October 13:

1903: The 1st World Series ever played is completed as the Boston Pilgrims defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 and take the series, 5 games to 3.

1914: The Boston Braves, who were in last place in mid-July, rebound to win the World Series. “The Miracle Braves” defeat the Philadelphia A’s in the first sweep in Series history.

1921: In the first all New York “World” Series, the Giants beat the Yankees, 1-0 and win the series, 5 games to 3.

1960: In perhaps the greatest moment in Pirates history, Bill Mazeroski homers in the 9th against Ralph Terry and gives Pittsburgh a 10-9 win in Game 7. It’s the first walk-off HR to win a World Series.

1971: The 1st World Series game is played at night. Led by Roberto Clemente’s 3 hits, Pittsburgh defeats Baltimore, 4-3.

1985: In one of the strangest World Series incidents ever, Cardinals speedster Vince Coleman is injured. While stretching before the game, Coleman becomes trapped under a moving tarp for 30 seconds. He is unable to play for the rest of the Series.

1996: With a 6-4 win over the Orioles, the Yankees win their 34th pennant and go to the World Series for the 1st time in 15 years.

October 14:

1905: Christy Mathewson blanks the A’s, 2-0 and the Giants win the Series in 5. It is Mathewson’s 3rd shut-out of the Series and this will also be the only World Series where each game is a shut-out.

1906: In spite of winning 116 games during the season, the Cubs lose to their cross-town rivals, the White Sox. The losers share, $439.50, is the smallest in history.

1908: The Cubs beat the Tigers, 2-0 and win the World Series. The attendance is 6,210, the smallest ever for a World Series game.

1969: Led by two remarkable catches by Tommie Agee, the surprising New York Mets beat the Orioles, 5-0 and take a 2-1 lead in the series.

1972: A’s catcher Gene Tenace becomes the 1st player to homer in his 1st 2 World Series at-bats.

1973: The Mets win Game 2, 10-7, and tie the A’s at one game apiece. This game features the last major league hit ever in the career of Willie Mays.

1976: Going deep against Mark Littell in the bottom of the 9th in the fifth and deciding game of the LCS, the Yankees defeat the Royals, 7-6 and win the pennant.

1984: Led by Kirk Gibson’s 2 HR’s, the Tigers beat San Diego 8-4 and win the series in 5.

1992: With a 9-2 win over the A’s, the Toronto Blue Jays become the first Canadian team to go to the World Series.

2003: Just 5 outs shy of returning to the World Series for the first time in 58 years, the Cubs blow a 3-0 lead. They give up 8 runs on 5 hits, 3 walks and an error after a controversial call of fan interference.

2006: Silas Simmons, the oldest living baseball player, celebrates his 111th birthday. Simmons was born the same year as Babe Ruth.

October 15:

1917: The Chicago White Sox win the World Series. Eddie Collins races home from 3rd Base when the Giants leave the plate unprotected. Shortly after their victory, 24 members of the White Sox file a grievance with the league, insisting they did not receive their full winner’s share. This may be part of the motivation for the Black Sox Scandal two years later. Interestingly, the letter itself disappeared, only to be found five decades later in a box in a storage closet at the Hall of Fame.

1923: The Yankees win their first World Series as they defeat the Giants.

1946: In Game 7, Enos Slaughter scores from 1st on a single as the Cardinals defeat Boston, 4-3.

1969: Led by Ron Swoboda’s diving catch and Tom Seaver’s excellent outing, ‘The Amazin’ Mets’ beat Baltimore, 2-1, in 10 innings and take a 3-1 lead over the heavily favored Orioles.

1972: In a televised speech prior to the World Series, Jackie Robinson urges Major League Baseball to hire a black manager. Jackie would not live to see this. He would die just 9 days later.

1975: Luis Tiant throws 163 pitches as Boston beats Cincinnati, 5-4, to even the series at 2 games each.

1986: In the longest post-season game in history, 4 hours 42 minutes, the Mets win their 3rd pennant, defeating Houston, 7-6, in 16 innings. The Mets trailed 3-0 going to the 9th when a rally was started by Lenny Dykstra and Ray Knight delivered a big hit.

1988: Making his only appearance of the World Series, Kirk Gibson homers against Dennis Eckersley with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th of Game One to give LA a 3-2 win over Oakland.

October 16:

1909: Pirates rookie Babe Adams wins his 3rd game of the Series as Pittsburgh defeats Detroit in 7.

1912: Giants CF Fred Snodgrass drops a routine fly ball in the 10th, allowing Boston to win 3-2, and take the series.

1936: After hitting 354 with 49 HR’s, 152 RBI’s and 164 Runs Scored, Lou Gehrig wins the AL MVP.

1960: The National League decides to expand for the first time since 1900. The new franchises will begin playing in 1962 in Houston and New York.

1962: With the tying and winning runs in scoring position in the bottom of the 9th in Game 7, Willie McCovey lines out hard to Bobby Richardson. The Yankees win, 1-0, their 20th Championship.

1969: The Miracle. Behind a complete game 5-hitter tossed by Jerry Koosman, the Mets beat the Orioles 5-3 and win the series in 5. After losing Game 1 in Baltimore, the Mets won 4 straight.

1976: In Game One of the World Series, Reds utility man Dan Driessen becomes the first National Leaguer ever used as a DH.

2000: Mike Hampton tosses a 3 hit complete game. The Mets defeat the Cardinals 7-0 and win their first pennant in 14 years.