World Series Champions      The World Series: this is the pinnacle of baseball.  We remember the Series for both it's winners and losers - the magnificence of Christy Mathewson tossing three shutouts in six days in the 1905 Series, and the horrible stomach-churning disappointment when Bill Buckner booted a grounder in Game 6 of the 1986 Series.    Buckner isn't the only hard-luck story in World Series history. Fred Snodgrass muffed a fly ball in the 10th inning of the 1912 Series, ruining a story-book season for the New York Giants and allowing the Boston Red Sox to put the tying run on base, and eventually win the game.  Brooklyn Dodger catcher Mickey Owen erred grievously in Game 4 of the 1941 World Series when he let a third-strike Hugh Casey curve ball get away from him with two outs in the ninth inning, no Yankees on base and Tommy Henrich at the plate.  His Dodgers were up 4-3 at the time, and if he had caught the pitch they would have tied the Series at 2 games apiece; instead, the Yankees broke loose for four runs, took a 3-1 lead and won the Series the next afternoon.      And of course, Mariano Rivera, the Yankees' bullet-proof reliever, committed a rare fielding error in the ninth inning of the 2001 Series, allowing the tying run to get to second with nobody out - ultimately, that run came in to score, and was followed by the winning run.    Perhaps most poignantly, there was Cookie Lavagetto depriving Bill Bevens of no-hit glory, with two outs in the 9th inning in Game 4 of the 1947 Series.  Bevens, who had gone 7-13 that season and never pitched in the majors after the '47 fall classic, had a 2-1 lead with two down in the ninth; his 10th walk of the day put the winning run on first, and a double by the veteran Lavagetto scored two runs and gave the Yankees a 3-2 win.  Three days later, in Game 6, Joe DiMaggio kicked the dirt near second base in frustration (gasp!) when his two-on and two-out smash was caught by Al Gionfriddo near the 415-foot sign in Yankee Stadium's left-center field bullpen; the Dodgers hung on to win 8-6 and even the Series at 3-3, although they would lose Game 7.      But the Series has seen it's share of inspired play and heart-warming successes. There was Babe Ruth calling his shot in the 1932 Series, amidst racist taunting from the fans at Wrigley Field. There was Don Larsen, a mediocre pitcher and less than mediocre person, achieving perfection in 1956.  And there was Kirk Gibson hitting a 3-2, backdoor slider off of the game's premier reliever, Dennis Eckersley, and hobbling around the basepaths to give the underdog Dodgers the win.    There was the crucial, tension-filled Game 7 of the 1926 Series - bases loaded, two out, bottom of the seventh inning. With the Yankees' second baseman Tony Lazzeri at the plate, and the Cardinals trying to protect a 3-2 lead at Yankee Stadium, Cards manager Rogers Hornsby signalled for the aging Grover Cleveland "Pete" Alexander, who had pitched a complete game victory the day before.  Alexander trudged to the mound and struck Lazzeri out on four pitches, retired the Yankees in order in their half of the inning, and then picked up the save in the ninth when Babe Ruth was caught trying to steal second to make the game's final out.    There was Game 7 of the 1946 Series, when Enos "Country" Slaughter charged home when everyone in the ballpark assumed he'd hold up at third.  Slaughter scored from first just ahead of Johnny Pesky's relay, on a two-out, bottom-of-the-eighth double by Harry Walker to give his team a 4-3 lead that would provide the margin of victory.    