Atlanta Braves players celebrate on the field at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, after recording the final out of the World Series. The Braves defeated the Houston Astros in the best-of-seven series, finishing with a 7-0 shutout in Game 6 on Nov. 2, 2021.
Credit: Johnny Angelillo; UPI/Alamy

The ATLiens are celebrating in the streets. The Atlanta Braves won the World Series, defeating the Houston Astros in the best-of-seven series four games to two. They cruised to an easy 7-0 victory in Houston on November 2 to earn their first championship since 1995.

A titanic, three-run home run by outfielder Jorge Soler in the 3rd inning delivered a blow from which the Astros would never recover. The 446-foot blast deflated the hitherto electric Minute Maid Park like a laser beam piercing a balloon. Soler won the World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, going 6-for-20 with 3 home runs and 6 RBI in the series against the Astros.

Georgia-born second baseman Dansby Swanson added a two-run homer in the fifth. Veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman put the game out of reach with an RBI double in the fifth and solo home run in the seventh.

Atlanta starting pitcher Max Fried turned in a masterful performance, issuing no walks and limiting the Houston sons of swat to just four scattered singles over six shutout innings. Braves manager Brian Snitker then handed the ball over to the bullpen. The Atlanta arm barn allowed only three more singles the rest of the way. Closer Will Smith finished out the game by inducing a routine grounder to the Swanson.

The series began in Houston. Atlanta took game one by a score of 6 to 2, but at a heavy cost. Their veteran starting pitcher Charlie Morton took a line drive off his lower leg in the second inning. He came back out to pitch into the third, but had to be removed from the game shortly thereafter. X rays revealed a fracture in his fibula. Houston cruised to an easy 7-2 win in game two, evening the series as it moved to Georgia. Atlanta pitchers flirted with a no-hitter in a 2-0 game four victory and won the next night in a 3-2 squeaker. The Astros worked their way back to a 9-to-5 win in game five, pushing the series to a sixth game back in Houston. But journeyman manager Dusty Baker was ultimately denied in his quest to win his first World Series.

The Georgia franchise overcame nearly every indignity a team could suffer during the season. In January, Braves legend and towering baseball icon Hank Aaron passed away. The 2021 All-Star Game had been scheduled to be played in the Braves’ Truist Park, located on the outskirts of the city. But in March, the state of Georgia passed a bill imposing heavy restrictions on voting, most of which will most severely impact the poor and people of color. In response, MLB relocated the game to Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies. MLB continued to honor its commitment to community improvement initiatives around Atlanta.

The Braves, with their young stars Ozzie Albies and Acuña Jr., were expected to dominate a soft National League East division. But they struggled to put together wins. In late May, outfielder Marcell Ozuna was arrested on the heels of a violent confrontation with his wife. He was eventually placed on administrative leave and did not play for the rest of the season. On July 10, the Braves were just 43-44 as they faced off against the Miami Marlins. Acuña Jr. came down awkwardly while attempting a leaping catch, tearing his ACL.

Atlanta won that July 10 game but found themselves at .500 and without two of their starting outfielders for the rest of the year. Undeterred, the front office acted quickly to fill the holes in what they believed could still be a championship team. The Braves acquired Eddie Rosario from the Cleveland Indians, Joc Pederson from the Chicago Cubs, Adam Duvall from the Miami Marlins, and Jorge Soler from the Kansas City Royals. All four became vital parts of the offense. The Braves never completely caught fire in the regular season, reaching just 88 wins, but they shone in the playoffs, dispatching the strong Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers before defeating the Astros.

The Los Angeles Dodgers pour out of the dugout to celebrate their World Series victory after relief pitcher Julio Urias (foreground) strikes out Willy Adames of the Tampa Bay Rays to give the Dodgers the 3-1 win at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Oct. 27, 2020.
Credit: © Tom Pennington, Getty Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers, one of the best teams in baseball over the past four years, finally have a championship to show for it. They defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on October 27 to win the 2020 World Series in six games. It was the team’s first championship since 1988.

The Rays took an early 1-0 lead in Game 6 on a home run from rookie Randy Arozarena. Starting pitcher Blake Snell tied Dodger batters in knots for the first five innings. But after Snell yielded a sixth-inning single, Rays manager Kevin Cash opted to remove him in favor of the team’s formidable bullpen. The decision immediately backfired as reliever Nick Anderson allowed two runs to score. It was all the offense LA would need, as manager Dave Roberts mixed-and-matched seven different pitchers in a stifling performance. Game 6 featured a total of 27 strikeouts, the most ever in a 9-inning World Series game.

