What is the Best World Series Ever?
- Thread starter Say Hey Kid
- Start date
92 was the better of the Jays series (92 had four one-run games and a 3-1 game). Basically, only one game was decided before the late innings, 5 of the 6 games were up in the air going into the late innings.
GIN ANTONIC
Registered User
Yeah I kind of forget that. 92 had a lot of great games but not necessarily as memorable games as 93
I’m 32 so I’m a bit too young to remember the Jays winning that b2b titles. But based on the clips I’ve seen and the box scores in each game, their ‘92 title was definitely more impressive given how loaded the Braves were. The fact that they beat the best pitching staff of all time in a seven game WS by winning each game by one-run is impressive.
frontsfan2005
Registered User
Yes, those 70's Reds teams were great and very close to becoming a dynasty.
1970 - 102-60 (1st in West) - lost WS to Baltimore 4-1; although two of the losses were by only one run
1971 - 79-83 (4th in West) - not sure what happened here, perhaps injuries? or a transition year?
1972 - 95-59 (1st in West) - lost WS to Oakland 4-3 (only put up a 1-3 record at home, including game 7 loss)
1973 - 99-63 (1st in West) - lost NLCS to NY Mets 3-2 (all three losses to Mets were by five runs or more)
1974 - 98-64 (2nd in West) - second best record in MLB and misses playoffs
1975 - 108-54 (1st in West) - win WS over Boston 4-3
1976 - 102-60 (1st in West) - win WS over NY Yankees 4-0
1977 - 88-74 (2nd in West) - pitching struggled compared to 76 - acquired Seaver in mid-season trade
1978 - 92-69 (2nd in West) - second best record in NL and misses playoffs - Sparky Anderson fired, Pete Rose leaves
1979 - 90-71 (1st in West) - lost NLCS to PIT 3-0
1980 - 89-73 (3rd in West) - battled Astros and Dodgers for first all season long
1981 - 1st half - 35-21 (2nd in West); 2nd half - 31-21 (2nd in West) - total (66-42; best record in MLB, misses playoffs)
The Reds could've easily won 2-3 more World Series during this time period. They should've won in 1972, but posted a 1-3 record at home. In 1973, they lost to a barely .500 Mets team in the NLCS. Had they won this series, it's not unreasonable to think they could've beaten Oakland again. If this happens, they could've had 3-4 titles in 5 years, and the one year with no championship, they missed the playoffs despite the 2nd best record in baseball, reaching dynasty status.
They also could've ended the Big Red Machine era in 1981 with another title, but missed the playoffs despite having the best record in baseball.
The Reds refused to enter the free agency that was in its infancy in the late 70s. They lost Don Gullett following 1976 who had arm troubles (awesome regular season with the Yankees in 1977 but awful in the playoffs) and made a horrible trade with Montreal in which Tony Perez was dealt for Woody Fryman (and Dale Murray a nondescript pitcher) who was abysmal in his short time with the Reds and had a personality conflict with Sparky Anderson. Fryman rejoined Montreal and was a solid reliever after that but his stay in Cincinnati was something dysfunctional. Another reason for the trade was to open a permanent spot for Danny Driessen who was a good first baseman but nowhere on the same level as Perez who was the unofficial locker room leader and arguably the team's biggest clutch hitter. It was something that many Reds players said led to the beginning of the end, well along with free agency and other decisions. Firing Sparky Anderson was a terrible move despite the fact that John McNamara had good numbers. Pete Rose went to Philadelphia following 1978, too.
In 1972, Joe Rudi made one of the three best catches I have seen live in playoffs. If not for that catch, the Reds likely win that game (2). Neither team hit in the 1972 Series. It is what kept that series from being among the best ever. Great defense, running, pitching but hitting was weak on both sides.
The other catches I'd list in the top three that I saw: Glenn Braggs in the 1990 playoffs against Pittsburgh in the ninth inning of Game 6. And Dwight Evans catch in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series.
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frontsfan2005
Registered User
The 92 Braves had an elite pitching staff, but the best staff of all time? They had a much better rotation in 93 after they signed Greg Maddux. In the 92 series, Steve Avery, who was a very good pitcher but isn't close to being the ace Greg Maddux was, started two games. Imagine subbing in Maddux for those starts?
Shoot yeah I forgot Maddux didn't join them till the year after. Again, I didn't actually see that WS and whenever I think of the 90's/early 00's Braves, I automatically think of Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine, etc.
frontsfan2005
Registered User
It's crazy to think that despite that deep pitching staff, they only won the World Series once. They had some bad luck against the 93 Phillies and the strike of 1994. Later, they ran into the dynasty Yankees (96 and 99), as well as some very good teams in Florida (97) and San Diego (98). The early 2000's teams had some elite seasons, but for whatever reason, didn't get the job done in the playoffs.
MiamiScreamingEagles
Global Moderator
- Jan 17, 2004
- 71,247
- 48,222
The Reds refused to enter the free agency that was in its infancy in the late 70s. They lost Don Gullett following 1976 who had arm troubles (awesome regular season with the Yankees in 1977 but awful in the playoffs) and made a horrible trade with Montreal in which Tony Perez was dealt for Woody Fryman (and Dale Murray a nondescript pitcher) who was abysmal in his short time with the Reds and had a personality conflict with Sparky Anderson. Fryman rejoined Montreal and was a solid reliever after that but his stay in Cincinnati was something dysfunctional. Another reason for the trade was to open a permanent spot for Danny Driessen who was a good first baseman but nowhere on the same level as Perez who was the unofficial locker room leader and arguably the team's biggest clutch hitter. It was something that many Reds players said led to the beginning of the end, well along with free agency and other decisions. Firing Sparky Anderson was a terrible move despite the fact that John McNamara had good numbers. Pete Rose went to Philadelphia following 1978, too.
