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{{short description|Championship series of Major League Baseball}}
{{about|the annual championship series of Major League Baseball|the most recent edition|2024 World Series|other uses}}
{{redirect|Fall Classic}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox tournament
| name =<!--inherited from page name-->
| image = World Series Trophy (48262268286).jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = [[Commissioner's Trophy (MLB)|Commissioner's Trophy]]
| sport = [[Baseball]]
| month_played = Late October–early November
| established = [[1903 World Series|1903]]
| administrator = [[Major League Baseball]]
| format = [[Best-of-seven series]]
| teams = 2
| most_champs = [[New York Yankees]]<br />(27 titles)
| defending_champs = [[Los Angeles Dodgers]]<br />(8th title)
| broadcast = [[MLB on Fox|Fox]]
| current = [[2024 World Series]]
}}
{{MLB playoffs sidebar}}
The '''World Series''' is the annual championship series of [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB). It has been contested since {{wsy|1903}} between the champion teams of the [[American League]] (AL) and the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL). The winning team, determined through a [[best-of-seven playoff]] (except in 1903 and from 1919–1921, when a best-of-nine format was used), is awarded the [[Commissioner's Trophy (MLB)|Commissioner's Trophy]].<ref>{{cite web|title=World Series trophy profile|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/world-series-trophy-profile/c-155729034|publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]|___location=[[New York City|New York]]|date=October 27, 2015|access-date=August 25, 2019}}</ref>
The series is traditionally played in October, although before expansion of the regular-season schedule from 154 to 162 games the event occasionally started in late September (most recently in {{wsy|1955}}) and the entire {{wsy|1918}} series took place early in that month due to the [[World War I]] [[Selective Service Act of 1917|"Work or Fight" order]] forcing an early end to that year's regular season,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60721539/cutting-down-baseball-season-favors/ |title=Cutting Down Baseball Season Favors Present Club Leaders for Final Honors |newspaper=[[Star-Gazette]] |___location=[[Elmira, New York]] |page=8 |date=August 5, 1918 |access-date=October 8, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> while some more recent editions have been contested into November due to in-season delays and expansion of earlier [[Major League Baseball postseason|postseason]] rounds. Because the series is played in the [[autumn|fall]] or autumn season in North America, it is often referred to as the '''Fall Classic'''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/fallclassicdefin0000ende|url-access=registration|title=The Fall Classic: The Definitive History of the World Series|first=Eric|last=Enders|publisher=Sterling Publishing Company|year=2007|isbn=978-1-4027-4770-0}}, et al.</ref>
Before the AL and NL were split into divisions in 1969, the team with the best regular-season win–loss record in each league won its [[pennant (sports)|pennant]] and advanced to the World Series, barring a tie necessitating a [[pennant playoff]]. Since then each league has conducted a [[League Championship Series]] ([[American League Championship Series|ALCS]] and [[National League Championship Series|NLCS]]) preceding the World Series to determine which teams will advance, while those series have been preceded in turn by [[Division Series]] ([[American League Division Series|ALDS]] and [[National League Division Series|NLDS]]) since 1995, and [[Wild Card Series|Wild Card games or series]] in each league since 2012. Until 2002, [[home-field advantage]] in the World Series alternated from year to year between the AL and NL. From 2003 to 2016, home-field advantage was given to the league that won that year's [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]]. Starting in 2017, home-field advantage was awarded to the league champion team with the better regular-season win–loss record, regardless of that team's seeding in earlier playoff rounds (i.e. a Wild Card team in one league will have home-field advantage over a division winner in the other league if it had a better record or wins the tie-breaking procedure).
The World Series has been contested 120 times through the 2024 season, with the AL team winning 68 times and the NL team 52.
== Precursors to the modern World Series (1857–1902) ==
{{Further|List of pre-World Series baseball champions}}
=== The original World Series ===
Before 1882, when the [[American Association (19th century)|American Association]] was formed as a second major league, the [[National Association of Professional Base Ball Players]] (1871–1875) and then the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (founded 1876) represented the top level of organized baseball in the United States. All championships were awarded to the team with the best record at the end of the season, without a postseason series being played. From 1884 to 1890, the National League and the American Association faced each other in a series of games at the end of the season to determine an overall champion. These series were disorganized in comparison to the modern World Series, with the terms arranged through negotiation of the owners of the championship teams beforehand. The number of games played ranged from as few as three in {{wsy|1884}} (Providence defeated New York three games to zero), to a high of fifteen in {{wsy|1887}} (Detroit beat St. Louis ten games to five). Both the {{wsy|1885}} and {{wsy|1890}} Series ended in ties, each team having won three games with one tie game.<ref name=BR>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/|title=List of World Series at Baseball Reference|work= Baseball Reference.com}}</ref>
The series was promoted and referred to as "The Championship of the United States",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/wsmenu.shtml|title=World Series: A Comprehensive History of the World Series|work=Baseball Almanac| access-date=October 28, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Abrams |first=Roger |title=The First World Series and the Baseball Fanatics of 1903 |publisher=Northeastern |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-55553-561-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/firstworldseries00abra/page/50 50] |url=https://archive.org/details/firstworldseries00abra/page/50 }}</ref> "World's Championship Series", or "World's Series" for short.
In his book ''Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883'', [[Simon Winchester]] mentions in passing that the World Series was named for the ''[[New York World]]'' newspaper,<ref>{{cite book|page=288|access-date=October 29, 2011|isbn=978-0-06-083859-1|title=Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded August 27, 1883|author-link=Simon Winchester|first=Simon|last=Winchester|___location=[[New York City]]|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]|year=2005|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QjFjCGpuIacC}}</ref> but this view is disputed.<ref>{{cite web|last=Barak|first=Tal|access-date=October 31, 2016|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4675711|publisher=[[NPR]]|title=World Series? Wait a Minute ...|date=June 1, 2005}}</ref>
The 19th-century competitions are, however, not officially recognized as part of World Series history by [[Major League Baseball]], as it considers 19th-century baseball to be a prologue to the modern baseball era.<ref>{{cite web|title= World Series Summary|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ws.jsp|publisher=MLB Advanced Media|website=MLB.com|access-date=August 25, 2019}}</ref> As late as approximately 1960, some sources treated the 19th-century Series on an equal basis with the post-19th-century series.<ref>for example, [[Ernest Lanigan]]'s ''Baseball Cyclopedia'' from 1922, and Turkin and Thompson's ''Encyclopedia of Baseball'' series throughout the 1950s.</ref> After about 1930, however, many authorities list the start of the World Series in 1903 and discuss the earlier contests separately.<ref>''[[The Sporting News]] Record Book'', which began publishing in the 1930s, listed only the modern Series, but also included regular-season achievements for all the 19th-century leagues. Also, a paperback from 1961 called ''World Series Encyclopedia'', edited by Don Schiffer, mentioned the 1880s and 1890s Series in the introduction but otherwise left them out of the discussion.</ref>
(For example, the 1929 ''[[World Almanac and Book of Facts]]'' lists "Baseball World's Championships 1884–1928" in a single table,<ref>page 776 of the facsimile edition, published by the American Heritage Press and [[Workman Publishing]], 1971, {{ISBN|0-07-071881-4}}</ref> but the 1943 edition lists "Baseball World's Championships 1903–1942".<ref>page 677. The ''World Almanac'' has also long since modified that list's heading to read simply "World Series Results".</ref>)
=== 1892–1900: "The Monopoly Years" ===
Following the collapse of the [[American Association (19th century)|American Association]] after the 1891 season, the National League was again the only major league. The league championship was awarded in 1892 by a playoff between [[split season]] champions. This scheme was abandoned after one season.<ref>Abrams, pages 50 and 51</ref> Beginning in 1893—and continuing until divisional play was introduced in 1969—the pennant was awarded to the first-place club in the standings at the end of the season. For four seasons, 1894–1897, the league champions played the runners-up in the postseason championship series called the [[Temple Cup]].<ref>[https://baseballbiography.com/temple-cup Temple Cup] - Baseball Biography</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1897/11/13/117907622.pdf|title=BASEBALL LEGISLATION. – The National League Abolishes the Temple Cup Series – New Rule as to Drafting Players|newspaper=New York Times |date=November 13, 1897 |access-date=October 31, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308120643/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1897/11/13/117907622.pdf |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> A second attempt at this format was the [[Chronicle-Telegraph Cup|''Chronicle-Telegraph'' Cup]] series, which was played only once, in 1900.<ref>Abrams, pages 51</ref>
In 1901, the [[American League]] was formed as a second major league.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Baseball - League Formation {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/sports/baseball/League-formation |access-date=January 31, 2024 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> No championship series were played in 1901 or 1902 as the National and American Leagues fought each other for business supremacy (in 1902, the top teams instead opted to [[National Football League (1902)|compete in a ''football'' championship]]).