Both teams emerged from an abbreviated 60-game regular season with the best records in their respective leagues and survived a grueling playoff schedule featuring an additional round of games. The Dodgers had reached the World Series in two out of the previous three years, only to lose to the American League (AL) club. Their 2017 defeat was rendered especially bitter when a subsequent revealed that the Houston Astros, to whom the Dodgers lost, had been cheating. From 2016 to 2018 and possibly longer, Houston made use of a camera feed that was part of their home stadium’s instant replay system to view and decode opposing catcher’s hand signals. Pitch information was relayed to players in the dugout and to batters on the field. In some cases, players in the dugout cued batters to the upcoming pitch by banging on a trash can.

The 2020 Dodgers relied on contributions from many stars to take the championship. Shortstop Corey Seager was named series Most Valuable Player (MVP) with a .400 batting average and 2 home runs. Outfielder Mookie Betts, an offseason acquisition from the Boston Red Sox, delivered clutch base-running, catches, and home runs throughout the playoffs, including a homer in the eighth inning of Game 6 to pad LA’s lead. Ace starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw, much-maligned for poor performances during previous playoff runs, turned in several solid postseason outings.

The Dodgers’ celebration was marred by news of a positive COVID-19 test by third baseman Justin Turner. The veteran was removed from the game in the eighth inning after the team learned of the result. Major League Baseball (MLB) operated its postseason in a bubble like other North American sports, keeping players and team personnel confined in hotels near neutral-site ballparks. (The World Series was played entirely at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, normally home of MLB’s Texas Rangers.) Turner’s case was the first positive result during the postseason.

The Dodgers overcame a heartbreaking loss in Game 4 to win the series. The lead changed hands four times, all after the fifth inning. The game ended with the wildest play to ever occur during major-league playoff baseball. With the Rays down 7-6 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, backup outfielder Brett Phillips pinch-hit with runners on first and second. He laced a single into right-center field off Dodgers closer Kenley Jensen. Center fielder Chris Taylor bobbled the ball, allowing the tying run to waltz home. Trailing runner Randy Arozarena attempted to score as well, but he stumbled and fell while rounding third. The ball reached home in plenty of time, but catcher Will Smith, expecting a close play at the plate, spun to apply the tag too quickly. The ball clanked off his mitt and rolled into foul territory. Arozarena scrambled to his feet and stumbled home, securing a shocking 8-7 Rays victory.

The playoffs were a coming-out party for the Rays’ Arozarena. The Cuban outfielder was called up in late August and hit a robust .281/.382/.641 with 7 home runs in just 23 games. His postseason performance, however, was nothing short of historic. Over the course of 20 games, he mashed a spectacular .377/.442/.831 with a postseason-record 10 homers.

Arozarena was part of a low-cost Rays team featuring castoff veterans and young stars. Two of the Dodgers’ highest-paid players, Kershaw and Betts, together earned just $2 million less than the entire Rays roster. The small-market club was able to parlay its meager payroll into a ticket to baseball’s championship series through shrewd acquisitions, analytics, and management. The Rays will need to continue their shrewdness to stay ahead of their free-spending AL East rivals, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, in 2021 and beyond.

The Dodgers, on the other hand, combine their comparable shrewdness with a massive payroll. Betts signed a lucrative contract extension before playing even a single game in LA. Several young starters are vying to take the veteran Kershaw’s place as ace of the pitching staff, though not if the old left-hander has anything to say about it. The reigning champions may be the team to beat for years to come.

November 6, 2019

Last week, on Oct. 30, 2019, the Washington Nationals defeated the Houston Astros 6-2 to win the Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series four games to three. It was the first MLB title in the history of the Nationals, a team that originated in 1969 as the Montreal Expos. The franchise moved from Montreal to Washington, D.C., following the 2004 season. Washington entered the playoffs as a National League (NL) Wild Card team, having finished second in the NL East at 93-69. For the American League (AL) champion Astros, the World Series defeat was something of a surprise. The team was a heavy favorite to win it all after leading MLB with 107 regular season wins.

The Washington Nationals celebrate winning the World Series at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, on Oct. 30, 2019. The Nats beat the Astros 6-2 in game seven to win the series four games to three. Credit: © Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images

The Nats’ game seven win at Houston’s Minute Maid Park capped a World Series in which the visiting team won every game—a first in MLB history. The Nats won games one and two in Houston, dropped games three through five at home in D.C., and then rebounded in Houston to win games six and seven. Typically, teams playing at home have a slight advantage. For Washington, D.C., it is the city’s first baseball title since the Washington Senators, an AL team, won the World Series in 1924. That Senators’ team became the Minnesota Twins in 1961. A second Senators team floundered in D.C. until becoming the Texas Rangers in 1972. D.C. then went without an MLB team until the Nats arrived in 2005.

