Comments on: The amazing Darren Oliver @southpawDO28

By: Hub Kid

Hub Kid — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:18:51 +0000

This is a great post, nicely supplemented by Doug’s and Dalton’s tables for 37-41 year relievers old 1901-present.

I confess that i hadn’t noticed Oliver, really, and this is the kind of player that I love to learn about.

Approximately one inning’s quality non-closing work a few times a week appears to be paid more logically than closing. I have not checked exact figures, but Oliver certainly appears to be a solid bargain for Toronto, for approximately 60 innings/year. How much is +/- 60 innings pitched a year actually worth?

By: Andy

Andy — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 12:06:10 +0000

You didn’t hijack–it’s totally relevant. I could read recollections like this every day. It’s my favorite part of this site.

By: Gootch7

Gootch7 — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 06:29:38 +0000

Gosh. Way back in the 1996 ALDS, back when Joe Torre was still “Clueless Joe”, back before any of the Yankees’ recent titles, when we were just another one of those teams that were happy to be playing in October–I know at least you’re with me, Voomo–things were square 1-1 with Texas, back then. We considered ourselves lucky to be tied with those powerful Rangers, only evening the series by winning game two with late pluck and later luck. That Jeter kid sure is clutch, starting the winning rally in the 12th with a lead off single. But now we had to go to Texas, where we’d had problems.

Twenty-five year old Darren Oliver started game three for Texas and was lights out. Entering the ninth, he’d held the Yanks to a single run on just four hits. Bernie took him deep in the first but that solo home run was all we’d been able to get and trailed 2-1, in danger of falling into an elimination game the next day on the road in loud, carnival-like new Arlington Stadium. Bernie Williams was a monster that October, but we needed more.

Jeter led off the ninth with a single, naturally. Tim Raines followed up with a gritty eight-pitch at bat and laced a single up the middle. The Yanks plated two in a lightning fast rally. This was truly Jeter’s debut, the first three postseason games of his record 158 (and counting). All the Jeter memories, and there are countless for Yankee fans like me, almost without exception were still in his future.

Good to see Oliver still pitching well; makes it easier to pretend Jete’s not ancient and thus won’t be completely immobile this spring. Sorry didn’t want to hijack the thread but I always think of that game when I hear Oliver’s name mentioned. If I close my eyes, I can almost see Mariano Duncan’s first-pitch screamer back up the middle to plate the go ahead run in that ninth inning.

By: John Autin

John Autin — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 05:35:19 +0000

Mike L — Oh, THAT guy! Thanks for reminding me.

But you left out his tenure with the Brooklyn Dodgers Sym-Phony Band.

By: Steven

Steven — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 05:19:40 +0000

I was a jinx to Bob Gibson that year. The two games I saw him pitch in person in 1967 were that game and July 15, when Clemente broke his leg. Good thing for the Cardinals that I didn’t get to go to Busch Stadium to see him pitch in Game Four of the Series.