BaseballLibrary.com: World Series, 1903-

[Jersey Yankee]

I thought that these single- or multi-paragraph recaps were great, including significant related info that didn't always happen in October, so here they are!!!

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World Series
1903-
There was ample precedent for postseason play in the unofficial contests arranged by the winners of the NL and the American Association from 1882 to 1891. The first World Series, in 1903, was a best-of-nine affair arranged by the winners of the NL and the AL and won by the AL's Boston Pilgrims in a 5-3 upset over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The feud between AL president Ban Johnson and the 1904 NL-champion Giants' manager John McGraw precluded a World Series that year, but the popularity of the 1903 Series led the National Commission to establish an official World Series starting in 1905, with the length of the contest set at seven games. The Giants won 4-1 that year, with all the games being shutouts; Christy Mathewson permitted only 14 hits and one base on balls in his three shutouts. The 1906 Series matched the White Sox and the Cubs in the first World Series between teams from the same city. The White Sox, known as the Hitless Wonders for having the lowest team batting average in the AL that year, upset the mighty Cubs team that had set a still-standing major league record by winning 116 games (while losing only 36).

The unlikely star emerging in the World Series to lead his team to victory became a recurring scenario. The first example came in 1909, when the Pirates' Babe Adams, a rookie pitcher who was 12-3 during the year and not considered the team's ace, was given the starting assignment in the Series opener. He went on to win three games as Pittsburgh won 4-3 despite only two batters (Honus Wagner and Tommy Leach) batting above .250. In the 1911 WS the Athletics' Frank Baker, already established as a fine player, won his nickname Home Run by hitting a game-winning homer off the Giants' Rube Marquard in Game Two and a game-tying home run off Christy Mathewson the next day.

Another Series motif is the "goat," the player whose lapse costs his team the World Championship. Fred Snodgrass wore the horns for the Giants in 1912 after dropping a routine fly ball in the tenth inning of the final game. In 1914 the Braves upset the Athletics in four games, contributing to Philadelphia owner Connie Mack's decision to break up his dynasty. Babe Ruth began his record scoreless innings streak pitching the Red Sox to victory in Game Two of the 1916 WS; after surrendering a first-inning home run, he blanked Brooklyn for 13 innings to win 2-1. He extended the streak to 29-2/3 innings in 1918. That year the Red Sox won their fifth World Championship; over the next 70 years, they failed to win another despite four chances.

The 1917 Series was memorable for Giants third baseman Heinie Zimmerman's futile chase to home plate of Eddie Collins as the White Sox took the lead in the Series clincher; neither catcher Lew McCarty nor pitcher Rube Benton covered home. The White Sox became known as the Black Sox two years later when eight conspirators on the 1919 team threw the Series after gamblers induced them to "lay down." When the fix became public knowledge the next year, it led to the appointment of Commissioner Landis, who became a fixture at World Series games thereafter and ruled on several controversies on the spot. The 1919 Series had returned to the best-of-nine format to take advantage of the renewed popularity of baseball following World War I, which had cut into the 1918 schedule. The 1920 Series, played under close scrutiny due to the previous year's events, featured several Fall Classic firsts in Game Five. The Indians' Elmer Smith hit the first WS grand slam in the first inning, Cleveland's Jim Bagby became the first pitcher to hit a WS home run in the fourth inning, and the only unassisted triple play in Series history was turned by Indians second baseman Bill Wambsganss in the fifth.

The first New York Subway Series took place in 1921, with the Giants defeating the Yankees and holding Babe Ruth to one home run in the last best-of-nine Series. Brothers Bob and Irish Meusel played on the opposing teams. The Giants repeated with a sweep of the Yankees in 1922, notable for Ruth hitting only .118 and for Game Two being called "on account of darkness," while tied 3-3 in the 10th inning, despite the sun still shining. Instantly it was rumored that it had been done to force an additional game (and additional profits). An irate Judge Landis ordered the gate receipts to be donated to charity. Babe Ruth became the first to hit three home runs in a Series in 1923 as the Yankees finally overcame the Giants. Casey Stengel hit two game-winning homers for the Giants, the first coming in Game One with two out in the ninth inning. An inside-the-park shot, it was immortalized by reporter Damon Runyon. The Giants lost again in 1924 as Walter Johnson (in relief) and the Senators won Game Seven in twelve innings as Earl McNeely's grounder to third base hit a pebble and hopped over Fred Lindstrom's head. The Senators and Johnson were the losers in 1925 when Game Seven was played in extremely dark and muddy conditions under a continuous rain. The Pirates were the first team to win a seven-game Series after going down 3-1 in games.

The Yankees returned to the Fall Classic in 1926, but were defeated by the Cardinals in their first appearance. Ruth was thrown out stealing by Bob O'Farrell for the last out of the Series in the game made famous by Grover Cleveland Alexander's relief appearance. He came in in the seventh inning, after having won his second complete game of the Series the day before, and struck out Tony Lazzeri with two out and the bases loaded. The first consecutive sweeps in WS history came in 1927-28 as the Yankees devastated the Pirates and the Cardinals. In 1928 Lou Gehrig became the first man to hit four home runs in one Series, and in Game Four Ruth set a record with three homers. With Gehrig and Cedric Durst also homering, the Yankees set a record for HR by a team in a single Series game.

The Athletics represented the AL the next three years. Howard Ehmke was the surprise starter in the opener in 1929 and set a Series record with 13 strikeouts, and in Game Four the A's scored 10 runs in the seventh inning to overcome the Cubs' 8-0 lead. Philadelphia was finally bested in 1931 as the Cardinals' Pepper Martin hit .500 and stole five bases. The Yankees swept again in 1932, setting a record with 12 consecutive WS wins. Ruth's "called shot" off the Cubs' Charlie Root in Game Three was the highlight in a contest featuring six home runs, two each by Ruth and Gehrig and two by the Cubs, for a new WS game mark. Ruth's 15 career WS HR stood as the record until Mickey Mantle broke it three decades later.

Landis ruled on another controversy in 1934 when he removed the Cardinals' Joe Medwick from Game Seven rather than forfeit the game after Detroit fans showered the left fielder with debris following his hard slide into third baseman Marv Owen. The Cardinals won 11-0. The tremendous offensive output of the era was best typified by the Yankees' 18-4 victory in Game Two of the 1936 WS, won 4-2 over the Giants in a renewal of their subway rivalry. The two teams met again in 1937, with the Yankees again victorious. Yankee sweeps in 1938 (the Cubs) and 1939 (the Reds) gave manager Joe McCarthy a record four consecutive World Championships. The final game of the '39 Series became famous for "Schnozz's snooze" when Reds catcher Ernie Lombardi lay stunned, unable to tag Joe DiMaggio, after a collision with Charlie Keller. The Reds came back in 1940 to defeat the Tigers.

The first Yankees-Dodgers Series came in 1941 and was won by New York 4-1. Brooklyn won Game Two and was leading Game Three 1-0 when Yankee pitcher Marius Russo's line drive off the knee of Dodger pitcher Fred Fitzsimmons forced him out of the game in the seventh inning; the Yankees scored two runs off reliever Hugh Casey. In Game Four Casey was again on the mound with the Dodgers leading 4-3 in the ninth with two out. He struck out Tommy Henrich, but the ball got past catcher Mickey Owen, starting a four-run Yankee rally. The Cardinals' defeat of the Yankees in 1942 was New York's first WS defeat since 1926. St. Louis fell to the Yankees in 1943.

The exigencies of wartime baseball led to the Browns' first pennant in 1944. The quality of play in the World Series, won by the Cardinals, was still fair, featuring a Game Five pitchers' duel between Mort Cooper (12 strikeouts) and the Browns' Denny Galehouse (10 strikeouts). But the 1945 Series was considered a travesty; reporters predicted that neither team could win. In fact, the Tigers prevailed in seven games in what proved to be the Cubs' last World Series appearance. The return to peacetime ball in 1946 began the Red Sox' string of seven-game Series defeats when Enos Slaughter scored from first base in the eighth inning on Harry Walker's double as Boston shortstop Johnny Pesky hesitated with the relay. Leon Culberson had bobbled the ball in centerfield, where he was subbing for the injured Dom DiMaggio. Red Sox star Ted Williams hit .200 for the Series, and the Cardinals' Stan Musial hit .222. There was more drama in 1947 as Brooklyn and New York met again. Game Four saw the Dodgers tie the Series when Cookie Lavaghetto broke up Bill Bevens's no-hitter with two out in the ninth inning. The Series was once again knotted in Game Six when reserve outfielder Al Gionfriddo's running catch of Joe DiMaggio's 415' blast against the left-field fence with two runners on in the sixth inning preserved the victory for the Dodgers and provoked a rare display of emotion by DiMaggio, who kicked the ground when the catch was made. The Yankees prevailed in Game Seven when Joe Page pitched five innings of one-hit relief. Lost in the excitement was Yogi Berra's pinch-homer in Game Three, the first in Series history. The Indians defeated the Braves in 1948, with Larry Doby's HR in Game Four being the first by a black player. Game One included one of the most controversial umpire's calls in Series history. Bill Stewart's safe call on Bob Feller's attempted pickoff at second base of Phil Masi allowed Masi to score the only run of the game two batters later as Johnny Sain pitched a shutout.

Casey Stengel was named manager of the Yankees in 1949 and started a record streak of five World Championships by defeating the Dodgers 4-1. Phillies ace reliever Jim Konstanty was the surprise starter in the 1950 opener but lost 1-0, and the Yankees went onto a sweep. The Yankees' skein was threatened in 1952 when the Dodgers took a 3-2 lead in the Series (Joe Black becoming the first black pitcher to win a WS game), but New York won the last two games, at Ebbets Field. Billy Martin saved the last win with a catch at his knees of a routine pop-up that neither the first baseman or the pitcher, who were closer, got under; the bases were loaded. Gil Hodges finished the Series 0-for-21, the most famous WS slump in history. In 1953 Carl Erskine struck out a Series-record 14 batters in Game Three, but the Yankees were unstoppable in winning their fifth World Series in five years. But the Indians won the AL pennant in 1954 and were then swept by the Giants on the strength of Dusty Rhodes' pinch-hit heroics.

The Dodgers finally beat the Yankees in 1955 for the NL's first back-to-back Series triumphs since 1933-34. Johnny Podres was the pitching hero for his Game Seven shutout, saved by Sandy Amoros's long run to catch Berra's fly in the left-field corner. The Yankees returned to form in 1956, with Don Larsen pitching a perfect game in Game Five, but they were no longer invincible. They lost to the Braves in 1957 as Lew Burdette won three complete games (two were shutouts), although they turned the tables on the Braves in 1958. The 1959 contest saw the Dodgers beat the White Sox in six games, with Chuck Essegian hitting two pinch-homers. In Stengal's last year at the Yankee helm, the Bronx Bombers outscored the Pirates 55-27 but lost on Bill Mazeroski's dramatic home run in the bottom of the ninth in Game Seven. Under Ralph Houk the Yankees handily defeated the Reds in 1961 and squeaked past the Giants in seven games in 1962. The latter Series featured Chuck Hiller's grand slam in Game Four, the NL's first, and was ended by Willie McCovey's lineout to Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson with two on and two out in the ninth inning of Game Seven. The Dodgers stunned the Yankees with a four-game sweep in 1963, holding New York to four runs overall. Sandy Koufax struck out a record 15 batters in the opener. The Yankees appeared in their last World Series for the next 12 years in 1964 and lost to the Cardinals, led by Bob Gibson. The Dodgers' pitching gave them another WS victory in 1965, over the Twins, but they received a dose of their own medicine in 1966 when the Orioles swept them, with shutouts in the last three games. Bob Gibson won three games in 1967 to lead the Cardinals over the Red Sox in seven games and appeared set to be the hero in 1968 as well. He struck out a still-standing record 17 Tigers in the opener and won Game Four, but Mickey Lolich won his third game, on two days' rest, to defeat Gibson in Game Seven.

The Miracle Mets of 1969 stunned the favored Orioles in five games. Outfield defense saved two games for New York, with Tommie Agee making two spectacular catches in Game Three (and hitting a leadoff homer) and unlikely hero Ron Swoboda making a foolhardy - but successful - diving, sliding catch in the ninth inning of Game Four to hold the Orioles to a tie. The Orioles used 10 home runs and the spectacular defense of third baseman Brooks Robinson to triumph over the Reds in 1970. Roberto Clemente starred in 1971, which featured the first Series night game in Game Four. Clemente hit .414 and extended his Series hitting streak to 14 games as the Pirates defeated Baltimore in seven games. The surprise hero in 1972 was the A's Gene Tenace, who became the first player to homer in his first two WS at-bats. He had two more HR in the Series and also figured in two game-winning rallies as Oakland beat the Reds in seven games. The A's made it three straight World Championships in 1973 and 1974. The 1973 contest, against the Mets, included the longest WS game by time (4:13) in Game Two, won by New York 10-7.

The Red Sox lost in seven games again in 1975, but to listen to their fans, you'd think they had won. Luis Tiant pitched a five-hitter and ran wild on the basepaths in Game One, and came back with a 163-pitch victory in game Four. And in the famous sixth game, a seesaw contest that saw Bernie Carbo hit a record-tying second pinch-homer for the Series, Carlton Fisk's 12th-inning HR, just barely fair, won the thrilling game for the Red Sox to tie the Series. But the Reds won Game Seven in the ninth inning on a Joe Morgan two-out single. The Reds went on to sweep the Yankees in 1976, a Series that featured the two catchers, Johnny Bench and Thurman Munson, hitting .533 and .529 respectively. The Yankees returned in 1977 and won in six games over the Dodgers when Reggie Jackson earned his "Mr. October" nickname by homering in three consecutive at-bats (each time on the first pitch he saw) in the clincher. New York repeated over the Dodgers in 1978, the last time anybody repeated as World Champions. Graig Nettles was the fielding star with a Brooks Robinson-like display of prowess at third base in Game Three; his four gems enabled Ron Guidry to hold the Dodgers to one run despite allowing eight hits and seven walks. Bucky Dent hit .417 and was the unlikely Series MVP. The Pirates overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat the Orioles in 1979 despite playing the last two games away.

The Phillies won their first World Championship, ending the sport's longest-such drought, by overcoming the Royals in 1980. Kansas City leadoff hitter Willie Wilson was the goat, batting only .154. In 1981 high-priced free agent Dave Winfield went 1-for-22 and was publically humiliated by Yankee owner George Steinbrenner as the Dodgers won in six games. Mike Schmidt suffered a similar slump in 1983 when Baltimore pitched around him, going 1-for-20 as the Orioles won 4-1. Sparky Anderson became the first manager to win World Championships in both leagues in 1984 as the Tigers blasted the Padres in five games. In 1985 umpire Don Denkinger's safe call, clearly wrong, on Jorge Orta's single in Game Six started Kansas City's comeback. When they defeated St. Louis 11-0 in the finale, they became the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit after losing the first two games at home. The Series hero was Bret Saberhagen, who surrendered only one run in his two complete games and became a father during one of them.

The Mets triumphed in 1986 as the Red Sox lost yet another seven-game Series. Bill Buckner was the goat in Game Six after the Mets' spectacular comeback in the tenth inning was climaxed by a Mookie Wilson grounder going through Buckner's legs. Wilson most likely would have been safe even if Buckner had fielded the ball, but the winning run wouldn't have scored from second base. To get to that point, the Mets had strung together three two-out singles and a Bob Stanley wild pitch. The Twins, with the worst record of any World Champion during the regular season (85-77), won all four home games during the Series, the first time that had happened. Dan Gladden hit a grand slam in Game One. In 1988 Orel Hershiser shut down the powerhouse A's in his two starts and was the hitting star of Game Two, going 3-for-3. Kirk Gibson, barely able to run, pinch-hit a stunning home run off Oakland relief ace Dennis Eckersley with two out and one on in the ninth inning to win. The A's managed only a lone win in Game Three, but came back in 1989 to sweep the Giants in the first Bay Area Series despite a ten day interruption after an earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale struck shortly before the start of Game Three at Candlestick. (SFS)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY


» September 22, 1903: Pittsburgh's 16-game winner Ed Doheny, still suffering from bouts of paranoia, leaves the team and is escorted home to Massachusetts by his brother. During the World Series, Doheny will be committed to the Danvers Insane Asylum after knocking his male nurse unconscious. At the age of 26, his major league career is over.
» September 30, 1903: The seasonal contracts for Boston players expire and owner Killilea offers a two week extension to cover the World Series. This offer is later increased to head off a players' strike.

» October 1, 1903: The first modern World Series game, also called "Championship of the United States," is played at Boston's Huntington Street park before 16,242. Deacon Phillippe pitches Pittsburgh to a 7–3 win over Cy Young. Pittsburgh RF Jimmy Sebring hits the first home run and adds three other hits. 3B Tommy Leach has four hits, including two triples for the Pirates and winds up with four three-baggers, a Series record.