The Nats got off to a strong start in the 2019 World Series, defeating the two favorites for the AL Cy Young Award (given to the best pitcher in the league)—Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander—in games one (5-4) and two (12-3). Of course, the Washington starters were pretty good, too: veteran ace Max Scherzer won game one and 18-game winner Stephen Strasburg notched the “W” in game two.

The Astros had their work cut out for them as the series moved to D.C., and the team went to work in style. MLB’s best regular season ball club dominated the Nats on their home field, easily winning games three (4-1), four (8-1), and five (7-1). Momentum seemed to have fully swung in Houston’s direction as the series returned to Texas, but the orange-clad fans at Minute Maid Park were disappointed as the Nats and Strasburg beat Verlander a second time (7-2) in game six.

In the winner-take-all game seven, Astros starter Zack Greinke cruised early, giving up just one hit through six innings. For the Nats, a gassed and ailing Max Scherzer did not have his best stuff. He allowed numerous Astros to reach base, but Houston scraped across just two runs against him in five innings. Nationals lefty Patrick Corbin then took over, crisply throwing three scoreless innings to hold Houston at bay.

The Nats finally got to Greinke in the seventh inning as third baseman Anthony Rendon ripped a home run to left. After a walk to the young Nats slugger Juan Soto, Astros manager A. J. Hinch replaced Greinke with reliever Will Harris. Nats designated hitter Howie Kendrick touched Harris for a two-run homer, giving Washington a 3-2 lead. The Nats then added insurance runs in the eighth and ninth to make it a 6-2 game. Washington manager Dave Martinez brought in closer Daniel Hudson for the bottom of the ninth, and Hudson recorded the final three outs on just 12 pitches. Nats pitcher Stephen Strasburg was named World Series Most Valuable Player, but the award could have gone to a number of other Nats players who played brilliantly in the series.

October 7, 2019

As the 2019 Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason rolls along in cities across the United States, World Book looks back 100 years ago to the Black Sox scandal, a conspiracy to fix the 1919 World Series played between the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds. The conspiracy involved a number of White Sox players taking money from gamblers to throw (intentionally lose) games in the series. The scandal shocked baseball fans and hurt the game’s reputation. It also led to the lifetime bans of eight White Sox players, the introduction of a league commissioner, and strict rules prohibiting gambling in baseball. The name Black Sox was chosen to symbolize the tarnished reputation of the White Sox team.

The 1919 Chicago White Sox pose for a team photo. The eight players banned for life because of the Black Sox scandal were Eddie Cicotte (1st row, 3rd from left); Happy Felsch (2nd row, 3rd from right); Chick Gandil (2nd row, 2nd from right); Joe Jackson (3rd row, 2nd from right); Fred McMullin (3rd row, 5th from right); Swede Risberg (3rd row, 5th from left); Buck Weaver (2nd row, 1st from right); and Lefty Williams (1st row, 2nd from right). Credit: Public Domain

In the early 1900’s, gambling in baseball was fairly common, and there were often reports of players—who were poorly paid by today’s standards—throwing games to make extra money. In 1919, the White Sox enjoyed a terrific season and were heavily favored to win the World Series. Right before the series, however, large sums of money were bet on the Reds to win, causing many people to suspect the series might be fixed. Several White Sox players underperformed in the series, which the Reds eventually won.

In 1920, a grand jury investigated allegations of corruption during the 1919 World Series. Three White Sox players confessed to taking bribes. Seven players were eventually tried for conspiracy. The players were acquitted in 1921. MLB’s newly appointed commissioner, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, banned all eight of the players accused in the scandal from baseball for life. Landis later banned or suspended other MLB players suspected of gambling or other infractions. Landis’s actions restored the public’s faith in the game. New rules stated that any player, umpire, or other baseball official who bet on games unconnected to the bettor would be suspended for one year. Players or others who gambled on games in which they were involved would be “permanently ineligible”—banned for life.

Star outfielder “Shoeless” Joe Jackson was banned from Major League Baseball because of the Black Sox scandal. He is seen here with the Cleveland Naps before his trade to Chicago in 1915. Credit: Public Domain

The eight players banned from baseball because of the Black Sox scandal were pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Claude “Lefty” Williams; infielders Arnold “Chick” Gandil, Fred McMullin, Charles “Swede” Risberg, and George “Buck” Weaver; and outfielders Oscar “Happy” Felsch and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. Evidence suggests that Weaver was not in on the fix, but he was banned for being aware of the plan and doing nothing to stop it.

