As Game 7 Unfolds Tonight I Look Back At Some of the Other Great Game 7’s Of All Time
Can The End of This Year’s World Series Match Up To These All-Time Classics
To any baseball fan the greatest words are: “Welcome to Game 7 of The World Series.” It doesn’t matter if your team’s contending or not. Because it is this atmosphere of knowing that there’s no tomorrow that makes the true fan’s heartbeat increase with anticipation.
Tonight we will witness one of those games take place. And as a lifelong baseball fan and an amateur historian of the game, it’s worth trying to figure out something I sometimes wonder: what are the greatest Game 7’s in World Series history?
This is something that a writer could actually figure out because it doesn’t happen that often and when it does it’s not always as thrilling as it might be. The most recent occurrence of that came in 1985 when Kansas City blew out St. Louis in an 11–0 laugher to win their first World Championship. Great for the Royals and their fans, not so much fun for the viewer at home.
So before we get to what is the first seventh game in World Series history of this decade, I thought it might be fun to look at what might be considered the best game 7’s of every decade since the World Series was created in 1903. Standards for deciding are objective for each fan, but there are some I will consider the most relevant:
1. The narrative of the series overall. Baseball has long been a game of rivalries, not just between the leagues but of the players and of the teams themselves.
2. Was there an iconic moment that will go down in the history of baseball? This rarely happens in a Game 7 (witness the 1975 World Series where anything that happened after Game 6 was going to be anticlimactic) but when it does, it makes it special.
3. How many of Hall of Famers were playing for both teams? This is something that is actually quantifiable, even if the standards for Cooperstown are never the best metric for anything.
I should also add in many cases the choices are going to be obvious. In some they won’t be. Here are my opinions.
The 1900s
1909
Detroit Tigers versus Pittsburgh Pirates, 8–0
This one more or less gets in by default as this was the first World Series that went to seven games. (The 1903 World Series was a best of 9 game affair and while there was a Game 7, I don’t think that counts.) And it wasn’t exactly a thriller. But that doesn’t mean it didn’t have some greater meaning when it came to narrative.
For one thing this was the battle between the two greatest players of baseball history: Ty Cobb versus Honus Wagner. That made it the first marquis battle which is significant. It was also something of a mismatch as Wagner completely outplayed Cobb; Wagner hit .333 with 6 rbis and 6 stolen bases, one of which was home. Cobb hit only .231, drove in 4 runs and only stole 2 bases.
And in keeping with series history, the real star was a pitcher in what amounted to his rookie year. Babe Adams had been called up halfway through Season 3 and had gone 12–3. He had already won Game 1 and Game 5 in considerable fashion so manager Fred Clarke gave him the ball for the final game of the series on just two days rest. Adams rewarded his manager with a complete game shutout becoming the first rookie pitcher to win 3 games in the World Series, joining the great Christy Mathewson. Adams would still be with Pittsburgh when they won their next World Series in 1925.
We must now skip the 1910s for a very good reason. There were only two Game 7’s and neither of them counted.
In 1912 the Red Sox and the New York Giants met in one of the greatest World Series of all time. However because Game 2 was called due to impending darkness at a 6–6 the officials ruled it wouldn’t count and if necessary the World Series would go to an eighth game.
And it had to because Game 7 was a rout with the Giants winning 11–4.
The other series was 1919 and we don’t want to go there. Even if the series had been straight, it was a best of nine game series and that doesn’t count either.
1920s
1924 World Series: Washington Senators 4, New York Giants 3
By contrast there are three game 7’s of note during this decade and two of the Game 7’s are among the greatest moments in baseball history for clear reasons. In the 1924 World Series Walter Johnson came in on one day’s rest in the bottom of the ninth and spent four innings keeping the Giants in check before the Senators finally managed to win in the twelfth.
The other Game 7, as any baseball fan worth his salt knows, features another great pitcher in an even more unlikely relief appearance: Grover Cleveland Alexander coming in with the bases loaded in the 7th against the Yankees and striking out Tony Lazzeri.
