We wrap 2024 with a look at postseason ledgers by the numbers
We’ve thrown a lot of names, teams, and dates at you the last few days. Let’s conclude our Hunt for Led October series with a look at post-season ledgers by the numbers and the highlights.
Some Numbers
Players have hit 3,310 home runs in the post-season through 2023. If we treat them like regular season home runs, we are left with 2,182 post-season “ledgers.” For example, the Pirates’ Fred Clarke was the first player to tally two postseason home runs. The first came against the Tigers in Game 1 of the 1909 World Series. Since it was the first postseason home run he hit against the Tigers, it is considered a ledger1. He later hit another home run in Game 5 of the Series. It would not be considered a ledger since he had a previous postseason ledger.
This article and the Led October series uses the term “ledger” loosely. Strictly speaking, ledgers are only hit in the regular season. Of the 2,182 “ledgers” hit in postseason play, 752 of them were the first instance of the player hitting any home run against that opponent. Put another way, the player had not hit their official regular season ledger before hitting the postseason home run. These types of home runs are were what Maris, May, and company needed to (unofficially) complete their ledgers.
The first player we encounter in the opposite of this scenario is Hall of Famer Sam Crawford who hit his first post-season home run against the Pirates in the 1909 World Series. Crawford had hit a regular season home run against the Buccos on August 3, 1901, when he was a member of the Reds. He “jumped” (as worded in his Baseball Reference profile) to the Detroit Tigers the following season.
The chart of these “ledger” home runs looks a bit different. Once the Championship Series begin, there were more opportunities to get a regular season ledger before a post-season ledger which brings down the overall numbers. Later in this article, I’ll refer to these as “at-the-time” ledgers.
Once any of these 752 ledgers were hit, there were two possible outcomes, which we saw in the profiles for the Yankees and Dodgers. The player could go on to hit a regular season home run against that opponent, and that would become the official home run on their ledger. Or, they would not hit a home run against that opponent in the regular season, and we could consider it their “unofficial” ledger. To be clear, this consideration only pushed the five players previously profiled to Club status. 445 postseason home runs were the only instance of a player hitting a home run against that opponent. We’ll also refer to these types of home runs as “at-the-moment” ledgers.
Elmer Smith was the first player to make a postseason home run provisional. He hit a home run in the 1920 World Series against the Dodgers while playing for the Indians. He spent his final season in Cincinnati and connected on a home run against the Dodgers on May 10, 1925.
The chart of these 445 not de-provisioned home runs drives home the fact that the World Series has always been American League vs National League and was often the only opportunity a player has to face off against an opponent.
Highlights and Records
The Most Postseason Ledgers
It probably won’t surprise you that this list has two lifelong Yankees and one half-career Yankee.
Joe DiMaggio and Yogi Berra both have five at-the-time ledgers and since they played exclusively for the Yankees, all five remained as their ledger of unofficial record. Bill Skowron also hit five at-the-time ledgers, but only two remain as at-the-moment. After nine years with the Yankees, he would spend one season with the Dodgers where he added official ledgers against the Braves and Reds. He then split the remainder of his career among White Sox, Senators, and Angels where he picked up at least one against the Yankees.
Several more long-time Yankees hold four ledgers that are both at-the-time and at-the-moment ledgers: Bill Dickey, Joe Gordon, Mickey Mantle, and Elston Howard. Johnny Bench is the only non-Yankee to have four of these ledgers.
Three other players have hit four at-the-moment ledgers and later un-provisioned them. Babe Ruth cleared three opponents in his final year stint with the Boston Braves: the Giants, Pirates, and Cubs. The Cardinals remain as his ledger. As we saw in his profile, Roger Maris cleared the Pirates and Reds while keeping the Giants and Cardinals. Finally, David Freese ended up clearing all his postseason ledgers against the Phillies, Brewers, Royals, and Rangers (which was the, “we’ll see you tomorrow night!” homer).