» October 2, 1903: The Boston Pilgrims Bill Dinneen blanks Pittsburgh 3–0 on three hits and 11 strikeouts to even the Series. His four starts will give him three victories, making this the only World Series to produce two 3-game winners. Boston LF Patsy Dougherty hits two home runs; in 14 World Series games they are the only home runs he will hit. With Boston electing to bat first, Patsy's first homer is a leadoff blast against Sam Leever.

» October 6, 1903: A travel day and rainout enable Phillippe to pitch and win again 5–4, before 7,600 at Pittsburgh. Boston rallies for three runs in the 9th but it is not enough. Ginger Beaumont and Honus Wagner have three hits, but Honus will manage just .222 for the World Series.

» October 9, 1903: The World Series is postponed because of cold weather.

» October 13, 1903: An overworked Deacon Phillippe pitches his 5th complete game of the Series, losing to Bill Dinneen 3–0. Only 7,455, the smallest crowd of the Series, see Boston win the championship. Deacon's five decisions and 44 IP are still World Series records, as are his starting two straight World Series games, twice Hobe Ferriss' 4th inning single drives in the first of two runs in the inning.

» August 8, 1904: In Cleveland, with the Blues ahead of New York, 7–1 in the 4th, Dave Fultz and manager Griffith argue a strike call with umpire Silk O'Loughlin. When the refuse to go the bench, Silk orders a policeman to escort them off the field. Tomorrow, Silk will throw out pitcher Jack Powell and have the police escort Jimmy Williams off the field. Griffith and Williams will receive suspensions from the American League, and (according to The Year They Called Off the World Series) Highlander owner Frank Farrell vows O'Loughlin will not be allowed to enter Hilltop Park. He will, however.

» January 14, 1905: Giants owner John T. Brush, who refused to play the American League pennant winners in 1904, proposes rules governing future World Series.

» October 3, 1905: The National Commission establishes the rules for a World Series and names Hank O'Day and John Sheridan (both NL umps) to umpire it.

» October 9, 1905: At Philadelphia, in the first game of a World Series under a 7-game format, two former college rivals square off: Bucknell's Christy Mathewson outpitches 26-game-winner Eddie Plank (Gettysburg College) to win 3-0 in the first game of the all-shutout World Series. Matty allows four hits and walks none.

» June 2, 1906: Only three games separate the Cubs from the 4th-place Phillies, and Cubs owner Charles Murphy again goes to Cincinnati for help. This time he comes back with Orval Overall, a six foot two inch, 225-pound righthander who is 4-5 for the Reds. The price: pitcher Bob Wicker, winner of 50 games the past three seasons, and $2,000. Orval will go 12-3 overall for the Cubs and will help pitch them into four World Series in five years, while Wicker will wind up his career this year.

» October 9, 1906: Snow flies at the West Side Grounds as the first one-city World Series opens with the Cubs heavy favorites over the AL's "Hitless Wonders." Neither ballpark can accommodate the crowds, so the Chicago Tribune recreates the games on mechanical boards displayed at theaters. White Sox starter Nick Altrock and Cubs starter Three Finger Brown give up four hits each, but Cubs errors produce two unearned runs for a 2-1 White Sox victory.

» October 8, 1907: The Tigers have Game One of the World Series against the Cubs in their grasp—or in C Charlie Schmidt's glove—but it gets away from them. Leading 3–2 in the 9th, Bill Donovan faces pinch hitter Del Howard with two on and two outs. He fans Howard, but the ball gets away from Schmidt, and the tying run scores. Darkness ends the game after 12 innings. Jimmy Slagle of the Tigers is nabbed in the 1st by Bill Coughlin after Germany Schaefer pulls a hidden ball trick on him, the first in Series history.

» October 12, 1907: It's Three Finger Brown's turn to shut down the Tigers 2–0. Each side has seven hits, but the Cubs steal four bases for a total of 18 for the 5-game World Series.

» October 10, 1908: In the World Series Opener, Ed Reulbach, coasting with a 5–1 lead, tires in the 7th. Brown is unable to stop the Tigers from taking a 6–5 lead in the last of the 8th. But the Cubs jump on reliever Ed Summers, a 24-game winner, for six straight hits and five runs in the 9th, and Brown gets the win 10–6. For umpire Bill Klem, it is the first of 15 World Series he will officiate. Detroit's Ira Thomas, batting for Charley O'Leary, hits the first World Series pinch hit when he singles in the 9th. There had been 12 previous pinch-hit attempts in World Series play, including the batter before Thomas.

» October 14, 1908: Before the smallest crowd in World Series history—6,210—the host Tigers are tamed on three hits by Overall, who fans 10 in a 2–0 win. The Cubs win the series in five games.

» October 18, 1908: Four days after the finish of the World Series, the two teams meet again in Chicago for an exhibition game (as noted by historian Al Kermisch). The game outdraws the last series game in Detroit, as 6,864 watch the Tigers win, 7–2. In a pregame field day, Ty Cobb wins all three sprint events: he bunts and runs to 1B in 3.2 seconds, beating Evers, Mordecai Brown, and Del Howard. He circles the bases in 13.8 seconds and, clad in uniform, wins the 100-yard dash in 10.4 seconds, beating Jones and Solly Hofman in the latter. Hofman wins the long throw with a toss of 338 feet, besting Sam Crawford.

» January 11, 1909: The National Commission approves owner Charles Murphy's payment of a $10,000 bonus to his Cubs for their 1908 World Series triumph.

» September 9, 1909: Bill Dinneen, winner of three games in the first World Series, is released by the St. Louis Browns and becomes an AL umpire, a position he will hold through 1937.

» October 8, 1909: The Pirates, winners of 110 games, face Detroit in the World Series, which pits the two leagues' top offensive stars, Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb. It is the first of three times that batting champs will face each other in the World Series (Al Simmons and Chick Hafey in 1931: Bobby Avila and Willie Mays in 1954 are the others) Pittsburgh manager Fred Clarke starts 27-year-old rookie righthander Babe Adams against Tigers P George Mullin. There are only 11 hits in the game, but one is a home run by Clarke, and the Pirates win 4-1 before a crowd of 29,264.

» October 9, 1909: The Tigers win the 2nd World Series game behind Bill Donovan 7-2. Ty Cobb's steal of home highlights a 3-run 3rd. Detroit has been defenseless against stolen bases in the past three World Series, giving up 16 in five games to the Cubs in 1907, 15 in five games to the Cubs in 1908, and 18 in seven games to the Pirates this year, for a total of 49 in 17 games, and the highest SB totals in all of World Series history.

» October 14, 1909: George Mullin outlasts three Pirates pitchers for a 5-4 win that sends the Series to a 7th game in Detroit. This is the first World Series to go the limit.

» October 16, 1909: Rookie Babe Adams comes through with a 6-hit, 8-0 win. It is his 3rd complete-game World Series victory and gives the Pirates their first World Championship. The two teams combine for a World Series record 34 errors, with Detroit contributing 19, also a record.

» March 1, 1910: The National Commission prohibits giving mementos to players on winning World Series teams. This will later be reversed, making way for the traditional winners' watches, rings, and stickpins.

» October 1, 1910: In a 9–6 Chicago win in Cincinnati, the Cubs' Johnny Evers breaks his ankle sliding home and will not play in the World Series.

» October 17, 1910: With sore-armed Eddie Plank unavailable, Connie Mack will squeeze five complete games out of two pitchers in the World Series. Chief Bender's 4–1 three-hitter wins game one for the Athletics at Philadelphia. Frank Baker's three hits drive in all the runs needed to beat the Cubs' Orval Overall.

» October 20, 1910: The A's dispose of Ed Reulbach in two innings, then pin the loss on reliever Harry McIntire, who lasts a third of a inning. Coombs coasts on one day's rest, 12–5, and helps himself with three hits. Cubs manager Frank Chance becomes the first player ejected from a World Series game when umpire Tom Connolly chases him for protesting a Danny Murphy home run drive against a sign over the RF bleachers. Chance opines too loudly that it should be a ground-rule double.

» October 23, 1910: Three Finger Brown comes back to face Jack Coombs, who takes a 2–1 lead into the 7th. The A's get to Brown for five runs and a 7–2 win. The crowd of 27,374 is the Series' largest. The A's .316 BA is a World Series record. For this World Series, cork-center balls were secretly used for the first time, and will be used in the ML starting next year. Previously, rubber center balls were used.

» January 3, 1911: At Laughery club house, near Rising Sun, Indiana, the National Baseball Commission adopts a rule that bars World Series winners from playing post-season exhibition games. This obscure rule will lead to a direct confrontation between Babe Ruth and Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis in 1921.

» October 5, 1911: The National Commission sells motion picture rights to the World Series for $3,500. When the players demand a share of it, the Commission cancels the deal.

» October 9, 1911: With the World Series not scheduled to start until the 14th, the Athletics tune up in a series against an AL all-star team. The A's clinched on September 26th in an 11–5 win over Detroit.

» October 14, 1911: The Athletics go into the World Series minus their star rookie 1B Stuffy McInnis. The veteran Harry Davis replaces him and drives in the first run as Chief Bender tries again to outpitch Christy Mathewson. The Giants are dressed in the same black uniforms they wore in their 1905 conquest of the Mackmen, and this Series starts as their last meeting ended: Mathewson wins it 2–1. The largest crowd ever to watch a ball game—38,281—is at the Polo Grounds. Gate receipts are $77,379.

» October 16, 1911: The World Series resumes today, Monday, and the pitchers continue to dominate. Rube Marquard and Eddie Plank are in command of a 1–1 game when Philadelphia's Eddie Collins doubles in the last of the 6th and Frank Baker hits one over the RF fence for a 3–1 victory.

» October 26, 1911: Chief Bender cruises to his second victory, a 4-hit 13–2 breeze. The A's cap the win with a 7-run 7th, battering three tired Giant hurlers, Red Ames, Hooks Wiltse, and Rube Marquard. Overall, the Giants manage just 13 runs and a .175 BA off Chief Bender, Jack Coombs, and Eddie Plank. Because of the NL's extended playing season, this is the latest ending ever for a World Series, until the "Earthquake Series" of 1989.

» December 12, 1911: A rift between the leagues develops over widespread charges of ticket speculation during the World Series, and accusations that officials of the Giants and A's were involved. The American League passes a resolution refusing to participate in another World Series until it has control of ticket sales in its own parks. The National Commission investigates the charge that speculators were given large blocks of tickets, but takes no action and releases no findings. The following spring, the Commission finds that much scalping occurred, but there is no evidence either team was involved, and peace is declared.

» December 14, 1911: Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss proposes that each team in the World Series be required to turn over one-fourth of its share of the gate to the league, to be divided among the other teams. Until now, 10 percent of the gross has gone to the National Commission, 60 percent to the players, and the rest to the two pennant-winning clubs. The National League will pass the resolution and send it to the American League. It marks the beginning of changes that ultimately give players of the first four clubs a percentage of the World Series money.

» September 21, 1912: Boston 3B Larry Gardner breaks his finger and will be out the rest of the season. He is expected to play in the World Series.

» September 23, 1912: In Boston, 100,000 fans are on hand to greet the Red Sox after their western road trip. All business stops as the players ride from South station to the Common where Mayor Fitzgerald welcomes them. The players are given the keys to the city. Extra seating is added to Fenway Park, increasing the seating capacity to 32,000 for the World Series.

» October 8, 1912: The World Series opens. Giants manager John McGraw goes with rookie Jeff Tesreau, his most effective late-season pitcher, against the Red Sox. Smoky Joe Wood fans 11 and wins 4–3 before 35,730 at New York.

» October 15, 1912: In game seven on a cold day in Boston, the Giants catch up with Joe Wood's smoke, teeing off for six runs on seven hits before the 32,694 fans have settled down. Jeff Tesreau wobbles to an 11–4 win and the Series is tied at three all. The only Boston bright spot is Tris Speaker's unassisted double play in the 8th, the only one by an outfielder in World Series play.

» October 16, 1912: In the Series finale, Christy Mathewson squares off against Hugh Bedient in quest of his first win of the Series. He takes a 1–0 lead into the 7th, but with one out, Boston manager Jake Stahl hits a pop-up to short LF. The ball drops among Art Fletcher, Josh Devore, and Fred Snodgrass. Heinie Wagner walks, and with two outs, pinch hitter Olaf Henriksen doubles home the tying run. Smoky Joe Wood relieves Bedient, and the two aces match zeroes until Red Murray doubles and Fred Merkle singles in the 10th to give New York a 2–1 lead. In the last of the 10th, pinch hitter Clyde Engle lifts a can of corn to CF Snodgrass, who drops the ball. Snodgrass then makes a great catch of a long drive by Harry Hooper. Steve Yerkes walks, bringing up Tris Speaker, who pops a high foul along the 1B line. C Chief Meyers chases it, but it drops a few feet from 1B Merkle, who could have taken it easily. Reprieved, Speaker then singles in the tying run and sends Yerkes to 3B. After Duffy Lewis is walked intentionally, 3B Larry Gardner hits a long sac fly to a retreating Devore that scores Yerkes with the winning run. This World Series was the most butterfingered in history, with thirty-one errors recorded, seventeen for The Giants. The Red Sox earn $4,024.68 each; the Giants' share is $2,566.47 each.

» May 22, 1913: Ruling that a ballplayer on the field is a "public person," a New York judge throws out cases brought by New York and Boston players against a motion picture company that took movies of the 1912 World Series.

» August 6, 1913: The Pirates pound Giants ace Christy Mathewson for 10 hits and nine runs in five innings, including seven in the 5th. C Larry McLean is traded from the last-place Cardinals to the Giants for Doc Crandall. One of the biggest players of this era at six feet five inches and 230 pounds, the veteran catcher will bat .500 in the World Series. The popular Crandall will make two pinch hitting appearances before the Giants reacquire him in a week.

» October 7, 1913: Rube Marquard gets the call for the Giants against Philadelphia's Chief Bender in game one of the World Series. Bender yields 11 hits, but Frank Baker's home run and three RBI pace a 6–4 win over the New Yorkers.

» October 10, 1913: The bottom of the Athletics batting order—Jack Barry, Wally Schang, and Chief Bender—drives in all the runs, as Bender wins his 4th straight World Series game, 6–5.

» October 11, 1913: John McGraw loses his 3rd straight World Series. In game 5, Christy Mathewson is good, but Eddie Plank is better; his 2-hitter wins the 3–1 finale. Frank Baker at .450 and Eddie Collins at .421 lead a strong A's offense.

» December 12, 1913: The Pirates clean house in an 8-player swap with the Cardinals. Going to St. Louis is Dots Miller, a 1909 World Series hero, 14-game winner Hank Robinson, 3B Cozy Dolan, infielder Art Butler, and OF Chief Wilson, king of the triple. The Pirates receive pitcher Bob Harmon, 3B Mike Mowry, and 1B Ed Konetchy, whom the Bucs had been after for years.

» October 9, 1914: The Boston Braves go into the World Series as underdogs, despite their strong finish. Only one regular, LF Joe Connolly, hit .300. Their strengths are pitchers Dick Rudolph, George "Lefty" Tyler, and "Seattle Bill" James, 2B Johnny Evers, who wins Chalmers' final MVP automobile, and SS Rabbit Maranville, their cleanup hitter. The Philadelphia A's Eddie Collins, with a .344 BA, wins the Chalmers AL award with 63 of 64 possible points. The A's have seven pitchers with 10 or more wins, led by Chief Bender's 17–3. Bender's World Series magic is quickly dispelled as the Braves knock him out in the 6th. Rudolph coasts to a 5-hit 7–1 victory. Hank Gowdy has a single, double, and triple. He will hit a World Series record .545, and Evers, .438. Only Babe Ruth will top Gowdy with .625 in 1928. Bender makes his last World Series appearance, finishing with a record 59 strikeouts.

» October 13, 1914: The first World Series sweep in history belongs to the Braves—the only World Series the franchise will ever win. Bob Shawkey and Herb Pennock allow just six hits, but one is a 2-run single by Johnny Evers, as Dick Rudolph wins 3–1.

» April 14, 1915: In Boston, Pete Alexander stops the world champion Braves, 3–0, as the Phillies beat Dick Rudolph. Bill James, the Braves' other star from the World Series, is in California recovering from an illness incurred in Hawaii during the all-star world trip. James' career is virtually over.

» July 2, 1915: For the first time since the 1911 World Series, Jack Coombs pitches against Christy Mathewson. Now with the Dodgers, Coombs wins the duel, shutting out the Giants, 3–0. Two singles and Zack Wheat triple in the 8th is the difference.

