Look high, low for Series MVPs

Today, we fondly remember Gene Tenace, Darrell Porter, Rick Dempsey and Pat Borders. Four catchers. Four relatively obscure catchers. Four World Series most valuable players.

Baseball's biggest annual stage often has a way of bringing out the best in average players while reducing some of the sport's all-time standouts to mediocrity.

St. Louis Cardinals fans still fret the 0-4 stand against the Boston Red Sox in 2004, a quick Series that ended with Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols failing to drive in a run.

In the 1946 Series, the Cards beat the Red Sox in seven games, and Boston immortal Ted Williams batted only .200 with a single RBI.

Since the beginning of the Series MVP award in 1955 -- won by Brooklyn pitcher Johnny Podres -- superstars have prevailed only slightly more than long shots. Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Roger Maris never won it, but New York Yankees Bobby Richardson, Don Larsen, Ralph Terry, Bucky Dent, Bob Turley and John Wetteland did. For the Miracle Mets in 1969, the MVP wasn't Tom Seaver or Nolan Ryan; it was first baseman Donn Clendenon, who hit three homers and batted .357 to torch a Baltimore pitching staff that included Jim Palmer.

LESS LIKELY MVPS

1956: Don Larsen, P, Yankees

1958: Bob Turley, P, Yankees

1959: Larry Sherry, P, Dodgers

1960: Bobby Richardson, 2B, Yankees

1969: Donn Clendenon, 1B, Mets

1972: Gene Tenace, C, A's

1978: Bucky Dent, SS, Yankees

1981: Steve Yeager, C, Dodgers (shared with teammates Ron Cey and Pedro Guerrero)

1982: Darrell Porter, C, Cardinals

1983: Rick Dempsey, C, Orioles

1990: Jose Rijo, P, Reds

1992: Pat Borders, C, Blue Jays

1996: John Wetteland, P, Yankees

1998: Scott Brosius, 3B, Yankees

2006: David Eckstein, SS, Cardinals