The Major League Baseball playoffs are under way with an Arkansas flavor. Four of the six native Arkansans currently in the Major Leagues are involved including Bryant's own Travis Wood.[more]
Wood, who turned in some stellar performances for the Cincinnati Reds after being called up at mid-season, has been assigned initially to the bullpen for the playoffs despite the fact that, in one of his first few starts he took a perfect game into the ninth inning against the Reds' first round opponent, the two-time defending National League champion Philadelphia Phillies.
All 17 of Wood's appearances in the Majors have been starts. He posted a 5-4 record with a 3.51 earned run average. In 102 2/3 innings, he gave up 85 hits, including nine home runs, walked just 26 and struck out 86.
In addition, Benton's Cliff Lee, a hero for the Phillies' post-season run and former Cy Young Award winner, is the starter this afternoon in the Texas Rangers' opener in the American League playoffs. At the time of this posting, Lee was pitching a shutout through five innings against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Clifford was traded to the Seattle Mariners in the off-season then on to the Rangers midway through the year. Between the two teams, he compiled a 12-9 record with a 3.18 earned run average.
The two other Arkansas natives in the playoffs pitch for the New York Yankees, A.J. Burnett of North Little Rock and Dustin Moseley of Texarkana.
Missing out on the post-season this year are the California Angels' Torii Hunter of Pine Bluff and the St. Louis Cardinals' Ryan Franklin of Fort Smith.
