Greatest World Series Games: 1950-Present

These are the greatest and most memorable World Series games since 1950. I've chosen the post-1950 because this is when the majority of great games were played, and let's face it, there was no film in the old days, just scorecards and newspaper headlines. These nail-biters are always stuck in our imaginations for the sheer drama they produced. These games will be ranked based on their impact and the situation.

1964 World Series, Game Three

The greatest Game Three of all-time. A classic pitcher's duel between the Yankees' Jim Bouton and the Cardinals Curt Simmons as they each held both teams to just one run into the eight inning. Then, in the bottom of the ninth, knuckleballer Barney Schultz came in relief and faced the dangerous Mickey Mantle.

Schultz was unhittable that year but the first pitch to Mantle was smashed into the right-field stands for a walk-off homer. It was his 16th long ball in the World Series, breaking Babe Ruth's record.

1968 World Series, Game One

What a way to kick off the World Series, the two best pitchers from that season representing each league in the Fall Classic. It was Bob Gibson and his historic 1.12 ERA vs Denny McLain's 31 wins. The Cardinals scored three runs off McLain in the fourth to make it 3-0. As for Gibson, he delivered one of the greatest pitching performances in history, striking out a World Series record 17 Tigers in a five-hit shutout.

1956 World Series, Game Five

Yogi Berra said it best, "World Series has been around for over 100 something years, and there's never been a no-hitter, and he pitched a perfect one."
According to Larsen, he had the best control of his life this day and was untouchable. Larsen faced the rival Brooklyn Dodgers and all 27 went down in order to capture one of the baseball's greatest moments. Still remains the only postseason no-hitter ever.

1993 World Series, Game Six

A Game Two rematch between Toronto's Dave Steward and Philly's Terry Mulholland. Toronto got to Mulholland early in the first, scoring three runs and adding two more heading into the sixth with a Paul Molitor triple and home run. It was 5-1 Blue Jays in the seventh when the Phillies scored five runs to take a 6-5 lead.

Now with a lead, Philly brought in Mitch Williams to close out the ninth, but he quickly ran into trouble, walking Rickey Henderson and giving up a Molitor single. He then faced Joe Carter, with two on and one out. On a 2-2 count Carter hit a three-run homer to win the World Series for Toronto for the second straight year.

1985 World Series, Game Six

Another classic pitcher's duel took place in Game Six between Danny Cox and Charlie Leibrandt, with the Cardinals one win away from baseball nirvana. Both starters matched zeros into the eighth, when the Cards scored their first run. Whitey Herzog then called his rookie reliever Todd Worrell to close out the series, but the Royals refused to go down.

Jorge Orta led off the inning with a routine ground ball. Orta, who looked out, was called safe by umpire Don Denkinger. The Royals loaded the bases before Dane Lorg looped a single to rightfield scoring the tying and winning runs as the Royals forced a Game Seven and went on to win the title.

1988 World Series, Game One

The Dodgers looked like the ant versus an elephant heading into this game, especially without their MVP Kirk Gibson, who injured himself in the NLCS. In the first, the Dodgers got two runs off Dave Stewart but Oakland answered with a Jose Canseco grand slam in the fourth.

The A's had a 4-3 lead into the ninth with their dominant closer, '88 ALCS MVP, Dennis Eckersley, to close it out. With a runner on first and two outs, Gibson came to pinch hit with two bad legs and sent a 3-2 slider into the rightfield seats, giving the Dodgers a thrilling 5-4 victory and inspiring the team to win three more and capture the title.

1991 World Series, Game Seven

One of the greatest pitching duels in history. The Brave's John Smoltz and the Twin's Jack Morris kept the game scoreless into the ninth inning. But Morris outlasted Smoltz, throwing ten shutout innings with the game still scoreless. In the bottom of the tenth, the Twins loaded the bases for Gene Larkin who hit a walk-off single to center field, winning the World Series for the Twins 1-0. Morris' ten-inning complete game shutout went down in World Series lore.

1986 World Series, Game Six

The Red Sox were one win away from erasing their 70-year drought. The game was tied at three runs a piece heading into the tenth inning, when Dave Henderson gave Boston a 4-3 lead with a solo shot. Boston scored another and it was 5-3, the curse just three outs away from being history.

But with two outs the Mets pulled off an improbable rally, with three straight hits to make it 5-4. Then a wild pitch tied the game at five with Mookie Wilson batting with two outs. And then the unthinkable happened. Mookie grounded to first but the ball went through Bill Buckner's legs and the Mets won the game 6-5. They went on to win the seventh game to capture their second title.

1975 World Series, Game Six

It was a game that featured all, spectacular defense, clutch hitting, great pitching, you name it. With three days of rain, the Red Sox went with Luis Tiant to oppose the Red's Gary Nolan. The Red Sox quickly jumped to a 3-0 lead, but the Reds countered with three runs in the fifth.

Then Cincy scored three more runs to take a 6-3 lead. Boston tied the game at six with three runs in the eighth and the game went into extras. In the bottom of the twelfth, Carlton Fisk led off the inning with one of the greatest World Series home runs of all-time to win the game and force Game Seven.

1960 World Series, Game Seven

It's rare for high scoring affairs to be exciting in baseball but this one was see-saw treat. Nothing exemplified back-and-forth like this game, as the Pirates took at 4-1 lead. In the sixth, the Yankees took a 5-4 lead and added two more to make it 7-4. But these Pirates don't die easily, they scored six runs in the eight to make it 9-7 Pittsburgh.

In the top of the ninth however, the Yankees tied it on two runs to make it 9-9. That set the stage for a classic bottom of the ninth, when Bill Mazeroski hit a walk-off home run over Berra's head into the left field ivy as the Pirates won the World Series. For Bill, he became the first player to win the Fall Classic on a home run.