== Modern World Series (1903–present) ==
{{Further|List of World Series champions}}
<!-- [[File:1903 world series crowd.jpg|thumb|right|Crowd outside [[Huntington Avenue Grounds]] before a game during the 1903 World Series]] -->
=== First attempt ===
[[File:WorldSeries1903-640.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|An overflow crowd at the [[Huntington Avenue Grounds]] in Boston prior to Game 3 of the [[1903 World Series]]]]
After two years of bitter competition and player raiding, the National and American Leagues made peace and, as part of the accord, several pairs of teams squared off for interleague exhibition games following the 1903 season. These series were arranged by the participating clubs, as the 1880s World's Series matches had been. One of them, a [[best-of-nine]] affair matching that year's pennant winners – the [[1903 Pittsburgh Pirates season|Pittsburgh Pirates]] of the NL and [[1903 Boston Americans season|Boston Americans]] (later known as the [[Boston Red Sox|Red Sox]]) of the AL – has come to be regarded as the [[1903 World Series]]. It had been arranged well in advance by the two club owners, as both teams were league leaders by large margins.<ref>Abrams, pages 52–54</ref>
Boston upset Pittsburgh by five games to three, winning with pitching depth behind [[Cy Young]] and [[Bill Dinneen]] and with the support of the band of [[Royal Rooters]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/895365-remembering-the-first-word-series-boston-americans-versus-pittsburgh-pirates|title=Remembering the First World Series: Boston Americans vs. Pittsburgh Pirates|last=Frommer|first=Harvey|publisher=Bleacher Report, Inc.|date=October 17, 2011|website=BleacherReport.com|accessdate=June 1, 2024}}</ref>
=== Boycott of 1904 ===
The [[1904 World Series|1904 Series]], if it had been held, would have been between the AL's [[1904 Boston Americans season|Boston Americans]] (Boston Red Sox) and the NL's [[1904 New York Giants season|New York Giants]] (now the [[San Francisco Giants]]). At that point there was no governing body for the World Series nor any requirement that a Series be played.<ref name="NYTimes-1904">{{cite news |last=Sandomir |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Sandomir |date=September 11, 1994 |title=The Series That Never Was; 90 Years Ago, the Event Was Canceled Because of an Owners' Feud |at=sec. 8, p. 8 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/11/sports/series-that-never-was-90-years-ago-event-was-canceled-because-owners-feud.html |work=The New York Times |accessdate=January 14, 2024}}</ref> Thus the Giants' owner [[John T. Brush]] refused to allow his team to participate in such an event, citing the "inferiority" of the upstart American League. [[John McGraw]], the Giants' manager, even went so far as to say that his Giants were already "world champions" since they were the champions of the "only real major league".<ref name="1904_WS">{{cite news|url=https://www.courant.com/1994/09/18/with-cap-it-comes-to-a-head-2/|title=With Cap, it Comes to a Head|newspaper=Hartord Courant|date=September 18, 1994|accessdate=June 1, 2024}}</ref>
At the time of the announcement, their new cross-town rivals, the [[1904 New York Highlanders season|New York Highlanders]] (now the [[New York Yankees]]), were leading the AL, and the prospect of facing the Highlanders did not please Giants management. Boston won on the last day of the season, and the leagues had previously agreed to hold a World's Championship Series in 1904, but it was not binding, and Brush stuck to his original decision. In addition to political reasons, Brush also cited a number of legitimate grievances, including the lack of rules under which revenue would be split, where games would be played, and how they would be operated and staffed.<ref name="1904_WS"/>
===Emergence of formal Series rules===
[[File:Christy Mathewson, pitcher, New York Giants, ca. 1910.jpg|thumb|upright=0.65|[[Christy Mathewson]] threw 3 complete-game shutouts in the 1905 World Series.]]
During the winter of 1904–1905, however, feeling the sting of press criticism, Brush had a change of heart and proposed what came to be known as the "Brush Rules", under which the series were played subsequently. One rule was that player shares would come from a portion of the gate receipts for the first four games only. This was to discourage teams from [[match fixing|fixing]] early games in order to prolong the series and make more money. Receipts for later games was split among the two clubs and the National Commission, the governing body for the sport, which was able to cover much of its annual operating expense from World Series revenue. Most importantly, the now-official and compulsory World Series matches were operated strictly by the National Commission itself, not by the participating clubs.
With the new rules in place and the National Commission in control, McGraw's [[1905 New York Giants season|Giants]] made it to the [[1905 World Series|1905 Series]] and beat the [[1905 Philadelphia Athletics season|Philadelphia Athletics]] four games to one. Since then the Series has been held every year except 1994, when it was canceled due to a [[1994–95 Major League Baseball strike|players' strike]]. The name of the event, initially known as the World's Championship Series, was gradually shortened in common usage to "World's Series" and, by the 1930s, to "World Series".
The list of postseason rules evolved over time. From [[1919 World Series|1919]] to [[1921 World Series|1921]], the best-of-nine format first used in 1903 was employed. In [[1925 World Series|1925]], Brooklyn owner [[Charles Ebbets]] persuaded others to adopt as a permanent rule the 2–3–2 home game pattern first used in [[1924 World Series|1924]]. Previously, the pattern had been to alternate by game or to make another arrangement convenient to both clubs. The 2–3–2 pattern has been used ever since save for the [[1943 World Series|1943]] and [[1945 World Series]], which followed a 3–4 pattern due to World War II travel restrictions; in [[1944 World Series|1944]], the normal pattern was followed because both teams were based in the same home ballpark.
=== 1919 Black Sox Scandal ===
{{Main|Black Sox Scandal}}
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2016}}
Gambling and game-fixing had been a problem in professional baseball from the beginning; star pitcher [[Jim Devlin]] was banned for life in 1877 when the National League was just two years old. Baseball's gambling problems came to a head in 1919, when eight players of the [[1919 Chicago White Sox season|Chicago White Sox]] were alleged to have conspired to throw the [[1919 World Series]].
The [[1917 Chicago White Sox season|Sox]] had won the Series in [[1917 World Series|1917]] and were heavy favorites to beat the [[1919 Cincinnati Reds season|Cincinnati Reds]] in 1919, but first baseman [[Chick Gandil]] had other plans. Gandil, in collaboration with gambler Joseph "Sport" Sullivan, approached his teammates and got six of them to agree to throw the Series: starting pitchers [[Eddie Cicotte]] and [[Lefty Williams]], shortstop [[Swede Risberg]], left fielder [[Shoeless Joe Jackson]], center fielder [[Happy Felsch]], and utility infielder [[Fred McMullin]]. Third baseman [[Buck Weaver]] knew of the fix but declined to participate, hitting .324 for the series from 11 hits and committing no errors in the field.
The Sox, who were promised $100,000 for cooperating, proceeded to lose the [[best-of-nine series]] in eight games, pitching poorly, hitting poorly and making many errors. Though he took the money, Jackson insisted to his death that he played to the best of his ability in the series (he was the best hitter in the series, including having hit the series' only home run, but had markedly worse numbers in the games the White Sox lost).
[[File:1919 Chicago White Sox.jpg|thumb|The 1919 Chicago White Sox team photo]]
During the Series, writer and humorist [[Ring Lardner]] had facetiously called the event the "World's Serious". The Series turned out to indeed have serious consequences for the sport. After rumors circulated for nearly a year, the players were suspended in September 1920. The "[[Black Sox Scandal|Black Sox]]" were eventually acquitted in a criminal conspiracy trial.
Meanwhile, to deal with the fallout from the scandal baseball owners had agreed to reform the discredited National Commission. However, when they offered esteemed federal judge [[Kenesaw Mountain Landis]] a role on the reformed Commission, he quickly made clear he would only accept an appointment as the ''sole'' [[Commissioner of Baseball]] with virtually unchecked authority over the game. The owners agreed. Immediately after and notwithstanding the acquittals, Landis banned all of the players involved (including Weaver) for life. The White Sox would not win a World Series again until [[2005 World Series|2005]].
The events of the 1919 Series, segueing into the [[Live-ball era|"live ball" era]], marked a point in time of change of the fortunes of several teams. The two most prolific World Series winners to date, the [[New York Yankees]] and the [[St. Louis Cardinals]], did not win their first championship until the 1920s; and three of the teams that were highly successful prior to 1920 (the [[Boston Red Sox]], Chicago White Sox and the [[Chicago Cubs]]) went the rest of the 20th century without another World Series win. The Red Sox and White Sox finally won again in 2004 and 2005, respectively. The Cubs had to wait over a century (until the 2016 season) for their next trophy. They did not appear in the World Series from 1945 until 2016, the longest drought of any MLB club.
=== New York Yankees dynasty (1920–1964) ===
[[File:Bill Mazeroski - Pittsburgh Pirates - 1966.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|[[Bill Mazeroski]] hit a dramatic ninth-inning walk-off home run that decided the 1960 World Series]]
The New York Yankees purchased [[Babe Ruth]]'s contract from the Boston Red Sox after the 1919 season, appeared in their first [[1921 World Series|World Series]] two years later in [[1921 New York Yankees season|1921]], and became frequent participants thereafter. The 1921 World Series was the first to be broadcast on radio.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.greensboro.com/life/this-day-in-history/article_59a1d351-6031-59c9-91db-124df89473ab.html|title=This day in history|work=[[Greensboro News and Record]]|date=October 5, 2019|access-date=October 17, 2019}}</ref> Over a period of 45 years from 1920 to 1964, the Yankees played in 29 World Series championships, winning 20. The team's dynasty reached its apex between 1949 and 1964 when the Yankees reached the World Series 14 times in 16 years, helped by an [[arnold Johnson (industrialist)|agreement]] with the [[Kansas City Athletics]], after that team moved from Philadelphia during 1954–1955 offseason, whereby the teams made several deals advantageous to the Yankees, until ended by new Athletics' owner Charles O. Finley.
During that span, the Yankees played in all World Series except [[1954 World Series|1954]] and [[1959 World Series|1959]], winning nine of them. From 1949 to 1953, the Yankees won the World Series five years in a row; from 1936 to 1939 the Yankees won four World Series Championships in a row. There are only two other occasions when a team has won at least three consecutive World Series: 1972 to 1974 by the [[Oakland Athletics]], and 1998 to 2000 by the Yankees.
==== 1947–1964: New York City teams dominate World Series play ====
In an 18-year span from 1947 to 1964, except for 1948 and 1959, the World Series was played in New York City, featuring at least one of the three teams located in New York at the time. The Dodgers and Giants moved to California after the 1957 season, leaving the Yankees as the lone team in the city until the Mets were enfranchised in 1962. In 1947, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, and 1956, both teams in the World Series were from New York, with the Yankees playing against either the Dodgers or Giants.
===1958: The Dodgers and Giants move west===
[[File:LA Coliseum 1959 World Series.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.10|1959 World Series action at the [[Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum]]]]
In 1958, the [[History of the Brooklyn Dodgers|Brooklyn Dodgers]] and [[History of the New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] took their long-time rivalry to the west coast, [[Major League Baseball relocation of 1950s–1960s#The exit of the National League from New York City|moving]] to [[Los Angeles]] and [[San Francisco]], respectively, bringing Major League Baseball west of [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]] and [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]].
The Dodgers were the first of the two clubs to contest a World Series on the west coast, defeating the [[1959 Chicago White Sox season|Chicago White Sox]] in [[1959 World Series|1959]]. The [[1962 San Francisco Giants season|1962 Giants]] made the first California World Series appearance of that franchise, losing to the Yankees. The Dodgers made three World Series appearances in the 1960s: a 1963 win over the [[1963 New York Yankees season|Yankees]], a 1965 win over the [[1965 Minnesota Twins season|Minnesota Twins]] and a 1966 loss to the [[1966 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles]].
