With playoff baseball comes the inevitable debates about who the greatest postseason performer was. This has been especially true in lieu of Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling's recent performances in the World Series.

Many people are familiar with some of the best postseason hurlers, but what about some other, less heralded pitchers? Are there guys out there who may have flown a bit under the radar? In fact, there are a number of them. While none of these guys had the extensive impact of a Bob Gibson or Mariano Rivera, they still delivered clutch performances throughout their postseason careers*.

Ken Dayley, St. Louis Cardinals
If I were to ask you who in postseason history had the best WHIP (0.58), allowed the least number of hits per 9 innings (2.61) and the fourth best ERA (0.44), your first answer might not be Ken Dayley, but that's the correct answer.

Dayley was a lefthanded reliever for the Cardinals who pitched in both the 1985 NLCS and World Series, and the 1987 NLCS and World Series. He never pitched more than 2 2/3 innings, but he was an important part of the bullpen, picking up 5 saves even though Todd Worrell was the main closer. In 20 2/3 postseason innings, Dayley gave up just 1 run.

Dave Dravecky, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants
Just who is Dave Dravecky? Well, he was a hurler who pitched in the 1984 NLCS and World Series for the Padres and the 1987 NLCS for the Giants. Dravecky had entirely different roles for those teams, however.

First, let's look at some numbers. Dravecky possess the third best ERA (0.35) in playoff history, and the second best WHIP (0.66). In Dravecky's postseason career, he found himself relieving for the Padres, and going multiple innings every time. In 10 2/3 innings of relief for San Diego, he didn't give up a single run, walked just one batter, allowed only 5 hits, and struck out 10.

Then, Dravecky went on to starting for the San Fransicso Giants. In the '87 NLCS, he threw a complete game, 2-hit shutout against St. Louis in game 2, and followed that with a 6 inning stint where he struck out 8, allowed 5 hits and the only run of his postseason career in a 1-0 loss.

Sterling Hitchcock, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees
Surprised? Yeah, me too. However, Hitchcock is one of only eight pitchers to have a perfect win-loss record in the postseason, at 4-0. Not to mention the fact that he has the third best K/9 ratio in postseason history. Hitchcock struck out 12.03 batters per 9 innings pitched, which is over 5 strikeouts per 9 more than his regular season average.

Hitchock appeared in 9 games, and he was a starter in 4 of those games. And in those starts, Hitchcock was 3-0. He struck out 32, allowed only 3 extra-base hits, had a 1.23 ERA and held opponents to a .195 batting average and .287 on-base percentage.

Others
Harry Breechen, St. Louis Cardinals: 1943, '44, '46 World Series - 3 complete games, 4 wins, 0.87 ERA, 3 total earned runs allowed.

John Rocker, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians: 1998, '99, 2000, '01 NL/ALDS, NLCS, World Series - 20 games, 0.00 ERA, 4.35 hits/9 allowed, 11.32 K/9.

Blue Moon Odom, Oakland A's: 1972, '73, '74 ALCS, World Series: 1.07 ERA in 42 innings, 5 total earned runs allowed, 4.71 hits/9 allowed.

Obviously, this is but a small sample size of pitchers that have put up very good postseason numbers. There are many more that have performed well, but these are a few that people may not have known about.

(* = Minimum 20 Innings)

It's time for our weekly look at the latest intellectual debates taking place on sports message boards.

ChargersTalk: "The Official Sympathy for Norv Turner and the Chargers Thread. Guys, lets cut this guy some slack please. Give him another chance. Afterall, it takes more than a head coach to lose a game ... Lets hang in there and stop calling for our GM's head too because, he really try to do the best he could given the situation ... I wouldnt mind Norv pulling a motivational stunt and actually flying Marty in to give the players a speech. Hang in there guys, we still have a long way to go. Go BOLTS!" - benjamink15

ESPN.com - MLB General: "Everybody knows the Cubs were the best team in 2003. If not for that idiot Steve Bartman we would have made the World Series and easily won it all." - Cubs2003WS_Champs

Philafans.com: “Fire Andy Reid! His act and excuses are getting very tiresome.

Reid had his chance and the window is closed.