There was Game 6 of the 1975 Series, one of the greatest games ever played, ending when Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk waved his extra-innings home run fair into the left field foul pole at Fenway. (Predictably, the Red Sox would lose Game 7).    There was Bill Wambsganss turning an unassisted triple play in Game 5 of the 1920 Series.  There was Willie Mays making a spectacular catch off of Vic Wertz in Game 1 of the 1954 Series.  There was Bill Mazeroski's bottom of he ninth, Game 7 home run in 1960 to give the Pirates - outscored, 55-27, and outhit, 91-60 in the seven games - an unlikely championship.  There was Joe Carter ending things against the Phillies' Mitch Williams in Game 6 of the 1993 Series with a home run.    There were Bob Gibson's 17 strikeouts in Game 1 of the 1968 Series, and Reggie Jackson smacking three first-pitch homers in Game 6 in 1977.  There was Joe Medwick being showered with debris from irate fans in Detroit, in Game 7 of the 1934 Series, after a hard slide and four hits in the Series opener created the animosity.    Now that's baseball.  Year World Series Result 2003 Florida Marlins (NL) 4, New York Yankees (AL) 2 2002 Anaheim Angels (AL) 4, San Francisco Giants (AL) 3 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks (NL) 4, New York Yankees (AL) 3 2000 New York Yankees (AL) 4, New York Mets (NL) 1 1999 New York Yankees (AL) 4, Atlanta Braves (NL) 0 1998 New York Yankees (AL) 4, San Diego Padres (NL) 0 1997 Florida Marlins (NL) 4, Cleveland Indians (AL) 3 1996 New York Yankees (AL) 4, Atlanta Braves (NL) 2 1995 Atlanta Braves (NL) 4, Cleveland Indians (AL) 2 1994 Series cancelled 1993 Toronto Blue Jays (AL) 4, Philadelphia Phillies (NL) 2 1992 Toronto Blue Jays (AL) 4, Atlanta Braves (NL) 2 1991 Minnesota Twins (AL) 4, Atlanta Braves (NL) 3 1990 Cincinnati Reds (NL) 4, Oakland Athletics (AL) 0 1989 Oakland Athletics (AL) 4, San Francisco Giants (NL) 0 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) 4, Oakland Athletics (AL) 1 1987 Minnesota Twins (AL) 4, St. Louis Cardinals (NL) 3 1986 New York Mets (NL) 4, Boston Red Sox (AL) 3 1985 Kansas City Royals (AL) 4, St. Louis Cardinals (NL) 3 1984 Detroit Tigers (AL) 4, San Diego Padres (NL) 1 1983 Baltimore Orioles (AL) 4, Philadelphia Phillies (NL) 1 1982 St. Louis Cardinals (NL) 4, Milwaukee Brewers (AL) 3 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) 4, New York Yankees (AL) 2 1980 Philadelphia Phillies (NL) 4, Kansas City Royals (AL) 2 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) 4, Baltimore Orioles (AL) 3 1978 New York Yankees (AL) 4, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) 2 1977 New York Yankees (AL) 4, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) 2 1976 Cincinnati Reds (NL) 4, New York Yankees (AL) 0 1975 Cincinnati Reds (NL) 4, Boston Red Sox (AL) 3 1974 Oakland Athletics (AL) 4, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) 1 1973 Oakland Athletics (AL) 4, New York Mets (NL) 3 1972 Oakland Athletics (AL) 4, Cincinnati Reds (NL) 3 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) 4, Baltimore Orioles (AL) 3 1970 Baltimore Orioles (AL) 4, Cincinnati Reds (NL) 1 1969 New York Mets (NL) 4, Baltimore Orioles (AL) 1 1968 Detroit Tigers (AL) 4, St. Louis Cardinals (NL) 3 1967 St. Louis Cardinals (NL) 4, Boston Red Sox (AL) 3 1966 Baltimore Orioles (AL) 4, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) 0 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) 4, Minnesota Twins (AL) 3 1964 St. Louis Cardinals (NL) 4, New York Yankees (AL) 3 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) 4, New York Yankees (AL) 0 1962 New York Yankees (AL) 4, San Francisco