Past Tribe Players among October's Stars

If Victory Field is where legends grow, the Major League Baseball Postseason is where they become immortalized. This October was full of moments that left us breathless as Chicago completed its historic championship campaign. While many former Indianapolis Indians were among the players battling it out on the field this postseason, we took a closer look at those that reached each league's Championship Series and beyond.

Jose Bautista - TOR
Indianapolis Indians, 2005-06, '08

Bautista is no stranger to memorable playoff moments, adding an iconic bat-flipping home run to his four home runs in 11 postseason games last year. He picked up right where he left off, belting a second-inning bomb to start the scoring in Toronto's 5-2 win over Baltimore in the AL Wild Card Game. He then homered and collected four RBIs in the opening game of the ALDS against Texas. Bautista's bat went chilly until late in the ALCS against Cleveland, turning in a pair of hits as the Blue Jays were eliminated in Game 5.

Rajai Davis - CLE
Indianapolis Indians, 2006-07

After making just one other career postseason appearance with Detroit in 2014, Davis appeared in 15 games for Cleveland on its run to the World Series. The speedy outfielder was hitless in the ALDS and ALCS, but collected five hits in the Fall Classic - including one of the most memorable of the entire series. With flamethrowing Aroldis Chapman on the mound and the Tribe down, 6-4, in Game 7, Davis turned around a 98 mph fastball to knot the contest in the eighth. He also swiped three bases in the World Series after finishing fourth in the AL with 43 steals.

Francisco Liriano - TOR
Indianapolis Indians, 2013-14

Starting the season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Liriano was shipped to Toronto with a pair of prospects for Tribe hurler Drew Hutchison at the trade deadline this year. He had made just one other postseason relief appearance (2009) with the Twins prior to this season. Liriano pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in Toronto's Wild Card victory to drive his career ERA in that game down to 1.04. He made just one other appearance for the Blue Jays on their run to the ALCS, allowing a pair of runs in their 5-3 win over Texas in Game 2 of the ALDS.

Michael Martinez - CLE
Indianapolis Indians, 2014

Martinez had two career postseason games with the Phillies to his credit before contributing to Cleveland's October action this season. He appeared in seven games, and although he did not record a hit he made a key impact in the Fall Classic. Martinez was the lone run in the Tribe's 1-0 Game 3 victory behind Josh Tomlin over the Cubs in Wrigley Field's first World Series game since 1945. The speedster went from second to third on a wild pitch and later scored on a pinch-hit RBI single from Coco Crisp in the seventh.

David Ross - CHC
Indianapolis Indians, 2005

After making his postseason debut with the Dodgers in 2004, Ross reprised a spot on baseball's October stage for the sixth time in his career this season. The veteran backstop was Cubs ace Jon Lester's primary catcher, appearing in 11 games overall on Chicago's historic run. In poetic fashion, Game 7 of the World Series was to be the final game of his career - and it wouldn't end without a flourish. Ross entered with Lester in the fifth, who promptly allowed a pair of runs to score. The 39 year-old responded with a solo blast in the sixth to give the Cubs a 6-3 lead.