World Series MVPs

While baseball is very much a game of stars, the World Series has a way of bringing out the best in some otherwise ordinary players. Often as not, October’s heroes spent much of the season (if not most of their careers) flying under the radar.

Don Larsen, who pitched the only perfect game in World Series history to win the 1956 Most Valuable Player honor, finished a 14-year career with a record of 81-91. Rick Dempsey, 1983 World Series MVP for Baltimore, hit .233 for his career. Scott Brosius (MVP for the Yankees in 1998) hit just .257 in 11 big league seasons.

Clearly, the Fall Classic has been known to cause a different kind of cream to rise to the top. Judge for yourself as you check out this list of all-time World Series MVPs:

2008 — Cole Hamels, Philadelphia
2007 — Mike Lowell, Boston
2006 — David Eckstein, St. Louis
2005 — Jermaine Dye, Chicago
2004 — Manny Ramirez, Boston
2003 — Josh Beckett, Florida
2002 — Troy Glaus, Anaheim
2001 — (tie) Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, Arizona
2000 — Derek Jeter, New York Yankees 
1999 — Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees
1998 — Scott Brosius, New York Yankees
1997 —  Livan Hernandez, Florida
1996 — John Wetteland, New York Yankees
1995 — Tom Glavine, Atlanta
1994 — (Not held)
1993 — Paul Molitor, Toronto
1992 — Pat Borders, Toronto
1991 — Jack Morris, Minnesota
1990 — Jose Rijo,  Cincinnati
1989 — Dave Stewart, Oakland
1988 — Orel Hershiser, Los Angeles
1987 — Frank Viola, Minnesota
1986 — Ray Knight, New York Mets
1985 — Bret Saberhagen, Kansas City
1984 — Alan Trammell, Detroit
1983 — Rick Dempsey, Baltimore
1982 — Darrell Porter, St. Louis
1981 — (tie) Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero, and Steve Yeager, Los Angeles
1980 — Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia
1979 — Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh
1978 — Bucky Dent, New York Yankees
1977 — Reggie Jackson, New York Yankees
1976 — Johnny Bench, Cincinnati
1975 — Pete Rose, Cincinnati
1974 — Rollie Fingers, Oakland
1973 — Reggie Jackson, Oakland
1972 — Gene Tenace, Oakland
1971 — Roberto Clemente, Pittsburgh
1970 — Brooks Robinson, Baltimore
1969 — Donn Clendenon, New York Mets
1968 — Mickey Lolich, Detroit
1967 — Bob Gibson, St. Louis
1966 — Frank Robinson, Baltimore
1965 — Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles
1964 — Bob Gibson, St. Louis
1963 — Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles
1962 — Ralph Terry, New York Yankees
1961 — Whitey Ford, New York Yankees
1960 — Bobby Richardson, New York Yankees
1959 — Larry Sherry, Los Angeles
1958 — Bob Turley, New York Yankees
1957 — Lew Burdette, Milwaukee
1956 — Don Larsen, New York Yankees
1955 — Johnny Podres, Brooklyn

Source: MLB.com