2011 World Series: 21 Worst Chokes in Fall Classic History

The 2011 World Series is just around the corner and in a matter of weeks baseball will have a new World Champion.

Throughout the course of the regular season and playoffs, a team needs leadership from their stars and role players.

But inevitably a team is also usually helped along by the sub-par efforts that opposing players put forth.

In many instances, players with long lists of credentials have played out of their minds during the regular season, only to disappear when the stakes are raised.

Eddie Murray – 1979 Baltimore Orioles

Eddie Murray's .295 average and 99 RBI during the 1979 regular season certainly played a big part in the Baltimore Orioles' 102 wins.

In a seven-game series that would ultimately see the Pittsburgh Pirates knock off the Orioles, Murray only had four hits (.154 average) and drove in only two runs.

Magglio Ordonez – 2006 Detroit Tigers

After compiling 177 hits and 109 RBI during the 2006 regular season, Magglio Ordonez led the Detroit Tigers into a World Series matchup, favored over the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Tigers as a whole failed to perform up to the level they did all season, perhaps most notably by Ordonez himself who managed only two hits during the series.

1988 Oakland Athletics

In the late 1980s, Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco made the Oakland Athletics exactly what they were.

The team made the World Series in 1988 with a 104-58 record, thanks in great part to the two, as they combined for 74 home runs and 223 RBI.

The series is remembered mostly for Kirk Gibson's Game 1 pinch hit home run, but for some is also likely remembered for the Bash Brothers power outage.

McGwire and Canseco batted a combined .055 with just two hits in 36 at bats.

Trevor Hoffman – 1998 San Diego Padres

With only Mariano Rivera ahead of him on the all-time saves list, Trevor Hoffman has set his legacy as one of the greatest closers to ever play the game.

His effort in the 1998 World Series, however, isn't much of a reflection of his efforts. After saving a career-high 53 games during the regular season, he made his first and only World Series appearance in Game 3 against the New York Yankees.

Entering the game with a runner already on, he walked another batter before giving up a three-run home run that would seal the game for the Yankees and give Hoffman the loss.

Dave Winfield – 1981 New York Yankees

In a shortened 1981 season, Dave Winfield led the New York Yankees with a .294 average and 39 extra base hits in 105 games.

The Yankees won a close divisional series and then swept the Athletics to reach the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

As the fall classic came, Winfield went. He recorded one hit in his 22 World Series at bats for a .045 average and struck out four times as the Yankees were dismissed in six games.

2010 Texas Rangers

Josh Hamilton and Vladamir Guerrero combined for 54 home runs and 215 RBI during the 2010 season as they played an integral part in getting the Texas Rangers to the World Series.

They didn't show up in the World Series, however, as they combined for only three hits and three RBI in a total of 34 at bats and struck out eight times.

Bill Buckner – 1986 Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox collapse in the 1986 World Series can't be blamed entirely on Bill Buckner, but many fans have certainly done a good job of pinning the blame on him.

It wasn't a secret that Buckner probably should have been replaced for a more defensively inclined player, but at the same time he also should've bent down that last inch and grabbed the Mookie Wilson dribbler that ended up going five hole on him.

The Mets would go on to beat the Red Sox 8-5 in Game 7 thanks to home runs from Ray Knight and Darryl Strawberry.

Gil Hodges – 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers

In perhaps the biggest display of offensive drop off in postseason play, Gil Hodges of the Brooklyn Dodgers had an immense collapse.

After hitting 32 home runs and driving in over 100 runs during the season, Hodges failed to get a hit in his 21 World Series at bats and struck out six times in the process.

Eddie Matthews – 1958 Milwaukee Braves

Eddie Matthews is a Hall of Fame infielder who was a part of two World Series championship-winning teams. That number might have been three had he not had such a dismal postseason in 1958.

The Braves were the defending World Champions and were led by Matthews (an All Star) and Hank Aaron.

With a 3-1 lead in the series, they'd ultimately fall to the Yankees as Matthews went just 4-for-25 during the series with 11 strikeouts (then a record for strikeouts in a World Series).

Tony Perez – 1970 Cincinnati Reds

Thanks in part to a 40 home run regular season from Tony Perez, the 1970 Cincinnati Reds found themselves rolling into the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles.

Unfortunately, Perez wasn't able to live up to the expectations he set for himself with his regular season play, as he was only able to muster one hit during the entire World Series as the Orioles dismissed the Reds in five games.