The American author Eliot Asinof’s 1963 book about the scandal, Eight Men Out, was made into a popular motion picture of the same name in 1988.

November 2, 2018

On Sunday, October 28, the Boston Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 to win the Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series four games to one. For the Red Sox, it was their fourth MLB title in the last 15 years. For the Dodgers, it was the latest in a long succession of postseason disappointments. It was the second-straight World Series defeat for Los Angeles, and it was the team’s 12th fruitless trip to the postseason since last winning a title in 1988.

Red Sox players jubilantly rush the mound as catcher Christian Vázquez leaps into the arms of pitcher Chris Sale, who recorded the final out of Boston’s World Series-clinching 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Oct. 28, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. Credit: © Harry How, Getty Images

Carrying by far MLB’s highest team payroll (around $230 million), the Red Sox set a franchise record with 108 wins during the 2018 regular season. The team won the American League East division and then knocked off the 100-win New York Yankees and the 103-win Houston Astros in the playoffs—no easy accomplishment. The Dodgers, also big spenders with a $200 million payroll (the league average is $139 million), eked out the National League West by defeating the Colorado Rockies in a one-game playoff after the teams finished the season tied with 91 wins. The Dodgers then beat the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers in the playoffs to reach the World Series.

In Boston, the Red Sox capitalized on clutch hitting and just enough pitching to win World Series games one and two. In Los Angeles, game three was a marathon 3-2 extra-inning win for the Dodgers that broke World Series records for most innings (18), longest duration (7 hours, 20 minutes), and most combined pitchers (18) and players (46) used. In an interesting note of contrast, the entire 1939 World Series finished in less time, when it took the Yankees 7 hours, 5 minutes, to sweep the Cincinnati Reds.

In game four of the 2018 World Series, the Dodgers blew a 4-0 lead en route to a crushing 9-6 loss. Game five was merely a formality as the Red Sox jumped ahead early and cruised to a 5-1 series-clinching win. Boston first baseman Steve Pearce, a journeyman player acquired at mid-season, was named World Series Most Valuable Player. Pearce had just four hits, but three of them were timely home runs.

The 2018 World Series was a rematch of the 1916 fall classic, in which the Red Sox beat the Brooklyn Robins four games to one. The Robins officially became the Dodgers in 1932 and moved to Los Angeles in 1958.

November 3, 2017

Two nights ago, on November 1, the Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 to win the Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series 4 games to 3. The Astros jumped out to an early 5-0 lead and cruised the rest of the way behind strong pitching to win the team’s first title since joining MLB in 1962. The score disappointed the more than 54,000 people crammed into Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, where fans had been hoping for the home team’s first championship since 1988. The final game capped a thrilling World Series pitting 100-win teams against each other for the first time since 1970. The Dodgers, champions of the National League, had won 104 games during the regular season—an MLB-best mark that earned the team home field advantage throughout the playoffs. American League champion Houston won 101 regular season games.

The Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman, Marwin González, and José Altuve (left to right) celebrate their game seven victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the World Series on Nov. 1, 2017, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Credit: © Ezra Shaw, Getty Images

The first six games of the World Series had been a back-and-forth affair of home runs, strikeouts, and blown leads. On October 24, Los Angeles took game one at home behind ace Clayton Kershaw, 3-1. The next night, Dodgers hitters got to Houston’s Justin Verlander, but the Astros rallied for a 7-6 win in 11 innings. On October 27 at Houston’s Minute Maid Park, the Astros grabbed an early lead and held on for a 5-3 victory. The next night, the Dodgers struck back with a 6-2 win. Game five on October 29 proved to be the epic battle of the series. Team aces Kershaw and Dallas Keuchel were knocked out early, and all other pitchers only added fuel to the fire. After numerous lead changes and shocking turns, the Astros emerged on top with a 13-12, 10-inning win. Game six back in Los Angeles went the Dodgers’ way, 3-1. In all seven games, the teams combined for a World Series-record 25 home runs, including 5 (another record) for Houston’s George Springer. The strikeouts came in bunches, too, led by Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger, who whiffed a World Series-record 17 times.

The Astros, featuring such young stars as José Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and World Series Most Valuable Player Springer, finally reached the MLB pinnacle at the end of the team’s 56th season. Houston entered MLB in 1962 as the Houston Colt .45′s. The team became the Astros with the opening of the famous Astrodome indoor stadium in 1965. For the Dodgers, the string of postseason disappointments continued. The team’s playoff appearance in 2017 was its 11th since last winning the World Series over the Oakland Athletics in 1988.