» September 22, 1915: Having loaned the Braves the use of their larger park in 1914, the Boston Red Sox request the use of the new, larger NL park for this year's World Series.

» September 30, 1915: The Red Sox clinch the AL pennant as St. Louis beats Detroit, giving Boston a two 1/2-game margin. The World Series is now set for another Boston-Philadelphia matchup, but with the leagues reversed.

» October 8, 1915: The Red Sox start Ernie Shore in game one and the Phils manage just three hits and one run through seven innings against him. Grover Cleveland Alexander gives up just one run as well. The Phils manage to push across two runs in the bottom of the 8th on two infield singles and two walks. Babe Ruth makes his only appearance in this World Series, pinch hitting for Shore and grounding out. Grover Alexander holds on for a 3–1 victory for the Phils.

» October 9, 1915: Playing game two in tiny Baker Bowl in Philadelphia, Boston's 19-game winner Rube Foster allows the Phils three hits and drives in the winning run to break a 1–1 tie in the 9th against Erskine Mayer. The Sox win, 2–1. President Wilson and his fiancé watch the game, the first President to attend a World Series.

» October 7, 1916: Despite a 4-run Brooklyn rally in the 9th, the Red Sox defeat Rube Marquard 6–5 to win Game One of the World Series at Braves Field. Ernie Shore gets the win, Carl Mays a save. The Sox turn four double plays, including a spectacular 9-2 where Harry Hooper makes the catch from a sitting position and quickly gets up to throw out Zack Wheat at the plate.

» October 9, 1916: After a Sunday off, Babe Ruth outpitches Sherry Smith to win Game Two of the World Series 2–1 in 14 innings. Both starters go the distance with Smith allowing seven hits, Ruth giving up 6. According to the Boston Traveler, each starter throws 148 pitches. Ruth allows one run in the first, a homer by CF Hy Myers that skips by Harry Hooper. It is only homer off Ruth this year. Only two Robins reach base after the 8th, one on a walk and another on an error. This is the start of 29 2/3 scoreless World Series innings pitched by Ruth.

» October 10, 1916: In Game Three, Larry Gardener's 7th inning home run over the RF fence at Brooklyn brings the Sox within a run 4–3, but Jeff Pfeffer, in relief of Jack Coombs, shuts them down. Carl Mays takes the loss. Charlie Ebbets becomes the first owner to raise the price of World Series grandstand seats to $5—up from $3.

» July 11, 1917: In Detroit, Boston's Babe Ruth tops the Tigers 1–0, allowing just Donie Bush's scratch single in the 8th. Ruth deflects the ball but the throw by the shortstop is too late. Ruth has a single and triple, but a pinch triple by Chick Shorten in the 9th drives home the only run. Ruth strikes out Bobby Veach, Sam Crawford and Ty Cobb in the 9th; for the last he shakes off catcher and player/manager Carrigan. In early 1942, in a speech in Los Angeles, Ruth will call this game his greatest thrill. [The Babe also relates to writer John Carmichael that his greatest game was the called shot in the World Series of 1932.]

» October 6, 1917: Before the World Series starts, Charles Comiskey offers one percent of his team's World Series share to Clark Griffith's Bat and Ball Fund for American soldiers in France. In Chicago, Happy Felsch's home run is the difference as Ed Cicotte beats the Giants' Slim Sallee 2–1 in the Series opener.

» October 10, 1917: The White Sox are stifled by Rube Benton, who becomes the first lefty to pitch a World Series shutout. Dave Robertson, the NL's leading home run hitter with 12, triples and scores the first of two 4th-inning runs for a 2–0 New York win. Robertson will lead all batters in the Series with a .500 average.

» October 16, 1917: The day after the World Series ends, the Giants and White Sox play an exhibition game for 600 soldiers at Garden City, NY. The Sox win, 6–4.

» September 4, 1918: Rain delays the start of Wednesday's World Series opener.

» September 5, 1918: In order to cut down on the use of trains, the first three games of the World Series are played in Chicago, the next three in Boston. The Cubs switch their home games to Comiskey Park with its larger seating capacity. Babe Ruth, having completed 13 scoreless innings in his first World Series two years ago, adds nine more in edging Hippo Vaughn 1–0 in the opener. Also, when 2B Dave Shean bats for Boston, he becomes the oldest player (40 years, three months, 18 days) to play in the World Series, a mark other graybeards will top.

» September 9, 1918: In game 4, Ruth bats in two runs on a triple in the 4th and pitches seven scoreless innings before the Cubs tie it in the 8th, ending Ruth's World Series record of 29 2/3 scoreless innings. Shufflin' Phil Douglas relieves Lefty Tyler for Chicago in the last of the 8th and throws away the game, first by a wild pitch, then with an error. Ruth is the winning pitcher, but Mays relieves with two on and no out in the 9th.

» September 10, 1918: Players on both sides threaten to strike unless they are guaranteed $2,500 to the winners and $1,000 each for the losers. They back off, however, when told they will appear greedy while their countrymen are fighting a war. There are no fines, but no World Series rings or mementos are given out this year. On the field, Hippo Vaughn comes back with two days of rest and blanks the Red Sox 3–0 on five hits in game 5.

» September 11, 1918: The Red Sox win the World Series in game six on Carl Mays's 2nd victory, a 2–1 three–hitter. With two on and two out in the 3rd, utility OF George Whiteman lines a hard drive to RF. Max Flack drops it, allowing the only runs off Lefty Tyler. Righty Claude Hendrix, 20–7 during the year, finally makes an appearance, tossing a final inning for the Cubs. Cubs pitchers compile a 1.04 ERA, while Boston's .186 BA is the lowest ever for a World Series winner, but they compensate by making just one error, a record not beaten this century in a 6-game World Series. The Red Sox will realize $1,102 each, the Cubs $671, the smallest winner's share ever earned. The inning by inning results of the game were relayed to Fort Devans, 58 miles away, via homing nine pigeons.

» September 2, 1919: The National Commission recommends a best-of-9 World Series. The lengthier WS is seen as a sign of greed and is abandoned after three years.

» August 16, 1920: Cleveland SS Ray Chapman, 29, is beaned by a Carl Mays pitch. A righthanded batter who crowds the plate, Chapman freezes and fails to get out of the way of the submarine delivery. He is carried from the field and dies the next day from a fractured skull. Mays, a surly, unpopular pitcher, is the target of fans' and players' outrage. Chapman, a Cleveland favorite since breaking in in 1912, had been married the previous year. In October his wife will receive a full World Series share, $3,986.34. The incident has no effect on Mays's pitching. One week later he will blank Detroit 10-0, and go on to win 26 and lose 11. Joe Sewell will be called up to take Chapman's place, and for 14 years he will be the hardest man in baseball to strike out.

» September 5, 1920: Before the start of the World Series, Brooklyn owner Charles Ebbets gives his approval for the addition of rookie Joe Sewell to the Indians' roster. Sewell joined the team after September 1st and was not eligible for the series. The tradition of low-scoring World Series games continues when the Indians manage to collect only five hits off Brooklyn's Rube Marquard (10-7) and two relievers. Stan Coveleski's (24-14) 5-hitter gives the Indians a 3–1 opening win.

» September 6, 1920: When Wheeler Johnston pinch-hits for Cleveland in the 9th inning of game 2, his brother Jimmy is playing 3B for Brooklyn. They become the first brothers to take opposite sides in a World Series. Spitballer Burleigh Grimes (23-11) strands 10 Indians while the Robins chip away at Jim Bagby (31-12) for three single tallies and a 3–0 Series evener.

» September 9, 1920: Several hours before the start of game 4, Brooklyn's Rube Marquard, a Cleveland native, is arrested when he tries to sell a World Series ticket to an undercover cop for $350. He will be found guilty and fined a dollar and court costs ($3.80). For their first World Series game on the lakefront, 25,734 Indians fans watch their home team score two in the first and two in the 3rd off Leon Cadore (15-14) and Al Mamaux. Cleveland wins game 4, 5–1.

» September 10, 1920: In the bottom of the first of an event-laden game, Grimes gives up hits to Charlie Jamieson, Bill Wambsganss, and Speaker. OF Elmer Smith then hits the first grand slam in World Series history, jumping on a Grimes spitter in the opening inning. In the 3rd, P Jim Bagby comes up with two on and crashes another Grimes delivery for a 3-run home run, the first ever by a pitcher in World Series play. Bagby is roughed for 13 hits, but he gets out of jams with the aid of three DPs and an unassisted triple play. In the 5th with Pete Kilduff on 2B and Otto Miller on 1B, relief pitcher Clarence Mitchell hits a line drive at SS Wambsganss, who steps on 2B and tags the off-and-running Miller before he can retreat. Cleveland dominates, 8–1.

» September 22, 1920: A Chicago grand jury convenes to investigate charges that eight White Sox players conspired to fix the 1919 World Series.

» September 23, 1920: The Chicago grand jury indictment adds the names of former featherweight boxing champ Abe Attell, Hal Chase, and Bill Burns as go-betweens in the World Series scandal. Confessions, later repudiated, are signed by Ed Cicotte, Joe Jackson, Lefty Williams, and Happy Felsch.

» September 28, 1920: The Illinois grand jury indicts the eight Chicago players in the 1919 World Series scandal, and Charles Comiskey immediately suspends the seven players (Chick Gandil had retired before the season). Yankees owners Jacob Ruppert and Cap Huston send a telegram to Chicago owner Charles Comiskey offering to place their entire team at his disposal, following the suspension of eight players in the scandal. Comiskey says he cannot accept the proposal.

» December 15, 1920: Brooklyn sends Rube Marquard to the Reds for Dutch Ruether. Marquard was in the Ebbets doghouse after being arrested in a Cleveland hotel lobby for scalping World Series tickets.

» October 5, 1921: In the first one-city World Series since 1906, the Polo Grounds will be the site for all nine games. Carl Mays (27-9) is at his best, needing 86 pitches to set the Giants down with five hits—4 of them by Frank Frisch. Ruth drives in the first run of the Series in the opening inning of this 3–0 Yankee win. Mike McNally, subbing for Frank Baker at 3B, steals home in the 5th while Phil Douglas (15-10) is winding up. The game is broadcast on KDKA radio, with Grantland Rice announcing. It is the only game of the season's World Series to be aired.

» October 6, 1921: In the opener, Johnny Rawlings and Frank Frisch collected the only Giants hits. In game two it's the same story. Waite Hoyt (19-13) surrenders two singles in another 3–0 Yankee win. Art Nehf (20-10) deserves better, allowing just three hits; but three errors and two mental lapses by the Giants, plus a steal of home by Bob Meusel, put the Giants down 2–0. The five hits are the fewest ever in a World Series game.

» October 7, 1921: The Giants bats wake up against Bob Shawkey (18-12) and three other pitchers. A 20-hit barrage and 8-run 8th sink the Yanks 13–5. Jesse Barnes (15-9) gets the win. Ross Youngs set a World Series record with a pair of long hits—2B and 3B—and five total bases in the 8th.

» October 9, 1921: After a rainout, a Sunday crowd of 36,371 watches Carl Mays and Phil Douglas square off for game 4. Mays works five hitless innings, while a run-scoring triple by Wally Schang gives the Yanks a 1–0 lead. Mays then apparently tires and the Giants club seven hits in the last two innings for four runs. abe Ruth's first World Series homer comes in the 9th, but the Giants win 4–2.

» October 11, 1921: Miller Huggins gambles in Game six with lefty Harry Harper (4-3), and the Yankees drive Fred Toney (18-11) to cover with three in the first. But the Giants come back with three in the 2nd, and continue the attack against Bob Shawkey while Jess Barnes slams the door, striking out 10, including seven in a row sandwiched around four walks. Emil "Irish" Meusel and Frank Snyder homer for the Giants in an 8–5 win. It is Barnes' 2nd World Series win in relief.

» October 16, 1921: In defiance of a Kenesaw Mountain Landis ban on World Series participants playing post-season exhibitions, Bae Ruth, Bob Meusel, and P Bill Piercy launch a barnstorming tour in Buffalo. Five days later, they cut it short in Scranton. In the meantime Ruth openly challenges Landis to act. The judge does, fining the players their World Series shares—$3,362.26—and suspending them until May 20th of the next season.

» December 20, 1921: At the ML meetings, the American League votes to return to the best-of-7 World Series; the National League votes to keep the 5-of-9. Judge Landis casts the deciding vote, and the 4-of-7 format is reinstated.

» July 23, 1922: The Yankees start planning for the Series when they pick up 3B Joe Dugan and one-time Cleveland World Series hero Elmer Smith from Boston, giving up OF Elmer Miller, SS Chick Fewster, SS John Mitchell, and, later, P Lefty O'Doul. The contending Browns and other western clubs howl in protest and this deal will lead to a rule barring nonwaiver trades after June 15th.

» December 14, 1922: In a joint meeting, the ban on nonwaiver trades after June 15th is approved. The National League favors a 50-player limit until June 15th, the American League votes for 40. Judge Landis breaks the deadlock in favor of 40. Compensation of World Series umpires is changed from a percentage of the players' pool to a flat $2,000.

» October 4, 1923: In his last appearance for the Yankees, Carl Mays has no magic left as the A's finally sink the submariner, 7–6, knocking him out of the box with four runs in the 5th He had won 24 straight games against the A's. Mays strikes out none, and gives up 10 hits and three walks. He will not appear in any of the World Series games. Ruth, filling in for Pipp at 1B, clubs his 39th home run in the 1st. Eddie Rommel, in relief, is the winner.

» October 10, 1923: It's an all–New York World Series for the 3rd time. In the first World Series game at Yankee Stadium, the home team takes a quick 3–0 lead, but Heinie Groh triples in two runs in a 4-run 3rd that drives Waite Hoyt (17-9) to cover. A 4–4 tie is broken in the top of the 9th by the Giants when Casey Stengel's blast rolls to the OF wall. The sore-legged veteran hobbles around the bases to score the winning run against reliever Joe Bush (19-15) before 55,307 spectators. This is also the first World Series to be broadcast on a nationwide radio network. Graham McNamee, aided by baseball writers taking turns, is at the mike. Grantland Rice had broadcast an earlier World Series, but not nationally.

» October 16, 1923: Soon after Babe Ruth receives his World Series winner's share of $6,160.46, insurance agent Harry Heilmann, who beat Ruth for the batting title by 10 points, sells him a $50,000 life insurance policy. Beneficiaries are Mrs. Ruth and adopted daughter Dorothy.

» October 1, 1924: Another bribery scandal clouds the World Series atmosphere. Judge Landis bans Giants OF Jimmy O'Connell and coach Cozy Dolan from the World Series after they admit an attempt to bribe Phils SS Heinie Sand on the 27th to "go easy" in their season-ending series against the Giants. O'Connell implicates Frank Frisch, George Kelly, and Ross Youngs, who deny everything and are cleared by Landis. O'Connell is out of baseball at 23. American League President Ban Johnson, an enemy of the Giants John McGraw, proclaims that the World Series should be canceled because of the betting scandal, a pronouncement that the owners will ignore. Johnson, however, decides not to attend any World Series games.

» October 4, 1924: For the 4th straight year, the Giants are in the Series. At 3B is Fred Lindstrom, at 18 years, 10 months, the youngest ever to play in a World Series. President Calvin Coolidge is among 35,760 who jam the DC stands in Game One as an Army band greets the two teams by playing Sidewalks of New York and Dixie. George Kelly drops a home run into the temporary bleachers in the 2nd, and Terry does the same in the 4th for a 2–0 New York lead. Art Nehf (14-4) gives up one in the 6th. In the last of the 9th, the Senators score to send the game into extra innings. The Giants net two runs in the 12th. In the last of the 12th, Washington scores one, but the rally falls a run short, and Walter Johnson (23-7) loses his World Series debut. Johnson strikes out 12 in the loss. Nehf becomes the 5th pitcher to get three hits in a World Series game, a feat that will not be repeated until Orel Hershiser does it in 1988.

» October 8, 1924: Walter Johnson tries for a World Series win again, but he's far from invincible. Fred Lindstrom is 4-for-5 with two RBI, and Johnson's pitching opponent Jack Bentley (16-5) clouts a 2-run homer for a 6–2 New York win.