=== 1969: League Championship Series ===
[[File:1968 World Series program and tickets.jpg|thumb|upright|1968 World Series program and tickets for Games 4 and 5 at [[Tiger Stadium (Detroit)|Tiger Stadium]]]]
Prior to 1969, the National League and the American League each crowned its champion (the "pennant winner") based on the best win–loss record at the end of the regular season.
A structured playoff series began in 1969 when both the National and American Leagues were reorganized into two divisions each, East and West. The two division winners within each league played each other in a best-of-five [[League Championship Series]] to determine who would advance to the World Series. In 1985, the format changed to best-of-seven.
The [[National League Championship Series]] (NLCS) and [[American League Championship Series]] (ALCS), since the expansion to best-of-seven, are always played in a 2–3–2 format: Games 1, 2, 6, and 7 are played in the stadium of the team that has home-field advantage, and Games 3, 4, and 5 are played in the stadium of the team that does not.
=== 1970s ===
==== 1971: World Series at night ====
[[Night game]]s were played in the major leagues beginning with the [[1935 Cincinnati Reds season|Cincinnati Reds]] in 1935, but the World Series remained a strictly daytime event for years thereafter. In the fifth and final game of the [[1949 World Series]], a Series game was finished under the lights for the first time due to encroaching darkness in the ninth inning. The first scheduled night World Series game was Game 4 of the [[1971 World Series]] at [[Three Rivers Stadium]].<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Sporting News]] |url=http://tsn.sportingnews.com/baseball/ballparks/threerivers.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420042211/http://tsn.sportingnews.com/baseball/ballparks/threerivers.html |archive-date=April 20, 2008 |url-status=dead |access-date=October 29, 2011 |title=FIVE GREAT MOMENTS AT THREE RIVERS STADIUM |year=2000 |quote=The first night game in World Series history was a thrilling one for Pittsburgh fans.}}</ref>
Afterward, World Series games were frequently scheduled at night, when television audiences were larger. Game 6 of the [[1987 World Series]] was the last World Series game played in the daytime,<ref>{{cite news |title=World Series: Turn back clock on baseball |url=http://newsok.com/world-series-turn-back-clock-on-baseball/article/3361549 <!-- |author-link=Berry Tramel --> |first=Berry |last=Tramel |newspaper=[[The Oklahoman]] |date=April 15, 2009 |access-date=October 29, 2011}}</ref> indoors at the [[Metrodome]] in Minnesota. The last World Series played outdoors during the day was the final game of the [[1984 World Series|1984 series]] in Detroit's [[Tiger Stadium (Detroit)|Tiger Stadium]]. The start time of this game (Game 5) was 4:45 PM, making it the last outdoor World Series game to be started during daylight hours, but the game concluded after sunset and the final innings were technically played at night. The last World Series game to be played outdoors entirely during daylight hours was the previous day's game, Game 4, which started at 1:45 PM.
==== 1972–1978: Threepeat, repeats, and Fisk's home run ====
[[File:Carlton Fisk 1976.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|[[Carlton Fisk]], best known for his "waving fair" home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series]]
During this seven-year period, only three teams won the World Series: the [[Oakland Athletics]] from 1972 to 1974, [[Cincinnati Reds]] in 1975 and 1976, and [[New York Yankees]] in 1977 and 1978. This is the only time in World Series history in which three teams have won consecutive series in succession. This period was book-ended by World Championships for the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]], in 1971 and 1979, who defeated the [[Baltimore Orioles]] both times.
The less successful side during this era also featured repeats. The Orioles themselves made multiple World Series appearances, including three consecutive: 1969, losing to the "amazing" seven-year-old franchise [[New York Mets]], 1970, beating the Reds in their first World Series appearance of the decade, and their 1971 and 1979 defeats by Pittsburgh. The [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] lost to Oakland in 1974, and made back-to-back World Series appearances in 1977 and 1978, both losses to the Yankees.
Game 6 of the [[1975 World Series]] is regarded by most as one of the greatest World Series games ever played. It found the [[Boston Red Sox]] winning in the 12th inning in [[Fenway Park]], defeating the Cincinnati Reds to force a seventh and deciding game. The game is best remembered for its exciting lead changes, nail-biting turns of events, and a game-winning [[walk-off home run]] by [[Carlton Fisk]], resulting in a 7–6 Red Sox victory.
==== 1976: The designated hitter comes to the World Series ====
[[File:Reggie Jackson - New York Yankees.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|[[Reggie Jackson]] earned the nickname "Mr. October" by hitting three consecutive home runs on three consecutive pitches from three different pitchers in the clinching game six of the 1977 World Series]]
The National and American Leagues operated under essentially identical rules until 1973, when the American League adopted the [[designated hitter]] (DH) rule, allowing its teams to use another hitter to bat in place of the (usually) weak-hitting pitcher. The National League did not adopt the DH rule. This presented a problem for the World Series, whose two contestants would now be playing their regular-season games under different rules. From 1973 to 1975, the World Series did not include a DH.
Starting in 1976, the DH rule was used in the World Series held in even-numbered years. The [[Cincinnati Reds]] swept the 1976 Series in four games, using the same nine-man lineup in each contest. [[Dan Driessen]] was the Reds' DH during the series, thereby becoming the National League's first designated hitter. From 1986 to 2019, and in 2021, the DH was used only in World Series games played at American League parks, and pitchers were required to bat in games played at National League parks. In 2020, and starting in 2022, the DH rule was used in all World Series games, regardless of home team.
=== 1980s ===
==== 1984: Anderson becomes first to win in both leagues ====
The [[1984 Detroit Tigers season|1984 Detroit Tigers]] gained distinction as just the third team in major league history (after the 1927 New York Yankees and 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers) to lead a season wire-to-wire, from opening day through their World Series victory.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/det/history/bless_you_boys.jsp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070211071914/http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/det/history/bless_you_boys.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 11, 2007 |title="Bless You Boys: A Celebration of the '84 Tigers" at mlb.com |publisher=Detroit.tigers.mlb.com |access-date=October 31, 2013}}</ref> In the process, Tigers skipper [[Sparky Anderson]] became the first manager to win a World Series title in both leagues, having previously won in 1975 and 1976 with the [[Cincinnati Reds]].
==== 1985: Umpiring controversy ====
The [[1985 Kansas City Royals season|1985 Kansas City Royals]] won the series four games to three over the St. Louis Cardinals. The key turning point of the series was a Kansas City win in Game Six aided by a controversial call by [[Don Denkinger]] at first base. Kansas City later won Game Seven 11–0 to take the series.
==== 1986: Mets Game 6 comeback ====
The series is best remembered for its Game 6, which saw the Mets rally from a two-run deficit in the bottom of the 10th inning, despite having two outs and no one on base. The Red Sox, who held a 3–2 series lead, were twice one strike away from securing the championship, but failed to close out the inning as the Mets tie on a Bob Stanley wild pitch & win off an error by Boston first baseman Bill Buckner. Due to the Mets claiming the series in Game 7, the Game 6 collapse entered baseball lore as part of the Curse of the Bambino superstition used to explain the Red Sox's championship drought after the 1918 World Series.
==== 1987: Twins First World Series champion to win every home game ====
The 1987 Minnesota Twins became the first team in the history of the World Series to win the championship by winning all 4 games they hosted when they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals. They repeated this 4 years later in 1991 when they defeated the Atlanta Braves.
==== 1988: Kirk Gibson's home run ====
[[File:President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan with Tommy Lasorda.jpg|thumb|right|President [[Ronald Reagan]] with the 1988 World Series champions: Los Angeles Dodgers]]
The [[1988 World Series]] is remembered for the iconic home run by the Los Angeles Dodgers' [[Kirk Gibson]] with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1. The Dodgers were huge underdogs against the 104-win Oakland Athletics, who had swept the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS. Baseball's top relief pitcher, [[Dennis Eckersley]], closed out all four games in the ALCS, and he appeared ready to do the same in Game 1 against a Dodgers team trailing 4–3 in the ninth.
After getting the first two outs, Eckersley walked [[Mike Davis (baseball)|Mike Davis]] of the Dodgers, who were playing without Gibson, their best position player and the NL MVP. Gibson had injured himself in the NLCS and was expected to miss the entire World Series. Yet, despite not being able to walk without a noticeable limp, Gibson surprised all in attendance at Dodger Stadium (and all watching on TV) by pinch-hitting. After two quick strikes and then working the count full, Gibson hit a home run to right, inspiring iconic pronouncements by two legendary broadcasters calling the game, [[Vin Scully]] (on TV) and [[Jack Buck]] (on radio).
On NBC, after Gibson limped around the bases, Scully famously exclaimed, "The impossible has happened!" and on radio, Buck equally famously exclaimed, "I don't believe what I just saw!" Gibson's home run set the tone for the series, as the Dodgers went on to beat the A's 4 games to 1. The severity of Gibson's injury prevented him from playing in any of the remaining games.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24974235/mlb-kirk-gibson-world-series-home-run-30-years-later|title='It's a good story': Inside Kirk Gibson's epic 1988 World Series HR|last=Markazi|first=Arash|publisher=ESPN Enterprises Inc.|date=October 18, 2018|website=ESPN.com|accessdate=June 1, 2024}}</ref>
==== 1989: Earthquake ====
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2016}}
When the [[1989 World Series]] began, it was notable chiefly for being the first-ever World Series matchup between the two [[San Francisco Bay Area]] teams, the [[1989 San Francisco Giants season|San Francisco Giants]] and [[1989 Oakland Athletics season|Oakland Athletics]]. Oakland won the first two games at home, and the two teams crossed the bridge to San Francisco to play Game 3 on Tuesday, October 17. [[Major League Baseball on ABC|ABC]]'s broadcast of Game 3 began at 5 pm local time, approximately 30 minutes before the first pitch was scheduled. At 5:04, while broadcasters [[Al Michaels]] and [[Tim McCarver]] were narrating highlights and the teams were warming up, the [[Loma Prieta earthquake]] occurred (having a surface-wave magnitude of 7.1 with an epicenter {{convert|10|mi|km|spell=in}} northeast of Santa Cruz, California).
