# Probability and the World Series

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-and-the-world-series/89060>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 23, 2001, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-and-the-world-series/89060 "2001-10-23T11:58:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![zigaretten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/91b2a8/32.png) [@zigaretten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zigaretten)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-and-the-world-series/89060/21 "2001-10-24T00:24:46Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by panamajack \*  
> \*\ ***zigaretten** , you left out the times when B has 2 wins and A wins it in a thrilling game 7.
> 
> \*\*

Damn, you’re right; I can’t count to seven.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-and-the-world-series/89060/22 "2001-10-24T07:50:47Z")

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Interestingly, this seems to support the notion that teams in the World Serious are, in fact, evenly-matched. Were they not, then the better team would be the one more likely to have won any particular game which was played, so the winner of 5 is probably the better team. Of course, the better team (if there is one) would also be the team most likely to win the whole shebang. The net result would be to drive the percentage higher, not lower, contrary to the observed data.

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-and-the-world-series/89060/23 "2001-10-24T18:37:02Z")

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Hijacking this thread a bit, is the only explanation for the phenomenon that when a team in the World Series wins the first 3 games, it almost always in the fourth (only two teams even won one game in that situation), the fact that the “sweeping” team is significantly better or more likely the “sweepee” has given up?

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