We know how much October loves stars in baseball, no doubt, we were just reminded of that all over again by Shohei Ohtani and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. And of course, at the very end of the American League Championship Series, there was George Springer once more turning into a home run star for the Blue Jays the way he used to be for the Astros.
But October in general -- and the World Series especially -- also loves to make its own stars, and so often unlikely ones. It is why this time of year in baseball always sees the game’s biggest possible spotlight land on grinders, too.
The list is long and endless and random and pretty wonderful, from Bill Mazeroski to Al Weis to Jim Leyritz; from David Eckstein to David Freese to Scott Podsednik to Steve Pearce and Howie Kendrick and ... well ... you know the list really does go on and on, and all the way back through World Series history.
And we can all count on a few more names being added to the list, maybe even as early as Game 1 of this World Series on Friday night. Of course the stars will be there, the former MVPs at the top of the Dodgers’ batting order -- Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts -- and Vlad, Jr. himself, hot off being MVP of the ALCS. But we all better look out for the grinders from both teams, waiting to write their own October story.
I pointed out to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts the other day that the grinders on his team like Tommy Edman, Kiké Hernández and Max Muncy define his team, at least for me, as much as his MVPs do.
“We wouldn’t be here without them,” Dave Roberts told me.
And the Blue Jays? As much as Vlad Jr. and Springer did for them all the way through Game 7, we have clearly seen how much glue guys like Ernie Clement, Andrés Giménez and Nathan Lukes have been made for this moment, as well. Oh, sure. Without them, there is no way the Blue Jays would have games this weekend at Rogers Centre. Starting with what Clement, a kid out of the Rochester, N.Y., stepping up -- and big-time -- the way he has in this postseason.
Everybody knew Clement could catch the ball, as well as anybody the Blue Jays have. You know how well? Clement happens to be a Gold Glove finalist both as a third baseman and as a utility player. Only three players have won Gold Gloves at multiple positions in their careers: Darin Erstad, Placido Polanco and DJ LeMahieu. No one has ever won two Gold Gloves in the same year.
But Clement’s hitting, now more than ever, has been the revelation this October. All he’s done so far, before the World Series even begins, is this: .429 batting average, 1.063 OPS, 18 hits, 10 runs and seven RBIs in 11 postseason games. In so many ways, this really is the old Broadway story about somebody stepping out of the chorus and becoming a star when the lights really are at their very brightest.
A few years ago in Rochester, Clement was talking about being a career underdog on Jeff DiVeronica’s podcast. And how there were some baseball people along the way telling him he was never going to make it, as far back as high school.
“I did have a coach -- not going to mention any names -- tell me that I was a little too small,” Clement said, “and if I’m not hitting the ball over the fence, it’s going to be hard for me to get a Division I scholarship.”
Then the University of Virginia saw something in Clement the Blue Jays would see later. Clement went to Virginia, won a national championship, was ultimately drafted in the fourth round by the Guardians, was claimed off waivers by the A’s later and signed by the Blue Jays to a Minor League contract two years ago. Now here he is, and here the Blue Jays are.
“I am so pumped,” Clement said on television last week before Game 7 between the Blue Jays and the Mariners. Imagine how he feels before Game 1, about to take his shot along with the rest of the Blue Jays. The Dodgers look like more of a powerhouse than ever. Trying telling someone like Clement that his team isn’t supposed to have a chance.
Tell that to Giménez (who has been in there at shortstop for the injured Bo Bichette) after his game-changing home run against the Mariners in back-to-back games. Tell that to Lukes, who has 13 hits of his own in the first postseason of his baseball life, and the same seven RBIs that Clement has. For the other team, Hernández, 34 now, will be trying to add to his career total of 15 postseason home runs for the Dodgers. Edman? He was the 2024 National League Championship Series MVP.
October still absolutely loves guys like this. Always has, always will. Endless list, endless charm. Everybody gets their chance to be a big star. Even the ones who were told they weren’t big enough.