Greatest World Series First Games
A List Of Great Lidlifters
Greatest World Series First Games
You can probably guess why I decided to write this.
The first game of the 2023 World Series was heralded by some critics as one of the best first games of all time. Just take a look at articles like this if you don’t believe me.
But was it really one of the best first games? Are walkoff victories all that rare in World Series games — or in games in general?
I came up with a list of all the close World Series game 1s I could find. I used the following criteria:
The outcome must have been in doubt up to the very end.
Either the deciding run must have come at the end, or the losing team must have come close to scoring the tying run at the very end.
I came up with 17 first games in all — World Series only — that met this criteria. As you can see, a great first game does not necessarily mean that the series will be an all-time classic. Similarly, some of the closest World Series of all time had relatively lousy first games: 1975, 1991, and 2001, to name three obvious candidates.
Below is a brief summary of each, along with links to the complete play by play via Baseball Reference. How do you think these compare with the first game of the 2023 World Series?
Great World Series First Games
October 8, 1907: Tigers 3, Cubs 3 (12). This was called due to darkness after 12 innings. The Cubs tied the game with 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th. They stole 3 bases in the bottom of the 10th, including a double steal, but failed to score. The Cubs then loaded the bases with only 1 out in the bottom of the 11th, but also failed to score.
October 8, 1912: Red Sox 4, Giants 3. The Giants scored 1 in the bottom of the 9th and had runners on 2nd and 3rd with only 1 out. Smoky Joe Wood struck out the next two batters to win it.
October 7, 1916: Red Sox 6, Robins 5. Brooklyn had a big 4 run rally in the top of the 9th inning to make this one close. Jake Daubert grounded out to end the game with runners on at 2nd and 3rd.
October 10, 1923: Giants 5, Yankees 4. This is the famous game where Casey Stengel hit an inside-the-park home run in the top of the 9th to win it for the Giants. This was also the first World Series game in Yankee Stadium history.
October 4, 1924: Giants 4, Senators 3 (12). This game is almost a mirror of the famous 7th game of the same World Series. The Senators stranded the tying run on 3rd base to lose it.
October 4, 1939: Yankees 2, Reds 1. I bet you didn’t expect to see the 1939 Yankees on this list! They didn’t exactly romp over the Reds in the World Series, needing a run in the bottom of the 9th to win this one.
October 6, 1946: Red Sox 3, Cardinals 2 (10). Rudy York’s home run off Howie Pollet in the top of the 10th won this for Boston. Incidentally, Stan Musial had a chance to drive in the tying run in the bottom of the 9th, but failed.
October 6, 1948: Braves 1, Indians 0. One of the most famous World Series games of its time, and a game that has been sadly forgotten these days. I wrote about this game here.
October 5, 1949: Yankees 1, Dodgers 0. The famous Five O’clock Lightning game, which Tommy Henrich won in the bottom of the 9th with a home run.
September 29, 1954: Giants 5, Indians 2 (10). This is one of the two most famous first games of the World Series of all time. Willie Mays made his incredible catch, and Dusty Rhoads hit a popup home run to win it.
October 1, 1958: Braves 4, Yankees 3 (10). Bill Bruton singled in a run in the bottom of the 10th to win it for the Braves.
October 11, 1977: Yankees 4, Dodgers 3 (12). After nearly two decades of relatively pedestrian lidlifters, the Yankees and Dodgers gave us an all time classic.
October 15, 1988: Dodgers 5, Athletics 4. This is actually my choice for the greatest first game of a World Series of all time. It’s hard to beat the hobbled Gibson defeating Eckersley for all the marbles.
October 21, 2000: Yankees 4, Mets 3 (12). I remember watching this game live, though I’ve forgotten how close it really was. The Yankees rallied to tie in the bottom of the 9th, missed chances to win in the 10th and 11th, and finally broke through in the 12th.
October 27, 2015: Royals 5, Mets 4 (14). I also remember watching this one. Alcides Escobar hit an inside the park home run in the first inning. Kansas City tied it in the bottom of the 9th on a dramatic home run by Alex Gordon, and then won it in the bottom of the 14th on a sacrifice fly. I’d argue that this game was actually more exciting than the 1954 game.
October 28, 2022: Phillies 6 Astros 5 (10). J. T. Realmuto scored the winning run on a home run in the top of the 10th. The Astros has the tying run on 3rd with two men out in the bottom of the 10th, but fell just short.
October 27, 2023: Rangers 6, Diamondbacks 5 (11). Cory Seager tied it with a two run homer in the bottom of the 9th. MIguel Castro’s home run in the bottom of the 11th won it.
Relive The Classics
Paying subscribers to this blog have access to the Member’s Area, including my collection of baseball media files.
I’ve uploaded copies of the radio broadcasts of the first games of the 1948, 1949, 1954, 1958, 1977, and 1988 World Series.
I’ve also uploaded copies of the video of the first games of the 1977, 1988, 2000, 2015, 2022, and 2023 World Series.
Please consider supporting the blog with a paid subscription! I’m going to continue adding to this media library over time.