It’s a coin toss for which to pick but in this case I’m going with the Senators victory for three reasons. First it was the Senators first — and only — World Championship. Washington didn’t win another until 2019 (we will get to that). Second the entire game, even leading to that moment, was just as exciting with two Hall-of-Fame managers facing off with the rookie player manager Bucky Harris trying to outsmart John McGraw, who had just won his record tenth pennant. Third there were more Hall of Famers in this game then in the Cardinals-Yankees one — and if I’m being honest there are more legitimate ones here. (A lot of the Yankees from that era were marginal at best.)
And fourth is the sheer improbability that led to the Senator’s victory as Earl McNeely hits a ball that bounces off a pebble allowing Muddy Ruel to score. Even one of the Giants admitted at the end: “I guess the good lord didn’t want Walter Johnson to lose again.”
1930s
1931 World Series, St Louis Cardinals 4, Philadelphia A’s 2
This would seem to be a no-brainer as the only other Game 7 in the decade was when the Gashouse Gang beat the Tigers 11–0 in Game 7 to cement the World Championships. But there’s much to recommend it even if there had been other choices.
For one thing Mack’s A’s had won back-to-back World Series the previous two years and had won 107 games in 1931. The As from this era are rightfully considered one of the greatest teams in baseball history and the Cardinals had lost to them in six the previous year. The Cardinals, I should mention, were also a dynasty of sorts, winning four N.L pennants between 1926 and 1931 and are also among the great teams of all time.
The 1931 World Series is known for the performance of Pepper Martin who managed a then record 12 hits, batted .500 and stole 5 bases. But he actually slowed down by Game 7 and didn’t get a hit at all. The game was won like most of St. Louis’s games during this period with extraordinary pitching. In this case it came from future Hall-of-Famer Burleigh Grimes, the last pitcher who was legally allowed to use the spitball. Grimes pitched a shutout for eight innings while St. Louis built up a 4–0 lead. However in the 9th the A’s rallied and managed to score two runs. Manager Gabby Street turned to Wild Bill Hallahan to get the final out, having pitched a complete game victory two days earlier. He retired the final batter and the Cardinals won their second World Series in six years.
It was the beginning of the end for Connie Mack’s A’s. The next year the Yankees returned to the World Series after a four year absence and not long after that Mack began to sell his stars off to incur losses during the Depression. The A’s wouldn’t return to the series for another forty years by which time they’d already moved twice.
1940s
1946 Cardinals 4, Boston Red Sox 3
We have an even bigger array of choices than usual with this decade with four different series reaching Game 7. We can omit the Tigers versus the Cubs in 1945 as contemporaries described the series as the worst one ever played to that point. The 1947 series was thrilling to be sure but the biggest moments of excitement were in Game 3 and Game 6. That leaves us with the 1940 World Series where the Reds beat the Tigers and 1946 when the Cardinals beat the Red Sox.
There is an argument to picking 1940, if only because it involved two teams who rarely get the respect they deserve even though they are among the oldest in baseball history. But no one can deny the remarkable ending of the 1946 World Series. It’s not just because it officially began what is known as ‘The Curse of the Bambino’ but the circumstances were improbable as Enos Slaughter managed to score from first on what was a single by Harry Walker leading to the Cardinals winning an improbable championship. Considering we were reminded of it in the post season matchup between the Yankees and the Red Sox just this month, it’s a great moment.
The series featured a face off between the two MVPs of both leagues: Stan Musial of the Cardinals and Ted Williams of the Red Sox. And as is almost always the case in these series both men underperformed. Williams disappointment is well known but Stan the Man wasn’t much better, hitting only .222. The hero of the series was Harry ‘The Cat’ Brecheen, who pitched two complete games and came on in relief to win the third, finishing with an incredible 0.45 ERA.