The earthquake caused substantial property and economic damage in the Bay Area and killed 63 people. Television viewers saw the video signal deteriorate and heard Michaels say "I'll tell you what, we're having an earth--" before the feed from [[Candlestick Park]] was lost. Fans filing into the stadium saw Candlestick sway visibly during the quake. Television coverage later resumed, using backup generators, with Michaels becoming a news reporter on the unfolding disaster. Approximately 30 minutes after the earthquake, Commissioner [[Fay Vincent]] ordered the game to be postponed. Fans, workers, and the teams evacuated a blacked-out (although still sunlit) Candlestick. Game 3 was finally played on October 27, and Oakland won that day and the next to complete a four-game sweep.
=== 1990s ===
==== 1991: "The Greatest of All Time" ====
[[File:Kirby Puckett 1987.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|In Game 6 of the 1991 World Series, [[Kirby Puckett]] made a memorable leaping catch in left field to rob an extra-base hit. In the bottom of the 11th inning, Puckett hit a game-winning home run to send the Series to Game 7]]
The [[1991 World Series]] saw the Minnesota Twins defeating the Atlanta Braves four games to three to win the championship. ESPN selected it as the "Greatest of All Time" in their "World Series 100th Anniversary" countdown, with five of its games being decided by a single run, four games decided in the final at-bat and three games going into extra innings. The series was also notable for both participants having finished last in their divisions the year prior; no last place team before had ever finished first, let alone reached the World Series, the following year.
The series-deciding seventh game was a scoreless tie (0–0) through the regular nine innings, and went into extra innings; Minnesota won by a score of 1–0 in the 10th inning, after their starting pitcher, [[Jack Morris]], pitched a complete 10 inning shutout 7th game. (Morris was named Most Valuable Player for the Series.)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Twins win Game 7 of the 1991 World Series 1-0|url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/jack-morris-wins-game-7|access-date=November 21, 2020|website=Baseball Hall of Fame|language=en}}</ref>
With 69 innings in total, the 1991 World Series shares the record for longest seven-game World Series ever, in terms of innings, with the [[1924 World Series]] which was won by the [[Washington Senators (1901-1960)|Washington Senators]], who would then become the Minnesota Twins.
==== 1992–1993: The World Series enters Canada ====
[[File:Blue Jays Win the 1993 World Series.jpg|thumb|right|Fireworks in [[SkyDome]] after [[Joe Carter]]'s 1993 World Series-winning home run]]
World Series games were contested outside of the United States for the first time in [[1992 World Series|1992]], with the [[1992 Toronto Blue Jays season|Toronto Blue Jays]] defeating the [[1992 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]] in six games. The World Series returned to Canada in [[1993 World Series|1993]], with the [[1993 Toronto Blue Jays|Blue Jays]] victorious again, this time against the [[1993 Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies]] in six games. No other Series has featured a team from outside of the United States. Toronto is the only expansion team to win successive World Series titles.
The 1993 World Series was also notable for being only the second championship concluded by a [[walk-off home run]] and the first concluded by a come-from-behind homer, after [[Joe Carter]]'s three-run shot in the bottom of the ninth inning sealed an 8–6 Toronto win in Game 6. Blue Jays radio announcer [[Tom Cheek]]'s exclamation of "Touch 'em all, Joe! You'll never hit a bigger home run in your life!" as Carter rounded the bases remains one of the most famous calls in baseball history. The first Series to end with a homer was the [[1960 World Series]], when [[Bill Mazeroski]] hit a ninth-inning solo shot in Game 7 to win the championship for the [[1960 Pittsburgh Pirates season|Pittsburgh Pirates]] over the [[1960 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]].
==== 1994: League Division Series ====
In 1994, each league was restructured into three divisions, with the three division winners and the newly introduced wild card winner advancing to a best-of-five playoff round (the "[[Division Series|division series]]"), the [[National League Division Series]] (NLDS) and [[American League Division Series]] (ALDS). The team with the best league record is matched against the wild card team unless they are in the same division, in which case, the team with the second-best record plays against the wild card winner.
The remaining two division winners are pitted against each other. The winners of the series in the first round advance to the best-of-seven NLCS and ALCS. Due to a players' strike, however, the NLDS and ALDS were not played until 1995. Beginning in 1998, home-field advantage was given to the team with the better regular-season record, with the exception that the Wild Card team cannot get home-field advantage.
==== 1994–1995 strike ====
{{Main|1994–95 Major League Baseball strike}}
After the boycott of [[1904 World Series|1904]], the World Series was played every year until 1994 despite [[World War I]], the [[1918 flu pandemic|global influenza pandemic of 1918–1919]], the [[Great Depression]] of the 1930s, America's involvement in [[World War II]], and even an [[1989 Loma Prieta earthquake|earthquake]] in the host cities of the [[1989 World Series]]. A breakdown in collective bargaining led to a strike in August 1994 and the eventual cancellation of the rest of the season, including the playoffs.
As the labor talks began, baseball franchise owners demanded a [[salary cap]] in order to limit payrolls (while tying revenue-sharing to it), the elimination of [[salary arbitration]], and other various demands, which would have included using replacement players to cross picket lines.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2014/08/12/1994-strike-bud-selig-orel-hershiser|title = Why the 1994 MLB strike is still helping baseball today| newspaper=Sports Illustrated }}</ref> The [[Major League Baseball Players Association]] (MLBPA) refused to agree to limit payrolls, noting that the responsibility for high payrolls lay with those owners who were voluntarily offering contracts while working with a de facto [[Baseball Commissioner|commissioner]] in [[Bud Selig]] (who was the chairman of the Executive Council for the league), who had replaced [[Fay Vincent]] when he was forced out in 1992 (Selig did not become a full-time commissioner until 1998).
The previous collective bargaining agreement expired on December 31, 1993, and baseball began the 1994 season without a new agreement. Owners and players negotiated as the season progressed, but owners refused to give up the idea of a salary cap and players refused to accept one. On August 12, 1994, the players went on strike. After a month passed with no progress in the labor talks, Selig canceled the rest of the 1994 season and the postseason on September 14. The [[1994 World Series|World Series]] was not played for the first time in 90 years. The [[Montreal Expos]], now the [[Washington Nationals]], were the best team in baseball at the time of the stoppage, with a record of 74–40.
The labor dispute lasted into the spring of 1995, with owners beginning [[spring training]] with replacement players. However, the MLBPA returned to work on April 2, 1995, after a federal judge, [[Sonia Sotomayor]], ruled that the owners had engaged in unfair labor practices.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2009/05/26/sotomayor|title=Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor well known in sports world|website=SI.com|date=May 26, 2009 |language=en|access-date=October 16, 2019}}</ref> The season started on April 25 and the [[1995 World Series]] was played as scheduled, with the [[1995 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]] beating [[1995 Cleveland Indians season|Cleveland Indians]] four games to two.
=== 2000s ===
==== Early 2000s ====
[[File:911 President George W. Bush at World Series, 10302001..jpg|thumb|right| Yankee shortstop [[Derek Jeter]], here pictured with President [[George W. Bush]] before game three of the [[2001 World Series]], became the first player to hit a [[walk-off home run]] in November.]]
The [[2000 New York Yankees season|2000 New York Yankees]] faced the Mets in the first World Series played entirely in New York since 1956. The Yankees defeated the Mets four games to one to win their 26th World Series Championship. Shortstop Derek Jeter won the World Series' Most Valuable Player award after winning the Most Valuable Player award in the All-Star Game in the same year.
The [[2001 World Series]] was the first World Series to end in November, due to the week-long delay in the regular season after the [[September 11 attacks]]. Game 4 had begun on October 31 but went into extra innings and ended early on the morning of November 1, the first time the Series had been played in November. Yankee shortstop [[Derek Jeter]] won the game with a 10th inning [[walk-off home run]] and was dubbed "Mr. November" by elements of the media<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2021/10/30/michael-kay-dubbed-derek-jeter-mr-november-20-years-ago-today/|title = Derek Jeter became 'Mr. November' 20 years ago with help from iconic call|date = October 30, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/derek-jeter-s-top-moment-was-mr-november|title = 'Mr. November' was Jeter's defining moment|website = [[MLB.com]]}}</ref> echoing the media's designation of [[Reggie Jackson]] as "Mr. October" for his slugging achievements during the [[1977 World Series]].
The [[Boston Red Sox]] broke their 86-year drought, known as the [[Curse of the Bambino]], defeating the Yankees in the [[2004 ALCS]] after losing the first three games, and then sweeping the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] in the [[2004 World Series]]. The [[Chicago White Sox]] broke their 88-year drought, known as the [[Curse of the Black Sox]], with their sweep of the [[Houston Astros]] in the [[2005 World Series]]. The White Sox dominated the [[2005 Major League Baseball postseason]] going 11-1, tied with the 1999 New York Yankees playoff run. In the ALCS, the White Sox starting rotation threw 4 straight complete games against the [[Los Angeles Angels]], which is the only time this has been accomplished in ALCS history. With the [[2006 World Series]] victory by the Cardinals, Tony La Russa became the second manager to win a World Series in both the American and National Leagues. Other notable World Series victories of the decade include the [[Arizona Diamondbacks]], in only their fourth season of play, over the Yankees in 2001, The [[Los Angeles Angels|Anaheim Angels]] in [[2002 World Series|2002]], and the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] in [[2008 World Series|2008]].
==== All-Star Game and home-field advantage (2003–present) ====
Prior to 2003, [[Major League Baseball postseason#Home-field advantage|home-field advantage]] in the World Series alternated from year to year between the NL and AL. After the [[2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game]] ended in a tie, MLB decided to award home-field advantage in the World Series to the winner of the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]]. Originally implemented as a two-year trial from 2003 to 2004, the practice was extended.
The American League had won every All-Star Game since this change until 2010 and thus enjoyed home-field advantage from 2002, when it also had home-field advantage based on the alternating schedule, through 2009. From 2003 to 2010, the AL and NL had each won the World Series four times, but none of them had gone the full seven games. Since then, the [[2011 World Series|2011]], [[2014 World Series|2014]], [[2016 World Series|2016]], [[2017 World Series|2017]], and [[2019 World Series]] have gone the full seven games.