» October 10, 1924: President and Mrs. Coolidge and 31,665 others thrill to the 2nd 3-hour battle of the Series. Bucky Harris starts 23-year-old righthander Curly Ogden (9-8) against Virgil Barnes (16-10), then pulls him after he fans Fred Lindstrom and walks Frisch. In comes lefty George Mogridge (16-11), a move intended to keep lefty Bill Terry on the Giants bench. Bucky Harris lifts one into the temporary seats in LF for a 1–0 lead. In the 6th a single ties it at 1–1, and Harris brings in Firpo Marberry for his 4th appearance. A base hit and two costly errors give the Giants a 3–1 lead. In the 8th, pinch-hitter Nemo Liebold doubles and C Muddy Ruel singles. A walk loads the bases and up comes Harris, who hits a hard bounder to 3B that strikes a pebble and skips over Lindstrom's head and down the LF line as the tying runs score. Walter Johnson, pitching on one days rest, then comes in to hold New York. With one out in the last of the 12th, Giants reliever Jack Bentley gets Muddy Ruel to pop up near home plate, but veteran C Hank Gowdy steps on his discarded mask, which he cannot shake from his shoe, and the ball falls to the ground. Ruel then gets his 2nd hit, a double. Walter Johnson reaches 1B on SS Travis Jackson's error. Earl McNeely hits a grounder at Lindstrom, and improbably, the ball again takes a bounce over his head. Ruel tears home with Washington's first World Series championship.

» October 20, 1924: Kansas City Monarchs manager Jose Mendez takes the mound to spin a 3-hit, 5–0 shutout over the Hilldales to win the final game of the first Negro League World Series. Nip Winters had pitched the first three Hilldale wins.

» December 10, 1924: The two leagues agree on a permanent rotation for World Series play proposed by Charles Ebbets: first two games at one league's park, next three at the other leagues park, last two if needed back at the first league's park, with openers to alternate between leagues. Next year's World Series will commence at the National League city.

» February 10, 1925: At the American League meeting, a plan is adopted to alternate the site of future World Series openers by league rather than deciding it by a coin toss, with games 1, 2, 6, and seven in one park and 3, 4, five in the other, unless a ban on Sunday baseball interferes in one city. The clubs finishing 4th in the AL will henceforth share in the World Series pool. World Series umps get a raise to $2,500, while umps in city series will earn $700. The plan was proposed in 1924, but formally adopted at this meeting.

» March 20, 1925: In a reprise of the 1924 World Series, the New York Giants edge the Senators, 2–1, at West Palm Beach's new Municipal Athletic Field.

» October 7, 1925: Walter Johnson (20-7) opens the World Series in Pittsburgh. A 5th-inning home run by Pie Traynor is the only damaging blow, as Johnson fans 10 of the heavy-hitting Bucs for a 4–1 win over Lee Meadows (19-10). Sam Rice, Joe Harris, and Ossie Bluege, with two hits each, drive in the Senators' runs.

» October 11, 1925: Before a home crowd of 36,000, Walter Johnson wins his 3rd straight World Series contest over two years. He blanks the Bucs on six hits, only two out of the infield, and fans just 2. A 3-run home run by Goose Goslin in the 4th followed by Joe Harris's round-tripper–the first back-to-back home runs in World Series history—give the Senators a 4–0 win and 3–1 Series advantage. Veteran Babe Adams gives up two hits but pitches a scoreless 9th for the Bucs: Babe's last World Series appearance was winning game seven in the 1909 World Series.

» October 15, 1925: A steady downpour yesterday and today has left the field a muddy mess as the 7th game is played in the rainiest conditions ever. It's a short day for Vic Aldridge: three walks and two hits, and he's out of there with one out in the first. Walter Johnson takes a 4–0 lead to the mound. The Bucs clobber him for 15 hits, good for 24 total bases. Max Carey's 4-for-5 gives him a Series-high .458. The Senators make the most of seven hits, scoring seven runs, including Roger Peckinpaugh's home run, the 12th of the Series, a World Series record. Johnson would have fared better but for two more errors by SS Peckinpaugh, the MVP's 7th and 8th, still the World Series record for any position. The Senators made only one other error. Ray Kremer picks up his 2nd win with a 4-inning relief effort, as the Senators lose 9–7. The Series breaks all financial records, grossing almost $1.2 million. Winning shares are $5,332.72; losers' $3,734.60.

» December 10, 1925: The American League goes on record as opposing the use of resin by pitchers, but the joint rules committee finally votes it in. The committee also agrees that future World Series games are set to start at 1:30 P.M.; 2nd-place money withheld from the eight Black Sox in 1920 is distributed to the other 1920 White Sox; and players signed by August 31st are declared eligible for World Series play. Finally, no times at-bat will be charged in a fly ball advances a runner to 2B or 3B, as well as home.

» October 2, 1926: Game one of the World Series before 61,658 at New York belongs to southpaws Herb Pennock (25-11) and Bill Sherdel (16-12). Two hits give the Cards a quick first-inning run. Sherdel issues three walks for a New York run without a hit. In the 6th, Babe Ruth slaps a single to left, moves to 2B on a sacrifice, and scores on a Lou Gehrig single for a 2–1 win. It is the first of Gehrig's record eight game-winning RBI in World Series play.

» October 3, 1926: In Baltimore, the Bacharach Giants' Red Grier tosses a 10–0 no-hitter against the Chicago American Giants in the 3rd game of the Negro League World Series. Grier wins just more one game before an unexplained ailment ends his career.

» October 10, 1926: On a drizzling New York afternoon, only 38,093 show up at the Stadium for the deciding World Series contest. Grover Alexander, possibly sleeping off a hangover in the bullpen, barely notices when Jess Haines take a 3–2 lead over Waite Hoyt into the 7th. Haines weakens in the last of the 7th; three walks put Earle Combs, Bob Meusel, and Lou Gehrig on base with two out and Tony Lazzeri at the plate. Hornsby then waves in Alexander. On a 1-1 count Lazzeri hits a line drive into the left-field seats, a few feet to the foul side of the pole, then swings and misses for strike 3. Alexander sets the Yanks down in order until Babe Ruth draws his 11th walk with two out in the 9th, and is thrown out, inexplicably trying to steal 2B. The Cards and St. Louis have their first World Championship. Each winner collects $5,584.51, the losers, $3,417.75.

» October 9, 1928: After a rainout, Waite Hoyt and Bill Sherdel are back on the mound for game 4. After 6 innings, the Cards hold a 2-1 lead. With one out in the 7th, Ruth hits a HR, his 2nd of the game, and Gehrig follows suit. When Meusel singles, in comes Alexander to face Tony Lazzeri. Lazzeri doubles and later scores the 4th run of the inning. In the 8th, Cedric Durst, subbing for Earle Combs, hits one out of the park, and Ruth follows with his 3rd HR of the game. Final score is 7-3 and the Yanks sweep their 2nd straight WS. Ruth's World Series BA of .625 is still unmatched; with Gehrig's .545 and a record 9 RBI, they also set individual and team offensive records for hits, HRs, total bases, and at bats in a game.

» August 21, 1929: Cubs 1B Charlie Grimm is sidelined for the rest of the regular season with a hand injury, but he'll be okay for the World Series.

» October 8, 1929: Howard Ehmke (7-2), who has been scouting the Cubs for a week, is the Athletics' surprise starter in Game One of the World Series at Chicago. A crowd of 50,740 Cubs fans watches Ehmke strike out a World Series-record 13 that will stand until Brooklyn's Carl Erskine fans 14 Yankees in 1953. He holds the Cubs scoreless until the 9th for a 3–1 win. Charlie Root (19-6) yields just three hits, but one is a home run by Jimmie Foxx in the 7th.

» October 9, 1929: In game two of the World Series, a 3-run home run by Foxx and a 2-run blast by Al Simmons are enough for a 9–3 A's win over Pat Malone (22-10). George Earnshaw (24-8) is kayoed in a 3-run Cubs 3rd; Lefty Grove comes in and shuts down the Cubs.

» October 12, 1929: At 45, John Quinn (11-9) gets a start against Root. After giving up a home run to Charlie Grimm with a man on in the 3rd, Quinn serves up four straight singles to open the 6th, and in comes Rube Walberg (18-11). The inning ends with the score 7–0. Trailing 8–0 in the 7th, the Athletics, in the greatest rally in World Series history, shake Chicago by scoring 10 runs for a 10–8 victory. The most damaging play is Hack Wilson's misjudgment of a fly from Mule Haas's bat, which goes for a 3-run, inside-the-park home run.

» January 8, 1930: Art Nehf, who pitched in five World Series, announces his retirement. He won 184 games in his career, last pitching for the Cubs in the 1929 Series.

» October 1, 1930: The World Series opens with a Wednesday game at Philadelphia's Shibe Park. The defending World Champion Athletics are held to 5 hits by Burleigh Grimes. Lefty Grove limits the Cards to a pair of runs, as the A's capitalize on their power. Their 5 hits include HRs by Mickey Cochrane and Al Simmons, 2 triples and a double, providing Philadelphia with single runs in 5 different innings and a 5-2 victory.

» September 16, 1931: World Series tickets can now be printed as the St. Louis Cardinals repeat as NL champions. They beat the Phillies 6–3 behind Bill Hallahan's 18th win of the year, and prepare for a rematch of the 1930 World Series. Earlier in the day, The Reds clinched it for the Birds by sweeping the Giants, 7–3 and 4–3.

» September 20, 1931: Before a game with Brooklyn, Sparky Adams, Cards 3B, injures his ankle. He can see only limited action in the World Series, leaving a chance for Andy High to shine as his substitute. Gabby Street, 48-year-old Cardinal manager, catches the last three innings of the 6–1 win against the Robins. Street, who last played in 1912, throws out Babe Herman, the only Brooklyn runner who tries to steal. Street is 0-for-1 at the plate.

» December 11, 1931: Despite two wins in the World Series, spitball veteran Burleigh Grimes is traded by the Cards to the Cubs for the fallen Hack Wilson. Wilson will be offered just $7,500 reflecting the owner's new austerity drive. Grimes will have three losing seasons in Chicago before calling it quits.

» September 20, 1932: The Chicago Cubs clinch the NL pennant when Kiki Cuyler hits a triple with the bases loaded for a 5–2 win over Pittsburgh. Guy Bush wins his 19th game and rookie Billy Herman tops the 200 mark in hits for the season. Tomorrow the Cubs will snub ex-manager Rogers Hornsby on the split of World Series shares.

» September 22, 1932: The Cubs announce World Series shares and snub former player-manager Rogers Hornsby. Late-season arrival Mark Koenig gets just a half share. Hornsby appeals to Judge Landis, arguing that he was an active player for two-thirds of the season, and deserved a full share. Landis turns him down. In today's contest, Cubs Burleigh Grimes loses, 7–0, to Hal Smith of the Pirates. It's Hal's first major league start and his only decision of the year.

» September 28, 1932: In the opening game of the World Series, Lou Gehrig's home run leads the Yankees to a 12–6 win over the Cubs.

» January 10, 1934: William Walker is elected president of the Cubs, filling the vacancy created by William Veeck's death during the World Series.

» December 11, 1934: The 1935 All-Star Game is assigned to Cleveland. Frank Frisch and Mickey Cochrane, rival managers in the St. Louis–Detroit World Series, will manage their league's teams.

» April 29, 1936: Tiger first sacker Hank Greenberg breaks his left wrist in a baseline collision with Washington's Jake Powell and is finished for the season. It will be suggested that Powell's anti-Semitism is behind the crash. This is the same wrist that Greenberg broke in the 2nd game of the 1935 World Series. The Tigers lose, 7–3 to Pete Appleton as they collect just two hits, one a 9th inning home run by Al Simmons.

» May 13, 1940: In a replay of their washed-out game of April 23rd called on account of darkness, the Reds and the Cards neglect to inform the league office, and no umpires are assigned to Crosley Field. Coach Jimmy Wilson and P Lon Warneke are pressed into service as umpires before umpire Larry Goetz, at home in Cincinnati on a day off, arrives to officiate. Warneke will later become a full-time umpire, while Wilson will return to active duty at the end of the year and star in the World Series. Johnny Mize of the St. Louis Cardinals hits three home runs, and the Reds Bill Werber has five hits and collects four doubles in a 14-inning, 8–8 tie with the Reds. Mize's is his 3rd 3-homer game, breaking the tie for the National League record he shared with George Kelly. After 1910, there will be only five games this century in which active players umpire: Besides today these are: 1912: Ham Hyatt (Pit-N) and Ed Phelps (Bro-N); 1935: Jocko Conlan (Chi-A); 1941: Johnny Cooney (Bos-N) and Freddie Fitzsimmons (Bro-N); and 1978: Don Leppert (coach, Tor-A) and Jerry Zimmerman (coach, Min-A). (as noted by historian Wayne McElreavy)

» May 26, 1940: The Reds receive their 1939 World Series rings from Commissioner Landis and then beat the Cardinals 1–0 on Paul Derringer's one-hitter. Stu Martin's 1st inning single is the only hit. In the stands are 21 fans who saw the 1869 champion Reds in action.

» October 2, 1940: The Series opens in Cincinnati, and the Reds lose 7–2, the 10th straight World Series loss for a National League team. The Tigers bunch five singles, a walk, and an error in the 2nd off Paul Derringer to score five runs. Bruce Campbell adds a 2-run home run, and Bobo Newsom rations eight hits and only one walk. Bobo's father, visiting from South Carolina, dies in a Cincinnati hotel the next morning.

» October 5, 1940: Paul Derringer, who had lost four World Series starts going back to 1931, finally breaks his jinx. His 5-hitter and Jim Ripple's 3rd-inning double, which knocks Dizzy Trout from the mound, provide a 5–2 win.

» October 6, 1940: Detroit regains the advantage with Bobo Newsom pitching even better than he had in the first game. Newsom's 8–0 three-hit whitewash is the first Detroit shutout in the World Series since 1909.

» December 10, 1940: In Chicago, a curious rule that was designed to "break up the Yankees" is continued by the American League, a rule which prohibits the team winning the championship from trading with any other club. The rule was voted in at the December, 1939 meetings by the seven other AL owners after the New York Yankees won four straight World Series. The major and minor leagues agree that players taken into the military will not count against roster limits.

» October 5, 1942: Whitey Kurowski's 2-run home run in the 9th inning gives St. Louis a 4–2 World Series triumph and enables the Cardinals to upset the New York Yankees in five games.

» May 27, 1943: In a 3–2 loss to the Tigers, the Yankees Johnny Allen, incensed over a balk call, attacks umpire George Barr and is suspended for 30 days and fined $200. On May 21st, Frank Crosetti made his first start after serving a 30-day suspension for umpire pushing. This occurred in the 3rd game of the World Series when Crosetti pushed Bill Summers.

» August 15, 1945: Commissioner Happy Chandler sells World Series radio rights for $150,000 to Gillette. Ford had been the World Series sponsor since 1934, paying $100,000 annually.

» October 1, 1946: While waiting for the NL playoff to be completed, the Red Sox tune up by playing a team of American League All Stars. In the 5th, Senator P Mickey Haefner accidentally hits Ted Williams on the right elbow with a pitch. The injury will affect Williams' play in the World Series.

» October 3, 1946: The St. Louis Cardinals wallop the Brooklyn Dodgers 8–4 at Ebbets Field to win the National League playoffs 2-0 and advance to the World Series. Erv Dusak and Enos Slaughter lead the attack, while winning pitcher Murry Dickson adds a triple. Dickson allows just two hits till the last inning, before the Dodgers score three runs off him. Harry Brecheen strikes out two batters with the bases full to end it. Joe Hatten is the loser.

» October 6, 1946: The World Series opens with a Red Sox 3–2 win as Rudy York hits a 10th-inning home run off Howie Pollet. The Sox tie the game in the 9th when an easy grounder to Marty Marion takes a freak bounce and goes through his legs.

» October 9, 1946: Boo Ferriss records the 50th shutout in World Series history. He holds the opposition to only six hits, as the Boston Red Sox blank the St. Louis Cardinals 4–0. Rudy York's 3-run home run in the first is the big blow.

» October 10, 1946: Enos Slaughter, Whitney Kurowski, and Joe Garagiola each have four hits, and Al Brazle pitches a 12–3 complete game win. The Cards tie a World Series record by racking up 20 hits.

» October 15, 1946: Enos Slaughter sprints all the way from 1B and slides into home with the winning run in the 8th inning on Harry Walker's double, as the Cardinals edge the Boston Red Sox 4–3, giving St. Louis the World Series four games to 3. Harry Brecheen wins three games for the Cardinals, including Games six and 7, the only pitcher ever to win those. Billed as the duel between the two best hitters in baseball, the Series sees Stan Musial go 6-for-27 and Ted Williams 5-for-25. With the Series held in two small ballparks and the broadcast fees now aimed at a player pension fund, the Cardinal share of $3,748 and the Red Sox portion of $2,140 is the smallest Series payoff since 1918.

» September 29, 1947: Hitless the first 4 innings against Brooklyn's Ralph Branca, the Yankees score 5 runs in the 5th inning and win the World Series opener 5-3. A record WS crowd of 73,365 at the Stadium pays $325,828.

» October 3, 1948: Luke Easter's grand slam highlights the Homestead Grays' 19-hit assault on the Birmingham Black Barons in the 4th game of the Negro World Series. The Grays will win the Championship in 5 games. This will be the final Negro WS, as the Negro National League becomes a casualty of integration and folds during the winter.

