearly six decades.
But Gehrig outshone Ruth on occasion in the World Series, getting four key extra-base hits in a 1927 sweep of the Pirates and batting .545 with four homers in another sweep the next year. In yet another sweep in 1932 over the Cubs, Gehrig batted .529 with three home runs and eight RBIs.
But guess what most folks remember from that Series? Not Gehrig's heroics but the antics of none other than Ruth, who did or didn't call his shot in Game 3, depending on which accounts you believe.
Ruth and Gehrig each played in seven World Series, and Gehrig outhit his larger-than-life teammate by 35 points and drove in two more runs. He did not, however, lead the Yankees in headlines.
STAT LINE: World Series average of .361, OBP of .477, slugging percentage of .731";
spt_mroctober[i++] = new Array("","Babe Ruth","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/041012/041012_hayes_curse_vmed6p.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "", "AP file", "284", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_mroctober[i-1].body = "
Not only did The Bambino hold the all-time career World Series home record for more than 30 years, but he held the record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched for 43 years.
That's right, Ruth was one of the best pitchers in the American League when he played for the Boston Red Sox before his ill-fated trade in 1920. He had a 3-0 record in the 1916 and 1918 Series, and pitched 29 2/3 shutout innings, a record that stood until Whitey Ford broke it in 1961.
Ruth, of course, was better known for his home runs and he hit 15 of them in just 118 at-bats -– a record HR ratio of 11.6 homers per 100 at-bats. Among them were four in the 1926 World Series that the Yankees lost. In 1928, Ruth batted .625 with three homers in a New York sweep.
And, whether he did or did not call his shot in 1932 off Charlie Root of the Cubs, it was still a mammoth blast into the centerfield bleachers that was estimated at 448 feet. That was Babe, always doing things in a big way.
STAT LINE: World Series average of .326, 15 homers and 33 RBIs in 41 games; OBP of .467, slugging percentage of .744.";
spt_mroctober[i++] = new Array("","Bobby Richardson","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_mroctober[i-1].body = "
What is this little (5-9, 170 pounds) second baseman doing among the giants –- literally and figuratively -– of the game? Taking his rightful place with other October stalwarts, that's what.
Richardson had amazing success in his seven World Series with the Yankees. Though his career batting average was just .266 -– he was far better known for his slick fielding than his hitting -– Richardson batted .305 in the Fall Classic, including .367 in 1960 with a grand slam and what was then a record 12 RBIs.
He batted .391 in 1961 and .406 with a record 13 hits in 1964. His greatest Series moment was in the field and was more about luck than skill. He snared Willie McCovey's scorching line drive to end the 1962 Classic, giving Ralph Terry a 1-0 victory and the Yankees their final championship until 1977.
Richardson was the first player on a losing team ever to win the Sport Magazine MVP Award, accomplishing the feat in 1960 when the Pirates stunned the Yankees on Bill Mazeroski’s homer. It was a year when two second basemen were second to none.
STAT LINE: World Series average of .305 with 12 of his 15 career RBIs coming in 1960 Classic.";
spt_mroctober[i++] = new Array("","Bernie Williams","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/040808/040808_williams_vmed.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Bill Kostroun", "AP", "270", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_mroctober[i-1].body = "
Though the switch-hitting center fielder was the Yankees' best hitter against the Marlins in last season's World Series with two homers and a .400 average, it is his excellence in the LDS and LCS that puts him on our list. Williams is the all-time leader in postseason home runs (19), RBIs (68) and is second to Derek Jeter in hits.
True, that's a product of the frequent opportunities playing for the Yankees affords, but it's not just quantity with Williams. There is quality, too. He is the only player in history with two walkoff postseason home runs –- against Baltimore in the 1996 ALCS and Boston in the 2000 ALCS. He's also the only switch-hitter to have homered from both sides of the plate in a postseason game (vs. Texas in the 1996 ALDS).
He had four hits against the Marlins in Game 4 last year. His home run in Game 3 moved him ahead of Mickey Mantle and Reggie Jackson and into the top spot on the all-time postseason list. He keeps pretty good company. Or Mantle and Jackson do.
STAT LINES: Has a .325 average with 7 homers in 34 LCS games; .294 with 7 homers in 38 LDS games.";
spt_mroctober[i++] = new Array("","Duke Snider","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_mroctober[i-1].body = "
It usually wasn't the fault of the Duke of Flatbush when the Brooklyn Dodgers came up short against the Yankees year after year during the glory days of \"The Boys of Summer.\" That's because Snider was a Man of Autumn and the only significant left-handed bat in the Dodgers' lineup of that era.
He delivered a game-winning double in the 11th inning of Game 5 at Yankee Stadium in 1952. He batted better than .300 in four of his six World Series. Twice he hit four homers in a Series -– in 1952, when the Dodgers lost to the Yankees in seven grueling games –- and in 1955, when \"Next Year\" finally arrived as Brooklyn beat New York in seven games.
Snider played a key role in '55, belting a crucial three-run homer in the Dodgers' 7-5 victory in Game 4 and blasting two homers and a double in a 5-3 victory in Game 5. Imagine the October numbers he would have compiled had the Dodgers played additional playoff games as today's pennant winners must do to reach the Series.