[[File:October 22, 2008 World Series Game 1.jpg|thumb|right|Game 1 of the 2008 World Series between the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] (NL) and [[Tampa Bay Rays]] (AL) at [[Tropicana Field]]]]
This rule was subject to debate, with various writers feeling that home-field advantage should be decided based on the regular season records of the participants, not on an exhibition game played several months earlier.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/10/when-will-we-end-the-charade-of-the-all-star-game-deciding-world-series-home-field-advantage|title=When will we end the charade of the All-Star game deciding World Series home-field advantage?|first=Nate|last=Scott|work=USA Today|date=October 13, 2013|access-date=July 13, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/allstar12/story/_/id/8145449/the-all-star-game-now-counted-10-years-not-everyone-happy-mlb | first=Jerry | last=Crasnick | title=Should the All-Star Game 'count'? | date=July 10, 2012 | access-date=July 13, 2014}}</ref> Some writers especially questioned the integrity of this rule after the [[2014 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|2014 All-Star Game]], when [[St. Louis Cardinals]] pitcher [[Adam Wainwright]] suggested that he intentionally gave [[Derek Jeter]] some easy pitches to hit in the [[New York Yankees]]' shortstop's final All-Star appearance before he retired at the end of that season.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/allstar14/story/_/id/11221559/did-wainwright-groove-pitches-jeter | first=Jerry | last=Crasnick |title=Did Wainwright let up on Jeter? | publisher=ESPN | date=July 16, 2014 | access-date=October 28, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2014-07-15/mlb-all-star-game-2014-adam-wainwright-admits-groove-pitch-derek-jete | title=Adam Wainwright admits, then denies he served fat pitch to Jeter | first=Troy | last=Machir | publisher=Sporting News | date=July 16, 2014 | access-date=October 28, 2014}}</ref>
As [[Bob Ryan]] of ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' wrote in July 2015 about the rule:
{{blockquote|So now we have a game that's not real baseball determining which league hosts Games 1, 2, 6, and 7 in the World Series. It's not a game if pitchers throw one inning. It's not a game if managers try to get everyone on a bloated roster into the game. It's not a game if every franchise, no matter how wretched, has to put a player on the team ... If the game is going to count, tell the managers to channel their inner [[Connie Mack]] and go for it.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/07/04/whatever-happened-all-star-game/RYSZBLSOB15D5LpZIGdhMM/story.html | title=Whatever happened to the All-Star Game? | first=Bob | last=Ryan | work=[[The Boston Globe]] | date=July 5, 2015 | access-date=July 6, 2015}}</ref>
}}
However, in nine of the past eleven seasons, home-field advantage has not decided World Series games: Between 2014 and 2022, and again since 2023, the home team did not win the deciding game of a World Series on their own home field, although the [[2020 World Series|2020 edition]], played on a neutral site due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], was won by the designated home team (in this case the team that batted second), the [[2020 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]], so technically speaking it was the first Series won by the home team since 2013. The [[2022 World Series|2022 edition]] was won in 6 games by the eventual designated home team, the [[2022 Houston Astros|Houston Astros]], making them the first such team since 2013 to actually win the deciding game of a World Series on their own home field, in this case [[Minute Maid Park]]. The following year, the [[2023 Texas Rangers|Texas Rangers]] won the [[2023 World Series|2023 Series]] on the road, at [[Chase Field]], home of the opponents, the [[Arizona Diamondbacks]], who would have home-field advantage for the deciding game of the 2023 Series. The following year the [[2024 Los Angeles Dodgers|Los Angeles Dodgers]] won the [[2024 World Series|2024 Series]] on the road in [[Yankee Stadium]], home of opponents the [[2024 New York Yankees|New York Yankees]], who had home-field advantage for the deciding game of their 2024 series.
=== 2010s ===
[[File:David Freese interview.jpg|thumb|right|In 2011, [[David Freese]] hit a game-tying two-run triple (with two outs) to send it into extra innings. In the bottom of the 11th, Freese led off with a game-winning home run to send the Series to Game 7]]
The [[San Francisco Giants]] won the World Series in [[2010 World Series|2010]], [[2012 World Series|2012]], and [[2014 World Series|2014]] while failing to qualify to play in the postseason in the intervening seasons.
The [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]], who lost in the 2010 World Series, were twice only one strike away from winning their first World Series title in [[2011 World Series|2011]], but the [[St. Louis Cardinals]]' [[David Freese]], the eventual Series MVP, drove in both the tying and winning runs late in Game 6 to force a Game 7.
In 2012, the Wild Card game was added. This game, one from each league, was played between the best two teams in the league, aside from the division winner. The [[2012 San Francisco Giants season|San Francisco Giants]] swept the [[2012 Detroit Tigers season|Detroit Tigers]] in [[2012 World Series|that year's World Series]].
In 2013, the [[2013 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]] won their first World Series of the 2010s by defeating the [[2013 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis Cardinals]] in six games. They won the final game at [[Fenway Park]], clinching the championship at home for the first time since 1918.
The [[2014 Kansas City Royals season|Kansas City Royals]] reached the World Series in [[2014 World Series|2014]], which was their first appearance in the postseason since winning the series in 1985. At the time, it was the longest postseason drought in baseball. They lost in seven games to the [[2014 San Francisco Giants season|San Francisco Giants]]. The following season, the [[2015 Kansas City Royals season|Royals]] finished with the American League's best record and won a second consecutive American League pennant. They defeated the [[2015 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] in the [[2015 World Series|World Series]] in five games, capturing their first title in 30 years. The 2015 contest was the first time that two [[expansion team|expansion clubs]] met in the series.
[[File:The Cubs celebrate after winning the 2016 World Series. (30658637601).jpg|thumb|[[Chicago Cubs]] celebrate their 2016 World Series victory, their first in 108 years|right]]
In [[2016 World Series|2016]], the [[2016 Chicago Cubs season|Chicago Cubs]] ended their [[Curse of the Billy Goat|108-year long drought without a World Series title]] by defeating the [[2016 Cleveland Indians season|Cleveland Indians]] in seven games, rallying from a 3–1 Series deficit in the process. That extended Cleveland's [[List of Major League Baseball franchise postseason droughts|World Series title drought]] to 68 years and counting – the Indians last won the Series in [[1948 World Series|1948]] – now the longest title drought in the major leagues.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bastian|first1=Jordan|last2=Muskat|first2=Carrie|title=Cubs are heavy wait champions!|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/chicago-cubs-win-2016-world-series/c-207938228|publisher=MLB Advanced Media|website=MLB.com|date=November 3, 2016|access-date=August 25, 2019}}</ref>
Beginning in 2017, home-field advantage in the World Series was awarded to the league champion team with the better regular-season win–loss record.<ref>{{cite news|last=Justice|first=Richard|title=Peace & glove: Owners, players reach CBA deal|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-owners-players-agree-to-new-labor-deal/c-209969472|publisher=MLB Advanced Media|website=MLB.com|date=December 1, 2016|access-date=August 25, 2019|quote=Most of the changes were regarding issues that had been discussed for weeks, but one surprising twist is that home-field advantage in the World Series will no longer be tied to the All-Star Game, as first reported by The Associated Press. Instead, the pennant winner with the better regular-season record will get home-field advantage in the Fall Classic.}}</ref> If both league champions have the same record, the tie-breaker is a head-to-head record, and if that does not resolve it, the second tie-breaker is the best divisional record. This change became the last championship series in the three major [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|North American professional sports leagues]] to be awarded home advantage from the teams with the better regular season record since the [[NBA Finals]] in [[basketball]] and the [[Stanley Cup Finals]] in [[ice hockey]].
The [[2017 Houston Astros season|Houston Astros]] won the [[2017 World Series]] in seven games in L.A. against the [[2017 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]] on November 1, 2017, winning their first World Series since their creation in 1962.<ref>{{cite news|last1=McTaggart|first1=Brian|last2=Gurnick|first2=Ken|title=Houston Strongest! Astros rule the World|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/astros-beat-dodgers-to-win-first-world-series-c260380704|publisher=MLB Advanced Media|website=MLB.com|date=November 1, 2017|access-date=August 25, 2019}}</ref> That title came under controversy two years later in the aftermath of [[Houston Astros sign stealing scandal]], which implicated the team in engaging in an elaborate scheme involving the use of technology to steal the pitching signs of opposing teams during the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
The [[2018 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]] won the [[2018 World Series]], defeating the [[2018 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]] in five games for their fourth title since 2004.<ref>{{cite news|last=Castrovince|first=Anthony|title=Team of this century? Sox win 4th title since '04|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/red-sox-win-2018-world-series-title-c299876586|publisher=MLB Advanced Media|website=MLB.com|date=October 28, 2018|access-date=August 25, 2019}}</ref>
In [[2019 World Series|2019]], the [[2019 Washington Nationals season|Washington Nationals]] defeated the [[2019 Houston Astros season|Houston Astros]] in seven games. It was the first seven-game World Series in which the road team won every game. The Nationals achieved a couple of historical milestones: becoming the first team to win the World Series without winning a home game<ref>{{cite web |last1=Schoenfield |first1=David |title=ESPN Senior Writer |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27961903/what-nationals-wild-game-6-win-means-world-series |website=ESPN.com|date=October 30, 2019 }}</ref> and bringing the title back to the capital for the first time since 1924.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cancian |first1=Dan |title=Newsweek.com |website=[[Newsweek]] |date=October 29, 2019 |url=https://www.newsweek.com/world-series-2019-washington-nationals-history-houston-astros-1468315}}</ref>
With the Nationals' appearance in the World Series in 2019, the [[Seattle Mariners]] are left as the only active MLB franchise to never appear in the World Series.
=== 2020s ===
[[File:Dusty Baker (49571794391) (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Dusty Baker]], as manager of the [[Houston Astros]] in 2022, became the oldest ever person to win a World Series game.]]
In [[2020 World Series|2020]], the [[2020 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]] defeated the [[2020 Tampa Bay Rays season|Tampa Bay Rays]] in six games to win their first World Series since 1988, and their seventh championship in franchise history, during a season that was shortened to 60 games by the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. Starting with the Division Series, all postseason games were played at neutral venues, with the World Series being held at [[Globe Life Field]], the home stadium of the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]].
