14 of the Most Memorable World Series Moments

The march to the Fall Classic is finally in full swing. Major League Baseball’s expansion to six playoff teams per league has opened up the possibility of creating new October heroes the past few seasons, and this year should be no different.

Baseball’s rich history has seen some of the most unconventional names rise to stardom when it mattered most, while others cemented their legacy on the biggest stage of them all.

Bill Mazeroski’s Game 7 Walk-Off Home Run (1960)

Every kid playing Little League dreams of hitting a home run to win the decisive game of the World Series. Bill Mazeroski lived that dream.

Mazeroski’s Pittsburgh Pirates took the powerhouse New York Yankees to Game 7 in the 1960 World Series, when he stepped to the plate in the ninth inning with the game tied, 9-9. His solo shot off Ralph Terry was just one of 140 total career homers, but it was the biggest of his life, delivering Pittsburgh a championship.

Kirk Gibson Homers With a Broken Body (1988)

A future Hall of Famer staring you down with the game on the line in your first at-bat? For Dodgers outfielder Kirk Gibson, it was no problem.

Gibson entered Game 1 of the 1988 World Series against Dennis Eckersley and the Oakland Athletics hobbled by leg injuries, pinch-hitting in the bottom of the ninth inning with his team down, 4-3. The eventual NL MVP rocked a pitch to right field, delivering a two-run shot that would win the game and help the Dodgers capture a ring.

Joe Carter’s Game 6 World Series Winner (1993)

Following up a World Series title with another is dramatic enough. Add in a walk-off home run to win it? The fireworks are all the more fitting.

Joe Carter smashed a three-run home run off Mitch Williams in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series, giving the Toronto Blue Jays their second ring in as many years. The broadcast claimed Carter would never hit a home run bigger in his life.

It was right.

Carlton Fisk Waves it Fair (1975)

The “Curse of the Bambino” tortured Boston Red Sox fans for nearly a century, but it wasn’t all misfortune in the World Series for the Sox. In fact, Carlton Fisk provided one of the greatest moments in team history in the 1975 World Series against the powerhouse Cincinnati Reds.

Fisk faced Red righty Pat Darcy in the 12th inning at Fenway Park with the game tied at 6. He’d sky one to left field near the iconic Green Monster, and as the pitch looked to be headed into foul territory, Fisk attempted to wave it fair with his arms. The ball soared to the right of the foul pole, and Boston would win one of the greatest World Series games ever played, 7-6, before losing Game 7.

It Gets Through Buckner (1986)

The 1986 World Series, however, serves as a reminder as to why the curse was so painful.

The Boston Red Sox had multiple opportunities to put the New York Mets away to win their first title since 1918, but a late rally would send Mookie Wilson to the plate with runners in scoring position. A slow dribbler to first baseman Bill Buckner would trickle through his legs, winning the game for the Mets and forcing Game 7. New York would win the series, 4-3.

Boston Reverses The Curse (2004)

It would take another 18 years before Red Sox fans could lay claim to a championship, but it came sweetly and decisively.

The Red Sox would overcome a 3-0 deficit in the American League Championship Series against the Yankees, rattling off four wins in a row to punch their ticket to the World Series against the Cardinals. There, Boston would pull off a quick sweep of St. Louis, winning the 100th edition of the Fall Classic and delivering Beantown a long-awaited World Series win.

The David Freese Game (2011)

David Freese was a solid career .277 hitter, but his greatest contributions to the game came in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series.

The Texas Rangers were one out away from winning their first-ever championship, when Freese shot a ball into right field over Nelson Cruz’s head. The hit would tie the game and send it to extra innings, but his heroics were not done.

Freese would step to the plate again in the 11th inning, and deliver a walk-off home run to center that would force Game 7, and eventually, win the St. Louis Cardinals their 11th World Series.

Babe Ruth Calls His Shot (1932)

If Babe Ruth is considered a folk hero, this may be his greatest tale.

The Yankees faced the Chicago Cubs in the 1932 World Series, and took to Wrigley Field up two games to none. There, in Game 3, Ruth had already hit a home run in the first inning. But in the fifth, he stood at home plate, allegedly pointed several times to center field, and proceeded to send a towering shot in that direction.

New York would sweep Chicago, and Ruth’s legend grew even more.

The Cubs Win a Classic (2016)

While the Red Sox dealt with decades of futility, the Cubs dealt with a century of it. That would all come to an end in 2016.

Chicago squared off with the Cleveland Indians in what is viewed by many to be one of the greatest World Series ever played. Heroics by both teams in Game 7 took the game to extra innings, where a rain-delay postponed the dramatics even further. The Cubs would put up two runs in the 10th inning, and win their first World Series since 1908.

Jack Morris Throws a Gem (1991)

These days, it’s rare to come across a pitcher going the full nine innings, let alone into extras. Twins hurler Jack Morris did just that in the biggest game of his life in the 1991 World Series against the Atlanta Braves.

Morris struck out eight batters across 10 innings of work without allowing a run, and Minnesota needed every pitch to count. They won the game, 1-0, after Gene Larkin sent a single into the gap, delivering Minnesota its second world title. Morris’ performance still lives on as one of the best pitching performances in baseball history, given the circumstances.

Mr. October (1977)

When you hear the nickname “Mr. October,” you know it’s referring to Reggie Jackson, and with good reason.

After a tumultuous 1977 regular season that saw fighting between Jackson and club leadership, the New York Yankees found themselves in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. New York hosted Game 6, and Jackson cemented his status as one of the most clutch performers in baseball history with a three-home-run game that shook the old Yankee Stadium. He’d go on to win World Series MVP, as the Yankees would win the first of two straight titles.

Luis Gonzalez Slays Goliath (2001)

Luis Gonzalez had a massive season for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001 with 57 home runs, but it was one bloop single that defined the entire year.

The Diamondbacks trailed Mariano Rivera’s New York Yankees, 1-0, in the bottom of the ninth of Game 7, when a slew of defensive mistakes knotted the game up. Then, with the bases juiced, Gonzales popped a single over shortstop Derek Jeter’s head, effectively ending the Yankee dynasty and delivering Arizona its first World Series trophy.

The Catch (1954)

There have been millions of catches in baseball history, yet only one is known as “The Catch.”

Willie Mays was the most electrifying player of his era, and put his defensive prowess on display in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series between the New York Giants and Cleveland Indians. With the score tied at 2 in the eighth inning, Vic Wertz sent a ball deep into center field at the Polo Grounds. Mays chased it down, making an over-the-shoulder grab that stunned fans.

The Giants would win the game and the series.

Don Larsen’s Perfect Game (1956)

There have only been 24 perfect games in Major League Baseball history. Just one of them was thrown in the World Series.

That came in 1956, when Don Larsen allowed no baserunners against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5. He struck out seven, securing the final out and catching a leaping Yogi Berra in one of the most iconic images in the history of the Fall Classic. New York would win the series in seven games.