Even more Yankees appear on the list of players with three at-the-moment postseasons ledgers: Lou Gehrig, Gil McDougald, and Tom Tresh all connected for World Series home runs. Noted Cardinals Lou Brock and Mike Shannon also tallied three apiece with home runs in 1964, 1967, and 1968 for both.
Don Buford joined the Orioles just in time to play in three World Series in the early 1970s and collect three ledgers. Our final entrant is José Canseco who becomes the first Divisional Era (or close to it) player to hit three postseason ledgers.
The Fewest Career Home Runs
Three players have hit their only career home run in the postseason.
Mickey Lolich (Tigers) – Game 2 of the 1968 World Series against the Cardinals
Don Gullett (Reds) – Game 1 of the of the 1975 NL Championship Series against the Pirates
Joe Blanton (Phillies) – Game 5 of the 2008 World Series against the Rays
Close, but No Cigar
Two players from the v16 Era leveraged postseason home runs to get a bit closer to the Club, but still came up short.
Al Simmons (Athletics) – Home runs in the 1929 World Series against the Cubs and 1930 World Series against the Cardinals.
Jimmie Foxx (Athletics) – Home runs in the 1929 World Series against the Cubs and 1930 World Series against the Cardinals.
They would both end up with 14 ledgers if you include the postseason. Simmons would never hit a home run against the Pirates or Braves. Foxx would hit a regular season home run against the Cardinals later, and would miss the Giants and Phillies altogether.
Provisionals of v30 Club Members
These postseason home runs were at-the-time ledgers, but never became at-the-moment thanks to a regular season home run first hit in the year in parenthesis.
Eric Davis – 1990 WS vs. Athletics (1994)
Jim Thome – 1995 ALCS vs. Mariners (1997), 1995 WS vs. Braves (2003), 1997 WS vs. Marlins (2003)
Manny Ramírez – 1995 WS vs. Braves (2001), 1997 WS vs. Marlins (2004)
Charles Johnson – 1997 WS vs. Indians (2000)
Bret Boone – 2001 ALCS vs. Yankees (2003)
Rod Barajas – 2001 WS vs. Yankees (2002)
Alfonso Soriano – 2001 WS vs. Diamondbacks (2006), 2003 WS vs. Marlins (2006)
Rondell White – 2002 ALDS vs. Angels (2004)
Miguel Cabrera – 2003 NLCS vs. Cubs (2005), 2003 WS vs. Yankees (2006)
Jason Giambi – 2003 WS vs. Marlins (2011)
Brian McCann – 2005 NLDS vs. Astros (2007)
Curtis Granderson – 2006 ALDS vs. Yankees (2007), 2006 ALCS vs. Athletics (2007)
Mark Reynolds – 2007 NLDS vs. Cubs (2010), 2007 NLCS vs. Rockies (2008)
Evan Longoria – 2008 ALDS vs. White Sox (2009)
Carlos Gómez – 2011 NLDS vs. Diamondbacks (2012), 2015 ALDS vs. Royals (never)
Albert Pujols – 2011 WS vs. Rangers (2012)
Shin-Soo Choo – 2013 NLWC vs. Pirates (2019)
Brandon Moss – 2014 ALWC vs. Royals (2015)
Nick Castellanos – 2014 ALDS vs. Orioles (2015)
Randal Grichuk – 2014 NLDS vs. Dodgers (2022), 2014 NLCS vs. Giants (2017)
Kyle Schwarber – 2015 NLDS vs. Cardinals (2017), 2015 NLCS vs. Mets (2017), 2017 NLCS vs. Dodgers (2018)
Jorge Soler – 2015 NLCS vs. Mets (2021)
Dexter Fowler – 2016 WS vs. Indians (2020)
Eddie Rosario – 2017 ALWC vs. Yankees (2019)
Rafael Devers – 2017 ALDS vs. Astros (2019)
Corey Seager – 2017 WS vs. Astros (2020), 2020 WS vs. Rays (2022)
Martín Maldonado – 2018 ALDS vs. Indians (2022)
Juan Soto – 2019 WS vs. Astros (2024)
Bryce Harper – 2022 WS vs. Astros (never)
Considered a ledger provisionally, that is.