The [[Houston Astros]] received home-field advantage in both the [[2021 World Series]] and the [[2022 World Series]]. In 2021, they lost to the [[Atlanta Braves]] in six games, with [[Jorge Soler]] winning [[World Series Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] Honors. In 2022, they won over the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] in six games, where rookie [[Jeremy Peña]] was awarded MVP, Houston manager [[Dusty Baker]] won his first World Series in his 25 years of being a manager and also became the oldest manager to win a World Series game.<ref>{{cite tweet |url=https://twitter.com/SlangsOnSports/status/1584399671518433280 |user=SlangsonSports |last=Langs |first=Sarah |title=Dusty Baker will be 73 years & 135 days old on Friday for World Series Game 1, the oldest manager to reach the Fall Classic, surpassing Jack McKeon in 2003 (72 y, 329 d on Game 1) |number=1584399671518433280 |date=October 24, 2022 |access-date=November 4, 2022}}</ref> Four pitchers pitched a combined no-hitter in Game 4, the first no-hitter thrown in the World Series since [[Don Larsen's perfect game]] in 1956 and only the second ever in the history of the World Series.
In [[2023 World Series|2023]], two teams returned: the [[2023 Texas Rangers season|Texas Rangers]] after twelve years and the [[2023 Arizona Diamondbacks season|Arizona Diamondbacks]] after twenty-two years. The Rangers, who had home-field advantage for the opening two games, went on to defeat the Diamondbacks in five games to achieve their first World Series championship in franchise history. Corey Seager won the [[World Series Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] Honor for the second time (his first was with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020), sharing with [[Reggie Jackson]] to win MVP Honors with two different teams.
In [[2024 World Series|2024]], the [[New York Yankees]] returned for the first time since their [[2009 World Series|2009]] championship, meeting the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] in a matchup that had not happened since [[1981 World Series|1981]]. The Dodgers, with home field advantage, took the first 2 games at [[Dodger Stadium]], and the 1st game at [[Yankee Stadium]] to take a 3–0 lead. The Yankees won Game 4, and then held a 5–0 lead in Game 5, but lost 7–6, giving the Dodgers their second title in five years and first since [[2020 World Series|2020]]. [[Freddie Freeman]] was awarded the [[World Series Most Valuable Player Award|World Series MVP]] trophy after hitting home runs in each of the first four games, including a walk-off grand slam in Game 1.
== Modern World Series appearances by franchise ==
{{Further|List of World Series champions}}
=== World Series record by team or franchise, 1903–present ===
<!--
ORDER OF TEAMS:
The teams are sorted in descending order by the number of World Series wins, then appearances, then year of last Series win, then (for teams that have never won the Series) year of the last Series played. In other words, the table is sorted in descending order by the table's second, third, fourth, and fifth columns.
Teams with no Series appearances are sorted in alphabetical order based on their city name (that is, by the first column).
-->
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break|width=70%}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center; margin-left:1em; float:left"
|-
! Teams †
! Series<br />Wins
! Series<br />Played
! Last<br />Won
! Last<br />Played
|-
| style="background:LightPink;"|[[New York Yankees]] (AL)<br /> [previously Baltimore Orioles, Highlanders]
| 27
| 41
| 2009
| 2024
|-
| style="background:SkyBlue;"|[[St. Louis Cardinals]] (NL)
| 11
| 19
| 2011
| 2013
|-
| style="background:LightPink;"|[[Athletics (baseball)|Athletics]] (AL)<br />[previously Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics]
| 9
| 14
| 1989
| 1990
|-
| style="background:LightPink;"|[[Boston Red Sox]] (AL)<br />[previously Americans]
| 9
| 13
| 2018
| 2018
|-
| style="background:SkyBlue;"|[[Los Angeles Dodgers]] (NL)<br />[previously Brooklyn Bridegrooms, Superbas, Trolley Dodgers, Robins, Dodgers]
| 8
| 22
| 2024
| 2024
|-
| style="background:SkyBlue;"|[[San Francisco Giants]] (NL)<br />[previously New York Gothams, Giants]
| 8
| 20
| 2014
| 2014
|-
| style="background:SkyBlue;"|[[Cincinnati Reds]] (NL)<br />[previously Red Stockings, Redlegs]
| 5
| 9
| 1990
| 1990
|-
| style="background:SkyBlue;"|[[Pittsburgh Pirates]] (NL)<br />[previously Alleghenys]
| 5
| 7
| 1979
| 1979
|-
| style="background:LightPink;"|[[Detroit Tigers]] (AL)
| 4
| 11
| 1984
| 2012
|-
| style="background:SkyBlue;"|[[Atlanta Braves]] (NL)<br />[previously Boston Red Stockings, Beaneaters, Doves, Rustlers, Bees, Braves and Milwaukee Braves]
| 4
| 10
| 2021
| 2021
|-
| style="background:SkyBlue;"|[[Chicago Cubs]] (NL)<br />[previously White Stockings, Colts, Orphans]
| 3
| 11
| 2016
| 2016
|-
| style="background:LightPink;"|[[Baltimore Orioles]] (AL)<br />[previously 1st Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Browns]
| 3
| 7
| 1983
| 1983
|-
| style="background:LightPink;"|[[Minnesota Twins]] (AL)<br />[previously 1st Washington Nationals, Senators]
| 3
| 6
| 1991
| 1991
|-
| style="background:LightPink;"|[[Chicago White Sox]] (AL)
| 3
| 5
| 2005
| 2005
|-
| style="background:SkyBlue;"|[[Philadelphia Phillies]] (NL)
| 2
| 8
| 2008
| 2022
|-
| style="background:LightPink;"|[[Cleveland Guardians]] (AL)<br />[previously Bluebirds, Bronchos, Naps, Indians]
| 2
| 6
| 1948
| 2016
|-
| style="background:thistle;"|[[Houston Astros]] (NL, 1962; AL, 2013) *<br />[previously Colt .45s, NL]
| 2
| 5
| 2022
| 2022
|-
| style="background:#acf;"|[[New York Mets]] (NL, 1962) *
| 2
| 5
| 1986
| 2015
|-
| style="background:#fbd;"|[[Kansas City Royals]] (AL, 1969) *
| 2
| 4
| 2015
| 2015
|-
| style="background:#acf;"|[[Miami Marlins]] (NL, 1993) *<br />[previously Florida Marlins]
| 2
| 2
| 2003
| 2003
|-
| style="background:#fbd;"|[[Toronto Blue Jays]] (AL, 1977) *
| 2
| 2
| 1993
| 1993
|-
| style="background:#fbd;"|[[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] (AL, 1961) *<br />[previously 2nd Washington Senators]
| 1
| 3
| 2023
| 2023
|-
| style="background:#acf;"|[[Arizona Diamondbacks]] (NL, 1998) *
| 1
| 2
| 2001
| 2023
|-
| style="background:#acf;"|[[Washington Nationals]] (NL, 1969) *<br />[previously Montreal Expos, currently 2nd Washington Nationals]
| 1
| 1
| 2019
| 2019
|-
| style="background:#fbd;"|[[Los Angeles Angels]] (AL, 1961) *<br />[previously California/Anaheim Angels and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim]
| 1
| 1
| 2002
| 2002
|-
| style="background:#acf;"|[[San Diego Padres]] (NL, 1969) *
| 0
| 2
| {{sort|0|—}}
| 1998
|-
| style="background:#fbd;"|[[Tampa Bay Rays]] (AL, 1998) *<br />[previously Devil Rays]
| 0
| 2
| {{sort|0|—}}
| 2020
|-
| style="background:#acf;"|[[Colorado Rockies]] (NL, 1993) *
| 0
| 1
| {{sort|0|—}}
| 2007
|-
| style="background:thistle;"|[[Milwaukee Brewers]] (AL, 1969; NL, 1998) *<br />[previously Seattle Pilots (AL), currently 2nd Milwaukee Brewers]
| 0
| 1
| {{sort|0|—}}
| 1982
|-
| style="background:#fbd;"|[[Seattle Mariners]] (AL, 1977) *
| 0
| 0
| {{sort|0|—}}
| {{sort|0|—}}
|}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable" style=" margin-left:1em; text-align:center;"
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="background:#e3e3e3;"|'''Key to table'''
|-
| style="background:LightPink"| AL = [[American League]]
|-
| style= "background: SkyBlue"| NL = [[National League (baseball)|National League]]
|-
| style="background:#fbd"| AL* = Joined the American League after 1960
|-
| style="background:#acf| NL* = Joined the National League after 1960
|-
| style="background:thistle"| moved between Leagues
|-
|- style="background:#f6f6fe;"
| † Totals include a team's record<br /> with another nickname or in a previous city<br />[bracketed below its current name].<br /> ''For further details, see individual team articles or [[Major League Baseball#Teams|Major League franchises]].''
|-
| {{See also|List of World Series champions}}<br />Source: [http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ws.jsp?feature=club_champs MLB.com]
|}
{{clear}}
{{col-end}}
;Notes
[[American League]] (AL) teams have won 68 of the 120 World Series played (56.7%). The [[New York Yankees]] have won the World Series the most times with 27 championships, accounting for 22.5% of all series played and 39.7% of the wins by American League teams. The Yankees have also been the American League's representative in the World Series the most times, with 41 total appearances. The [[St. Louis Cardinals]] have won 11 World Series, second-most among all 30 teams and most among National League franchises, accounting for 9.2% of all series played and 21.2% of the 52 National League victories. However, the [[Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers]] have been the National League's representative in the World Series the most times, with 22 total appearances. After the Dodgers defeated the Yankees in the 2024 World Series, the Dodgers and the Yankees tied for the most losses by any team, with 14 World Series losses each; The Dodgers have the most losses in the National League, while the Yankees' 14 losses are the most among American League teams.
The Yankees and the Dodgers have faced off against each other the most times, with twelve total contests between the two franchises. The Yankees won eight of those twelve contests, although the Dodgers defeated the Yankees in their last two World Series match-ups in 1981 and 2024.
When the first modern World Series was played in 1903, there were eight teams in each league. These 16 franchises, all of which are still in existence, have each won at least two World Series titles.