» April 28, 1950: The Yankees sell OF Dick Wakefield to the White Sox for OF John Ostrowski and cash. Wakefield, a hot hitter in 1943 who has since lost his sparkle, refuses to report unless the Sox restore a $5,500 salary cut inflicted by the Yankees. Wakefield says the Yankees talked him into signing for $17,500 with the "guarantee" that he'd earn $5,000 as a World Series share. New York refuses to return Ostrowski and the Sox refuse Wakefield's request. Happy Chandler rules in favor of the Sox and Ostrowski and Wakefield return to their teams.

» October 3, 1950: Baseball rules that Phils lefty Curt Simmons cannot play in the World Series despite his being on furlough from the Army.

» October 4, 1950: Relief ace Jim Konstanty of the Phils starts and loses to Vic Raschi and the Yankees in Philadelphia 1–0 in Game one of the World Series. Bobby Brown doubles and comes around on two long flies to score the lone run.

» October 7, 1950: Whitey Ford wins his first World Series game, 5–2 over Bob Miller at the Stadium. The 4-game sweep gives the Yankees their 13th World Championship.

» November 8, 1950: Commissioner Happy Chandler and player reps agree on the split of the TV-radio rights from the World Series.

» November 26, 1950: The Gillette Safety Razor Co. signs a 6-year deal, worth an estimated $6 million, with ML baseball for the TV-radio rights for the World Series.

» June 15, 1951: The Yanks swap pitchers, sending Tommy Byrne to the Browns for Stubby Overmire: New York adds $25,000 to the deal. The Yanks also deal three RH pitchers—Bob Porterfield, Tom Ferrick, and Fred Sanford—to the Senators for needed lefty Bob Kuzava. Porterfield will blossom into the Nats ace over the next five years, but Kuzava will save the final World Series game in 1951 and 1952.

» September 15, 1951: The first game of the first Dominican World Series (Los Grandes Finales) is played between Licey and Escogido in Santiago. Behind the hitting of Alonzo Perry (.400 series average) and the pitching of Marion "Sugar" Caine, Licey wins the opener 8–0 and goes on to take the series 4-1 to become the first champion of Dominican Professional Baseball.

» September 21, 1951: In Brooklyn, the Dodgers keep a woozy Campanella on the bench, preferring to rest him for the World Series. Rookie Clem Labine ignores Dressen's orders to take a full windup, preferring to pitch out of the stretch with the bases jammed in the 1st. Phils 3B Willie Jones then hits a grand slam and Labine ends up in Dressen's doghouse. The Phils win, 9–6, behind Robin Roberts.

» October 3, 1951: The Giants' Bobby Thomson hits the most famous home run in history, off Ralph Branca. His "shot heard round the world" with two runners on and trailing 4–2 in the bottom of the 9th defeats Brooklyn 5–4 and sends the jubilant Giants into the World Series. For Branca, it is his 6th loss of the season against the Dodgers, who have now hit 11 home runs off him this year. Whitey Lockman sets up Thomson's blast by hitting a double off Don Newcombe with Al Dark on 3B and Don Mueller on 1B. Mueller breaks his ankle sliding into 3B and is carried off the field.

» October 4, 1951: In the opening game of the World Series, Monte Irvin steals home in the first inning and collects four hits. The Giants defeat Allie Reynolds and the Yankees 5–1 with Dave Koslo going all the way at Yankee Stadium. With the injured Mueller missing the World Series, Bobby Thomson switches to 1B and the Giants field the first black outfield of Hank Thompson, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays.

» October 5, 1951: The Yanks and Eddie Lopat even up the World Series by winning 3–1 over Larry Jansen. Lopat scatters five hits, three by Monte Irvin. Irvin has now hit safely seven straight times in two games. Mickey Mantle is injured in the 5th inning when he steps on an exposed water sprinkler while chasing a Willie Mays fly ball. Mantle is taken off the field on a stretcher and the injury to his knee will plague him throughout his career. He will undergo the first of six knee operations.

» October 8, 1951: The Yankees even up the World Series with a 6–2 win, with Allie Reynolds going the distance. Hitless in 11 at bats, DiMaggio collects a homer and single.

» October 9, 1951: Gil McDougald becomes the first rookie to hit a grand slam in the World Series, as the Yankees win in a romp, 13–1. Ed Lopat wins his 2nd game.

» February 1, 1952: The Dodgers report a $24,000 shortfall in 1951 revenue, sparking a New York district attorney probe. There is a possible error in the World Series and post-season play-off revenues.

» October 4, 1952: In the famed Little World Series, the Rochester Red Wings(IL) defeat the Kansas City Blues (AA) 4-3.

» December 9, 1953: The leagues meet and adopt a resolution to set up a committee to weigh ending the pension fund in November of 1955. Hank Greenberg and John Galbreath are on the committee. Broadcast revenues from World Series and All-Star games are in dispute.

» March 21, 1954: Roy Campanella, in attempting to break up a DP in an exhibition game against the Yankees, catches his spikes and chips the bone in his left hand. Though he hits two homers on Opening Day, he will have surgery in early May for the bone chips, returning May 30. As noted by Bill Deane, TSN will surmise that the injury started earlier than the sliding mishap, occurring when Campy was hit on the hand in the 1953 World Series.

» March 20, 1955: While the Cubs are in Arizona beating their LA farm team, 7–0, major league baseball is played at Chicago's Wrigley Field. In a rematch of last year's World Series, the Giants beat the Indians again, 7–3. Mays and Rhodes hit homers for New York, while Ralph Kiner's 9th inning homer is the first score for Cleveland. A crowd of 24,434 is on hand.

» February 16, 1956: ML owners announce that the players' pension fund will receive 60 percent of World Series and All-Star Game radio and TV revenues.

» November 1, 1957: The Ni................etsu Lions sweep the Yomiuri Giants in the Japanese World Series.

» May 26, 1959: In a trade that benefits the Yankees, New York send pitchers Tom Sturdivant and Johnny Kucks, SS Jerry Lumpe and that player to be named later to Kansas City. The Yankees get P Ralph Terry, who has been ripening on the vine, and Hector Lopez. Terry will win 73 games for NY and pitch in five straight World Series.

» August 25, 1959: The White Sox take out pennant insurance, sending Bob Sagers and Harry "Suitcase" Simpson packing to Pittsburgh in exchange for veteran Ted Kluszewski. Klu will hit .297 during the season and a torrid .391 in the World Series.

» August 29, 1959: Hamtramck, MI, wins the Little League World Series at Williamsport, PA.

» April 12, 1960: Chuck Essegian's 11th-inning pinch-hit home run beats the Cubs, 3–2, before a record Opening Day crowd (67,550) at Los Angeles. The home run is Essegian's 3rd straight as a pinch hitter, including two in the 1959 World Series. Don Drysdale pitches all the way, striking out 14, for the win over Bob Elston.

» September 25, 1960: For the first time since 1927, the Pirates are headed for the World Series. While the Bucs lose 4–2 to the Braves, the 2nd-place Cardinals are mathematically eliminated by 20-game loser Glen Hobbie's 5–0 win for the Cubs. A gigantic torch light victory parade in Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle at midnight celebrates the pennant.

» October 2, 1960: Dale Long hits a 2-run homer in the 9th to give the Yankees an 8–7 win over Boston. The Yankees go into the World Series with a 15-game win streak, the most ever.

» October 3, 1960: The Yankees head into the World Series with a 15-game winning streak, the 8th longest streak in the American League this century, after Dale Long's 2-run 9th-inning home run gives them an 8–7 win over the Red Sox. New York's 193 home runs are an AL record, three better than the 1956 Yanks. RBI leader Roger Maris drives in three runs, but falls one home run short of Mickey Mantle's league-high 40.

» October 5, 1960: In a portent of things to come, Bill Mazeroski's 2-run 5th-inning home run off Jim Coates is the difference as Pittsburgh beats New York 6–4 in its first World Series win since 1925. Roy Face survives a 2-run 9th-inning Elston Howard home run to preserve Vern Law's victory.

» October 6, 1960: Mickey Mantle's two home runs highlight New York's 16–3 victory at Forbes Field, evening the World Series. A 7-run 6th inning overwhelms Pittsburgh.

» October 8, 1960: Bombing continues in the Bronx in Game 3. Yankee Bobby Richardson's six RBI, including a grand slam off reliever Clem Labine in a 6-run first inning, and Whitey Ford's 4-hitter give the Yanks a 10–0 win and a 2-1 World Series lead, spoiling Pittsburgh manager Danny Murtaugh's 43rd birthday.

» October 9, 1960: Vern Law wins again, thanks to his own RBI single and Bill Virdon's 2-run hit. Roy Face retires the final eight batters in order. Pittsburgh's 3–2 win evens the World Series.

» October 10, 1960: Bill Mazeroski stars again. His 2-run double stakes Harvey Haddix to a 3–0 lead. Roy Face is called on once more for another hitless effort to preserve a 5–2 win and 3-2 World Series lead for the surprising Pirates.

» October 12, 1960: Whitey Ford preserves the Yankees hopes with a 7-hit shutout at Pittsburgh. Bob Friend is bombed again as New York coasts 12–0. Bobby Richardson's two run-scoring triples give him a World Series record of 12 RBI.

» October 13, 1960: In a 9–9 tie, Bill Mazeroski leads off the last of the 9th and hits what is arguably the most dramatic home run in Series history, off Ralph Terry, to give Pittsburgh a 10–9 win and the World Championship. An oddity in this game: it is the only World Series game this century with no strikeouts recorded. Despite Maz's heroics, Bobby Richardson is the Series MVP, as the Yanks outscore the Bucs, 52 to 27.

» October 4, 1961: Whitey Ford's 3rd straight World Series shutout, with home runs by Elston Howard and Bill Skowron, gives New York a 2–0 win in the opener against Cincinnati at Yankee Stadium.

» October 5, 1961: Joey Jay's 4-hitter, Gordy Coleman's 2-run home run, and two RBI hits by Johnny Edwards lead Cincinnati to a 6–2 win and even the World Series.

» October 7, 1961: John Blanchard's pinch-hit home run ties the game in the 8th, and Roger Maris' 9th-inning home run off Bob Purkey is the difference in a 3–2 New York win for Luis Arroyo in game three of the World Series.

» October 8, 1961: Five more scoreless innings by Whitey Ford and four by Jim Coates silence the Reds. Hector Lopez and Clete Boyer each drive in two runs for a 7–0 win. Ford breaks Babe Ruth's World Series record of 29 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, running his streak to 32.

» October 9, 1961: Super-subs Johnny Blanchard and Hector Lopez spark a 5-run first inning and 13–5 win for New York. Both hit home runs, and Lopez drives in five runs. Bud Daley's long relief effort wraps up the Series, as Ralph Houk becomes the 3rd rookie pilot to guide a World Series winner.

» October 3, 1962: A crowd of 45,693, giving the Dodgers a ML-record season attendance of 2,755,184, attends the deciding game of the National League season. In the 7th, Maury Wills collects his 4th single of the day, and his 103rd and 104th steals of the year. But the Giants score four in the 9th to win 6–4 and put themselves in the World Series.

» October 4, 1962: At Candlestick Park, in Game One of the World Series, Roger Maris stakes Whitey Ford to a 2-run lead with a first-inning, 2-run double. Only RF Felipe Alou's leaping effort keeps Maris' drive in the park. Ford's record consecutive-shutout-inning streak ends at 33 2/3 innings when a surprise bunt by Jose Pagan brings Willie Mays home. Clete Boyer's 7th-inning home run gives the Yankees a 6–2 win, the last of a record 10 World Series victories for Ford.

» October 5, 1962: Jack Sanford's 3-hitter handcuffs New York and knots the World Series. Matty Alou's RBI grounder and Willie McCovey's home run off Ralph Terry account for San Francisco's 2–0 win.

» October 8, 1962: Tom Haller and Chuck Hiller power San Francisco to a World Series-tying win 7–3. Haller's 2-run home run puts the Giants in front, and Hiller's surprising grand slam is the margin of victory.

» October 16, 1962: New York scores the game's only run, as Tony Kubek grounds into a 5th-inning DP. In the 9th, with two outs and Matty Alou on 1B, Willie Mays rips a double to right off Ralph Terry, but great fielding by Roger Maris keeps Alou from scoring. Willie McCovey then hits a screaming liner toward right, but 2B Bobby Richardson gloves it, giving the Yankees a 1–0 win and a 2nd straight World Series victory. Terry is named World Series MVP.

» October 2, 1963: In the World Series Opener, Sandy Koufax fans the first five batters he faces en route to a World Series record 15. John Roseboro's 3-run home run is the difference, as Los Angeles beats the Yankees 5–2 at New York.

» October 3, 1963: In game 2, Johnny Podres scatters seven hits, Tommy Davis ties a World Series record with two triples, Willie Davis drives in two runs, Moose Skowron homers, and Los Angeles beats Al Downing 4–1 to go two up.

» October 5, 1963: Fans attending the first World Series game at Dodger Stadium see a pitching duel between Don Drysdale and Jim Bouton. A first-inning run is all Los Angeles needs to take a 3-0 World Series lead.

» October 6, 1963: Sandy Koufax beats the Yanks again 2–1 for a shocking World Series sweep for the Dodgers. Whitey Ford gives up only two hits, both by Frank Howard, who crashes a long home run in the 5th to start the LA scoring. The Bronx Bombers bat just .171 and score only four runs, the 2nd lowest total in World Series history.

» June 21, 1964: On Father's Day at Shea Stadium, Jim Bunning fans 10, drives in two runs, and pitches the first perfect game (excluding Don Larsen's 1956 World Series effort and Harvey Haddix's 1959 overtime loss) since Charlie Robertson's on April 30, 1922. Philadelphia beats the Mets 6–0. He also becomes the first pitcher to win no-hitters in both leagues, and Gus Triandos becomes the first C to catch a no-hitter in each league. Bunning throws just 90 pitches in winning his 2nd no-hitter. The next time Bunning faces the Mets he will shut them out, the first no-hit pitcher this century to do that. The Mets don't fare much better in the nitecap as 18-year-old rookie Rick Wise wins his 1st game and gives up just three hits for an 8–2 win. Johnny Klippstein comes on in the 9th. The Phils increase their National League lead to two games over the Giants.

» September 23, 1964: The sizzling Yanks win their 9th in a row, defeating the Tribe, 4–3 in 11 innings and 6–4. Elston Howard's homer off Louie Tiant snaps a tie in the opener. John Romano homers in each game for the Indians while recently acquired Pedro Ramos finishes up both games for New York. Ramos, however, will not be eligible for the World Series.

» October 7, 1964: Ailing Whitey Ford struggles as St. Louis wins the World Series opener 9–5 at Busch Stadium. Mike Shannon homers in a 4-run, St. Louis 6th inning. Tom Tresh loses Flood's triple in the rally. Ray Sadecki and Barney Schultz combine for the win.

» October 8, 1964: Rookie Mel Stottlemyre beats Bob Gibson 8–3 to even the World Series. The Yanks score four in the 9th after Gibson is taken out for a pinch hitter.

» October 12, 1964: Tim McCarver's 3-run home run pins a 5–2 loss on Pete Mikkelsen and gives St. Louis a 3-2 World Series lead.

» October 14, 1964: Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle hit home runs on back-to-back pitches from Curt Simmons, and Joe Pepitone belts Gordie Richardson for a grand slam. New York wins 8–3 at St. Louis and evens the World Series.

» October 15, 1964: St. Louis takes an early lead in the deciding World Series game 7. Lou Brock's 5th-inning home run triggers a 2nd 3-run frame and a 6–0 lead for Bob Gibson. Mickey Mantle, Clete Boyer, and Phil Linz homer for New York, but it's not enough. The Cards win 7–5 and are the World Champions. Both Boyers, Ken Boyer for the Cards and Clete Boyer for the Yankees, homer in their last World Series appearance, a first in ML history.

» October 17, 1964: A World Series loss is enough reason for the Yankees to fire manager Yogi Berra (99-63). Johnny Keane (93-69) stuns a St. Louis press conference by resigning as manager of the Cardinals.

» June 10, 1965: In the College World Series, Ohio State's Steve Arlin pitches 15 innings, a CWS record, to beat Washington State, 1–0. Arlin strikes out a record 20 batters. The Buckeyes will lose in the final, 2–1, to Arizona State.

» October 6, 1965: Minnesota's 6-run 3rd inning routs Dodger Don Drysdale, subbing for Sandy Koufax, and sparks an 8–2 Twins win in the first game of the World Series. Jim Grant gets the win allowing just one hit, a home run by Ron Fairly. Mincher and Versalles homer for the Twins. Koufax sits out the opener because it is the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.

