World Series

Every World Series in Major League Baseball History

Each year, the primary focus in any professional sport is the race for a championship. Every sport has their pinnacle trophy, but none is as coveted as baseball's World Series; a best of seven contest that celebrates our national pastime. An event as important as any holiday on the calendar, it is as traditional as Thanksgiving, as patriotic as the Fourth of July and as anticipated as Christmas morning. Over the last century, the World Series has been woven into the fabric of America's culture evolving far beyond a mere baseball tournament. It has become the game of all games and has continued to provide us with an endless highlight reel of magical moments evoking childhood memories of agony and ecstasy.

How would one define the World Series? It's Willie Mays catching what can't be caught and Don Larsen being perfect where perfection is simply not possible. It's Babe Ruth telling the fans and media where he is going to deposit the next pitch and a heavily outscored team of Pirates beating the unbeatable Yankees off a ninth inning Bill Mazeroski blast. The World Series is the crushing blow of Fred Snodgrass dropping a routine fly ball and Willie McCovey hitting the final out straight to Bobby Richardson. It's the Curse of the Bambino, when loyal Red Sox fans live their entire lives without witnessing a championship and when Yankees fans witness four in five years...

World Series
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Although the World Series as we know it didn't begin until 1905, Major League Baseball had several versions of a post-season championship series before that. In 1884, the Providence Grays of the National League outplayed the New York Metropolitan Club of the American Association in a three game series for what was originally called 'The Championship of the United States.' Several newspapers penned the Grays as 'World Champions' and the new title stuck. Over the next six years, different variations took place between the National League and American Association pennant-winners, ranging in length from six to fifteen games. The American Association folded unexpectedly after the 1891 season forcing a suspension of the series. The following year, the National League absorbed four of the American Association's former franchises and expanded to twelve teams in an effort to promote the growth of baseball and maintain the public's interest. They played a split season in which the first-half winner played the second-half winner for the league championship. Many fans did not support the new system and the split season was promptly dropped in 1893.

In 1894, Pittsburgh's owner William C. Temple offered a championship trophy to the winner of a best-of-seven-game series between the National League's first and second-place teams. In addition, he stated that the winning franchise would receive 65% of all ticket sales and the losing team would pocket 35%. Temple's novel idea would last for the next three years and helped to build the foundation for baseball's post-season popularity. More changes were on the horizon and in 1901, the American League was established much to the dismay of the senior circuit. Suddenly, baseball found itself engaged in a 'civil war' as both rival leagues competed separately for the fan's loyalty and attention. Two years later a truce, previously known as the 'National Agreement', was redefined outlining baseball's employment, salary and travel requirements. The 1903 compromise produced the business blueprint for major-league baseball and resulted in a merger that has lasted to this day. Boston and Pittsburgh, the top American and National League teams, found themselves competing against one another in an attempt at a 'World Series' in 1903, but neither league was done 'discussing' the postseason format, causing the 1904 contest to be cancelled (details below).

The 1966 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1966 season.The 63rd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Baltimore Orioles and National League (NL) champion (and defending World Series champion) Los Angeles Dodgers.

World Series Winners

Finally, in 1905, the first official World Series was played, and only once since then has the Fall Classic not been played. A history of every World Series, as researched by Baseball Almanac, appears below, and includes every box score from every World Series game, World Series rosters, World Series stats, and more.

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Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series

Detroit Tigers (4) vs St. Louis Cardinals (3)

World series 2020

The defending world champion St. Louis Cardinals once again dominated the National League on the way to their second consecutive Fall Classic as Bob Gibson remained at the top of the list of National League pitchers. Along with his American League equal, the Detroit Tigers' Denny McLain, both had combined for a whopping fifty-three wins and nineteen shutouts (Gibson: 22 wins, 13 shutouts & McLain: 31 wins, 6 shutouts). As was becoming the standard, pitching dominated the World Series contest and nothing would change in 1968.

Both aces met in Game 1 as Gibson threatened to break Sandy Koufax's Series record by striking out thirteen Tiger batters through seven innings. McLain did not fare as well and surrendered for three, fourth-inning runs by the Cards, who got a run-scoring single from Mike Shannon and a two-run single from Julian Javier (thanks to an error by Willie Horton). In the seventh, reliever Pat Dobson, working his second inning, yielded a bases-empty home run to Lou Brock. Gibson remained in control with a 4-0 lead (while permitting four meaningless hits and no runs) and prepared to close the deal on Koufax's record. After sitting down pinch-hitter Eddie Mathews to open the eighth, the thirty-two year-old veteran made Al Kaline his record-equaling fifteenth strikeout victim, Norm Cash his record-breaking No. 16 and Horton his one-more-for-good-measure No. 17.

Detroit bounced back in Game 2 thanks to seventeen game winner Mickey Lolich who held the 'Redbirds' to six singles and added the only home run of his Major League career for the 8-1 win.

Tim McCarver set the pace for the Cardinals in Game 3 and hammered a three run homer in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. Orlando Cepeda followed suite with a two run shot in the seventh and Lou Brock stole three bases on the way to a Series-leading 7-3 triumph. Gibson returned for the fourth meeting and continued his unbeaten streak with a record seventh consecutive win in the Fall Classic. Embarrassing the Tigers 10-1, the right-hander aided his own cause with his second career homer in Series play (a record for a pitcher) while Brock dominated at the plate with a double, triple, home run and four runs batted in. The outfielder also recorded his seventh stolen base of this Series (tying a mark he had established in 1967). McLain was once again bested by his counterpart and was lifted after 2 2/3 innings to no avail.

World Series

World Series Winners

Although Brock's base running had proven to be a definite advantage in the previous four outings, his carelessness cost the Cardinals dearly in Game 5. After doubling with one out in the fifth, Brock tried to score standing up on Javier's single to left, but Willie Horton threw him out with a laser to home plate. Detroit, trailing by a 3-2 score at the time, seemingly received a boost from the reprieve and broke loose for three runs in the seventh. Mickey Lolich, who was knocked for a two run homer by Cepeda (in a three run St. Louis first), pitched scoreless ball over the final eight innings as Detroit stayed alive with a crucial 5-3 triumph.

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McLain returned for his third appearance determined to get his first win over the Cardinals' Ray Washburn. Pitching his best game of the Series, the Tiger ace finished a 13-1 victor thanks to a rally sparked Jim Northrup, who slammed a bases-loaded homer in Detroit's ten run blitz in the third. The Tigers' spree matched the one inning Series scoring record set by the Philadelphia Athletics against the Chicago Cubs in Game 4 of the 1929 Classic.

Bob Gibson was the obvious choice for St. Louis in Game 7 and Lolich was given the monumental task of beating him. Both pitchers went head-to-head for six scoreless innings, but the Tiger ace was first to blink after allowing two Cardinal runners on base. (Brock with his record-tying thirteenth hit of the Series and Curt Flood adding a single) Despite the mental setback, Lolich remained focused and struck out the following batters to snuff the Cards' first scoring opportunity. Then, with two out in the Detroit seventh, Norm Cash and Horton both singled. Northrup then hit a long rope to center field that Flood accidentally misjudged. The result was a two run triple and Bill Freehan made it three after doubling home Northrup. Not to be outdone, the Cardinals responded with a run in the ninth thanks to Mike Shannon, but it was too little too late and had been matched by Detroit in their half of the inning.

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In the end, Lolich had beaten the odds (and the mighty Bob Gibson) with a five hit, 4-1 victory that gave the Tigers their first championship crown since 1945. Detroit also became only the third team in World Series history to rally from a 3-1 deficit to win in Game 7.