The number of teams was unchanged until 1961, with fourteen [[Expansion team#Major League Baseball|expansion teams]] joining MLB since then, all of which except the Seattle Mariners have appeared in at least one World Series. Of the 28 Series in which at least one expansion team has played, including three Series (2015, 2019, and 2023) in which both teams were expansion teams, expansion teams have won 13 of them, which is 46.4% of all series in which an expansion team played and 10.9% of all 119 series played since 1903. In 2015, the first World Series featuring only expansion teams was played between the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/mets-royals-world-series-is-the-first-between-2-expansion-teams-1.11005696|title=Mets-Royals World Series is the first between 2 expansion teams|work=Newsday|date=October 24, 2015}}</ref>
{{Clear}}
== Television coverage and ratings ==
{{See also|List of World Series broadcasters|World Series television ratings}}
When the World Series was first broadcast on television in [[1947 World Series|1947]], it was only televised to a few surrounding areas via coaxial inter-connected stations: New York City ([[WNBC|WNBT]]); [[Philadelphia]] ([[KYW-TV|WPTZ]]); [[Schenectady, New York|Schenectady]]/[[Albany, New York]] ([[WRGB]]); [[Washington, D.C.]] ([[WRC-TV|WNBW]]) and surrounding suburbs/environs. In {{wsy|1948}},<ref name=TVSignals /> games in [[Boston]] were only seen in the [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]]. Meanwhile, games in [[Cleveland]] were only seen in the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]] and [[Pittsburgh]]. The games were open to all channels with a network affiliation.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Will Carry Series on 5 Networks|date=September 24, 1948|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=Schenectady Gazette|page=21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=All Chains Get Offer on Series TV|date=September 24, 1948|first=Larry|last=Wolters|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=C4}}</ref>
In all, the 1948 World Series was televised to fans in seven Midwestern cities: Cleveland, [[Chicago]], [[Detroit]], [[Milwaukee]], [[St. Louis]], and [[Toledo, Ohio|Toledo]]. By {{wsy|1949}}, World Series games could be seen east of the [[Mississippi River]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=World Series Via Video Destined for 45 Stations|date=September 19, 1949|first=C.E.|last=Buttefield|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=The St. Petersburg Independent|page=8}}</ref> The games were open to all channels with a network affiliation.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Reynolds to Face Newcombe (Maybe) in Opener of Series Today|date=October 5, 1949|first=John|last=Drebinger|newspaper=New York Times|page=38}}</ref>
By {{wsy|1950}}, World Series games could be seen in most of the country,<ref>{{Cite news|title=TELEVISION ALL SET TO HIT LINE FOR GRID FANS|date=September 16, 1950|first=Larry|last=Wolters|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=A1}}</ref><ref name=Wolters>{{Cite news|title=TELEVISION COMES OF AGE AND STARS FLOCK TO SIGN UP|date=October 1, 1950|first=Larry|last=Wolters|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=NW_B1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=TV STRIKES OUT ON TWO INNINGS OF WORLD SERIES
|date=October 5, 1950|first=Larry|last=Wolters|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=A1}}</ref> but not all. {{wsy|1951}} marked the first time that the World Series was televised [[West Coast of the United States|coast]]<ref>{{Cite news|title=Coast-to-Coast TV Lights Up For San Francisco Parley|date=September 4, 1951|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=Christian Science Monitor|page=10}}</ref> to [[East Coast of the United States|coast]].<ref name=TVSignals>{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/playoffs/2008-10-26-1948-world-series_N.htm|title=TV signals limited viewing of 1948 World Series|date=October 27, 2008|first=Mike|last=Dodd|newspaper=USA Today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=TELEVISION SET FOR A BOMBING SEASON|date=September 16, 1951|first=Larry|last=Wolters|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=N_D1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=COAST-TO-COAST TV CARRIES PLAY-OFF|date=October 2, 1951|newspaper=New York Times|page=37}}</ref> {{wsy|1955}} marked the first time that the World Series was [[Television|televised in color]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=DUROCHER MEETS WITH NBC ON JOB|date=September 27, 1955|first=Val|last=Adams|newspaper=New York Times|page=71}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Series In Color Lacked Black And White's Clarity|date=October 5, 1955|first=John|last=Crosby|newspaper=Hartford Courant|page=28}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
! scope="row"| Network
! scope="row"| Number broadcast
! scope="row"| Years broadcast
! scope="row"| Future scheduled telecasts{{Cref|**}}
|-
!scope="row"| [[Major League Baseball on ABC|ABC]]
| 11 || [[1948 World Series|1948]]{{Cref|****}}, [[1949 World Series|1949]]{{Cref|****}}, [[1950 World Series|1950]]{{Cref|****}}, [[1977 World Series|1977]], [[1979 World Series|1979]], [[1981 World Series|1981]], [[1983 World Series|1983]], [[1985 World Series|1985]], [[1987 World Series|1987]], [[1989 World Series|1989]], [[1995 World Series|1995]]{{Cref|*****}} (Games 1, 4–5) ||
|-
!scope="row"| [[Major League Baseball on CBS|CBS]]{{Cref|*}}
| 8 || [[1947 World Series|1947]]{{Cref|***}} (Games 3–4), [[1948 World Series|1948]]{{Cref|****}}, [[1949 World Series|1949]]{{Cref|****}}, [[1950 World Series|1950]]{{Cref|****}}, [[1990 World Series|1990]], [[1991 World Series|1991]], [[1992 World Series|1992]], [[1993 World Series|1993]] || {{Cref|*}}
|-
!scope="row"| [[Major League Baseball on DuMont|DuMont]]{{Cref|*}}
| 3 || [[1947 World Series|1947]]{{Cref|***}} (Games 2, 6–7), [[1948 World Series|1948]]{{Cref|****}}, [[1949 World Series|1949]]{{Cref|****}} || {{Cref|*}}
|-
!scope="row"| [[Major League Baseball on Fox|Fox]]
| 26 || {{wsy|1996}}, {{wsy|1998}}, {{wsy|2000}}, {{wsy|2001}}, {{wsy|2002}}, {{wsy|2003}}, {{wsy|2004}}, {{wsy|2005}}, {{wsy|2006}}, {{wsy|2007}}, {{wsy|2008}}, {{wsy|2009}}, {{wsy|2010}}, {{wsy|2011}}, {{wsy|2012}}, {{wsy|2013}}, {{wsy|2014}}, {{wsy|2015}}, {{wsy|2016}}, {{wsy|2017}}, {{wsy|2018}}, {{wsy|2019}}, {{wsy|2020}}, {{wsy|2021}}, {{wsy|2022}}, {{wsy|2023}}, {{wsy|2024}} || ''2025'', ''2026'', ''2027'', ''2028''
|-
!scope="row"| [[Major League Baseball on NBC|NBC]]{{Cref|*}}
| 39 || {{wsy|1947}}{{Cref|***}} (Games 1, 5), {{wsy|1948}}{{Cref|****}}, {{wsy|1949}}{{Cref|****}}, {{wsy|1950}}{{Cref|****}}, {{wsy|1951}}, {{wsy|1952}}, {{wsy|1953}}, {{wsy|1954}}, {{wsy|1955}}, {{wsy|1956}}, {{wsy|1957}}, {{wsy|1958}}, {{wsy|1959}}, {{wsy|1960}}, {{wsy|1961}}, {{wsy|1962}}, {{wsy|1963}}, {{wsy|1964}}, {{wsy|1965}}, {{wsy|1966}}, {{wsy|1967}}, {{wsy|1968}}, {{wsy|1969}}, {{wsy|1970}}, {{wsy|1971}}, {{wsy|1972}}, {{wsy|1973}}, {{wsy|1974}}, {{wsy|1975}}, {{wsy|1976}}, {{wsy|1978}}, {{wsy|1980}}, {{wsy|1982}}, {{wsy|1984}}, {{wsy|1986}}, {{wsy|1988}}, {{wsy|1995}}{{Cref|*****}} (Games 2–3, 6), {{wsy|1997}}, {{wsy|1999}} || {{Cref|*}}
|}
{{Cnote|*|Not currently broadcasting Major League Baseball.}}
{{Cnote|**|Per the current [[Major League Baseball television contracts|broadcast agreement]], the World Series will be televised by Fox through 2028.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Settimi|first1=Christina|title=Baseball Scores $12 Billion In Television Deals|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2012/10/02/baseball-scores-12-billion-in-television-deals/#1033a7782cf4|access-date=November 1, 2016|work=Forbes|date=October 2, 2012}}</ref>}}
{{Cnote|***|[[Gillette (brand)|Gillette]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dumonthistory.com/12.html |title=Channel 12: Feedback |last1=Gallant |first1=Joseph |website=DuMont Television Network {{!}} Historical Website |access-date=November 13, 2013 }}</ref> which sponsored World Series telecasts exclusively from roughly [[1947 World Series|1947]] to [[1965 World Series|1965]] (prior to [[1966 World Series|1966]], the Series announcers were chosen by the Gillette Company along with the [[Commissioner of Baseball]] and [[NBC]]), paid for airtime on DuMont's [[Owned-and-operated television stations in the United States|owned-and-operated]] Pittsburgh affiliate, [[KDKA-TV|WDTV]] (now KDKA-TV) to air the World Series. In the meantime, Gillette also [[Brokered programming|bought airtime]] on [[Major League Baseball on ABC|ABC]], [[Major League Baseball on CBS|CBS]], and [[Major League Baseball on NBC|NBC]]. More to the point, in some cities, the World Series was broadcast on three stations at once.}}
{{Cnote|****|World Series telecasts from [[1948 World Series|1948]] to [[1950 World Series|1950]] were open to all channels with a network affiliation.}}
{{Cnote|*****|[[Major League Baseball on NBC|NBC]] was originally scheduled to televise the entire [[1995 World Series]]; however, due to the cancellation of the [[1994 World Series|1994 Series]] (which had been slated for [[Major League Baseball on ABC|ABC]], who last televised a World Series in [[1989 World Series|1989]]), coverage ended up being split between the two networks. Game 5 would be the last Major League Baseball game to be telecast by ABC (had there been a Game 7, ABC would've televised it) until the [[2020 American League Wild Card Series|2020 American League Wild Card Series game]] between [[2020 Houston Astros season|Houston]] and [[2020 Minnesota Twins season|Minnesota]]. This was the only World Series to be produced under the "[[Baseball Network]]" umbrella (a [[revenue sharing]] [[joint venture]] between Major League Baseball, ABC, and NBC). In July 1995, both networks announced that they would be pulling out of what was supposed to be a six-year-long venture. NBC would next cover the [[1997 World Series|1997]] (NBC's first entirely since [[1988 World Series|1988]]) and [[1999 World Series]] over the course of a five-year-long contract, in which [[Major League Baseball on Fox|Fox]] would cover the World Series in even-numbered years ([[1996 World Series|1996]], [[1998 World Series|1998]], and [[2000 World Series|2000]]).}}
==Sponsorship==