After this year a new coach can begin a new era with a new QB!”
- PhilliesFan18

DaBearz.com: “Dear Ron Turner,
I am writing you in response to your HORRIFIC playcalling. Please keep in mind while reading this letter that 1) I'm a girl, and 2) you're supposed to be a professional...so that you get a full understanding of how much YOU SUCK ...Can i please now inform you that i am pregnant, so i'm going ot have to ask you to break into either the Colts or the Cowboys locker rooms and read a REAL play book, because the stress you are causing me is not healthy for my 1st trimester.Hey, could you maybe possibly talk to your receivers and remind them they're supposed to CATCH the ball. Catch, receive...ya know/
Please don't make me hunt you down and find you.
GET IT TOGETHER

Vicki

P.S. I do believe i hate you more as the seconds of your useless career as an NFL offensive coordinator dwindle down with the rest of the Chicago bears talent.” - wHiTeY

ESPN.com - MLB General: "BASEBALL SHOULD MAKE ROCKIES GAME BE REPLAYED. THE ROCKIES JUST CHEATED THEIR WAY TO A VICTORY BY FIRST NUMBER 1 STEALING HOFFMAN SIGNES IN THE DUGOUT ... TWO THEY PAID THE UMP TO BLOW THAT CALL AT THE PLATEON HOLLIDAY I WILL WRITE 200 MILLION LETTERS TO GET THIS GAME REPLAYED AND BY GOD AS MY SAVIOR I WILL WIN BECAUSE I AM A TRUE BASEBALL FAN AND LIKE TO SEE THE GAME END THE WAY IT SHOULD BE END." - michrules08

JetsInsider.com: “Jets Record (Predictions now?) With the current line-up? Coached as is? 1-15.” - 32green

49ers.com: “Sabotage!!! I think there are 2 players deliberately sabotaging the 2007 for the 49ers. The first one is obvious and for obvious reasons, Justin Smiley ... this is from a guy who knows he won't be playing for us next year or ever again ... I mean think about it, you're at your job and you know you'll only be working there 5 more months ... do you work really hard for your current job??? You don't and neither does Smiley...and that's the truth ... The other saboteur is none other than the hated Derek Smith ... I would ... bench Smith and put in Moore no matter the consequences, the guy just doesn't give a **** about our team.”
- jayrmontana

ChicagoBears.com: “Benson crying on draft was a huge tell. I remember that moment well, and I thought UH OH...THIS IS NOT GOOD ... all the guys before him were so happy to be picked...and our guy starts CRYING???”- BostonBearFan

CarolinaHuddle.com: “this team has no heart, no identity, no care in the world. That is why people are upset. They are upset because Peppers isn't doing anything, our receivers are dropping passes, Carr sucks, and our defense that used to be top 5 or 10 in the league is now in the bottom 5. That is why. Then the coaches make no changes, no one takes responsibility or tries to make any changes. Fans have a right to be pissed.” - zt001

ESPN.com - MLB General: "ROCKIES WILL WIN THE WORLD SERIES. NOBODY CAN STOP THEM." - Vintage_Thabo

Many great philosophical questions have been pondered throughout time. What is knowledge? Does God exist? What is the nature of reality? In a similar vein, many great thinkers have ruminated this question: If the current pennant races were porn, what type of porn would they be?

N.L. Central - Amateur

This is the easiest race to define. Milwaukee, Chicago and St. Louis are in a race in baseball's worst division. In any other division, they would not be anywhere close to the lead. Clearly, the Brewers are baseball's version of the "casting couch" girl. They are apprehensive, unsure of themselves, and wondering what the hell they are doing.

N.L. West - Orgy

The N.L. West is a jumbled orgy. While Arizona's kids are on top for now, the whole division has switched positions throughout the season. San Diego and L.A. have had turns at the top, and are now fighting to be included in postseason.

N.L. East - Watersports

The New York Mets are the rich old men of the group. They simply enjoy toying with the other teams, only to denigrate them in the end. Atlanta and Philly are sandwiched in the middle, but are clearly looking up at the Mets.

A.L. Central - Role Play

Cleveland and Detroit have switched roles throughout the season. They can't seem to make up their mind about who wants to be in what role. Early in the year, Detroit was in the lead role, but now the Indians have made a charge in an attempt to takeover the Tigers as front runners.

