The 2011 Fall Classic between the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals is on the verge of making my personal list of 5 favorite World Series. Until game seven is played Friday here it is since 1970:
5. 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks vs. New York Yankees:
There was so much surrounding this Series. Just a month before New York City had been devastated by the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers. There was some question as to when to continue the season. This is one of my favorites, because of the way the Yankees battled the Diamondbacks down to the last inning of game seven before losing on a two run single by Luis Gonzalez. In games four and five New York was down to its last out when first Tino Martinez then Scott Brosius hit two-run homers to tie. The Yankees won both games. Wow!
4. 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Oakland A’s:
I was a Dodgers fan at that time and heard all of the talk about how they had no chance against the ‘Bash Brothers’. Then my boss who grew up a Brooklyn Dodgers fan told me not to worry. Number four on my 5 favorite World Series list began with Kirk Gibson coming off of the bench to hit a dramatic two-run homer to win game one and Orel Hershiser pitching a complete game four hitter in game five to clinch the series.
3. 1986 Boston Red Sox vs. New York Mets:
I was in college at the time that this one was played. Jacksonville University had a lot of Red Sox and Yankee fans from up north and they were into it. I remember watching the game which put this on the 5 favorite World Series list by itself. Of course it was game six in which the Mets rallied for three runs with two outs to win it in the bottom of the tenth. Yes the infamous game in which Bill Buckner let Mookie Wilson’s grounder go through his legs allowing the winning run to score. Of course, the Mets won game seven.
2. 1991 Atlanta Braves vs. Minnesota Twins:
This was a great series from game one to game seven. And game seven was something else. My 5 favorite World Series pitching moment is without question Jack Morris throwing 10 shutout innings to beat the Braves 1-0. This one night after Twins center fielder Kirby Puckett sent the series to a seventh game with a homer in the bottom of the eleventh. Twenty-one innings of the greatest baseball ever played.
1. 1975 Boston Red Sox vs. Cincinnati Reds:
The first series I remember watching start to finish as a kid. This series left a lasting impression on me. I remember Boston’s Luis Tiant pitching the Red Sox to victory in game one. I remember the Red Sox wanting interference called on Ed Armbrister in a game four defeat. I remember Carlton Fisk’s 12th inning homer in game six. I remember all of game six. And I remember Cincinnati’s Tony Perez taking Bill Lee deep in the Reds game seven win.
This series had it all and is tops on my list of 5 favorite World Series.