Yesterday during the White Sox/Guardians game, the announcer opined that the 2016 World Series Game 7 was the best Game 7 ever. That was the victory by the Cubs over Cleveland in 10 innings. That was indeed a great game, but it got me to thinking: is there a better WS Game 7?
I don’t really remember it, but the 1960 Game 7 has to rank near the top, as Bill Mazeroski hit the only walk-off Game 7 home run to lift the Pirates over the Yankees 10-9. And last year was another classic, when the Dodgers beat the Jays in 11 innings 5-4.
There have been 41 World Series Game 7. And many of them have been close, exciting games. Which ones do you remember?
The Dodgers-Blue Jays Game 7 from last year has to rank pretty near the top, if it’s not at the top. Dodgers overcame an 0-3 early hole and won the game 5-4. Toronto had multiple highly-solid chances to win the game but blew them all. (Dodgers needed a game-tying home run in the 9th, a force-out by inches at home plate, spectacular Andy Pages catch, and broken bat)
Everyone who was alive and watching in 1986 remembers game 6, in which Bill Buckner made his infamous error to end the game. That was actually the culmination of several highly unlikely events in the final half-inning, and it was one of the single most stunning games in history. But Game 7 was also a gem…
The Mets were trailing for a while until Lee Mazzilli began a rally with a base hit. This eventually brought up Keith Hernandez with the bases loaded, facing Bruce Hurst, a lefty. John McNamara, the Red Sox manager, elected to keep Hurst in, possibly on the logic that his lefty pitcher was facing a lefty hitter in Hernandez. What he didn’t know was that Hernandez grew up hitting against his lefty father and actually preferred to face left-handed pitchers. Hernandez got a truly clutch hit, driving in two runs.
On the next play the tying run scored, but Hernandez was tagged out running to second because of a late call by an umpire. He was angry as hell, yelled at the umpires and people had to get between them. Hernandez than came on the field moments later and Wade Boggs hit a high bouncer to third. Ray Knight had to wait for the hop, then threw hard and low to Hernandez at first. Hernandez caught it on the short hop for the out. I’ve always been amazed at how he was angry just moments earlier, but was collected enough to make that very tough play.
Knight later hit a home run and the Mets eventually won. Amazing World Series, especially for me as a teenager who followed the Mets and Red Sox!
I know we all have recency bias, and tend to prefer things we actually saw, but surely 1960 (as flagged by the OP) has to to be number one, right? 10-9 final score, walk-off hit, against the Yankees.
Enos Slaughter’s mad dash in 1946 would be legendary if it happened today.
And Babe getting caught stealing to end game 7 in a one-run game with Lou Gehrig at the plate in 1926 would fuel talk radio for months.
