Now that we’ve had a little time to reflect on Saturday night’s classic World Series game, I can now say that the LA Dodgers 5-4 win in 11 innings against the Toronto Blues Jays in game seven of the 2025 World Series was one of the greatest World Series games ever, if not the greatest. But just to be sure I checked in with my good friend Grandpa Gordy who, as you know if you have read my book Grandpa Gordy’s Greatest World Series Games, is an expert on World Series games. This was our conversation.
“Well let me think. It was a pretty darn good game that’s for sure.”
Then I said, “well, it had all the ingredients to be one of the greatest games ever, filled with tremendous drama. “
“Got to agree with that. It was a seventh game. Don’t get any more dramatic than a seventh game.”
And I added, “and it was decided in the final inning.”
“Extra innings to boot. Now as I recall there were some pretty darn good extra inning-seventh games. The one way back in 1924 when the Washington Senators beat the New York Giants was a doozy. And it was in my book.”
“That’s right. I know and so was the 1991 Minnesota Twins’ 1-0 victory over the Braves.”
“Hey and don’t forget when the underrated Florida Marlins beat Cleveland in 1997.”
“That’s right. It went 11 innings.”
“In my book too. And there’s that classic game in 2016 when the Chicago Cubs ended their 108-year draught and finally won a World Series. That was another doozy.”
“I don’t remember that one from your book.”
“You wouldn’t because my book came out in 2002.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to be critical”
‘That’s okay. I’m working on my updated version.”
“So, Friday night the Blue Jays were only two outs away from winning the World Series when the Dodgers’ number nine hitter Miguel Rojas blasted a game-tying home run. Pretty dramatic.”
“Well, that’s for sure but in 2001 the Yankees were only two outs away from victory with Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera on the mound when Arizona’s Tony Womack lashed a game-tying double.”
“Who?”
“That’s right. You think Miguel Rojas was an unsung hero? Well, how about Tony Womack in the ninth inning of game seven against the Yanks!”
“Well, that’s true. But what about that incredible bottom of the ninth. The Blues Jays had the bases loaded, one out. The winning run ninety feet away and Rojas (again Rojas!) makes a backhanded stab at second base, stumbles, but still fires a laser to nail the Blue Jay runner at home by a millisecond. The Blue Jays literally lost the World Series by a millisecond! And then Andy Pages makes a sensational game-saving, World Series-saving catch in deep left-center field!”
“Yeah, hard to top that!”
“And then in the top of the 11th Will Smith hits the go-ahead home run.”
“That’s true but I’m sure you heard of that Bill Mazeroski fellow who hit the only walk-off, game-seven home run in World Series history way back in 1960 for the Pirates over the Yankees.”
“Yeah, you’re right about that. But what about Yoshi Yamamoto’s performance, pitching the final two innings in game seven after starting and winning game six.”
“Well, if I’m not mistaken that big ol’ scraggly-haired lefty Randy Johnson did the same thing against the Yanks in game six and game seven of the 2001 World Series.”
“Wow. That’s amazing. But what about the bottom of the 11th. The Blues Jays had first and third with only one out. The tying run was on third and the winning run on first.”
“Oh yeah. That was pretty incredible, but Kirk hit into a double play ending it.”
“A really nice clutch play but Mookie Betts.”
“No doubt about it. The defense in the entire Series was tremendous. But think about this.” Grandpa Gordy scratched his beard. “What if Kirk hit a gapper and that guy Madison Barger who was on first came flying around third and slid into home with the winning running, beating the throw by a millisecond. And Blue Jays have comeback and are the champs.”
“Oh yeah. That would have been truly sensational!”
“So if that happened there would have been no doubt that this was the greatest World Series game ever.”
“I guess we can agree on that.”
“Yep and that in a little over three months it’s “pitchers and catchers”.
“Agreed!”
References: Grandpa Gordy’s Greatest World Series Games https://amzn.to/2T9lYVT
And The Baseball Almanac
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