Orel Hershiser

By Brad Berreman
Love of Sports Correspondent

Baseball buffs, here’s a bit of trivia for you: Who is the only player to win a League Championship Series MVP award in both leagues?

Why, Orel Hershiser, of course.

Hershiser had a career regular season record of 204-149 with a 3.48 ERA, 2,015 career strikeouts, nine seasons with 200 or more innings pitched and 11 seasons where he made 30 or more starts.

He truly began to emerge in 1985 when he posted a 19-3 record, but it was his remarkable and magical season in 1988 that would ultimately be what he’s remembered for the rest of his career.

Hershiser had 59 consecutive scoreless innings during the ’88 regular season, beating the record previously set by Dodger Hall of Famer Don Drysdale. He led the National League with 23 wins and threw 15 complete games on his way to winning the 1988 NL Cy Young Award.

Hershiser continued his fine form in the postseason. He started Games 1, 3 and 7 of the NLCS against the Mets, pitching a complete game shutout in Game 7 and picking up a save in relief work in Game 4.  He was named NLCS MVP.

In the World Series, he pitched a complete game shutout in Game 2 against Oakland and yet another complete game in the clinching Game 5.  He was named World Series MVP as well.

Hershiser remains the only player to win the Cy Young Award, LCS MVP and World Series MVP in the same season.  And, oh yeah, he also won his only career Gold Glove in that season too.

Before the 1995 season, Hershiser would move to the Cleveland Indians, where he’d pitch until 1997 and make the postseason twice. He was named MVP of the 1995 ALCS MVP, making him the only player to win LCS MVP in both leagues.

He pitched for the Giants in ‘98 and the Mets in ‘99 before rejoining the Dodgers for his final major league season.

After retirement, Hershiser worked for the Texas Rangers, first as the team’s pitching coach and later in the front office.

In 2006, he joined ESPN as an analyst on Baseball Tonight and can also be seen in the booth during games to this day.

So, in recognition of a big-game pitcher and World Series hero, here’s some Old School Love to the “Bulldog,” Orel Hershiser.