» October 7, 1965: Jim Kaat gives Minnesota a 2-0 World Series lead by driving in two runs, defeating Sandy Koufax 5–1 at Metropolitan Stadium.

» October 10, 1965: In game four Don Drysdale evens the World Series with a 5-hit 7–2 win. Wes Parker and Lou Johnson hit home runs, as the Dodgers beat Jim Grant.

» October 11, 1965: Sandy Koufax's 4-hit, 7–0 win against the Twins puts Los Angeles one win from the championship. Maury Wills ties a World Series record with four doubles and scores twice.

» October 13, 1965: The Twins' Mudcat Grant does it all himself, hitting a 3-run home run and pitching a 5–1 win at Minnesota to knot the World Series with the Dodgers.

» October 19, 1965: NBC wins a ML television package, including prime-time, All-Star, and World Series games.

» August 25, 1966: The owners approve a 55 percent raise in contributions to the players' pension fund. It will come from television, World Series, and All-Star Game money. Some money will also go to pay the salary of the Players' Association executive director.

» October 5, 1966: With first-inning home runs by Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson and 11 strikeouts from relief P Moe Drabowsky, the Orioles win Game One of the World Series 5–2.

» October 8, 1966: In game three Paul Blair's home run and Wally Bunker's 6-hit pitching give the Orioles a 1–0 win, as the World Series moves to Baltimore.

» October 9, 1966: Dave McNally wraps up Baltimore's brilliant pitching display, and a World Championship, with a 4-hit, 1–0 win. Frank Robinson's home run off Don Drysdale gives Baltimore a surprising sweep of the defending champion Dodgers. The 33 consecutive scoreless innings pitched by Baltimore are a World Series record.

» August 4, 1967: John Fetzer, president of the ML television committee, announces a $50 million, 3-year deal with NBC to televise the World Series, All-Star Game, and 28 weekly telecasts.

» October 4, 1967: Cardinals LF Lou Brock has four hits, two stolen bases, and scores twice, as St. Louis edges Boston 2–1 to open the World Series at Fenway Park. Bob Gibson has 10 strikeouts and outduels Jose Santiago, whose home run is Boston's only score.

» October 5, 1967: Jim Lonborg pitches the 4th one-hitter in World Series history and Yaz (Carl Yastrzemski) hits two home runs in Boston's 5–0 win to even the Series.

» October 7, 1967: In game three St. Louis, Nelson Briles swings the World Series toward the Cards with a 7-hit 5–2 win. Lou Brock has two more hits, and Mike Shannon homers off loser Gary Bell.

» October 9, 1967: Roger Maris homers for the Cardinals in the 9th, but Jim Lonborg's 3–1 win sends the World Series back to Boston.

» October 11, 1967: A World Series record three home runs in one inning -- consecutively, by Carl Yastrzemski, Reggie Smith, and Rico Petrocelli -- power Boston to an 8–4 win that evens the Series at three each.

» October 12, 1967: The Cardinals earn their 2nd World Championship of the decade with a 7–2 victory. Bob Gibson notches his 3rd World Series win with a 3-hitter, 10 strikeouts, and a 5th-inning home run. Lou Brock has two hits and steals three bases for a record seven thefts in a 7-game World Series.

» October 2, 1968: For the first time in history, two soon-to-be-named MVPs oppose each other. St. Louis' Bob Gibson is nearly untouchable with a World Series-record 17 strikeouts and a 4–0 win over Denny McLain. Detroit manager Mayo Smith moves Gold Glove CF Mickey Stanley to SS, improving his offense by opening a spot for Al Kaline.

» October 5, 1968: Tim McCarver's 3-run home run off loser Earl Wilson and Orlando Cepeda's 3-run shot off Don McMahon power St. Louis to a 7–3 win and 2–1 World Series lead.

» October 9, 1968: Denny McLain returns to form, scattering nine singles, as Detroit evens the World Series with a 10-run 3rd inning and 13–1 win at St. Louis.

» October 10, 1968: Mickey Lolich bests Bob Gibson and brings Detroit its first World Series championship since 1945. The hefty lefty hurls a 5-hitter, giving Detroit a 4–1 win.

» October 11, 1969: Don Buford's leadoff home run starts a 4–1 Baltimore win over New York to open the World Series. Mike Cuellar bests Tom Seaver.

» October 12, 1969: New York's Jerry Koosman and Ron Taylor combine on a 2-hitter, as Al Weis's 9th-inning single off loser Dave McNally gives the Mets a 2–1 win to even the World Series.

» October 14, 1969: At Shea Stadium, Tommie Agee and Ed Kranepool hit homers; Agee makes two brilliant catches in CF, and New York wins World Series game 3, 5–0 over Baltimore.

» October 15, 1969: A memorable World Series game pits Tom Seaver against Mike Cuellar. RF Ron Swoboda's questionable dive at Brooks Robinson's sinking liner with runners at 1B and 3B in the 9th inning results in a brilliant catch, even though Frank Robinson tags and scores the tying run. In the 10th, Mets pinch-hitter J.C. Martin, running illegally inside the 1B line after a bunt, is hit on the wrist by P Pete Richert's errant throw, enabling pinch runner Rod Gaspar to score from second as the Mets win 2–1. The game is enlivened by Earl Weaver getting thrown out after protesting ball and strike calls by Shag Crawford. Earl is the 3rd manager to leave early in a World Series, but the first since 1935.

» September 19, 1970: Syracuse (International League) beats Omaha (American Association) 5–3 in 11 innings, thereby winning the Junior World Series.

» October 5, 1970: Johnny Bench and Tony Perez homer as the Reds beat the Pirates 3–2, while Jim Palmer pitches Baltimore to a 6–1 win over Minnesota. Both teams thus complete sweeps of their respective LCS and advance to the World Series.

» October 10, 1970: Baltimore overcomes a 3–0 deficit to beat the Reds 4–3 in the World Series opener at Riverfront Stadium as Boog Powell, Ellie Hendricks, and Brooks Robinson contribute home runs to the winning effort. The Jackson Five sing the National Anthem.

» October 11, 1970: The Orioles again overcome a 3–0 deficit to win 6–5, as Powell hits his second World Series round-tripper. Baltimore takes a 2-0 advantage in games.

» October 13, 1970: The Orioles win their 3rd straight over the Reds 9–3, with winning pitcher Dave McNally slugging a grand slam off Wayne Granger, the only one by a pitcher in World Series history. Frank Robinson and Don Buford also contribute homers, and 3B Brooks Robinson continues his excellence with the glove, as he makes two spectacular grabs in the field.

» July 1, 1971: The Mets release 2B Al Weis, a World Series hero less than two years earlier.

» August 5, 1971: The Pirates power to a 7–2 win at Montreal, but lose 3B Jose Pagan when his arm is fractured by a pitch in the 5th by Strohmeyer. He will return to be a World Series hero. Pagan, Willie Stargell and Al Oliver homer for the Bucs and Gene Alley adds two triples.

» September 22, 1971: Rochester (International League) beats Denver (American Association) 9–6 to win the Junior World Series, four games to 3.

» October 6, 1971: The Pirates outslug the Giants 9–5 to win the LCS three games to one, as Richie Hebner's bat takes Pittsburgh into the World Series. Hebner has three hits and three RBI, including a homer.

» October 9, 1971: The Orioles win Game One of the World Series over the Pirates 5–3 behind Dave McNally's 3-hitter and Merv Rettenmund's 3-run homer. Frank Robinson also homers, off Dock Ellis, who he homered off of in the All-Star Game -- a first.

» October 10, 1971: Rain washes out game two of the World Series, the first Series postponement since 1962.

» October 13, 1971: Pittsburgh comes back from a 3–0 deficit to beat Baltimore 4–3, as Milt May drives in the winning run in the 8th with a pinch-hit single. It is the first World Series game to be played entirely under the lights.

» October 14, 1971: Nelson Briles hurls a 2-hit shutout and Robertson slugs his 6th post-season home run as the Pirates win the 5th game 4–0 and take a 3-2 Series advantage. Roberto Clemente hits safely in his 12th straight World Series game. This is the last weekday day game in the World Series.

» October 17, 1971: Steve Blass hurls a 4-hitter and Roberto Clemente homers as the Pirates win game seven of the World Series 2–1, becoming World Champions for the first time since 1960. After the game, 40,000 people riot in downtown Pittsburgh; at least 100 are injured, some seriously.

» March 22, 1972: In what ranks as one of New York's best trades, they send 1B/OF Danny Cater to the Red Sox for relief P Sparky Lyle. In seven years with the Yanks, Lyle will post a 57-40 record with 141 saves and a 2.41 ERA, win a Cy Young Award, and help the team to three World Series. The deal is completed when the Yanks toss in SS Mario Guerrero.

» September 10, 1972: A round-robin tournament, replacing the Junior World Series, begins, with Hawaii defeating a team of Caribbean all-stars 6–2. The series proves to be a financial and artistic failure.

» September 27, 1972: A's relief star Darold Knowles breaks his thumb, costing him a chance to pitch in the World Series. Knowles finishes the season with a 5-1 record, 11 saves, and a 1.36 ERA.

» October 12, 1972: Oakland takes the AL flag with a 2–1 win in the 5th game of the LCS. The A's Reggie Jackson steals home, but pulls a hamstring in the process, sidelining him for the World Series.

» October 13, 1972: Commissioner Kuhn announces that Bert Campaneris will be allowed to play in the World Series.

» October 14, 1972: Catcher Gene Tenace becomes the first player ever to homer in each of his first two World Series at bats, leading the A's to a 3–2 opening-game win over the Reds.

» October 22, 1972: The A's win their first World Championship in 42 years with a 3–2 victory in game 7. Gene Tenace has two RBI in the game. Tenace, who had only five home runs in the regular season has four in the World Series, is named MVP.

» November 2, 1972: Former Boston SS Freddy Parent dies at the age of 96. Parent had been the last surviving player from the first modern World Series between Boston and Pittsburgh in 1903.

» September 20, 1973: A's speedster Bill North trips over 1B in a 5–4 loss to the Twins, severely spraining his right ankle and costing him both the American League SB crown and a chance to play in the World Series. The Twins are 14–4 against Oakland this year, tying the AL record of the 1909 Athletics for most wins against a pennant winner.

» September 21, 1973: Jim Rice's 3-run home run is the key blow as Pawtucket (International League) defeats Tulsa (American Association) 5–2 to win the Junior World Series.

» October 13, 1973: In the World Series opener, the Mets hold the A's to four hits, but three come in the 2-run 3rd inning, allowing the A's to win 2–1.

» October 16, 1973: The A's win game three of the World Series 3–2 in 11 innings as Bert Campaneris gets the winning RBI. In a private clubhouse meeting, Dick Williams tells A's players he will resign after the Series.

» October 23, 1973: Charlie Finley reveals that he will not release Dick Williams from his contract unless he receives adequate compensation from the team that signs him. Williams had resigned following the World Series victory two days earlier.

» October 9, 1974: Los Angeles advances to the World Series with a 12–1 win over the Bucs. Steve Garvey has two singles and two doubles, and scores four runs as Don Sutton wins his 2nd LCS game and 11th in a row.

» October 10, 1974: Former Oakland 2B Mike Andrews files a $2.5 million lawsuit against Charlie Finley over his treatment during the 1973 World Series.

» October 12, 1974: Oakland slugging star Reggie Jackson connects for a homer off Andy Messersmith to start the scoring, and pitcher Ken Holtzman scores the 2nd run in the 5th on a suicide squeeze. The A's win the World Series opener 3–2 as the Dodgers strand 12 base runners

» October 13, 1974: Hall of Fame OF Sam Rice dies at Rossmor, Maryland, at age 84, leaving a letter—opened at Cooperstown—confirming his controversial catch in the 1925 World Series. The letter, dated July 26, 1965, details the entire play and ends with Rice's punchline, "at no time did I lose possession of the ball."

» September 21, 1975: During a 6–5 win over Detroit, Boston rookie star Jim Rice breaks his arm, sidelining him for the rest of the year, including the World Series. The Red Sox maintain their 31/2 game lead over the Orioles.

» October 11, 1975: Boston's Luis Tiant shuts down the Big Red Machine and scores the first run as the Red Sox win the opening game of the 1975 World Series 6–0. The Sox score all their runs in the 7th.

» October 12, 1975: Down 2–1 in the 9th inning, the Reds rally to win the World Series 2nd game 3–2. Concepcion's 2-out single off Dick Drago scores Bench with the tying run, and Griffey's double wins it.

» October 20, 1975: For the 3rd consecutive day, rain postpones game six of the World Series.

» June 8, 1976: The Houston Astros, picking first in the baseball draft, select Arizona State P Floyd Bannister, TSN's College Player of the Year. Bannister is one of 12 eventual major leaguers from the ASU team, which finished 3rd in the College World Series. The Tigers take P Pat Underwood with the 2nd pick. OF Rickey Henderson lasts until the 4th round.

» September 10, 1977: Toronto's Roy Howell knocks in nine runs with a single, two doubles, and two home runs, as the Blue Jays crush the Yankees 19–3. Catfish Hunter takes the loss to finish the season at 9-9. He will not pitch again till the World Series.

» October 11, 1977: The Yankees win the opening game of the World Series 4–3 in 12 innings as Willie Randolph doubles and scores the winning run on a single by Paul Blair.

» October 12, 1977: home runs by Ron Cey, Steve Yeager, Reggie Smith, and Steve Garvey lead the Dodgers to a 6–1 win in game two of the World Series. Burt Hooton goes the distance, allowing just five hits.

» October 15, 1977: The Yankees win 4–2 to take a 3-1 advantage in the World Series. Reggie Jackson doubles and homers, and Ron Guidry notches a 4-hitter, striking out 7.

» October 10, 1978: Davey Lopes collects two home runs and five RBI to lead the Dodgers to an 11–5 victory over the Yankees in Game One of the World Series.

» October 13, 1978: Graig Nettles's spectacular defense at 3B highlights the Yankees' first World Series win 5–1. Ron Guidry goes nine innings and gets the victory.

» October 17, 1978: The Yanks win their 4th straight game 7–2 to clinch their 2nd consecutive World Series over the Dodgers as Doyle and Series MVP Dent have three hits apiece.

» October 10, 1979: The Orioles score five times in the first inning of the World Series, hanging on to defeat the Pirates 5–4 in game 1. Dave Parker has four hits for the losers.

» October 16, 1979: John Candelaria and Kent Tekulve combine on a 4–0 shutout as the Pirates send the World Series to its 7th game. Omar Moreno notches three singles.

» October 17, 1979: In Game 7, Willie Stargell's 3rd World Series homer propels Pittsburgh to its 3rd straight win 4–1, and the World Championship. Pops is named Series MVP.

» December 6, 1979: In one of their better trades, the Royals acquire 1B Willie Aikens, Rance Mulliniks from the Angels for OF Al Cowens, Todd Cruz, and Craig Eaton. Aikens will have four solid years in KC, including two 2–homer games in the World Series.

» June 14, 1980: At Wrigley, the Cubs play 2. In an Old Timers ceremony, the 1945 Tigers top the 1945 Cubs, 4–1, in a two-inning "replay" of their World Series. In the regular game, the Cubs beat the Braves, 10–5.

» October 10, 1980: George Brett puts Kansas City into its first World Series by belting a 3-run home run off the Yankees Rich Gossage in the 7th inning, giving the Royals a 4–2 win and a 3-game sweep of the LCS. It's sweet revenge for three ALCS losses to the Bombers.

» October 14, 1980: Philadelphia pitcher Bob Walk becomes the first rookie to start a World Series opener since Joe Black in 1952, and the Phillies rally from a 4–0 deficit to beat the Royals 7–6. Kansas City's Willie Aikens hits a pair of homers, becoming only the 3rd player to do so in his first World Series game. Bake McBride homers for the Phils.

» October 15, 1980: George Brett is forced out of game two of the World Series in the 6th inning with a severe case of hemorrhoids, and Philadelphia wins 6–4 to take a 2-0 lead. Brett will undergo surgery tomorrow and return for game 3. Mike Schmidt's RBI keys a 4-run rally in the 8th off ace Dan Quisenberry.

» October 18, 1980: Willie Aikens slugs two more home runs to lead the Royals to a 5–3 win and even the World Series at 2-2.

» October 21, 1980: The Phillies win the first World Championship in their 98-year history by beating the Royals 4–1 in game six of the World Series. Philadelphia's Mike Schmidt is named MVP, hitting .381 with two home runs and seven RBI, while KC's Willie Wilson is the goat, striking out a record 12 times (including the final out of the series with the bases loaded) and hitting only .154.

» September 7, 1981: Dave Magadan is named MVP as West Tampa, FL, defeats Richmond, VA, 6–4 to win the American Legion World Series. Magadan was 11-for-24 at the plate and also pitched a complete-game win over Omaha.

