POINT OF FACT
?The modern World Series began in 1903. What leant won that first Series?
•The Red Sox, trailing the Pirates three games to one, took four straight to win the best-of-eight-game Series. (The only other Series played under these rules were in 1919, 1920 and 1921.)
?So far, there have been 346 World Series home runs. What player hit the first one?
•Jimmy Sebring, the right fielder of the Pirates, started it all with a homer off Cy Young in the first game of the 1903 Series.
?How many years elapsed before the first pinch-hit home run was hit?
•Forty-four. Yogi Berra did it in the third game of the 1947 Series against the Dodgers. Since then there have been eight more pinch-hit homers.
?Has any player hit a home run in his first World Series at bat?
•Yes, three. Dusty Rhodes of the New York Giants in 1954 (he pinch-hit in the 10th inning to win the opening game against the Indians), Elston Howard in 1955 against the Dodgers, and Roger Maris in 1960 against the Pirates.
?The Yankees have won the most World Series (18). What team lost the most Series?
•The New York Giants (9).
?What team has never won a World Series?
•The Philadelphia Phillies. The Phils lost to the Red Sox, four games to one, in 1915 and to the Yankees in four straight games in 1950. The old St. Louis Browns appeared only once in a World Series (1944) and lost, four games to two, to the Cardinals.
?Only one Philly pitcher ever won a Series game? Who was he?
•Grover Cleveland Alexander beat the Red Sox 3-1 in the opening game of the 1915 Series.
?Who was the youngest player to appear in the World Series?
•Freddie Lindstrom was the Giants' starting third baseman in the 1924 Series at the age of 18.
?Lefty Gomez has a 6-0 record in World Series competition. Has any pitcher won more games?
•Yes, and all, like Gomez, are Yankees. Red Ruffing and Allie Reynolds were both 7-2, while Whitey Ford has a 7-4 record.
?What pitcher has the most Series starts?
•Whitey Ford. He has started 14 games in seven World Series.
?Who pitched the most complete games?
•Christy Mathewson had 10 complete games out of 11 starts in four World Series. He won five of them (four by shutouts), had one 11-inning tie and lost four. Three of the shutouts came within six days in the 1905 Series. His complete-game losses were by 3-2 in 11 innings, 3-2 in 10 innings, 2-1 and 3-1 in nine innings.
?Who pitched the longest complete Series game?
•Babe Ruth, then with the Red Sox, won a 14-inning, 2-1 game from the Dodgers in 1916.
?Who is the only player to steal home twice?
•Bob Meusel of the Yankees did it against the Giants in 1921 and the Cardinals in 1928.
?Has any player ever stolen three bases in one Series game?
•Yes. Honus Wagner in the third game of the 1909 Series against the Tigers.
?What two players have the highest lifetime World Series batting averages?
•Frank (Home Run) Baker hit .363 in six Series with the Athletics and Yankees. Lou Gehrig of the Yankees batted .361 in seven World Series.
?Who has the highest batting average for one World Series?
•Babe Ruth batted .625 against the Cardinals in 1928. He had four singles, three doubles and three home runs in 16 at bats during the four-game Series.
?Twice a player has hit three home runs in one game. Who did it?
•Babe Ruth against the Cardinals in 1926 and 1928.
?Elmer Smith of Cleveland hit the first Series grand-slam home run in 1920. Who hit the six grand stammers since then?
•Tony Lazzeri in 1936, Gil McDougald in 1951, Mickey Mantle in 1953, Yogi Berra and Bill Skowron in 1956 and Bobby Richardson last year. All, of course, are Yankees.
?Has any team ever won a World Series after losing the first three games?
•No, but four teams have won after losing the first two games—the Giants in 1921, the Dodgers in 1955, the Yankees in 1956 and the Yankees in 1958.
?What team scored the most runs in one inning?
•The Philadelphia Athletics were losing 8-0 to the Cubs when they came to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning in the fourth game of the 1929 World Series. The A's sent 15 men to bat, got 10 hits and scored 10 runs to win 10-8.
?Which league leads in World Series wins?
•The American League, 35 World Series titles to 22 for the National League.
ILLUSTRATION