Best World Series Ever-Vote and Win
This Braves blog runs on New Guinea-style.
Pay attention because this post has something in it you don’t want to miss. Contest details at the bottom if you want to skip ahead. Win $25 or $50 in gift cards!
I don’t bleed Dodger blue but I will readily admit, every single time I watch Kirk Gibson hobble around the basepaths… I get goosebumps.
1988 was not a bad World Series. Not at all.
You had a regional rivalry. The underdogs getting it done. Drama. Heroics. The works.
But with another Fall Classic right around the corner I cannot help but hope the anticipation lasts. And when Game One finally arrives, it doesn’t even as much to me what the matchup is as long as the Series itself features a unique storyline and unparalleled excitement. I just LOVE fall baseball. (But I hate Dane Cook.)
But just as Crash Davis said “Strikeouts are fascist”…. well so are series sweeps. And no offense to Red Sox Nation but last year’s World Series was boooooooring. A four game Series is no fun unless your a true fan of the team doing the broom handling. Give me good ol’ 7 game throwdowns.
In honor of my favorite sporting event of the year, I’ve narrowed it down to my 4 picks for the best World Series EVER played. Now of course these picks are subjective and I can’t say that I’ve exhausted every resource of available on each Series played since Boston and Pittsburgh in 1903. But I can say, I picked some pretty darn good ones. In random order they are…
Atlanta Braves vs Minnesota Twins 1991- As a Braves fan I can’t say this is my personal favorite postseason of all time since it saw the Braves 
lose their first World Series appearance for Atlanta. But it was memorable, dramatic, exciting, and many baseball afficionados will cite this particular matchup on at least their top 10 list if not at #1. You can’t say it was the most exciting of pairings when it was first arranged. Two small market teams at the time, two previous last place finishers the year before, and 4 games of the series to be played in a dome with the other three at the cookie cutter Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium. But each team won their home games, 3 were decided on the last pitch of the game, 3 went into extras, and 6 of the 7 were one run games. Talk about nailbiters.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs New York Yankees 2001- The first and only World Series played in November 
of a lengthened baseball year, this series was just packed with good stuff. Clutch hits from Jeter and Brosius to come from behind. Undeniably brilliant pitching from Schilling and Johnson of rhe D-Backs. And a little blooper from the bat of Luis Gonzalez off the seemingly infalliable Mariano Rivera to finish it in Game 7. Arizona got its first title and became the fastest expansion team since the Mets to capture a Championship.
Cincinati Reds vs Boston Red Sox 1975- When I use the words “Red Sox” and “1975″ together in a sentence, one image that is inevitably r
ecalled by any baseball fan is that of Carlton Fisk willing the ball fair down the left field line and over the “Monstah” in Game Six. Three days of rain tried to keep possibly the best World Series game ever played from even happening. But Game Six had some brilliant moments. Extra innings, a surprisingly big homer from former Red Bernie Carbo, and Fisk. Plus, this series not only featured legends like Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan (who stinks in the booth but was a good ball player) Tony Perez, Ken Griffey, Carl Yastrzemski, Dwight Evans, Fred Lynn, Luis Tiant, and Rico Petrocelli. How’s that for a lineup card? Of course the Reds beat the Sox in Game 7 but even that one was won in the ninth inning by a one run margin.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs New York Yankees-1960 Not to pick on the Yankees too much but this one wouldn’t 
have been so good if the Yankees were not amazing at the time.\’a0 Stocked with Whitey Ford, Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and led by Casey Stengel, the Bronx Bombers had won 10 pennants in 12 years and were heavily favored over the Pirates. This one also two went all seven games. The opener saw the Pirates snag a 6-4 victory but the Yankees came back largely by routing the Pirates in Games 2 & 3. The Bucs, however,\’a0 managed two miraculous wins in Yankee Stadium and though getting humilated at home 12-0 in Game Six, somehow pulled off the Championship. Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski, who had only hit 11 homers all of 1960, knocked two in this Series and completed the unlikely win for the Pirates with the winner in Game 7 off Ralph Terry in the bottom of the ninth. It was the first walk off World Series homer and the only one hit until 1993 by a guy named Joe Carter.
Now here’s where I need your help.
It contest time! The prize up for grabs in the first round is a $25 gift card for the MLB shop.
Competing is very easy
Rules:
1) Only subscribers can win so you must use the email subscription form on the front page to get Launching Pad feeds sent to you from the RSS feed. If you already subscribe through your favorite feedreader, indicate which one you use in your comment or by email to me (JB).
2) Vote below for your favorite World Series matchup. Write-in’s (in the comments) for your pick are welcome as well.
3) Leave a comment indicating who you voted for and why, but you MUST leave your pick for this year’s World Series winner.
Complete all three and you’ll be in the drawing for the $25 gift card. The winner is then randomly selected and contacted through email for shipping information.
VERY IMPORTANT
If your World Series pick WINS… you’ll be entered in our drawing for a $50.00 gift card to my favorite retro sports store Distant Replays where you can find anything you need to support your favorite team. If you happen to be the only contestant with the right World Series pick you win instantly! But that doesn’t mean you can’t tell your friends!
Thanks and GOOD LUCK!
~JB
Technorati Tags: World Series 2008, Best World Series ever, October baseball, playoff baseball, baseball playoffs 2008,
About the Author: JB is an Atlanta native, avid scorekeeper, and of course a baseball enthusiast. He doesn't mind if you don't love the Braves. As long as you love baseball, you're welcome at The Launching Pad.
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