STAT LINES: In 36 Series games, he has 11 homers, 26 RBIs, a .286 average and .594 slugging percentage.";
spt_mroctober[i++] = new Array("","Pete Rose","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/040107/040107_reds_rose_vmed_11a.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Al Behrman", "AP file", "273", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_mroctober[i-1].body = "
What, you thought baseball's all-time hit king was merely a regular-season phenom? Hardly. He is one of the most prolific postseason hitters in history, with a .321 lifetime average covering 268 at-bats and 67 games.
He may be widely known for the brawl he had with Buddy Harrelson of the Mets in a rock-'em-sock-'em playoff series in 1973, but base hits have always been his trademark and there were plenty of them as Rose played on three World Championship teams -– the 1975-76 Reds and 1980 Phillies.
He delivered the game-tying single in Game 7 against the Red Sox in 1975, when he hit .370 in the Series. In 1980, he was the inspirational leader for the first world championship in Phillies history and made a key defensive play when he hustled to catch a foul ball that had popped out of the glove of catcher Bob Boone.
When Phillies manager Paul Owens benched the 42-year-old Rose for Game 4 of the 1983 Series, he didn't sulk. Instead, he delivered a dramatic RBI double in Game 5, though Baltimore won that game and the Series.
STAT LINES: In 118 LCS at-bats, he owns a .381 batting average and .430 OBP.";
spt_mroctober[i++] = new Array("","Steve Garvey","","","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Ray Stubblebine", "AP file", "198", "145", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_mroctober[i-1].body = "
If not for the presence of Reggie Jackson during the same era, the well-groomed Garvey might have earned the nickname \"Mr. October.\" There was no tougher out in the Dodgers' lineup during those days, as Los Angeles reached the World Series four times.
Only in 1978 did Garvey falter. In 1974, he batted .381 against the A's. In 1977, Garvey battered Yankees pitching to the tune of .375, but again the Dodgers fell short. In 1981, the Dodgers finally broke the Yankees' spell, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to win four straight games. Garvey was magnificent, batting .417.
He was a key contributor to the San Diego Padres' first-ever postseason appearance in 1984, delivering a game-breaking double that eliminated the Cubs in the LCS, as he batted .400 with seven RBIs in the five games. In 11 postseason series covering 55 games and 222 at-bats, the man with the hairy, Popeye forearms batted .338. with 11 homers and 31 RBIs.
STAT LINES: Owns a .356 average in LCS play and .319 mark in the World Series.";
spt_mroctober[i++] = new Array("","Chipper Jones","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/040816/040816_chipper_jones_vmed.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Streeter Lecka", "Getty Images", "298", "189", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_mroctober[i-1].body = "
The versatile switch-hitter -– he has played third, short and left field for the Braves –- has had many opportunities to perform in October and is among the all-time leaders in several offensive categories.
There have been many highlights, right from the beginning. In his first postseason appearance, Game 1 of the 1995 LDS against the Rockies, Jones belted two homers, including the game-winner in the top of the ninth, while batting .389 in that series. Jones then batted .438 in the Braves' four-game victory over the Reds in the LCS.
In the Braves' three-game sweep of the Astros in the 1997 LDS, Jones batted .500 with a homer. In that year's LCS, Jones hit two homers but the Marlins surprised Atlanta in six games.
STAT LINES: A .298 average in LDS play is punctuated by 8 homers and 24 RBIs in 114 at-bats.";
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Forget about batting average when it comes to evaluating the postseason career of this sweet-swinging left-handed slugger. Justice was served time and again in key spots. Only Bernie Williams has more career RBIs in October than Justice's 63.
No moment was bigger than in Game 6 of the 1995 World Series when Justice's home run off Jim Poole keyed a 1-0 victory over the Indians for the Braves' only Series triumph during their incredible run of 13 straight postseason appearances.
He’s had other big moments despite a sub-par career postseason batting average of .224. He had five RBIs in Game 2 of the 1991 World Series and had six RBIs to lead the Indians past the Red Sox in the 1998 LCS. He delivered a memorable home run for the Yankees in the LCS against Seattle in 2000, belting a game-turning three-run shot in Game 6 that ensured a Subway Series. That homer temporarily put him in first place on the all-time postseason RBI list and helped earn him MVP honors for the series.
STAT LINES: In 108 LDS at-bats, has a .231 average; in 166 LCS at-bats, has a .235 average; in 124 World Series trips, has a .202 average.";
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spt_mroctober[i-1].body = "
Going into this season, Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran has only played in two playoff series, both coming in 2004 as he led the Astros to the NLCS.
This isn't Beltran's fault, as he has spent the bulk of his career in Kansas City. Given the chance, he blossomed, smashing eight home runs as the Astros came within a whisker of the World Series.
Now he get a chance to prove it wasn't a fluke as the Mets return to the postseason.
STAT LINES: Hit .435 with eight home runs in only 12 career playoff games."; spt_mroctober[i++] = new Array("spt_060920_mroctober","Vote: Who is the real Mr. October?","","","","", "lv2", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); // END editorial data