Postseason MVPs of the 90s: Curt Schilling 1993 NLCS

 

-Matthew McConkey 

When I think of dominating postseason pitchers in MLB history, Curt Schilling's name is on the short list. Full of grit, determination, and a blazing fastball, Curt first made it to the postseason as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1993. It was in the '93 playoffs that he would show fans outside of Philly how good he was in the National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves. 

In Game 1 of the NLCS in Philadelphia, against a 104-win Braves team, Schilling allowed 2 ER in 8 innings, fanning 10. He would get a no-decision for his performance. Curt's 135 pitch effort gave the Phillies exactly what they needed as they took the first game of the NLCS.

With the series tied at 2-2 going into Game 5 in Atlanta, Curt Schilling got the start again on the mound for the Phillies. In a 131 pitch masterpiece, Schilling struck out 9, allowed 1 ER, in 8 innings. But once again, he was saddled with a no-decision. The Phillies would win the game in 10 Innings, and take a 3-2 lead heading back to Philadelphia, where they would win Game 6 and go to the World Series.

This series was the beginning of the Schilling postseason legacy for years to come. He was named NLCS MVP in 1993: 0-0 (2 games), 1.69 ERA, 16 Innings, 3 ER, 1.000 WHIP.

Curt Schilling Stats 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schilcu01.shtml

Signature Season of the 1990s: David Cone 1992

 

-Matthew McConkey

When I was a kid, the first time I saw David Cone pitch was during a Mets game at my grandmother's house here in Tennessee. It was a network on her cable subscription called WWOR, channel 5, where I saw Cone pitch. On Sundays, I would go to Grandmother's house with my dad to visit her. I'd watch the Braves (my favorite team) on TBS, and during commercials, I'd flip over to the Mets. I would flip between the games like that until it was time to go. 

I remember seeing Cone pitch one Sunday. I liked his devilery, his toughness, his way of getting out of jams on the mound. Plus, I'd had a bunch of his baseball cards I'd pulled over the years and knew he was a good pitcher. But in late August of the 1992 season, the Mets traded Cone to the Toronto Blue Jays, who needed some pitching for their push to the postseason. I didn't get to see Cone pitch anymore on those Sunday visits with my grandmother. Little did I know, I was going to get to see a lot of David Cone during that 1992 postseason on national broadcasts on TV. 

The acquisition of Cone gave the Jays exactly what they needed. In the end, the Blue Jays not only made it to the World Series but they won it over the Atlanta Braves. I was once again devastated, but that's another story for another post. 

I consider the righty's 1992 MLB season his best overall in the 1990s, split between the Mets and Blue Jays. At the end of the season, Cone was 17-10. His 2.81 ERA was the second-lowest of his career and the lowest of his 1990s decade. 

He logged 249.1 innings pitched, his second-highest during his 90s decade. He started 34 games, producing 7 complete games and 5 shutouts. He also fanned 261 hitters, the most ever in his career. He led the National League in walks while with the Mets, with 82, before being traded, and was second in the National League in strikeouts with 214. 

When the Blue Jays played the Oakland Athletics in the ALCS in 1992, Cone went 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA.

The Jays dispatched the A's 4 games to 2, advancing to the 1992 World Series. He was 0-0 in 2 game starts with a 3.48 ERA against the Braves in the fall classic, allowing 4 ER in 10.1 innings, which wasn't bad at all. Eventually, the Jays won the World Series over the Braves, 4-2, giving Cone his first World Series championship.

