[howard38]

Originally Posted by Sean

Remember also that in the '60s and '70s there was no ESPN or MLB Network. The only baseball on television was the local team and the Saturday game of the week. It wasn't unusual to only see a pitcher once or twice a year. But in October everything was televised, and every result was magnified. I think that Hunter got a lot of credit not only because he was on a winning team, but also because he pitched very well in the postseason (mostly with Oakland), when we were all watching.

These games were often the only time people would see him pitch, and this made a very favorable impression. Tiant only got into the playoffs the one time, and that was well past his prime, so he didn't get this "October bump" the way Hunter did.

That may not be fair, but that's the way it worked.

That's a good point. Had Tiant won game six he certainly would have been the series MVP and may well have a plaque in Cooperstown today. Instead his two complete game victories (and another in the AL championship series) are basically forgotten.