1950s
1952 World Series, Yankees 4, Brooklyn Dodgers 2
The Yankees played in 5 game 7’s during this decade and lost 2 of them. The most famous was to Brooklyn giving them there only World Championship, the other was in 1957 when Lew Burdette finished an incredible 24 scoreless innings against them to lead Milwaukee to win their own World Series to date.
That being said I think the best Game 7 of that era was that of the 1952 World Series. Mantle hit what was the second of his eighteen World Series home runs in Game 7. All three members of the Yankees legendary rotation Eddie Lopat, Allie Reynolds and Vic Raschi ended up pitching in Game 7 right after each other. The game was saved by the improbable Bob Kuzava who came in with the bases loaded and faced first Duke Snider, and then Jackie Robinson.
Robinson hit a pop up so high that Kuzava lost it in the sun and none of the other infielders move. Billy Martin at second had to run practically to the pitchers mound to catch the ball, saving the game and the series for the Yankees.
And there were a lot of legitimate Hall of Famers for both teams on the field: Mantle, Berra, Johnny Mize, Phil Rizutto (no comment) for the Yankees and Snider, Robinson, Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese and Gil Hodges. Hodges, of course, had one of the worst cold streaks in history going 0 for 21 and many people actually were praying for him.
1960s:
1962 New York Yankees 1, San Francisco Giants 0
There are six to choose from this year and at least four of them could be considered among the best picks but ultimately it comes down to the Pirates winning on Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off home run in 1960 or Bobby Richardson grabbing Willie McCovey’s line drive to save the series for the Yankees two years later.
I choose the latter for multiple reasons. First there are far more legitimate Hall of Famers as the Giants of the 1960s were a superb team with Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCovey and Juan Marcichal already playing for them. The second was the arc. Because Ralph Terry was on the mound both in the 1960 World Series and in 1962 for the last pitch of each game. And considering just how things might have turned out had the pitch gone a few feet to the left, that makes his redemption all the sweeter.
1970s
1972 Oakland A’s 3, Cincinnati Reds 2
We’ve got even more great choices this year as no less than five World Series ended in Game 7 and three of them were master classes. I was tempted to choose the 1971 World Series in which the Pirates beat the Orioles in 7 Games in large part due to the offense of Roberto Clemente as well as the superb pitching of Steve Blass. Considering the tragedy that followed both men just two years later as well as the remarkable play against one of the greatest teams of all times, there is much to recommend it.
But I chose the 1972 World Series for multiple reasons. First it was a match up between two of the greatest teams in history: The Mustache Gang that won 3 consecutive World Series and the Big Red Machine. It’s rare for that kind of match up to happen at all. And there were quite a few Hall of Famers for both teams playing that game, even with Reggie Jackson being forced to sit out the series with a torn hamstring. And it deserves note for being the series with one of the great underdog stories of all time: Gene Tenace, who had hit just 5 home runs the entire season tying the record held by Babe Ruth (twice) Duke Snider (twice) and Hank Bauer with four home runs, including two in his first two World Series at bats.
The A’s could not have won the Series without Tenace becoming a superman and that was just as true in Game 7 when he was moved to first base after the Reds had been stealing on him at will and he drove in 2 runs to give the A’s the lead for good. Throw in the fact that no one had given the A’s a chance going into the series (they had all those weird mustaches!) and the fact that they won their first World Series as a franchise in 42 years and this is an outstanding moment.
1980s
1982 World Series Cardinals 6, Brewers 3
Again there are some pretty good choices in this lot but for sheer contrast in style you have to give it this one. The Brewers were a team of pure power known as Harvey’s Wallbangers for their incredible offense. The Cardinals were a team built entirely on defense and speed with no real power to speak of. The two teams went back and forth the entire series with the Brewers going ahead three games to two before going back to St. Louis.
And Game 7 was closer than the final score looks. In the sixth the Brewers were ahead 3–1 before the Cardinals managed to three run rally in the ninth. Bruce Sutter pitched a two-inning save to give the Cards their first championship in fifteen years.