Cone's 1992 Season At A Glance

Went to his second career All-Star game

Cone was tough on righties, limiting them to a .207 batting average in 1992

Pitching on the road, Cone was a road warrior, allowing the home team a .212 batting average while posting a 9-4 record with a 2.33 ERA

On May 3rd, he was named the NL Player of the Week 

In July of 1992, Cone was stunning, going 5-0 with a 3.20 ERA 

When given 3-5 runs of support, Cone was dazzling, posting a 5-1 record with a 2.37 ERA

When it came to RISP with no outs, Cone was greedy, limiting teams to a .181 batting average, while RISP W/2 outs, he was even greedier, allowing a .175 batting average

The Giants, Astros, and Braves, Cone was a combined 6-1 in 7 starts with a 1.15 ERA, which included 2 complete game shutouts against the Giants

While with the Mets, Cone ranked first in the NL in strikeouts per 9 IP with 9.793 

David Cone Stats

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/coneda01.shtml

My Case for the HOF: Dale Murphy

 

-Matthew McConkey

Dale Murphy is one of the most enduring players to have worn a Braves uniform. I'll be honest, he was my gateway into baseball as a kid of ten years old. His #3 has been retired and is on full display at Truist Park in Atlanta. It is baffling that this man has not been enshrined in the hallowed halls of baseball's Hall of Fame. What's the hold up here?  

Well, who knows really. One factor that may have contributed to Murphy not being elected was that during his time with the Atlanta Braves, the team was not based in a major market like Los Angeles, New York, or Boston. That truly hindered his status as one of the nationally known elites in MLB and caused him to fail at getting into the HOF...for now, as of 2025. 

Critics often point out that he experienced a decline in production during his final six seasons. During this span from 1988-1993, Murphy's numbers paled in comparison to his prime years. He posted a .234 BA, 88 HRs, and 339 RBIs in this stretch, which hampered any sort of consideration for the Hall. Very few players in MLB don't have a drop-off in production in their later years. This raises the question: Should outstanding players who experience a drop-off in performance after ten or twelve seasons of their careers be penalized? My answer is NO. 

However, I would like to make the case for Murphy, who never received more than 23.2% of the vote while on the HOF ballot from 1999-2013. A player should not be judged on their final years of play since nearly every player (save for the rare ones who leave on top) has a cavernous drop-off in numbers. Time catches up with everyone, and skills do diminish. It happens to the best of them. 

It's advantageous to review these types of players. I always have two questions when discussing players such as Murphy: One, how popular were they in the era they played in? Two, how good were they in that era (an era can mean 10-12 seasons).

Murphy was extremely popular during the 1980s as he was the franchise face of the Atlanta Braves, who had gained a nationwide following thanks to Ted Turner's TBS Superstation. Baseball fans all over the country who had cable could sit down and watch a Braves game and see how good Murphy was. In the 1980s, he was one of the most popular players in baseball and was an absolute dynamo who could run, play defense and hit.

How good was Murphy during the ten seasons from 1980-1989?

* 7 AS Game selections in the 1980s 

* Was twice named the National League Most Valuable Player in 1982 and 1983

* Had 929 RBIs during the 1980s, second to Eddie Murray's 996

* Had 308 HRs during the 1980s, second to Mike Schmidt's 313 

* 100+ RBIs in 5 different seasons in the 1980s

* 30+ HRs in 6 different seasons in the 1980s

* 5-time Gold Glove winner in the 1980s

* 4-time Silver Slugger in the 1980s

* Had .852 OPS during the 1980s

* Played in 1,537 games during the 1980s

* Had 1,553 hits in the 1980s, the 5th most in the decade

Murphy's resume speaks for itself, and had he played in a much larger market, we would not be having this discussion. Would he have been a first-ballot HOFer? No, but he should have secured the votes (75%) to get in before his name was taken off. And what a travesty that the Veterans committee didn't elect him...yet.

The game has undergone significant changes over the years. Gone are the old standard benchmarks of 500 HRs, 3,000 hits, and 1,500 RBIs that would grant you entry into Cooperstown. As for this writer, a player should be judged not on their first two seasons and last three, but rather on the ten years in between, because that is where the accurate metric of how good a player is lies. 

In Murphy's case, from the 1980s, when he was 24-33, he was a powerhouse and is a forgotten great of the decade who should be in the Hall of Fame.

Dale Murphy Stats

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/murphda05.shtml