Jose Mesa – 1997 Cleveland Indians

After saving 85 games in 1995 and 1996 Jose Mesa saved only 16 games in 1997, a signficant decline from prior years' production. He was still an incredibly effective pitcher in '97, striking out more than seven batters per nine innings and earning a 4-4 record with an ERA of 2.40.

The stakes were raised in October as the Cleveland Indians made an appearance in the World Series and Mesa failed to deliver. He did save Game 2, but gave up a total of 10 hits in the five innings he pitched, giving up three earned runs.

Mike Schmidt – 1983 Philadelphia Phillies

In winning MVP trophies in 1980 and 1981, Mike Schmidt established himself as the leader and face of the Philadelphia Phillies franchise.

His prowess continued in 1983 as he hit 40 home runs and drove in 109 runs despite batting 61 points lower than his last MVP season.

Schmidt wasn't able to produce in the World Series that season as he only had one hit, earning him a .050 batting average and struck out six times in the process.

Ryan Howard – 2009 Philadelphia Phillies

After a dominating 2009 regular season in which Ryan Howard hit 45 home runs and drove in more than 140 runs, he apparently ran out of gas down the stretch in failing to perform in the fall classic.

Howard recorded only four hits in 23 at bats during the six-game series against the New York Yankees. Even more notable than his .174 series average was the fact he struck out 13 times in the process.

2004 St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals won 105 games in 2004, thanks in no small part to their offensive weapons including Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds.

The fans wouldn't be thanking their stars for long, as the Boston Red Sox swept the Cardinals to win the World Series as they received virtually no help from sluggers Edmonds and Scott Rolen who went a combined 1-for-30 with seven strikeouts in the four-game series.

Byung-Hyun Kim – 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks may have won the 2001 World Series title over the New York Yankees, but relief pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim sure tried to lose it for them.

Kim recorded the loss in Game 4 and blew the save opportunity in Game 5. A 13.50 ERA with a blown save in those two appearances was enough for the Diamondbacks to learn their lesson and make sure he didn't take the mound again that fall.

Irv Noren – 1955 New York Yankees

New York Yankees outfielder Irv Noren had a relatively disappointing 1955 season in going .253 with 28 extra base hits when you consider the fact that he batted .320 the year before and was an All-Star.

His performance in the 1955 World Series ultimately proved to be the low point for him. He had just one single in 16 at bats during the series, and on top of that grounded into FIVE double plays in the five games he played.

Livan Hernandez – 2002 San Francisco Giants

After a disappointing 2002 regular season in which he went 12-16 with a 4.36 ERA, Livan Hernandez failed to rise to the occasion in the World Series against the Anaheim Angels.

In two starts during the series (Games 3 and 7), Hernandez only lasted 5.2 innings and gave up nine earned runs while also walking nine batters.

Mariano Rivera – 2001 New York Yankees

It's hard to use the word 'choke' in a sentence referring to Mariano Rivera in the postseason. He's the best postseason reliever of all time and has contributed to five World Series championships with the New York Yankees.

One of the few blemishes in his postseason career came in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, as he recorded both a blown save as well as the loss, giving the Diamondbacks the championship in front of their home crowd.

Cliff Lee – 2010 Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers brought Cliff Lee into the fold last summer with the sole intent of using him to propel them to the World Series.

After coming over from Seattle, Lee went 4-6 with an ERA nearing 4.00, but was still a valuable asset down the stretch as a pitcher of his dominance must always be feared.

He failed to perform in the World Series though, as he lost both of his starts and gave up nine earned runs in 11.2 innings pitched, good for a 6.94 ERA.

Mitch Williams – 1993 Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies closer Mitch Williams had a great 1993 campaign, earning 43 saves in 65 appearances. His nickname "Wild Thing" indicated that while he had great stuff he had the potential to go off the handle. 

That's exactly what happened in the 1993 World Series.

He made three appearances in the series against the Toronto Blue Jays, losing two of them. The most notable of those losses was the series clinching walk off that Joe Carter coaxed over the Skydome's left field wall.

In just 2.2 innings pitched, Williams gave up six earned runs and walked four batters.

Orlando Cepeda – 1967 St. Louis Cardinals

Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda won MVP honors during the 1967 season, thanks to his .325 average and 62 extra base hits en route to leading the St. Louis Cardinals to winning the NL pennant.

In the World Series, however, a different Cepeda showed up. He went just 3-for-29 and drove in only one run while striking out four times.