» October 19, 1981: In game five of the NLCS, Rick Monday hits a solo home run with two out in the top of the 9th against Montreal's Steve Rogers to give Los Angeles a 2–1 victory and a trip to the World Series. The loss, played in bitterly cold conditions in Montreal, will be known as Blue Monday.

» October 20, 1981: In a World Series rematch of the 1978 teams, the Yankees take Game One over the Dodgers 5–3. Bob Watson's 3-run homer in the first is the big blow as Ron Guidry goes seven innings for the win. Goose Gossage closes down a Dodger rally in the 8th.

» October 23, 1981: Despite an uncharacteristic poor performance (9 hits, seven walks) Fernando Valenzuela goes the distance in the Dodgers' 5–4 come-from-behind win. The deciding run scores on a double play. Starter Dave Righetti lasts just two innings, walking two and allowing five hits, but reliever George Frazier takes the loss. Ron Cey has a 3-run homer for LA. Starters Valenzuela and Righetti are the first two Rookies of the Year to oppose each other in the World Series since Willie Mays and Gil McDougald in 1951.

» October 25, 1981: After his club loses game five of the World Series, Yankee owner George Steinbrenner scuffles with two (he says) fans in a hotel elevator and emerges with a fat lip and a broken hand.

» October 28, 1981: Pedro Guerrero drives in five runs and the Bert Hooton and the Dodgers beat the Yankees 9–2 to win the World Series in six games. In a remarkable post season, the Dodgers came from behind to win three series (down 2–0 to Houston and 2–1 to Montreal in the best-of-5 series). Guerrero, Ron Cey, and Steve Yeager (2 home runs) are named co-MVPs, while OF Dave Winfield and relief pitcher George Frazier are the goats for New York. Winfield was just 1-for-21, while Frazier tied a World Series record by losing three games. The record was set by the White Sox Lefty Williams in 1919, but Williams, one of the eight "Black Sox," probably was losing on purpose.

» October 10, 1982: In game five of the ALCS, the Brewers complete their comeback from a 2–0 deficit by edging the Angels 4–3 to earn their first-ever trip to the World Series. Angels OF Fred Lynn bats .611 for the series and is named MVP in a losing cause.

» October 12, 1982: Paul Molitor goes 5-for-6 to become the first player ever to collect five hits in a World Series game, and teammate Robin Yount goes 4-for-6 as the Brewers rout the Cardinals 10–0 in game one.

» October 13, 1982: St. Louis rallies to win 5–4 and even the World Series.

» October 17, 1982: Robin Yount records his 2nd 4-hit game of the Series to lead the Brewers to a 6–4 win in game five and give Milwaukee a 3-2 lead overall. Yount is the first player ever to have two 4-hit games in one World Series.

» April 7, 1983: ML Baseball, ABC, and NBC agree to terms of a 6-year television package worth $1.2 billion. The two networks will continue to alternate coverage of the playoffs, World Series, and All-Star Game through the 1989 season, with each of the 26 clubs receiving $7 million per year in return. The last package gave each club $1.9 million per year.

» July 4, 1983: Dave Righetti pitches the Yankees' first no-hitter since Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series, handcuffing the Red Sox 4–0 before a holiday crowd of 41,077 at Yankee Stadium. It's the first no-hitter by a Yankee lefty since George Mogridge in 1917.

» September 19, 1983: Denver (AA) beats Portland (PCL) 5–4 to give the Tidewater Tides (IL) the championship in the first AAA World Series. Manager Davey Johnson's Tides won three of their four games in the double round-robin tournament to edge 2nd-place Portland, which finished 2–2.

» October 3, 1983: Less than a year after leading the club to its first World Series, Brewers manager Harvey Kuenn is fired and replaced by Rene Lachemann. Milwaukee finished 5th in the American League East this season with an 87-75 record.

» October 8, 1983: The Phillies and Orioles each win game four of their respective LCS to advance to the World Series. Philadelphia gets home runs from Gary Matthews and Sixto Lezcano in another 7–2 victory, while Baltimore's Tito Landrum hits a solo home run in the top of the 10th inning to break a scoreless tie and spark the Orioles to a 3–0 win.

» October 11, 1983: In the World Series opener, homers account for all the scoring as the Phillies top Baltimore 2–1.

» October 12, 1983: In game 2, Mike Boddicker pitches a 4–1 three-hitter to tie the Series 1-1. He has yet to allow an earned run in 18 post-season innings, and is the first rookie to pitch a 3-hitter in the World Series since Dickie Kerr in 1919.

» October 16, 1983: Eddie Murray slams a pair of home runs and Scott McGregor pitches a 5-hitter as the Orioles beat the Phillies 5–0 and win the World Series 4–1. Baltimore catcher Rick Dempsey, who hit .385 with four doubles and a home run, is the Series MVP.

» October 7, 1984: The striking ML umpires return to work in time for game five of the NLCS, and San Diego rallies for four runs in the 7th inning to beat Chicago 6–3 and earn its first trip to the World Series.

» October 9, 1984: The Tigers win the World Series opener as Jack Morris pitches a complete-game 3-2 victory. Larry Herndon's 2-run home run in the 5th is the margin.

» October 12, 1984: San Diego pitchers tie the World Series record by issuing 11 walks in a 5–2 loss to the Tigers in game 3. Detroit leads the Series 2–1.

» October 12, 1985: In game four of the ALCS, Al Oliver's 2-run pinch double in the 9th inning gives Toronto a 3–1 win over Kansas City and a 3-1 lead in the series. Until this year's best-of-7 format was adopted, the three wins would have sent the Blue Jays to the World Series.

» October 16, 1985: Baseball gets its first intrastate World Series since 1974, as the Royals and Cardinals win their respective playoff series. Kansas City beats Toronto 6–2 in game seven to cap a comeback from a 3-games-to-1 deficit. While in Los Angeles, Jack Clark drills a 3-run home run off Tom Niedenfuer with two outs in the top of the 9th and 1B open to give the Cardinals a 7–5 victory and a 4-2 series win.

» October 22, 1985: Bret Saberhagen gives Kansas City their first World Series win with a 9-inning 6–1 win.

» October 26, 1985: Aided by a blown call, a bungled pop-up, and a passed ball, Kansas City scores two runs in the bottom of the 9th to beat St. Louis 2–1 and even the World Series at three games apiece. The Cardinals are three outs away from the World Championship when Jorge Orta reaches base on a disputed infield single. The next batter, Steve Balboni, lofts a foul pop that Clark loses track of and lets fall untouched, then singles. After Darrell Porter's passed ball puts runners on 2B and 3B and Hal McRae is intentionally walked to load the bases, pinch hitter Dane Iorg singles home two runs to end the game.

» October 27, 1985: The Royals rout the Cardinals 11–0 in game seven to become only the 6th team to rally from a 3-1 deficit and win the World Series. Series MVP Bret Saberhagen pitches the shutout while Cardinals ace John Tudor allows five runs in 21/3 innings and fellow 20-game winner Joaquin Andujar is ejected for arguing balls and strikes during Kansas City's 6-run 5th inning. The Cardinals finish the World Series with a .185 team batting average, lowest ever for a 7-game Series.

» March 27, 1986: Major league baseball's Rules Committee votes to change the DH rule for the World Series, allowing a DH to be used in all games played in the AL club's home park. Since 1976, the DH had been used in all games in alternating years.

» October 15, 1986: In the longest game in post-season history, the Mets beat the Astros 7–6 in 16 innings to earn their first trip to the World Series since 1973. New York scores three runs in the top of the 9th to force extra innings. The Mets score three more runs in the top of the 16th and Houston answers with two of its own before Jesse Orosco fans Kevin Bass to end the game.

» October 18, 1986: Boston wins Game One of the World Series 1–0 when Tim Teufel botches Rich Gedman's routine grounder in the 7th inning, allowing Jim Rice to score the game's only run. Bruce Hurst and Calvin Schiraldi combine on a 4-hitter for the Red Sox.

» October 21, 1986: Len Dykstra's leadoff home run helps Bob Ojeda beat his old team 7–1 to give the Mets their first win. The Sox now lead in the World Series, 2–1.

» October 25, 1986: Trailing 5–3 with two out and no one on base in the bottom of the 10th inning, New York rallies to win game six of the World Series 6–5 and force a deciding 7th game. After Gary Carter, Kevin Mitchell, and Ray Knight single, Bob Stanley uncorks a wild pitch that permits the tying run to score, and a hobbled Bill Buckner lets Mookie Wilson's slow bouncer skip through his legs, allowing Knight to score the winning run. Reliever Calvin Schiraldi absorbs the loss.

» October 27, 1986: The Mets win game seven of the World Series 8–5 at Shea Stadium. 3B Ray Knight, whose leadoff home run off Calvin Schiraldi in the 7th inning, triggers a 3-run rally, is named MVP. Schiraldi is pinned with his 2nd straight loss, the only pitcher ever to lose games six and 7.

» November 24, 1986: Cardinals reliever Todd Worrell, who led the National League with 36 saves, is named NL Rookie of the Year. Worrell had helped St. Louis to the 1985 World Series as a late-season call-up but was still a rookie as defined by the BBWAA.

» December 19, 1986: Michael Sergio, a Mets fan who parachuted into Shea Stadium during game six of the World Series, is sentenced to 100 hours of community service and fined $500.

» July 23, 1987: The Red Sox waive Bill Buckner, the goat of last season's World Series loss to the Mets, and promote slugger Sam Horn from Pawtucket.

» October 14, 1987: Danny Cox pitches the Cardinals' 2nd consecutive shutout 6–0 over the Giants in game seven of the NLCS, to send St. Louis to the World Series for the 3rd time in the 1980s. Giants OF Jeffrey Leonard (.417, four home runs) is named series MVP.

» October 17, 1987: In the first indoor World Series game ever (at Minnesota's Metrodome), Dan Gladden's grand slam caps a 7-run 4th inning and leads the Twins to a 10–1 win over St. Louis in game one. It is the first World Series grand slam since 1970.

» October 18, 1987: The Twins win their 2nd straight World Series game 8–4, tallying seven runs in the 4th inning. Bush's bases loaded double is the inning's big blow to back Bert Blyleven's seven innings of solid pitching.

» October 21, 1987: With the help of a 3-run home run by the unlikely Tom Lawless -- 2 hits all season -- St. Louis wins 7–2 to even the World Series. The Cards score six in the 4th inning.

» October 24, 1987: In the 6th frame, Kent Hrbek belts the Twins 2nd grand slam of the World Series to lead a comeback from a 5–2 deficit, and the Twins win game 6, 11–5 to even the series at three games apiece. The home team has won all six games, with game seven to be played in Minnesota tomorrow. Today's match is a last day game in the World Series.

» February 23, 1988: A committee of Chicago aldermen vote 7-2 to allow the Cubs to install lights and play up to 18 night games a year at Wrigley Field. The Cubs had feared losing the 1990 All-Star Game, as well as future playoff and World Series games, if lights were not installed.

» October 12, 1988: Series MVP Orel Hershiser shuts out New York on five hits to win game seven of the NLCS 6–0 and put the Dodgers into the World Series for the first time since 1981.

» October 15, 1988: In one of the most improbable finishes in World Series history, pinch hitter Kirk Gibson hits a 2-run home run off Dennis Eckersley with two out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Dodgers a 5–4 win in game one. The injured Gibson was not expected to play in the NLCS, and will not play again in the Series. It is the first World Series game to end on a home run since game six in 1975.

» October 18, 1988: Mark McGwire's home run off Jay Howell in the bottom of the 9th gives Oakland a 2–1 win in game three of the World Series.

» October 20, 1988: Series MVP Orel Hershiser ends his dream season with a 5–2 four-hitter over the A's in game five of the World Series. Mickey Hatcher starts the Dodger scoring with a 2-run home run in the 1st off Storm Davis, Hatcher's 2nd home run of the Series. The win gives the Dodgers their first World Championship since 1981. Los Angeles is the only team to win more than one World Series in the 1980s.

» July 18, 1989: Donnie Moore, 35, shoots himself to death at his home after shooting and critically wounding his estranged wife Tonya. Friends said Moore was haunted by the 2-run home run he surrendered to Dave Henderson in game five of the 1986 ALCS, costing the Angels a trip to the World Series, and that he had been even more depressed since his release last month by minor league Omaha.

» October 4, 1989: Will Clark goes 4-for-4 with two home runs, including the first NLCS grand slam since 1977, to lead the Giants to a 11–3 win over the Cubs in Game One of the National League playoffs. Clark's six RBI tie Bobby Richardson's single-game post season record set in the 1960 World Series.

» October 8, 1989: Oakland beats Toronto 4–3 to win the ALCS 4-1 and advance to the World Series for the 2nd straight year. Rickey Henderson, who hit .400 with eight stolen bases, is named series MVP.

» October 14, 1989: Dave Stewart shuts out the Giants 5–0 on five hits in Game One of the World Series. He is the first pitcher to start consecutive World Series openers since the Reds Don Gullett in 1975 and '76.

» October 17, 1989: Game Three of the World Series is postponed when an earthquake strikes the San Francisco Bay area a half hour before game time, causing minor damage to Candlestick Park but major damage to the surrounding area. The quake registers 7.1 magnitude, killing 67 people and does $7 billion in damage.

» October 28, 1989: The A's take an 8–0 and beat the Giants 9–6 to complete a 4-game sweep of the World Series, the first World Series sweep since 1976. Oakland's Dave Stewart, who won two games, is named MVP.

» October 10, 1990: After Red Sox starter Roger Clemens is ejected in the 2nd inning for cursing at home plate umpire Terry Cooney, Oakland beats Boston 3–1 to complete a 4-game sweep of the ALCS and earn its 3rd-straight trip to the World Series.

» October 16, 1990: In Game One of the World Series, Eric Davis becomes the 22nd player ever to homer in his first World Series at bat and the Reds go on to rout the A's 7–0, ending Oakland's 10-game post-season winning streak.

» October 17, 1990: In the first extra-inning World Series game since 1986, the underdog Reds beat the A's 5–4 in 10 innings to take a surprising 2-0 lead in the Series. Reds OF Billy Hatcher goes 4-for-4 to run his consecutive hit streak to 7, tying Thurman Munson's World Series record.

» October 19, 1990: Cincinnati moves within one game of a shocking World Series sweep by beating Oakland 8–3 in game 3. 3B Chris Sabo slugs a pair of home runs for the Reds.

» October 20, 1990: The talk of an Oakland dynasty is proven premature, as Cincinnati beats Oakland 2–1 to complete one of the most stunning sweeps in World Series history. Series MVP Jose Rijo (2-0, 0.59 ERA) retires the last 20 batters he faces to give the Reds their first World Championship since 1976. Not joining the celebration at the end is Eric Davis, who ruptures his kidney diving for a ball during the game and is taken to the hospital. It will take Davis several years to fully recover.

» October 13, 1991: Minnesota advances to the World Series for the 2nd time in three years with a come-from-behind 8-5 win over Toronto. ALCS MVP Kirby Puckett leads the way with a homer in the 1st and a single to break a 5-5 tie in the 8th. Rick Aguilera gains his 3rd save of the series as reliever David West notches the win.

» October 17, 1991: The Braves advance to the World Series with John Smoltz leading the way as he hurls a 6-hit, 4-0 shutout. The Pirates fail to score in the last 22 innings of the series. Steve Avery is named the MVP of the NLCS.

» October 19, 1991: The Twins defeat the Braves 5-2 in Game one of the World Series. SS Greg Gagne's 3-run home run off Charlie Leibrandt in the 5th inning helps support the strong effort of winning pitcher Jack Morris.

» October 22, 1991: 2B Mark Lemke's 2-out single in the 12th inning gives the Braves a 5-4 win in Game Three of the Series. Lemke had made a potentially crucial error in the top half of the inning. The contest is the longest night game in Series history at four hours and four minutes, and the second longest by innings. The Twins use a World Series-record 23 players in the game.

» October 14, 1992: The Blue Jays win the ALCS with a 9–2 victory over Oakland, becoming the 1st Canadian team to advance to the World Series. Joe Carter and Candy Maldonado bash home runs for Toronto while Juan Guzman gets the win.

» October 17, 1992: C Damon Berryhill hits a 3-run home run in the 6th inning to give the Braves a 3–1 victory in Game one of the World Series. The pitching matchup of Tom Glavine and Jack Morris is the 1st time that a pair of 20–game winners starts the opening game of a World Series since 1969. Glavine goes all the way for the win, while Joe Carter homers for the only Toronto run.

» October 18, 1992: The Blue Jays even the World Series with a 5–4 win over the Braves. Pinch-hitter Ed Sprague's 2–run home run in the top of the 9th proves to be the margin of victory, marking just the 2nd time in World Series history that a 9th-inning home run turns a losing margin into a winning one. The other was Kirk Gibson's homer in the 1988 Series.

