Orel Hershiser: His Greatness Was Defined After His Greatest Years

Bulldog...A name coined by Tommy Lasorda for a player on his roster that looked more like an accountant with a pocket protector than a professional athlete. But a Bulldog he was. If there ever was a reason to never judge a book by it's cover, Orel Hershiser was it.

For all of his baseball exploits, including being the best pitcher in all of baseball for several years in the late 1980s, I believe the the period of time that really defined orel hershiser was his time with the Cleveland Indians.

In 1995 The Indians were a franchise in transition. 50 years of futility to what now could be one of baseball's best young Franchises. But for all that young talent and ability to hit better than any team in the last 10 years, this team was missing two elements.

A leader and veteran pitcher. Enter the Bulldog.The Bulldog was entering his 13th season and the whispers were actually getting louder. The Bulldog was done.

To many fans he WAS the washed up old vet. His glory days well behind him...The image of him standing on the mound, arms wide open in the Dodger uniform moments after breaking the major league record for the most consecutive scoreless innings was a faded memory. 

The memory was faded but but the desire still burned bright in the Bulldog's blood.The old vet he was. Washed up he was not. Despite going 30-32 in his last four seasons with the Dodgers, Bulldog was going to prove to the masses that he was not done...As the players returned from a strike to revive the grand old game Orel was on a mission.

Orel Hershiser took this young Cleveland under his wing and he watched this team start out a bit slow in 1995...but before the season ended the Cleveland Indians were 100-44 and considered by many as the best team in baseball.

What did this old washed up vet do in this first season away from the Dodgers? In 26 starts for the Tribe he finished the season with a 14-4 record with an ERA of 3.87. This old Bulldog had 111 k's to just 51 walks.

As the Indians hoisted the Division championship banner that summer, Orel Hershiser stood there with tears in his eyes as though he had been a Cleveland Indian his entire career.

But his best was yet to come. Just as old vets often do, they rise to the occasion when everything is on the line and this is what Bulldog did as the Cleveland Indians took the field for the first time in a half century.

In his first post season start for the Tribe Hershiser faced the Red Sox and threw 7 1/3 scoreless innings giving up three hits with seven K's and  one walk...Those faded memories of glory days past were beginning to become very vivid again.

The Tribe swept the Red Sox in the Divisional series and moved on to face a loaded Seattle Mariner team. A team whose lineup included Edgar Martinez, Jay Buhner, Ken Griffey Jr. Tino Martinez and Vince Coleman. 

In game two of the ALCS Hershiser got his first start. The Bulldog once again proved to the world that he was not the washed up old vet. He pitched eight innings, gave up four hits and one run. He had seven K's and one walk. The series was now tied at one game each. Thanks to the old Bulldog.

His next start would be in game five with the series now tied at two games each. Nothing less than a crucial game for each team. Lose this one and you have to win two in a row against a very good club. 

Hershiser took the mound again, and again he showed the world what a warrior does when it's crunch time. He pitched six innings and gave up five hits and one earned run. He had eight K's and two walks in a 3-2 Tribe win. The Tribe won the ALCS and moved on to meet the Atlanta Braves and the best pitcher in baseball in Greg Maddux

Hershiser was given the ball for the first game against Maddux. In a gutsy performance the Bulldog gave up three runs as the the Indians dropped game one to Greg Maddux and the Braves 3-2.

But once again the Bulldog would rise to the occasion in his next start. A start that would once again be against baseball's best in Greg Maddux.  A start where the Indians were down three games to one and on the verge of losing the series at home.

They need a win to take the game back to Atlanta for game six. The game was a bit chippy as after a two run homerun by Albert Belle. Maddux was obviously upset after the Belle blast and he took those frustration out on the next batter, the legendary Eddie Murray.

Maddux hit Murray and Eddie didn't like it and headed toward the mound. Both benches unloaded. As tempers flared who was in the middle of it all? The Bulldog. As players were being separated Hershiser was talking to Maddux and with an easy read of the lips you could see Bulldog tell Maddux, "Greg, I have a ball too."

The competitive spirit still alive and well in the old washed up vet.   Hershiser went on to pitch a brilliant game and defeated Maddux. Bulldog had done it again. Eight innings. Five hits. One run, six K's and one walk.

The Tribe went on to lose game six of that world series. But baseball fans and especially Cleveland Indian fans were witness that season to one of the true greats of baseball. Not great because of his accomplishments of the past. But great because of his enrelenting competetive spirit and determination.

He was great because he had went well beyond what the Indians had ask him to do. Take a young team and teach them how to win. Take a young team and be the leader that would lead them to championships.

He lead them to two different championships that year. The divisional and league championships. But even more important than the championships, he taught us all what it meant to be a champion.