Great Debates

SI writers and editors tackled the national pastime's top debates in Baseball's Greatest, available now from SI Books (si.com/baseballsgreatest). The book puts forth top 10 lists for the best players, games, franchises and parks. One list that didn't make the cut: this ranking of the greatest World Series—though we reserve the right to revise at the end of this month.

1 1975: Reds over Red Sox

The leaping, waving Carlton Fisk is its lasting image, but this Series was white-knuckle from start to finish.

2 1991: Twins over Braves

With four walk-off endings, the Series was so exhausting and suspenseful that The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a story in which a sleep-disorder expert warned about the likelihood of car wrecks and workplace accidents.

3 1986: Mets over Red Sox

Lost in the shadow of Bill Buckner's infamous Game 6 error is the fact that Boston and New York battled for seven games in a Series that featured stellar starting pitching.

4 2001: Diamondbacks over Yankees

A Game 7 classic plus two extra-inning walk-off wins at Yankee Stadium and dominant performances by Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, all against the backdrop of the 9/11 attack less than two months earlier, put it in the running for greatest ever.

PHOTO