A.L. East - S&M

In Boston, the Red Sox jumped out and dominated their opposition. Now, the Yankees have made a charge, and are attempting to get up from under the foot of their rivals. Having been the media's whipping boys for the first part of the season, New York is trying to release itself from the chains of second place.

A.L. West - MILF

In honor of L.A., the Angels are clearly MILF's of the West. The Mariners are doing their best to come from behind, but the wise Angels have veterans who have been there before and know what they are doing.

The best of the Friday sports blogs, including Stacey Keibler.

- Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel is picking his starting QB by flipping a coin. Here are some other ways for him to pick his starters. (Epic Carnival)

- Barry Bonds isn't the all-time homerun leader just yet. (Deuce of Davenport)

- Okay, so maybe Derek Jeter didn't
give Jessica Alba herpes. (One More Dying Quail)

- The Padres offense? Yeah, it sucks. (Rumors and Rants)

- Who's Now? Wait, make that Who's Then. (Sons of Sam Malone)

- A letter to bad baseball fans - your heckling sucks, you don't know it all, and please dress appropriately. Thank you. (The Angry T)

- Good luck affording that ticket to the Notre Dame game. (The Wizard of Odds)

- An awful way for Bud Selig to save baseball - at least in this Cards fan's opinion. (The Grand National Championships)

- The MLB Mascot Brackets continue. (Home Run Derby)

If you are an athlete and your last name is Wells, don't choose the number 13 for your jersey. You already have enough bad luck as it is. For whatever reason, athletes whose surname is Wells are really having a tough go of it lately, in more than one sport.

- David Wells, unemployed pitcher: After getting pounded by the offensively challenged St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night, the San Diego Padres are getting rid of him. It has been a tough season for Wells, as he is just 5-8 with a 5.54 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in 22 starts for San Diego.

If he does retire, the fans are going to miss out on more than his pitching. His tales of slovenly behavior will be tough to replace. The best of his stories? Probably that he eats dik. Seriously, he even admitted it, saying, "Had dik twice. Very tasty."

- Kip Wells, SP, St. Louis Cardinals: Counted on to be a #2 starter behind Chris Carpenter, the Kipper has been a disaster. Though he pitched nicely yesterday, he's been bad far more often. Wells is an embarrassing 5-13 this year, with a 5.27 ERA and 1.50 WHIP.

- Vernon Wells, CF, Toronto Blue Jays: Handed a fat new contract before the 2007 season, Vernon has not lived up to his end of the bargain. A career .285 hitter, Wells is hitting .261 with an awful .317 OBP. And that is considering he raised his average 5 points and his OBP 3 points yesterday night against the Yankees with a 3 for 4 performance. Wells also has just 14 homeruns and 64 RBI through 110 games. Last season, Wells was hitting .320/.379/.588 with 27 HR and 83 RBI through 110 games.

- Bonzi Wells, SG, Houston Rockets: Bonzi had an odd season for Houston last year, and one which was not fully complete. After scuffling with coach Jeff Van Gundy most of the season, he decided he wasn't going to show up for a game against Seattle, citing team chemistry. After that, Houston put him on the inactive list, and he didn't play for the team again. Not that he was having such a good year on the court anyway. He was averaging just 7.8 points and 4.3 boards in 21 minutes a game.

- Jonathan Wells, RB, Indianapolis Colts: After being the first pick in the 4th round of the 2002 draft for the Houston Texans, Wells' never broke out in the NFL. His career average of 3.1 yards per carry may have something to do with that. Last season, Wells did not appear in an NFL game, but he hopes to resume his career with the Colts.

- Reggie Wells, G, Arizona Cardinals: Wells was actually a decent player for the deplorable offensive line the Cardinals paraded out last year. But he didn't steer clear of the Wells Curse. He had to be hospitalized for two nights due to a severe case of the flu. Which couldn't have been fun.

The best of the Wednesday sports blogs, including Rachel Bilson, who I was not aware of until I saw The Last Kiss about a month ago.