The Internet television service [[YouTube TV]] became the first [[Title sponsor|presenting sponsor]] of the World Series, signing a partnership deal that ran from 2017 to 2019.<ref name="WorldSeriesYouTubeTV">{{cite news|last=Newman|first=Mark|title=YouTube TV, MLB become World Series partners|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/youtube-tv-mlb-become-world-series-partners-c257253238|publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]|website=[[MLB.com]]|date=October 3, 2017|access-date=October 19, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Variety2018">{{cite news|last=Spangler|first=Todd|title=YouTube TV Renews MLB Marketing Pact, Will Sponsor 2018 and 2019 World Series|url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/youtube-tv-mlb-world-series-2018-2019-sponsor-1202721528/|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=March 8, 2018|access-date=June 19, 2019}}</ref>
In 2022, credit card provider [[Capital One]] signed a multi-year agreement to become the new presenting sponsor of the World Series.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Capital One becomes official partner of Major League Baseball and presenting sponsor of the World Series|url=https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-capital-one-becomes-official-partner-of-major-league-baseball-and-|publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]|website=[[MLB.com]]|date=March 28, 2022|access-date=July 3, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Jabari Young|title=MLB reaches a $125 million sponsorship deal with Capital One|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/28/mlb-reaches-125-million-sponsorship-deal-with-capital-one.html|website=[[CNBC|CNBC.com]]|date=March 28, 2022|access-date=July 3, 2023}}</ref>
== International participation ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2024}}
{{See also|Baseball#Around-the-world|History of baseball outside the United States}}
Despite its name, the World Series remains solely the championship of the Major League Baseball teams in the United States and Canada, although MLB, its players, and North American media sometimes erroneously refer to World Series winners as "world champions of baseball".<ref name="informal-quotes">[[Frank Thomas]] in the [[2005 Chicago White Sox season|Chicago White Sox]] victory celebration in {{wsy|2005}} exclaimed "We're world's champions, baby!" At the close of the [[2006 World Series|2006 Series]], Baseball Commissioner [[Bud Selig]] called the [[2006 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis Cardinals]] "champions of the world". Likewise, the cover of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' magazine for November 6, 2006, featured [[World Series MVP Award|Series MVP]] [[David Eckstein]] and was subtitled "World Champions". Immediately after the final putout of the [[2008 World Series]], [[Philadelphia Phillies]] broadcaster [[Harry Kalas]] commented that "the [[2008 Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies]] are 2008 World Champions of baseball!"</ref>
The United States, Canada, and [[Mexico]] (''[[Mexican League (baseball)|Liga Méxicana de Béisbol]]'', established 1925) were the only professional baseball countries until a few decades into the 20th century.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} The first [[Nippon Professional Baseball#History|Japanese professional baseball]] efforts began in 1920. The current Japanese leagues date from the late 1940s (after World War II). Various Latin American leagues also formed around that time.
By the 1990s, baseball was played at a highly skilled level in many countries. Reaching North America's high-salary major leagues is the goal of many of the best players around the world, which gives a strong international flavor to the Series. Many talented players from Latin America, the Caribbean, the [[Pacific Rim]], and elsewhere now play in the majors. One notable exception is Cuban citizens, because of the [[Cuba-United States relations|political tensions between the US and Cuba]] since 1959. Yet a number of Cuba's finest ballplayers have still managed to defect to the United States over the past half-century to play in the American professional leagues.
Japanese professional players also have a difficult time coming to the North American leagues. They become free agents only after nine years playing service in the [[Nippon Professional Baseball]] (Japan's premier baseball league), although their Japanese teams may at any time "[[posting system|post]]" them for bids from MLB teams, which commonly happens at the player's request.
Several tournaments feature teams composed only of players from one country, similar to national teams in other sports. The [[World Baseball Classic]], sponsored by Major League Baseball and sanctioned by the sport's world governing body, the [[World Baseball Softball Confederation]] (WBSC), uses a format similar to the [[FIFA]] [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] to promote competition between nations every four years. The WBSC has since added the [[WBSC Premier12|Premier12]], a tournament also involving national teams; the first event was held in 2015, and is planned to be held every four years (in the middle of the World Baseball Classic cycle).
The World Baseball Classic is held in March and the Premier12 is held in November, allowing both events to feature top-level players from all nations. The predecessor to the WBSC as the sport's international governing body, the [[International Baseball Federation]], also sponsored a [[Baseball World Cup]] to crown a world champion. However, because the World Cup was held during the Northern Hemisphere summer, during the playing season of almost all top-level leagues, its teams did not feature the best talent from each nation.
The [[Caribbean Series]] features competition among the league champions from [[Latin America]]. It is held in February, after the [[winter league]]s have completed their seasons.
== Image gallery ==
<gallery class="center">
File:WorldSeries1903-640.jpg|Rooftop view of a [[1903 World Series]] game in Boston
File:West Side Park 1906 World Series.JPG|Game action in the [[1906 World Series|1906 Series]] in Chicago (the only all-Chicago World Series to date)
File:Wamby19201010UATP.JPG|[[Bill Wambsganss]] completes his unassisted triple play in [[1920 World Series|1920]]
File:1924worldseries.jpg|[[History of the Washington Senators (1901–1960)|Washington's]] [[Bucky Harris]] scores his home run in the fourth inning of Game 7 (October 10, [[1924 World Series|1924]])
File:The Cubs celebrate after winning the 2016 World Series. (30709972906).jpg|The Chicago Cubs celebrate winning the [[2016 World Series]], which ended the club's [[Curse of the Billy Goat|108-year championship drought]].
</gallery>
== See also ==
{{portal|Baseball|World}}
{{div col}}
* [[List of American League pennant winners|AL pennant winners]] (1901–1968)
* [[List of American League Wild Card winners|AL Wild Card winners]] (since 1994)
* [[2008 America Cup (Baseball)|Americas Baseball Cup]]
* [[Asia Series]]
* [[Asian Baseball Championship]]
* [[Baseball at the Asian Games]]
* [[Baseball at the Central American and Caribbean Games]]
* [[Baseball at the Pan American Games]]
* [[Baseball at the Summer Olympics]]
* [[College World Series]]
* [[European Baseball Championship]]
* [[European Champion Cup Final Four]]
* [[European Cup (baseball)]]
* [[Home advantage]]
* [[Intercontinental Cup (baseball)|Intercontinental Cup]] (International Baseball Federation (IBAF))
* [[Japan Series]]
* [[Korean Series]]
* [[Taiwan Series]]
* [[Little League World Series]]
* [[Major League Baseball division winners|MLB division winners]]
* [[Major League Baseball postseason|MLB postseason]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball postseason teams|MLB postseason teams]]
* [[Major League Baseball rivalries|MLB rivalries]]
* [[List of National League pennant winners|NL pennant winners]] (1876–1968)
* [[List of National League Wild Card winners|NL Wild Card winners]] (since 1994)
* [[Negro World Series]]
* [[Women's Baseball World Cup]]
* [[List of World Series broadcasters|World Series broadcasters]]
* [[List of World Series starting pitchers|World Series starting pitchers]]
* [[World Series television ratings]]
{{div col end}}
== Notes ==
{{Reflist}}
== References ==
* [[Ernest Lanigan]], ''Baseball Cyclopedia'', 1922, originally published by ''Baseball Magazine'', available as a reprint from [https://web.archive.org/web/20120205180630/http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-1868-8 McFarland].
* {{cite book|author-link=Hy Turkin|first=Hy|last=Turkin|author2=S.C. Thompson |title=The Official Encyclopedia of Baseball|year=1951|publisher=[[Alfred Smith Barnes|A.S. Barnes and Company]]}}
* {{cite book|first=Lamont|last=Buchanan|title=The World Series and Highlights of Baseball|year=1951|publisher=E. P. Dutton & Company}}
* Jordan A. Deutsch, [[Richard M. Cohen]], [[David Neft]], Roland T. Johnson, ''The Scrapbook History of Baseball'', 1975, [[Bobbs-Merrill Company]].
* {{cite book|first=Richard M.|last=Cohen|author2=David Neft |author3=Roland T. Johnson |author4=Jordan A. Deutsch |title=The World Series|year=1976|publisher=Dial Press}}
* {{cite book|author=[[The New York Times]]|title=The Complete Book of Baseball: A Scrapbook History|year=1980}}
* ''[[Sporting News]]'', ''Baseball Record Book'' and ''Baseball Guide'', published annually since ca. 1941.
* {{cite book|first=Jerry|last=Lansch|title=Glory Fades Away: The Nineteenth Century World Series Rediscovered|year=1991|publisher=Taylor Publishing|isbn=0-87833-726-1}}
* {{cite video|title=100 Years of the World Series|medium=DVD|publisher=Major League Baseball|year=2002}}
==
* Auf Der Mar, Nick. "World Series Fever Offers No Relief from Agony of Stadium Envy." ''The [Montreal] Gazette.'' October 30, 1991 (p. A2).
* Dickey, Glenn. ''The History of the World Series Since 1903.'' New York: Stein and Day, 1984.
* Seymour, Harold. ''Baseball: The Early Years.'' New York: Oxford University Press, 1960. {{ISBN|0-19-505912-3}}.
* Sutherland, Norman. "Unhappy Start for Yankees." ''The [Glasgow] Herald.'' March 20, 1999 (p. 9).
* Thorn, John et al. ''Total Baseball.'' Kingston, New York: Total Sports Publishing, 2000. {{ISBN|1-930844-01-8}} (pp. 265–280).
* ''Minneapolis Star Tribune.'' "Q & A on the News." October 29, 1999 (p. A2).
== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|https://www.worldseries.com}}
* [https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/ Baseball Reference] "postseason" page, listing every World Series, with links to play-by-play summaries of every game
* [http://baseball-almanac.com/ws/wsmenu.shtml Baseball Almanac: World Series]
{{World Series}}
{{MLB}}
{{Authority control}}
[[
[[Category:October in sports]]
[[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1903]]
[[Category:Annual events in Major League Baseball]]
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