Milwaukee has never been back to the Series since.
1990s
1991 World Series, Twins 1, Braves 0
A no-brainer if there ever was one. The 1991 World Series is one of the greatest ever played with both teams having been in last place the year before. Five games decided by one run, four games being decided on the last out, three going into extra innings — including of course the last one where Jack Morris famously threw a ten-inning shutout.
The game was won in the bottom of the tenth when pinch hitter George Larkin hits a line drive over a drawn in outfield. Morris becomes the MVP and this is of course the last World Championship to date the Twins have one. (Things went better for the Braves.)
Why did it take so long to put Jack Morris in Cooperstown again?
2000s
2001 Arizona Diamondbacks 3, New York Yankees 2
This is the one it has to be, Yankee fans, and you know it. The Yankees had managed to take 3–2 lead in the series but they were beaten by two pitchers: Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson. On the first World Series ever played in November Roger Clemens faced off against Curt Schilling who’d already started two games and had pitched 300 innings that season. He was started with just three days rest. The Yankees took a 2–1 lead in the eighth and Schilling left. And then Brenly brings in Randy Johnson who had thrown 104 pitches the night before.
Mariano Rivera is on the mound in the 9th. The greatest relief pitcher in history not just in baseball but the post season. This is the night he will never forget. Mark Grace singles. An errant throw to second by Rivera puts runners on first and second. Another bad play and the bases are loaded. Womack hits a double to tie the game given Rivera his first postseason blown save since 1997. Then he hits Craig Counsell. And on a 0–1 pitch Luis Gonzalez the power hitter of Arizona, lofts a soft-floater over the head of Derek Jeter and the Diamondbacks have won their first World Championship.
It is the final night of arguably the last great dynasty in baseball history as the Yankees had already won four World Series in five years. Denied their chance to make it four in a row, they would not return to the World Series until 2009. It was ranked the best postseason game of the 2000s. Who am I to argue?
2010s
2016 Chicago Cubs 8, Cleveland Indians 7
We’ve saved the best for last in a way as the two teams that by far had the longest championship droughts in history faced off. The Cubs hadn’t won since 1908, the Indians since 1948. The Indians took a 3 Games to 1 lead, then the Cubs took the next two. 30 million people were watching to see who would break their curse. And we were rewarded with a masterpiece.
Dexter Fowler led off with a home run and the battle was truly joined. The Cubs took a lead in the sixth 6 to 3 after Jonathan Ross became the oldest player to hit a home run in game 7. Jon Lester had come on in relief but was pulled in the 8th. Aroldis Chapman came in. A double is hit making it six to for. Rajai Davis, who’s hitting .132 hits a dramatic 2 run home run. Chapman later thought he’d blown the lead. But Chapman was kept in during the ninth and the game was tied.
And then the clouds burst open. While the rain is falling Jason Heyward tells his team to stick together and they’ll win. The bases are loaded with no one out. Ben Zobrist delivers a double to drive in a run. Miguel Montero, batting .091 manages to a clutch single. It’s 8–6. Only three outs to go.
Carl Edwards retires the first two batters. Then he walks Brandon Guyer, who takes second defense indifference. Rajai Daivs hits s single to center. Joe Maddon calls in Mike Montgomery, a mid-season acquisition with zero career saves. Michael Martinez hits an infield grounder fielded by Bryant and history is made in Chicago! In more ways then one. They became the first team since the 1985 Royals to come back from a three game to one deficits.
It was a moving and profound moment, one that we need just as America was about to go on a downward spiral in so many ways.
The World Series that will conclude this evening must already rank as one of the greatest in baseball history. And we’ve already seen some of the most astonishing events rarely seen in the history of the game. But as the examples I’ve listed make clear — and there are many others that very well could have made this list — Game 7 can often be where, to quote Vin Scully, the impossible becomes the incredible. Perhaps we will see it again tonight.
For the last time in 2025, it’s time to Play Ball.