Which young vs. old MLB postseason matchups are most reminiscent of Cam-Peyton?
In addition to some hopefully great football, Super Bowl 50 will also feature a bit of history: When 26-year-old Cam Newton squares off against 39-year-old Peyton Manning, the two will set a record for the biggest age gap between starting quarterbacks in a Super Bowl. That got us thinking about some of MLB's best young vs. old pitching showdowns.
In the history of the postseason, 36 games have featured starting pitchers 13 years apart or more. The record sits at 21 years, featuring ageless wonder Jamie Moyer (44) against young Ubaldo Jimenez (23) in the 2007 NLDS. (The regular-season record is somehow 30, set back on Sept. 25, 1965, when 59-year-old Satchel Paige faced Red Sox starter Bill Monbouquette.) This is much more than just some trivia, though -- some iconic postseason moments have come from young guns making a run at the old guard, and here are four of the best.
1981 NLDS, Game 1: Fernando Valenzuela vs. Nolan Ryan (14 years)
Fernando Valenzuela began 1981 as a little-known 20-year-old rookie, who only got the Opening Day start for the Dodgers because Jerry Reuss injured himself a day before first pitch. Eight shutouts, a 2.48 ERA and one bout of Fernandomania later, Valenzuela ended the season staring down Houston's Nolan Ryan in the first NLDS game ever played. (A strike had cancelled two months of the season, leading to an extra postseason round between the first-half and second-half division champions.)
The game was every bit the pitchers' duel fans had hoped -- the teams went to the bottom of the ninth tied at 1. With two outs and a runner on, Alan Ashby stepped up and promptly walked off with a two-run homer.
1986 NLCS, Game 5: Nolan Ryan vs. Doc Gooden (17 years)
When your career spans four different decades, you're bound to end up on this list more than once. The '86 NLCS will forever be remembered for the way it was won -- the Mets punched their ticket to the World Series in a 16-inning nail-biter in Game 6. But it was set up by another classic, as Ryan matched up with 21-year-old phenom Dwight Gooden with the series tied at 2-2.
Both aces spent much of the night trying to one-up each other. Ryan allowed just one run on two hits while striking out 12 in nine innings of work ... only to be topped by Doc, who gave up one run in 10 innings. Somehow, though, neither of them wound up getting the win: The game remained tied until the bottom of the 12th, when Gary Carter played the hero.
2001 ALDS, Game 5: Roger Clemens vs. Mark Mulder (15 years)
New York had come back from a 2-0 deficit to force a do-or-die Game 5, featuring a pitching rematch from Game 1: Mark Mulder, part of Oakland's young big three with Barry Zito and Tim Hudson, against 39-year-old Roger Clemens. Neither of them made it past the fifth inning, but the Yankees held on for a 5-3 win thanks to their bullpen -- and Derek Jeter doing Derek Jeter things:
2007 World Series, Game 2: Curt Schilling vs. Ubaldo Jimenez (17 years)
A 40-year-old All-Star against a 23-year-old making his 19th career start may seem like a mismatch, but Jimenez would do more than hold his own in his first taste of the Fall Classic. Colorado even jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, looking to bounce back after a blowout loss in Game 1. Schilling, though, would bear down, giving up just four hits in 5 1/3 innings -- and allowing Mike Lowell to come save the day.
And the list goes on -- from 21-year-old Bret Saberhagen's showdown with 35-year-old Doyle Alexander in 1985 to Derek Lowe (37) dueling some kid named Madison Bumgarner (21) in the 2010 NLDS. Have a favorite not listed here? Be sure to let us know in the comments.