In 1972, Joe Rudi made one of the three best catches I have seen live in playoffs. If not for that catch, the Reds likely win that game (2). Neither team hit in the 1972 Series. It is what kept that series from being among the best ever. Great defense, running, pitching but hitting was weak on both sides.
The other catches I'd list in the top three that I saw: Glenn Braggs in the 1990 playoffs against Pittsburgh in the ninth inning of Game 6. And Dwight Evans catch in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series which in my time is the best I have seen.
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Scintillating10
Registered User
ChiTownPhilly
Not Too Soft
There are answers to be discovered here- some can be pulled straight from memory; others take about a minute or two of looking...
Re: 1970- Baltimore was just a legitimately better team. [Funny thing is- 1969 Baltimore AND 1971 Baltimore have cases for being better teams on paper, but those bookend Orioles teams found a way to lose- whereas the 1970 version took care of business.]
1971... since I've had some misspent extended adolescence playing tournament-level table-baseball simulations- and had a fair bit of experience juggling starters and bullpen depth for teams like the mid-70s Reds-- doing my best to minimize the pitching deficiencies... my first thought was that perhaps that was a year where the pitching comprehensively collapsed. However, after reviewing further, the truth is actually completely the other way 'round(!) That was the year that bats went silent in Cincinnati. In 1970, the Reds had a league-leading .772 OPS. The very next year (1971), they sank to .665- fourth from bottom. The year after, (1972) their team OPS adjusted to ballpark was again tops in the NL. [The infamous Lee May/Tommy Helms/Jimmy Stewart for Joe Morgan/Cesar Geronimo/Jack Billingham/Ed Armbruster/Denis Menke heist helped resuscitate fortunes, no doubt...]
About that '72 World Series:
Oakland starters:
Catfish Hunter
Ken Holtzman
Blue Moon Odom
Vida Blue
Cincinnati starters:
Don Gullett
Gary Nolan
Jack Billingham
Jim McGlothlin
I was surprised when Baltimore butched that 2-0 series lead in 1971. I was NOT surprised when Oakland prevailed in 1972.
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Voight
#winning
2011 might just be my favourite of the last decade.
Really wanted the Rangers to win their first title (especially after being the bridesmaid a year earlier) but Freese's heroics were great TV.
Really wanted the Rangers to win their first title (especially after being the bridesmaid a year earlier) but Freese's heroics were great TV.
GKJ
Global Moderator
- Feb 27, 2002
- 186,900
- 39,001
When I think 'best ever' I think you need a highly dramatic Game 7 given the scope we're looking at here.
1997 should be in the conversation, but 2001 needs to be at the top of consideration. "The year it was ok if the Yankees won." Although they were hanging by a thread the entire series, they were still looking at a 4-peat. Even if it was not the best, it has to be the most dramatic. There's probably enough people who frequent these boards now who weren't old enough to appreciate just how dramatic it was.
The dramatics at Yankee Stadium in the backdrop of the still-smoldering 9/11 highlighted by Byun-yun Kim blowing 2 saves, including inexplicably being sent out for the 10th inning in Game 4 for a third inning of work after giving up 2 in the 9th. Bob Brenly basically completely abandoned his bullpen during this time.
I don't care that Game 6 was 15-2, everyone was still yelling at their TV's and radios to pull Randy Johnson once the D-Backs got up 12-0 early. He still went 7 throwing 104 pitches and came back the next night for 4 outs establishing himself as the real Mr. November.
Game 7 was one of the all-time pitching matchups (of also future miscreants) Curt Schilling vs. Roger Clemens. An 8th inning home run by Soriano gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead and then Arizona goes to Game 5 & 6 starters (Miguel Batista and Johnson) to get out of the inning and then the tables get turned as Marino Rivera unconscionably implodes in the 9th inning. Easy to say 19 years later, but I had a feeling about that one.
1997 should be in the conversation, but 2001 needs to be at the top of consideration. "The year it was ok if the Yankees won." Although they were hanging by a thread the entire series, they were still looking at a 4-peat. Even if it was not the best, it has to be the most dramatic. There's probably enough people who frequent these boards now who weren't old enough to appreciate just how dramatic it was.
The dramatics at Yankee Stadium in the backdrop of the still-smoldering 9/11 highlighted by Byun-yun Kim blowing 2 saves, including inexplicably being sent out for the 10th inning in Game 4 for a third inning of work after giving up 2 in the 9th. Bob Brenly basically completely abandoned his bullpen during this time.
I don't care that Game 6 was 15-2, everyone was still yelling at their TV's and radios to pull Randy Johnson once the D-Backs got up 12-0 early. He still went 7 throwing 104 pitches and came back the next night for 4 outs establishing himself as the real Mr. November.
Game 7 was one of the all-time pitching matchups (of also future miscreants) Curt Schilling vs. Roger Clemens. An 8th inning home run by Soriano gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead and then Arizona goes to Game 5 & 6 starters (Miguel Batista and Johnson) to get out of the inning and then the tables get turned as Marino Rivera unconscionably implodes in the 9th inning. Easy to say 19 years later, but I had a feeling about that one.
82Ninety42011
Registered User
93 for me Carter walk-off was the icing that series was exciting. Being a Jays fan helps but the games had everything some pitching and a whole lot of hitting runs.
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