- After douchebag Padres broadcaster Matt Vasgersian trashes St. Louis (DOTD's base of operations), he (sort of) apologized. Twice. Though I tend to believe the only thing he's sorry about was that he got called on it. Matt, do us all a favor and don't take a cab back to the hotel after your broadcast. Go ahead and take a stroll. You'll be safe. I promise. (Awful Announcing)

- Extreme chess ... the sport of choice for virgins everywhere. (Deuce of Davenport)

- Ranking the SEC quarterbacks. It's not a very pretty picture. (Loser With Socks)

- College football begins in 24 days. (The Sporting Orange)

- That kid who caught the ball won't make as much as Kragen Auto Parts will from the ball. Their sign was being displayed behind home plate when Barry Bonds hit the home run, resulting in $5 to $6 million in equivalent advertising. (Sports Biz - Darren Rovell)

- Is there a reason Darrelle Revis is still holding out, while everybody else but JaMarcus Russell is signed? (Shakedown Sports)

- A very hilarious story about an unusual method of poor technique - and it has nothing to do with sports. (Why Don't We Get Drunk And Blog)

- A very outstanding preview of the St. Louis Rams. (Epic Carnival)

- For all the rugby fans out there, go ahead and peruse this Rugby World Cup preview. (With Malice)

- Photos of ridiculously hot babes trying out to become Phoenix Suns cheerleaders. (Our Book of Scrap)

As we all know, Major League Baseball has no salary cap, leaving teams to bid inordinate amounts of money on sometimes mediocre players. Huge contracts can burn teams, while other squads employ less expensive players who produce more.

Below is a comparitive look at statistics from two players at each position. One of them makes a huge amount of money, while the other does not. Can you guess which contract belongs to each set of statistics? Answers are below.

Catcher
A).315/.389/.495, 11 HR, 63 RBI
B).226/.261/.281, 2 HR, 22 RBI

Salaries: $13,000,000 and $387,500

First Base
A).315/.415/.548, 20 HR, 57 RBI
B).341/.389/.523, 9 HR, 52 RBI

Salaries: $15,000,000 and $500,000

Second Base
A).283/.328/.492, 19 HR, 57 RBI
B).281/.362/.470, 12 HR, 50 RBI

Salaries: $11,500,000 and $407,500

Third Base
A).297/.380/.501, 16 HR, 51 RBI
B).262/.338/.371, 4 HR, 39 RBI

Salaries: $12,000,000 and $1,000,000

Shortstop
A).253/.333/.316, 2 HR, 24 RBI
B).323/.383/.479, 10 HR, 48 RBI

Salaries: $9,000,000 and $405,000

Left Field
A).235/.394/.432, 12 HR, 43 RBI
B).337/.386/.570, 16 HR, 73 RBI

Salaries: $13,000,000 and $4,400,000

Center Field
A).333/.404/.528, 13 HR, 49 RBI
B).259/.343/.415, 7 HR, 38 RBI

Salaries: $4,350,000 and $395,000

Right Field
A).297/.353/.532, 19 HR, 56 RBI
B).256/.366/.385, 6 HR, 33 RBI

Salaries: $14,000,000 and $2,535,000

Starting Pitcher
A) 5-11, 5.32 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, .287 BAA
B) 8-3, 1.97 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, .192 BAA

Salaries: $9,000,000 and $750,000

Answers
Catcher:
A) Russell Martin - $387,500
B) Jason Kendall - $13,000,000

First Base:
A) Albert Pujols - $15,000,000
B) Dmitri Young - $500,000

Second Base:
A) Brandon Phillips - $407,500
B) Jeff Kent - $11,500,000

Third Base:
A) David Wright - $1,000,000
B) Scott Rolen - $12,000,000

Shortstop:
A) Jason Bartlett - $405,000
B) Edgar Renteria - $9,000,000

Left Field:
A) Pat Burrell - $13,000,000
B) Matt Holliday - $4,400,000

Center Field:
A) Aaron Rowand - $4,350,000
B) Ryan Church - $395,000

Right Field:
A) Alex Rios - $2,535,000
B) J.D. Drew - $14,000,000

Starting Pitcher:
A) Chris Young - $750,000
B) Jose Contreras - $9,000,000

(All salaries found at: Cot's Baseball Contracts)