Seager became the new Mr. October?

IT’S ONE of the most important nicknames in baseball history: Mr. October.

And Corey Seager has done enough to deserve that title.

The Texas Rangers shortstop just won his second World Series MVP award, hitting .286 with three home runs, six runs scored and six RBIs in the five-game series victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. games. His game-tying two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1 was arguably the biggest of the series. He sent her out again in Games 3 and 4: she then went 2-for-4 in the deciding game, including starting the winning rally in the seventh inning with a single that ended the right-hander’s no-hitter attempt. Zac. Gallen.

Throughout the postseason, Seager hit .318/.451/.682 with six home runs, 12 extra-base hits, 18 runs scored and 12 RBIs in 17 games in the series in which the Rangers ended their 62-year championship drought. . . Seager earned his first World Series MVP honors in 2020, when he hit .400 with two home runs and seven runs in the Dodgers’ six-game victory over the Rays. He was also the MVP of that year’s National League Championship Series, in which he hit five home runs in seven games against the Atlanta Braves.

In other words: they are important credentials and well deserve the monarch of the month award.

Unlike Reggie Jackson (the original Mr. October), Seager would be the last to claim that he deserves to share the nickname, even if it means tying Jackson and two pitchers (Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson) as the only players to win. two World Series MVP awards.

However, for the first time since the Jackson era, this appears to be a valid debate, so we’ll let his stats speak for themselves.

HERE’S A FUNNY STORY: The first time a teammate called Jackson “Mr. October,” he didn’t want to praise him. Many of us were unaware of the story, but Joe Posnanski clarified the origin of the nickname in his book “Why We Love Baseball.” The year was 1977 and Reggie was playing his first season with the Yankees. He and catcher Thurman Munson (team captain) hated each other. Early in the campaign, Jackson gave an interview in which he questioned Munson’s leadership abilities, calling himself “the straw that broke the camel’s back.” Munson responded by calling Jackson a “liar”, envious of the juicy contract signed by Reggie.

Jackson had a terrible start in the playoffs. Manager Billy Martin even sat him in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series. He went 1-for-6 in the first two games of the World Series. After the second game, Jackson questioned Martin’s decision to start Catfish Hunter, who was coming off an injury. This motivated Munson to criticize his partner. “We’re trying to win a damn World Series and there’s someone stirring things up,” Munson said. “If he hit .111 or something, I wouldn’t be questioning the damn manager.”

Munson said Jackson should stop talking. But he didn’t do it; Instead, he began referring to a nickname Jackson gave himself in the clubhouse: “There’s a lot going on. I can’t help but laugh. Reggie hasn’t done so well. Despite that, he keeps talking. Think!” “That Billy hasn’t realized he’s Mr. October!”

As Posnanski noted in his book: “There it was. That was the introduction to ‘Mr. October.’ Munson meant it as the biggest dig he could imagine. Jackson was hitting .136 in the playoffs. He caused no end of problems. He dragged down Yankees. Still, he called himself ‘Mr. October.'”

That’s when Reggie Wood. He scored two runs in the Yankees’ victory in Game 3. He hit a home run and a double to help the Yankees win in Game 4. After that game, the Associated Press referred to Jackson as “the man whose teammates call him ‘Mr. October’ for his history of good postseason performances.

Jackson homered again in the Game 5 loss, and then came his defining moment: three swings and three homers in the decisive Game 6. Reggie became “Mr. October” forever.

Can we use the nickname again? Hey, in the history of baseball there are two Pudges (Carlton Fisk and Iván Rodríguez), two “Kids” (Ted Williams and Ken Griffey Jr.) and a couple of “Docs” (Dwight Gooden and Roy Halladay). Can we have two “Mr. October”?