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Beckett leads Marlins to title

Marlins Ivan Rodriguez celebrates with the World Series trophy after defeating the Yankees 2-0 to win Game 6 of the World Series, in New York, Saturday. The Marlins won the series 4-2 on the back of stellar pitching by Florida's Josh Beckett. PHOTO: AP

Josh Beckett pitched with the determined demeanor of a Bob Gibson or a Sandy Koufax and came up with the game of his life on baseball's grandest stage.

On a night that he'll always remember and New York will never forget, the 23-year-old right-hander led the Marlins to the World Series title Saturday, beating the Yankees 2-0 in Game 6.

"Sometimes, less is more," he said.

Beckett pitched a five-hitter on three days rest that won him the World Series most valuable player award. He looked like -- well, even better than -- those multimillion-dollar Yankees starters who grace magazine covers and get all the attention.

"We wanted to come in here, and that's who we wanted to play," Beckett said. "If you are going to beat somebody, why not beat the best?''

In the 100th World Series game played in Yankee Stadium, Beckett eliminated the Bronx No-Longer-Bombers from the Series on their famous field for only the seventh time and the first since 1981 when they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers. And he did it with the first complete-game shutout in a clincher since Minnesota's Jack Morris in 1991, becoming the youngest pitcher to blank an opponent in a Series finale since 21-year-old Bret Saberhagen beat St. Louis for Kansas City in 1985.

Starting pitcher Josh Beckett of the Marlins pitches against the Yankees in the first inning Game 6 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, Saturday. PHOTO: AFP

"This guy has got the guts of a burglar," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. "He's mentally tough. And I knew he had the confidence to go out there and do the job that he did tonight. This guy is going to be something special."

Beckett even got the final out all by himself. He scooped up a little grounder by catcher Jorge Posada and tagged him near first base. Beckett then pumped his fist and was lifted onto his teammates' shoulders, thrusting his hands into the air and waving his cap.

After Beckett lost Game 3 on Tuesday, Marlins manager Jack McKeon started him on three days' rest for the first time in his major league career, which began a scant 25 months ago. Why take such a gamble with a young arm coming off a 108-pitch outing?

"I can't believe we don't have a game tomorrow."

Josh Beckett, pitcher for the Florida Marlins after winning the World Series

McKeon cited the two-hit shutout Beckett threw in Game 5 of the NL championship series, when the Chicago Cubs led Florida three games to one. And then there was his four innings of one-hit relief in Game 7 at Wrigley Field.

Beckett pitched fabulously and fearlessly against the Yankees, trusting his fastballs and his breaking balls to anyone on any count. He struck out nine, walked two and threw 71 of 107 pitches for strikes.

No doubt

"I said he could do it. A lot of people doubted it," McKeon said.

Beckett didn't quite have the explosive fastball he owned in Game 3, when he topped 95 mph. But for the Yankees, even his 94 mph fastball was too much.

"When you're that young, you don't know what fear is," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.

Born in Spring, Texas, not far from where Roger Clemens lives, Beckett looked like a little Rocket. His stubbly dark goatee gave his boyish face some extra meanness, not that he needed it the way he pitched.

New York got runners to second base just four times, and that's when Beckett was his toughest. With runners in scoring position, the Yankees were 0-for-7, leaving them at 7-for-50 in the Series.

With Posada on second and one out in the seventh, Beckett threw a 3-2 curveball to Karim Garcia for a called third strike. And then he got pinch-hitter Ruben Sierra to swing through an 0-2 fastball.

After watching his bullpen struggle, McKeon didn't take any chances, sending Beckett out for the ninth. The kid rewarded him with his second postseason shutout.

For him, it was simple. No matter how little rest you have, just throw strikes.

Beckett entered the postseason with 89 professional starts and no complete games.

Now he has two, both shutouts.

"I can't believe we don't have a game tomorrow," he said. "That's kind of the weird thing right now. I get to go deer hunting now."
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