Stat of the Day: The Curse of the Weaver Brothers

History is on the Yankees side! Coming into 2009, teams were 0-3 in a playoff series in which a Weaver brother (Jeff or Jered) came into a game in relief. Did their luck change this year?

Let's review, shall we?

• 2002 ALDS - Jeff Weaver comes into Games 2 and 3 in relief for the New York Yankees and the Yankees lose both games en route to losing the series 3-1 to the then Anaheim Angels. Jeff Weaver gives up 7 baserunners and gets 8 outs.

• 2003 World Series - Jeff Weaver is summoned to face the Marlins, obviously inspiring so much confidence in Joe Torre that he leaves Mariano Rivera, the greatest playoff pitcher of all time, in the bullpen (even Joe Girardi would shake his head at that move). Weaver comes into the 11th inning of Game 4 and gets the first three batters he sees. In the 12th inning, Jeff Weaver throws a 3-2 pitch to light-hitting (at least not when steroid-enhanced) Alex Gonzalez who hits one over the wall to end the game. The Yankees would lose the series in 6.

• 2008 ALDS - Jered Weaver would try to reverse the trend his brother set with the Yankees. He came into Game 3 and pitched two innings of shutout ball in relief to get the win--the only win the Angels would experience that series as they lost to the Red Sox 3-1.

• 2009 NLDS -Jeff Weaver came into a playoff game this year in relief as well. His manager? Joe Torre! This man loves to use Jeff Weaver in relief! Weaver pitched well over 1.1 innings and was credited with the win. The Dodgers actually won the series, breaking the Weaver Brothers (sounds like a company, no?) streak. They would, however, fall in the next round. 

• 2009 ALCS - Jered Weaver came on in Game 5 to pitch one dominant shoutout inning of relief. For some reason, Mike Scioscia, infected by Joe Girardi's overmanger-itis, decided to take out a rolling Weaver for the Angels' shaky closer, Brian Fuentes. Scioscia had so much faith in Fuentes, he issued the first ever bases-empty intentional walk in a run-run game in the 9th inning. Fuentes would escape a bases-loaded, full-count jam to get out of it, but if the Angels lost, Scioscia would have been second-guessed (again). But with the Weaver Brothers' playoff history, could you blame him for his move? 

This current series has a yet-undermined outcome. Will the past Weaver Brothers history rear it's ugly head? Did Jeff and Joe Torre reuniting in Los Angeles and challenging the curse of the Weaver Brothers finally break the spell? Does the Rally Monkey have a say? We shall find out...