Giants (NL) 3 1961 New York Yankees (AL) 4, Cincinnati Reds (NL) 1 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) 4, New York Yankees (AL) 3 1959 Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) 4, Chicago White Sox (AL) 2 1958 New York Yankees (AL) 4, Milwaukee Braves (NL) 3 1957 Milwaukee Braves (NL) 4, New York Yankees (AL) 3 1956 New York Yankees (AL) 4, Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) 3 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) 4, New York Yankees (AL) 3 1954 New York Giants (NL) 4, Cleveland Indians (AL) 0 1953 New York Yankees (AL) 4, Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) 2 1952 New York Yankees (AL) 4, Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) 3 1951 New York Yankees (AL) 4, New York Giants (NL) 2 1950 New York Yankees (AL) 4, Philadelphia Phillies (NL) 0 1949 New York Yankees (AL) 4, Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) 1 1948 Cleveland Indians (AL) 4, Boston Braves (NL) 2 1947 New York Yankees (AL) 4, Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) 3 1946 St. Louis Cardinals (NL) 4, Boston Red Sox (AL) 3 1945 Detroit Tigers (AL) 4, Chicago Cubs (NL) 3 1944 St. Louis Cardinals (NL) 4, St. Louis Browns (AL) 2 1943 New York Yankees (AL) 4, St. Louis Cardinals (NL) 1 1942 St. Louis Cardinals (NL) 4, New York Yankees (AL) 1 1941 New York Yankees (AL) 4, Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) 1 1940 Cincinnati Reds (NL) 4, Detroit Tigers (AL) 3 1939 New York Yankees (AL) 4, Cincinnati Reds (NL) 0 1938 New York Yankees (AL) 4, Chicago Cubs (NL) 0 1937 New York Yankees (AL) 4, New York Giants (NL) 1 1936 New York Yankees (AL) 4, New York Giants (NL) 2 1935 Detroit Tigers (AL) 4, Chicago Cubs (NL) 2 1934 St. Louis Cardinals (NL) 4, Detroit Tigers (AL) 3 1933 New York Giants (NL) 4, Washington Senators (AL) 1 1932 New York Yankees (AL) 4, Chicago Cubs (NL) 0 1931 St. Louis Cardinals (NL) 4, Philadelphia Athletics (AL) 3 1930 Philadelphia Athletics (AL) 4, St. Louis Cardinals (NL) 2 1929 Philadelphia Athletics (AL) 4, Chicago Cubs (NL) 1 1928 New York Yankees (AL) 4, St. Louis Cardinals (NL) 0 1927 New York Yankees (AL) 4, Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) 0 1926 St. Louis Cardinals (NL) 4, New York Yankees (AL) 3 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) 4, Washington Senators (AL) 3 1924 Washington Senators (AL) 4, New York Giants (NL) 3 1923 New York Yankees (AL) 4, New York Giants (NL) 2 1922 New York Giants (NL) 4, New York Yankees (AL) 0 1921 New York Giants (NL) 5, New York Yankees (AL) 3 1920 Cleveland Indians (AL) 5, Brooklyn Robins (NL) 2 1919 Cincinnati Reds (NL) 5, Chicago White Sox (AL) 3 1918 Boston Red Sox (AL) 4, Chicago Cubs (NL) 2 1917 Chicago White Sox (AL) 4, New York Giants (NL) 2 1916 Boston Red Sox (AL) 4, Brooklyn Robins (NL) 1 1915 Boston Red Sox (AL) 4, Philadelphia Phillies (NL) 1 1914 Boston Braves (NL) 4, Philadelphia Athletics (AL) 0 1913 Philadelphia Athletics (AL) 4, New York Giants (NL) 1 1912 Boston Red Sox (AL) 4, New York Giants (NL) 3 1911 Philadelphia Athletics (AL) 4, New York Giants (NL) 2 1910 Philadelphia Athletics (AL) 4, Chicago Cubs (NL) 1 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) 4, Detroit Tigers (AL) 3 1908 Chicago Cubs (NL) 4, Detroit Tigers (AL) 1 1907 Chicago Cubs (NL) 4, Detroit Tigers (AL) 0 1906 Chicago White Sox (AL) 4, Chicago Cubs (NL) 2 1905 New York Giants (NL) 4, Philadelphia Athletics (AL) 1 1904 No Series 1903 Boston Pilgrims (AL) 5, Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) 3

Most World Championships Team # Yankees 26 Athletics 9 Cardinals 8 Reds 5