» October 20, 1992: The Blue Jays take the World Series lead with a 3–2 win over Atlanta on Candy Maldonado's bases–loaded single in the 9th inning. Duane Ward gets credit for the victory in relief of Juan Guzman, and Joe Carter and Kelly Gruber homer for Toronto. In the 4th inning, Blue Jays' OF Devon White's sensational catch nearly results in a triple play. Atlanta OF Deion Sanders was ruled safe on the play, but replays show he should have been the 3rd out. Braves manager is ejected from the game in the 9th, becoming the 1st manager to be thrown out of a Series game since 1985. By starting in RF, Toronto's Carter becomes the 1st player to start the 1st three games of a World Series at three different positions. He started Game One at 1B and Game Two in LF.

» October 24, 1992: The Blue Jays clinch their 1st World Series championship with a 4–3 win over Atlanta in Game 6. Dave Winfield's 2–out, 2–run double in the top of the 11th gives Toronto a 4–2 lead. The Braves score one run in the bottom half of the inning and have the tying run on 3rd when the final out is made. Jimmy Key wins the game in relief, and Candy Maldonado homers for the Blue Jays. Toronto C Pat Borders, with a .450 BA, is named Series MVP.

» December 9, 1992: The Braves sign free agent Cy Young Award and Gold Glove winner Greg Maddux to a 5-year contract, and then trade pitchers Charlie Leibrandt and Pat Gomez to the Rangers in exchange for 3B Jose Oliva. Leibrandt (15–7) saw his star fall in Atlanta when he gave up 11th-inning extra base hits in the 1992 World Series and the 1991 NLCS. Maddux, who turned down a $28.5 million contract extension in mid–season with the Cubs, signs for $28 million, $6 million less than the Yankees offered.

» October 16, 1993: In the World Series opener, the Blue Jays defeat the Phils, 8-5, behind home runs by Devon White and John Olerud. Al Leiter gets the win in relief. Olerud's home run in the 6th breaks a 4–4 tie.

» October 20, 1993: In one of the wildest games in World Series history, the Blue Jays come out on top in Game four with a 15-14 victory. Toronto's 6-run rally in the 8th inning is capped by Devon White's 2-run triple, while Lenny Dykstra hits a pair of homers for the losers.

» September 14, 1994: The remainder of the baseball season is canceled by acting commissioner Bud Selig after 34 days of the players' strike. There will be no World Series for the 1st time since 1904.

» June 6, 1995: J.D. Drew sets a college World Series record by hitting homers in his final three at bats as his Florida State team loses, 16–11 to Southern Cal. The 12 total bases is also a record.

» June 10, 1995: Cal State Fullerton defeats Southern Cal, 11-5, to win the College World Series. Mark Kotsay blasts two homers for the winners.

» October 20, 1996: The Braves continue to pound the ball, as they defeat the Yankees, 12-1, in the World Series opener. Andruw Jones' home run in the 2nd inning puts him in the record books as the youngest player to homer in a Series game. He hits another 4-bagger in the 3rd inning, as John Smoltz gains the win.

» May 13, 1997: Tino Martinez continues his hot hitting with a home run in the Yankees' 7-run 6th inning, as New York beats the Twins, 11–2. Bernie Williams belts a solo homer in the 5th to snap a 2–2 tie. Martinez homer, his 15th, leaves him one behind Griffey and puts him in select Yankee company: only Mantle and Ruth (4 times) have hit 15 homers in the first 40 games of a season. The defending World Series champions have won 17 of their last 23, while the Twins lost for the 16th time in 20 games.

» June 13, 1997: Baseball's two best teams deal their aces and once again Jimmy Key bests Greg Maddux, this time in the regular season instead of the World Series. Key gives up five hits in six 2/3 innings and the Orioles score four runs in the sixth inning for a 4–3 interleague victory over the host Braves.

» June 16, 1997: At Comiskey Park, the lowly Cubs earn bragging rights in the Windy City, beating the White Sox, 8–3. The Cubbies tally 14 hits in the first official game between the two rivals since the 1906 World Series. Both teams wear replicas of old-fashioned uniforms; the Cubs in their 1908 outfits, the White Sox in replica 1917 garb. Evanston native Kevin Foster records the win, allowing seven hits and three runs in six innings.

» August 27, 1997: Indian teammates honor Jim Thome by wearing their socks high, a fashion statement they'll continue into the World Series. But today they might've shaved their heads instead as Matt Williams drives in a major-league record tying six runs in a 10-run 4th as the Indians beat California, 10–4. Williams has a 3-run double and a 3-run home run. In between his hits, Marquis Grissom clouts a grand slam. Williams six ribbies in an inning is a club record. The last batter to knock in six in a frame was Matt Stairs, on July 5, 1996.

» September 24, 1997: With the Blue Jays in last place, Toronto fires manager Cito Gaston before today's game with the Orioles. Gaston took the team to the World Series in 1992 and 1993. Coach Mel Queen was named as interim manager for the last five games. The O's then beat the Jays, 9–3, to clinch the American League East title. Baltimore was never out of first place, just the 6th ML team to hold first place every day of the season.

» October 18, 1997: Florida take Game one of the World Series, 7-4, behind rookie P Livan Hernandez. Moises Alou's 3-run homer in the 4th inning is the big blow for the Marlins, who are outhit by the Indians, 11-7.

» October 26, 1997: The Indians jump out to a 2-0 lead over Florida, but the Marlins claw their way back and tie the score in the bottom of the 9th on a sacrifice fly by Craig Counsell. In the last half of the 11th, SS Edgar Renteria gets his 3rd hit of the game, driving home Counsell with the winning run, as Florida wins Game seven by a score of 3-2. The Marlins thus become the fastest team in baseball history to win a World Series title, three years quicker than the 1969 Mets. P Livan Hernandez is named Most Valuable Player of the Series.

» March 7, 1998: Yankees sign P Orlando Hernandez, brother of World Series hero Livan Hernandez, to a 4-year, $6.6 million contract.

» September 11, 1998: The Florida Marlins lose to the Atlanta Braves, 8–2, to become the 1st World Series champion in history to lose 100 games the next season.

» October 13, 1998: The Yankees move on to the World Series, as they defeat the Indians, 9–5, to take the ALCS, four games to 2. Scott Brosius homers for NY, while Jim Thome hits his 6th of the postseason for Cleveland.

» October 21, 1998: The Yankees close out an incredible year by shutting out the Padres, 3–0, and sweeping the National League champs to win the World Series. Andy Pettitte gets the victory, and Scott Brosius is named Series MVP.

» November 13, 1998: Babe Ruth hits new heights today: $126,500. That is the price paid for the ball he hit in 1923 for the first home run in Yankee Stadium. Mark Scala found the Ruth ball two years ago in the attic of his grandmother's house. The bid was $110,000 and the total price includes the auction house's 15 percent commission. Two year ago, the ball Eddie Murray hit for his 500th home run was sold for what one day could be $500,000. Michael Lasky, the founder of the Psychic Friends Network, paid $280,000 that was put in an annuity to be paid over 20 years. With interest, the annuity will be worth about $500,000, according to a spokesman for Lasky, who also operates as syndicated handicapper Mike Warren. The previous record for an auctioned baseball was $93,500 for the ball that went through Bill Buckner's legs in the 1986 World Series. That ball was bought by actor Charlie Sheen in 1992. Other auctioned items include: the bat Pete Rose used for his 4,191st hit, which tied Ty Cobb's career record, was sold by an unidentified Rose associate for $21,096; an autographed ball from President Franklin Roosevelt that he used to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the 1941 season opener at Griffith Stadium sold for $17,255, and a personal check signed Henry Louis Lou Gehrig sold for $15,306.

» June 19, 1999: Miami wins the college World Series by defeating Florida St., 6-5, in the final game. It is the school's 1st championship since 1985 and it's 3rd overall.

» July 9, 1999: The uniform Lou Gehrig wore when he made his famous "luckiest man on earth" speech on July 4, 1939 is sold for $451,541 at auction. Leland's spokesman Marty Appel says the flannel pinstripe uniform worn by the Hall of Fame first baseman was purchased by a south Florida man who did not want his name made public. The winning bid was made over the phone. Yesterday Carlton Fisk's home run ball that won Game Six of the 1975 World Series for the Boston Red Sox sold for $113,273.

» July 18, 1999: Don Larsen, who hurled a perfect game for the New Yorkers in the 1956 World Series, throws out the first pitch prior to New York's game against the Expos. The Yankees then defeat the Expos, 6-0, as David Cone caps an emotional day by hurling a perfect game. Cone fans 10 batters as not a single Montreal player reaches base.

» August 23, 1999: Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig announces that Pete Rose will be invited to the World Series if he is elected to the All-Century Team. Rose has been banned from baseball since 1989.

» September 15, 1999: Baseball owners vote to merge the administrative operations of the American and National leagues. National League President Leonard Coleman, concluding his job had become irrelevant, announces his resignation effective after the World Series. He will become a senior adviser to Commissioner Bud Selig.

» October 7, 1999: Continuing the Asian theme, the Rockies sign Taiwan pitcher Tsao Chin-Hui. Last January, the Dodgers signed a Taiwan prospect, outielder Chin-Feng Chen for a bonus of $680,000. Chen had been the rightfielder on the 1990 team that won the Little League World Series.

» October 23, 1999: The Yankees 2-hit the Braves, 4-1, to take the opening game of the World Series. Orlando Hernandez holds Atlanta to one hit in seven innings for the victory. The Braves' only run comes on a 4th inning homer by Chipper Jones. Scott Brosius has three hits for NY, while Paul O'Neill drives home two runs.

» October 26, 1999: Down 5-1 in Game three of the World Series, the Yankees bounce back to defeat the Braves, 6-5 in 10 innings. OF Chad Curtis' leadoff home run in the bottom half of the inning -- his 2nd of the game -- is the game-winner. Tino Martinez and Chuck Knoblauch also homer for NY, with Knoblauch's 2-run blast in the 8th tying the score at 5-5. Mariano Rivera picks up the win for the Yankees, hurling two scoreless inning of relief.

» July 15, 2000: A 1909 Honus Wagner baseball club is auctioned for a record $1.1 million on eBay. Other high priced items in the auction include a baseball autographed by the entire 1919 Chicago "Black Sox" team, including Shoeless Joe Jackson, as well as the umpires who worked the final game of the 1919 World Series sells for $93,666, including a 15 percent buyer's premium. A ball signed by the 1919 Reds goes for $11,208, while a baseball autographed by Babe Ruth sells for $76,020. A contract from Shoeless Joe Jackson's sale of his Chicago pool hall to teammate Lefty Williams, sells for $36,098. The contract, dated Oct. 6, 1921, is for just $1.

» October 21, 2000: The Yankees defeat the Mets, 4-3 in 12 innings in Game one of the World Series. The longest game in World Series history (4 hours, 51 minutes) is ended on Jose Vizcaino' single which drives home Tino Martinez. It is Vizcaino's 4th hit of the night. The Mets lead, 3-2, going into the 9th, but Armando Benitez surrenders the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Chuck Knoblauch. The victory is the Yankees 13th in a row in Series play for a new record. Todd Pratt of the Mets ties a Series mark by being hit by pitches two times.

» October 22, 2000: The Yankees defeat the Mets, 6-5 behind Roger Clemens, to take a 2-games-to-none lead in the World Series. The Mets score five runs in the 9th inning on home runs by Mike Piazza and Jay Payton to throw a scare into the Bombers. In a bizarre incident, Clemens throws a piece of a shattered bat at Piazza in the 1st inning, with both benches clearing. It is the first meeting between the two players since Clemens beaned Piazza during the regular season. On Tuesday, Clemens will be fined $50,000 for his actions.

» October 24, 2000: The Mets defeat the Yankees, 4-2, behind the pitching of Rick Reed and their bullpen. Benny Agbayani's 8th inning double is the key hit for NY as the cut the Yankees Series lead to 2-games-to-1. Orlando Hernandez fans 12 but loses his 1st postseason game after eight wins. The loss ends the Yankees record streak of 14 consecutive wins in World Series action.

» October 26, 2000: The Yankees defeat the Mets, 4-2, to win their 26th World Series, 4-games-to-1. Luis Sojo's single in the top of the 9th drives home the winning run for NY. Bernie Williams and Derek Jeter homer for the Yankees, and Jeter is named the Series MVP.

» June 16, 2001: Miami defeats Stanford, 12–1, to win the College World Series. It is the Hurricanes 4th national title. Miami's Charlton Jimerson, a 5th round draft pick of the Astros, is named the CWS Most Outstanding Player.

» October 21, 2001: The Diamondbacks defeat the Braves, 3-2, to win the NLCS and reach the World Series for the first time in their history. They get to the Series faster than any expansion team in history, doing so in the 4th year of their existence. Randy Johnson gets the win for Arizona. Erubiel Durazo's pinch-hit 2-run home run is the key blow. Craig Counsell is named the NLCS MVP.

» October 27, 2001: The Diamondbacks pound the Yankees in the opener of the World Series by a score of 9-1 behind Curt Schilling. Schilling hurls seven innings to win his 4th game of the postseason. Craig Counsell and Luis Gonzalez homer for Arizona as Mike Mussina takes the loss.

» October 30, 2001: Roger Clemens and Mariano Rivera hurl the Yankees to a 2-1 victory in Game Three of the World Series. Jorge Posada homers for New York while Scott Brosius' 6th-inning single drives home the winning run. Brian Anderson takes the loss for Arizona.

» November 3, 2001: The Diamondbacks even the Series at three games apiece with a 15-2 win over the Yankees in Game 6. Randy Johnson gets the win for Arizona while Danny Bautista drives in five runs. Arizona knocks out a World Series-record 22 hits, and scores eight runs in the 3rd inning.

» November 4, 2001: The Arizona Diamondbacks win the first World Series of their 4-year existence with a come-from-behind 3-2 win over the Yankees. Alfonso Soriano breaks a 1-1 tie with a home run in the 8th inning to give NY the lead, but Arizona comes back with two runs in the bottom half of the 9th off Mariano Rivera to get the win. Luis Gonzalez drives home the winning run while Randy Johnson gets the win in relief. Johnson and Curt Schilling share the World Series MVP award.

» April 2, 2002: In beating the Padres, 9–0, the Diamondbacks became the first defending World Champions to open the season with back-to-back shutouts since the 1919 Red Sox. The Red Sox shutouts were thrown by Carl Mays and Sad Sam Jones. The last team to start the year with consecutive shutouts was the 1994 Giants. Schilling is the winner today, following Randy Johnson's 2–0 two–hitter yesterday over the Padres. The D'backs get all nine runs off Brian Tollberg, who leaves after two 2/3 innings. Damian Miller has a grand slam. Before the game the Diamondbacks receive their World Series rings: Curt Schilling's son, Gehrig, accepts for him.

» September 29, 2002: The Florida Marlins report their second–largest crowd of the year—28,599—thanks to the purchase of 18,000 tickets by an unnamed fan. Thus the Marlins end the season with an attendance mark of 813,118 just ahead of the Expos reported 812,545. The Marlins reward the fans with a 4–3, 10th-inning win over the Phillies. Luis Castillo, with three stolen bases in the game, scores from 3B on a foul fly. He finishes the year with 48 steal, high in the NL. The Marlins finish below .500 again, and have only finished above .500 in 1997, when they won the World Series. The Phils (80-81) finish below .500 for the 14th time in 16 years.

» October 13, 2002: The Giants defeat the Cardinals, 4–3, to move within one game of the World Series. Benito Santiago's 2–run home run in the 8th inning is the deciding blow. Todd Worrell wins the game in relief for the Giants.

» October 14, 2002: The Giants beat the Cardinals, 2–1, to take the NLCS and move on to the World Series against Anaheim. Kenny Lofton's base hit in the bottom of the 9th scores David Bell with the winning run. Todd Worrell gets the win in relief for SF.

» October 19, 2002: The Giants take the World Series opener with a 4–3 win over the Angels. Barry Bonds, Reggie Sanders, and J.T. Snow homer for SF as Jason Schmidt gets the win. Troy Glaus hits a pair of round–trippers for Anaheim.

» October 24, 2002: The Giants stroke 16 hits in a 16–4 rout of Anaheim in Game five of the World Series. Jeff Kent hits a pair of home runs and drives home four runs for the Giants while Rich Aurilia also hits a round–tripper. Chad Zerbe gets the win in relief.

» October 27, 2002: The Angels win their 1st World Series ever as they defeat the Giants, 4–1, in Game 7. Rookie John Lackey gets the Series–clinching win. Garret Anderson's bases loaded 2B in the 3rd inning scores three runs for Anaheim. Troy Glaus is named Series MVP.