The Greatest World Series Game Ever?

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?”

Tony Womack DIGITAL IMAGE Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacobsohn/ALLSPORT

“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 11^th 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 11^th. 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

Orion’s Constellation of Cringe

Orion Kerkering’s horrendous blunder in the final game of the Dodgers/Phillies National League Division Series was one of the worst baseball plays I have ever seen. I really feel bad for the guy, and it was a tough night for Phillies’ fans. My guest blogger Bruce Solomon put it all in perspective.

I spotted this headline in the NY Post after the game last week:

Phillies’ season ends on reliever’s boneheaded error in extra innings

That led me to consider that Richard Orion Kerkering could find notoriety, if not infamy for the ages amongst baseball aficionados for season-ending miscues placed squarely, if unfairly, on one player’s shoulders, as in Merkle’s Boner in 1908 and Snodgrass’ $30,000 Muff in 1912.

To provide some historical heft for Bonehead Orion’s Star-Crossed Muff, here are the tales of Merkle’s Boner and Snodgrass’ Muff:

The Merkle Boner: The Story Of Fred Merkle

https://ourgame.mlblogs.com/fred-snodgrass-october-16-1912-cbcb6d2db26b

After watching the play, I suggested to wife that the most charitable thing Phillies’ management could do would be to trade Orion to a galaxy far, far away from the enduring wrath of the baseball fans of the City of Brotherly Love.

As balm for the pain of Orion’s moment of ignominy, I share a taste of what cracker jack sports writing was like in the bygone days of 1912 with this recounting of the eighth and final game of the 1912 World Series by one of the finest scribes of the day, Hugh Fullerton:

https://ourgame.mlblogs.com/snodgrass-muffs-one-2f74b9d200cf

The Steal of the Century

It was 69 years ago today that Jackie Robinson stole home for the Brooklyn Dodgers against the New York Yankees in game one of the 1955 World Series. It is a play that is this talked about and argued about to this day. And it is one of the moments in baseball history that explains Why We Love Baseball as told by Joe Posnanski in his great book of the same name. I’ll set the stage here and then let Posnanski take over with an excerpt from his fabulous book. Most baseball fans are familiar with the accounts of the event but read to the end to see and feel the true poignancy of the moment.

Jackie Robinson was on third base in the eighth inning of game one. There was one out and the Dodgers were down by two runs. The Dodgers had never beaten the Yankees in a World Series having lost 5 previous times. Whitey Ford was on the mound for New York and of course Yogi Berra was behind the plate. Robinson took off for home and as he slid into home Berra applied the tag. Umpire Bill Summers called Robinson safe. Berra did not agree. There is a huge picture of this moment in the Yogi Berra Museum in Montclair, New Jersey. According to Posnanski and Yogi’s family whenever Berra passes the photo, no matter what he is talking about, he points to the photo and declares “safe”.

According to Posnanski there are three reasons why people still talk about this play. First, it involved two of the games’ most iconic players, Robinson and Berra. Second, it involved one of baseball’s greatest rivalries, the Dodgers and the Yankees. Third, we still don’t know whether Robinson was safe or out.

I’ll let Posnanski take over from here.

Oh, you might think you know whether Robinson was safe or out. Lots of people think they know. Robinson was on third, a nice-sized lead and he was watching Ford closely. He then took small hops and took off for the plate while Ford was in his windup. Ford’s pitch beat him there, Yogi caught it with his left foot on home plate, he reached down with both his glove and right hand and tried to tag Robinson’s right foot just before it touched home.

Out? Safe? Home plate umpire Bill Summers did not hesitate. He ruled safe. Berra was sure he’d blown the call, so sure that he stood up and tore off his mask and began screaming at Summers like he never had at an umpire and never would again. Summers just kept stretching his arms, again and again, a repeat of his safe call, and then turned his back on Berra.

People have been arguing ever since.

There is one surviving film of the play. The replay shows everything… and nothing at all. It is a Rorschach replay. You will see in it exactly what you want. If you want to see Robinson out, he’s out. If you want to see him safe, he’s safe.

“It was bush stuff,” Berra shouted to reporters after the game. “It was showboat strategy, stealing home when you’re two runs behind like that. It was a bad play.”

Reporters raced over to Robinson for a response.

“The only thing bush about it,” Robinson replied, “was Berra’s tag.

Reporters raced back to Berra for his response to the response.

“He was out,” Berra said. “The call was blown. It was the wrong play, and he was out.”

Back to Robinson.

“Tell him to worry about himself,” Robinson said. “He didn’t tag me until after I crossed.”

Back and forth. The Yankees, as you know, won the game. But the Dodgers ended up winning that World Series—they finally beat the Yankees—and Jackie Robinson’s stolen base became a symbol of that victory.

And here’s the best part of the story. I’ll let Posnanski continue.

Jackie Robinson died in 1972. And for the next 40-plus years, Yogi Berra would often find himself at a banquet or celebration or gathering with Jackie’s widow Rachel Robinson.

They always greeted each other the same way.

“Safe,” Rachel would say.

“Out,” Yogi would say.

And then the two would laugh and hug.

References: Why We Love Baseball A History in 50 Moments by Joe Posnanski

The Baseball Almanac

Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center 8 Yogi Berra Drive Little Falls, NJ