Lifestyle

World Series fun facts

Baseball on pavement

The annual Fall Classic for “America’s pastime” is right around the corner, so here are some interesting facts that both passionate and casual fans alike can enjoy.

  • There have been 114 World Series – the American League has won 66, while the National League has won 48.
  • The 2016 World Series featured the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians – the two teams with the longest championship drought in history. The Cubs hadn’t won the Series since 1908, and the Indians hadn’t won since 1948 – a combined 176-year drought. Prior to winning the 2016 World Series, the Cubs had the longest drought of winning a championship in all major American sports.
  • The first World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Americans in 1903. Instead of the current best-of-seven series, they played a best-of-nine with the Americans winning the series five games to three.
  • The New York Yankees have played in 35% of the 114 World Series (40 appearances), winning 23% (27 titles).
  • Although it’s been 116 years since the first World Series, only 114 series have been played. In 1904, the National League champion, the New York Giants, refused to play against the American League champion, the Boston Americans, because the Giants manager had personal animosity toward the American League president. New rules were drafted the following year compelling the champions of both leagues to participate in the 1905 World Series. There was also no World Series played in 1994 due to a player’s strike.
  • Thirty-nine World Series have lasted the full seven games — most recently the 2017 Series between the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
  • The longest World Series game in history (in both time and innings) took place in Game 3 on Oct. 26, 2018, between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The
  • Dodgers ended up winning 3-2 after the 7-hour, 20-minute marathon.

As the baseball’s regular season comes to a close and teams advance through the playoffs, keep these facts in mind and show off your knowledge to your friends and family. And enjoy the 115th World Series, which starts Oct. 22, 2019!

Sources:

baseballwithmatt.mlblogs.com
baseball-reference.com