It's a well-known fact among baseball fans that your superstars can get you to the postseason, but winning it often requires production from unexpected places. Pitchers can pitch around your superstars, then relax on the lesser lights--who then proceed to knock the cover off the ball. Think Billy Hatcher of the surprising 1990 Cincinnati Reds, with his 7 straight hits to start their sweep of the heavily favored As. Or Jim Leyritz's massive blast to tie up Game 4 of the 1996 World Series and help the Yanks to "sweep back" the Atlanta Braves, winning four straight after dropping the first two.
The 1961 Yankees, like their World Championship teams before and after, relied on second baseman Bobby Richardson, a defensive stalwart but light-hitting leadoff man. He formed an awesome double-play tandem with Yankees shortstop, and the 1961 infield was among the best ever, defensively speaking.
But his inability to take a walk gave him the all-time Yankees lead in ABs with 692 in 1962--he'd also lead the league in that category from 1961-63. But he also made consistent contact, striking out only 245 times in his career out of 5783 plate appearances. That's pretty awesome, but when he did make contact, it didn't go very far, with nearly 82% of his career hits going for singles.
When Richardson proved his worth at the plate was during the postseason. In 1960, he remains the only Series MVP named from the losing squad, when he hit .367, driving in 12 with one homer, two doubles and two triples. He tied a World Series record with 13 hits in 1964, and is perhaps best known for snaring the line drive off Willie McCovey's bat in the 1962 Series that would have won the game (and the series) for the Giants.
In addition to his postseason heroics, Richardson is known as the clean-living and Christian member of a team (and a league) known for its off-the-field excesses. Still, his teammates respected Richardson's different lifestyle, and teammate Moose Skowron, in the midst of an obscene tirade after striking out, paused to apologize to Bobby before continuing his rant. When Richardson brought Mantle to church and caused a major distraction when the congregation realized who his guest was, Richardson successfully lobbied for the pregame service and prayer that has since become a tradition on many teams.
Bill James famously lauded Richardson for being a terrible leadoff man on an awesome team, but here is a case where statistics don't tell the whole story. With his steadfast defense, postseason heroics and strong moral compass, Richardson brought a strength and resilience to his Yankees squad they would have undoubtedly lacked otherwise.
So hurray for the little man, the unsung hero, the solid teammates who shine in the clutch. Hurray for the Bobby Richardsons of the world.
Keywords: 1961 Yankees, 1990 Reds, Billy Hatcher, Bobby Richardson, Jim Leyritz
