# The Best Series in the History of Sports? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 2, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-series-in-the-history-of-sports/495058 "2009-05-02T03:15:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-series-in-the-history-of-sports/495058/21 "2009-05-03T13:21:58Z")
I think most people in Philadelphia would tell you “the 2008 World Series”!!! ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-series-in-the-history-of-sports/495058/22 "2009-05-03T15:02:21Z")
> [@mkecane](#): > > I agree with this. Granted, I was a 13-year old Twins fan at the time, so I’m extremely biased, but it was simply fantastic. The home team won every game. Five of the games were by 1 run (3 were in extra innings, and Atlanta got a win in the bottom of the 9th in game 3). It had controversy (the Braves & their fans erroneously claiming Hrbek pulled Gant off 1st base 🙂 ), a great storyline (two worst-to-first teams), the Homer Hankies, the Tomahawk Chop, Kirbyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Puckett’s Game 6 heroics, and hometown boy Jack Morris giving the single best big game performance I’ve ever seen (Game 7, 10 shutout innings). I could go on, but for someone who worshiped Puckett, Game 6 is magic and always will be. Yeah, this was my first thought as well. That series captured imaginations. Even in Washington DC, where I was a 24 year old chucklehead at the time it dominated everything. I recall taking the escalator up at the Rosslyn metro and hearing the commuters break into that ‘Tomahawk Chop’ chant almost spontaneously. And that’s in a city with, at that point, not even a team to its name. And Jack Morris was insane in that series. And Knoblauch suckering Smith with the fake throw from second. Then Smith on third with less than two outs and the Braves not driving him home. Man, that was just great. It was the best one I’ve seen, at any rate. Though, admittedly, I pretty much just follow baseball. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-series-in-the-history-of-sports/495058/23 "2009-05-03T16:08:30Z")
> [@phungi](#): > > I think most people in Philadelphia would tell you “the 2008 World Series”!!! I dunno, man. The 2008 series had the ugly Dusty Finish in the rain-shortened game, where Selig basically said “Them’s the rules, but that’s dishonorable, so screw that.” ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-series-in-the-history-of-sports/495058/24 "2009-05-03T17:39:20Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > 2004 ALCS, Red Sox - Yankees. > > So there. I hate both teams involved and still have to agree with this. Amazing series, although most everyone in New York probably disagrees. ---
**Author:** ![Dynamo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d2c977/32.png) [@Dynamo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dynamo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-series-in-the-history-of-sports/495058/25 "2009-05-03T23:39:15Z")
The 1991 World Series, easily. Four games were decided by the final at bat, can’t get any better than that. Jack Buck and Skip Caray’s comments after the Puckett home run we’re classic as well. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-series-in-the-history-of-sports/495058/26 "2009-05-04T00:39:28Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > I hate both teams involved and still have to agree with this. Amazing series, although most everyone in New York probably disagrees. More like “Everyone outside of Boston.” The thing is, a truly great series has to end with a great game. Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS was a blowout, over by the third inning. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-series-in-the-history-of-sports/495058/27 "2009-05-04T06:26:41Z")
> [@Hawkeyeop](#): > > The stretch and the 0-1 pitch on the way to Edgar Martínez–swung on and lined down the left field line for a base hit! Here comes Joey! Here is Junior to third base–they’re gonna wave’m in! The throw to the plate will be LATE–the Mariners are going to play for the American League Championship! I don’t believe it! It just continues–my oh my! Edgar Martínez with a double, ripped down the left field line and they are going crazy at the Kingdome. The Mariners will play for the American League Championship beginning on Tuesday night against the Cleveland Indians. My friends I do know this, that Cleveland has the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, but they will know nothing about rock ‘n’ roll when they get here. This place will be rocking and rolling if you can believe it like never-ever before. And all this was after coming from 13 games back in August to force a one game tie breaker with the California Angels for the AL West title. I was 12. I remember watching that game like it was yesterday. I’ve never seen people become so obsessed with any team like the Mariners were during that stretch. IMO and I’m sure I’m not alone, 116 wins was nothing compared to that season. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-series-in-the-history-of-sports/495058/28 "2009-05-04T06:39:36Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Baseball: 1986 Houston vs. NYM was a classic. Four one run games, with the last two going 12 and 16 innings respectively. I was going to say that. People don’t think about it because it wasn’t the World Series and they remember what happened next with Bill Buckner. In second place I would put the 86 World Series, Mets vs Red Sox. I can’t put it first because game 7 was a bit of a let down after game 6. But it would be impossible to top game 6. ---
**Author:** ![Heropsychodreamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Heropsychodreamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heropsychodreamer)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-series-in-the-history-of-sports/495058/29 "2009-05-04T15:03:05Z")
The 2003 Yanks-Sox ALCS was much better than 04, regardless of who won it. I know 04 is the curse is broken and all that but the 03 series was legendary in my mind, ending with the extra inning walk off home run. That is drama. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-series-in-the-history-of-sports/495058/30 "2009-05-04T16:05:16Z")
On the 100th anniversary of the World Series, [ESPN ranked the the 1991 Series](http://espn.go.com/swf/mlb/anniversary/worldseries100.html) ([Twins-Braves](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_World_Series)) as the best ever played, and I agree. (I seem to recall that _Sports Illustrated_ made a similar proclamation at the time.) ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-series-in-the-history-of-sports/495058/31 "2009-05-04T16:19:06Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > [1960 World Series](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_World_Series) Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Yankees. > > First series to end on a home run. > > Pirates vastly dominated by the Yankees yet still won. > > From Wiki. This is the ONE. The drama of the Seventh Game especially can’t be imagined. The Pirates, went into the bottom of the 8th losing 7-4, and scored 5 runs, the final 3 on a home run by Smokey Burgess, giving the Pirates a 9-7 lead. Yankee and baseball fans will remember the 8th inning as being the one where Tony Kubeck, the Yankee shortstop approached a routine groundball that hit something in the infield and hit him in the throat, keeping the inning going. Imagine Smokey Burgess, flying high with a three run home run in the bottom of the eight to give his team a cushion of two runs going into the 9th. Of course, the Yanks tied it in the top of the ninth, setting the stage for Mazeroski’s home run in the bottom of the 9th to win it. The Yankees blew out the Pirates in their three wins. The Pirates just did enough to win 4. Here’s a good link to read all about [the greatest series ever played.](http://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/yr1960ws.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-series-in-the-history-of-sports/495058/32 "2009-05-04T16:22:38Z")
My favorite NBA series of all time was the 1988 playoff series between the Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics. The game 7 duel between Larry Bird and Dominique “The Human Highlight Reel” Wilkins was _epic_. [YouTube highlights](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqOw70lIc6g). [More here.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtbDdOErVA4&feature=related) (Dominique scored 47 points in the game, and Bird scored 20 _in the 4th quarter_.) ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-series-in-the-history-of-sports/495058/33 "2009-05-04T16:23:02Z")
Boxing: Barrera vs. Morales trilogy was a stunner. Three exceedingly close fights, all went the distance, all featured insane levels of action. Ali vs. Frazier trilogy. It would be no. 1 if not for the second fight, which Ali won easily. The other two fights belong in the top 5 greatest boxing matches ever. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-series-in-the-history-of-sports/495058.md?page=1)