How Many Gators Have Played in the World Series?
The World Series has been the pinnacle of the baseball world for 122 years. Making it to the Fall Classic has been the crowning achievement of the careers of many ballplayers. And this year, it’ll be the same for 26 players on Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers, who’ll face off starting Friday.
While no former Florida stars are on either squad, with the amount of major leaguers the school has produced, it’s natural that many have played in the World Series. But five have made significant contributions.
The first Gator to ever compete in a World Series game was Al Rosen. He was a rookie third baseman on the 1948 Cleveland Indians, but would go on to put together a successful MLB career, hitting nearly 200 home runs and winning the 1953 American League MVP. However, Rosen would only get one at-bat as a pinch hitter, popping out to second in what became a blowout 11-5 win for the opposing Boston Braves. Cleveland won the next game to clinch a World Series victory.
Eight years later in 1954, Rosen became the first Gator to get a hit in the World Series. Funny enough, the hit was directly followed by Willie Mays’ famous over-the-shoulder catch, killing the Indians’ rally. Despite Rosen’s contributions, Cleveland lost the game and the series.
There are a couple of Gators who have made their stint in the championship far more impactful and memorable.
Just over 30 years later, former Gator Steve Lombardozzi was a key contributor to the Minnesota Twins’ World Series efforts. Lombardozzi was consistent at second base during his two years at UF, hitting over .300 in both seasons while also playing great defense. This earned him All-SEC honors in 1981.
While Lombardozzi’s offense regressed in the major leagues, he put up the best performance of his career during the 1987 World Series. Lombardozzi hit for a .412 batting average with a home run and a double. In Game 6, he hit a go-ahead single that gave his Twins a lead that they didn’t relinquish. The Twins won Game 7, securing Lombardozzi’s place in team history. Lombardozzi led all Twins hitters in batting average and cWPA (which measures how much a player raised a team’s odds of winning a World Series) during the series. Lombardozzi would also set the unique record of having the longest last name of anybody to hit a home run in the World Series, which still stands today. However, the World Series MVP instead went to pitcher Frank Viola, who won two of his three starts in the series.
Another light-hitting Gators infielder would eventually get the recognition for his World series performance. David Eckstein was essentially the next Steve Lombardozzi for the Gators. Eckstein was a middle infielder that hit over .300 in his three full seasons with UF, while not hitting for much power. Eckstein earned All-SEC honors twice and was a first-team All-American in 1996.
After getting drafted in the 19th round, Eckstein worked his way to the majors with the Anaheim Angels. In just his second season, Eckstein played in the World Series after his Angels put together a 99-win season. He hit .310 in the series, helping the Angels win their first World Series, but the performance he’s known for happened four years later with a different team.
After the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals barely scraped into the playoffs with just 83 wins, the third worst record for a playoff team in MLB history, they shocked the baseball world by upsetting the 97-win New York Mets in seven games in the NLCS (National League Championship Series) to make it to the World Series. However, the Cardinals had their work cut out for them in the World Series, as they would have to take on the 95-win Detroit Tigers, who had just swept the Oakland A’s in the ALCS (American League Championship Series). The Cardinals’ shortstop did not shy away from the challenge, hitting .364 in the series with four RBIs and three doubles. Eckstein drove in two runs in Game 5, which would be the difference in the Cardinals’ 4-2 win to clinch the series. Eckstein won World Series MVP and is the only Gator to ever win the award.
A decade later, another Gator made a significant impact on both the field and in the clubhouse for a World Series winner. David Ross was the catcher on the 1998 Gators that went to the College World Series, hitting .332 and slugging 19 home runs. His hitting prowess led to being drafted in the seventh round.
Ross made his World Series debut for the 2013 Red Sox. While Ross struggled at the plate in this series, batting a measly .188, he got another chance just three years later. In his final season, Ross got to play in the World Series again for the Chicago Cubs. Despite getting limited playing time as the backup catcher, Ross made the most of the at-bats he got. Ross batted .400 with a home run to extend the Cubs’ lead in game seven. The homer made Ross the oldest player to send one out in a World Series game at age 39. Ross’ home run proved to be crucial, as the opposing Indians tied the game to force extra innings. The Cubs won the game in 10 innings and Ross was a World Series hero amongst Cubs fans, who just saw their team’s first championship in 108 years.
The most recent Gator to make a World Series appearance was Dane Dunning for the 2023 Texas Rangers. Dunning made three scoreless relief appearances to help the Rangers secure their first World Series win.
Since Dunning’s appearance, five Gators have appeared in the playoffs, but none have made it to the World Series. Harrison Bader was the only Gator to appear in this year’s playoffs, but his Phillies were eliminated in the NLDS. The Gators currently have the most active alumni in MLB with 17, so the odds are that a Florida Gator will be able to bring some pride to his school and accomplish every ballplayer’s dream of playing in the World Series.
Category: Baseball, College Baseball, Former Gators, Gators Baseball, MLB, MLB Playoffs, World Series