October 3, 2017

Today, October 3, the Major League Baseball (MLB) playoffs begin with the American League (AL) Wild Card game between the Minnesota Twins and the New York Yankees. The first playoff game marks the beginning of a month long Octoberfest of high-stakes baseball, culminating in the crowning of a new World Series champion. Winning the World Series is every team’s goal and every fan’s dream, but for many teams, the lack of a championship creates a haunting waiting game that can last many years, many decades, even more than century.

Dejected Cleveland Indians fans wallow in the mire of their home field loss to the Chicago Cubs in game seven of the World Series on Nov. 2, 2016, in Cleveland, Ohio. Credit: © Justin Merriman, Getty Images

In 2016, the Chicago Cubs famously ended the longest waiting game of all, a championship drought that stretched back 108 years to 1908. For the Cubs’ 2016 World Series opponent, however—the Cleveland Indians—the painful wait continued. The Indians have gone longer than any other MLB team without a title. They last won the World Series 69 years ago in 1948, a win over the Boston Braves that drew an average of 80,000 fans to Cleveland’s series home games at Municipal Stadium.

The Indians—whose only other title came in 1920—returned to the World Series in 1995, 1997, and again in 2016, but fell short each time, losing to the Atlanta Braves, Florida Marlins, and the Cubs. The losses to the Marlins and Cubs were especially painful. Those World Series each went the seven-game distance, and each time the seventh game was decided in extra innings. For Indians players and fans, the losses were excruciating, and the only tonic to heal the wounds will come in the form of that long-awaited world title.

The Chicago Cubs ended a 108-year championship drought by defeating the Cleveland Indians in the 2016 World Series. Credit: © Matt Slocum, AP Photo

The Indians will get their chance again this year, and a good chance it is. The Indians won the most games in the American League (102), ensuring home field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. And if any team but the Los Angeles Dodgers wins the National League, the Indians—should they reach the World Series—will begin that series at home, too. (The Dodgers won an MLB-best 104 games, earning home field advantage throughout the postseason.) The Indians set an AL record during the regular season by winning a remarkable 22 games in a row from August 24 through September 14. And the team’s two biggest stars—pitcher Corey Kluber and shortstop Francisco Lindor—had terrific seasons, both while carrying the painful reminder of last year’s agonizing loss to the Cubs. (Besides losing in extra innings in game seven, the Indians blew a three-games-to-one lead in the series.)

So it is “go time” for the Indians, and anything less than a World Series championship will be a major disappointment, prolonging what is already baseball’s longest waiting game.

For curious baseball fans, the next-two longest championship droughts belong to the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros. Neither team has ever won a World Series. The Rangers entered MLB in 1961 as the Washington Senators, and the Astros began MLB life in 1962 as the Houston Colt .45′s. The Rangers, who lost the 2010 World Series to the San Francisco Giants and the 2011 series to the St. Louis Cardinals, missed out on the playoffs in 2017. But the Astros, who lost the 2005 World Series to the Chicago White Sox, won 101 games en route to an AL West division championship in 2017. The Astros, featuring such stars as José Altuve, Carlos Correa, and Justin Verlander, have an excellent chance of winning the World Series and ending one-half of the long waiting game in the state of Texas. The Astros begin a playoff series against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, October 5.

November 4, 2016

Two nights ago, on November 2, the Chicago Cubs ended the most storied championship drought in the history of professional sports, winning their first World Series title in 108 years. The Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in a tense and exhausting Game 7 that carried into the 10th inning.

Chicago Cubs players celebrate their Game 7 victory over the Cleveland Indians to win the World Series on Nov. 2, 2016. It was the first World Series title for the Cubs since 1908. Credit: © Matt Slocum, AP Photo

Leading off the game in Cleveland, Ohio, Cubs outfielder Dexter Fowler started the scoring by hitting a home run against Indians ace Corey Kluber. The Cubs built their lead to 6-3, but Cleveland tied it up with a 3-run 8th inning capped by a dramatic 2-run homer by Indians outfielder Rajai Davis off Cubs flamethrowing reliever Aroldis Chapman. Following a short rain delay after the 9th inning, the Cubs scored twice on hits by World Series Most Valuable Player Ben Zobrist and catcher Miguel Montero. In a tense bottom of the 10th, the Indians pushed a run across and were threatening to score again, but Cubs star third baseman Kris Bryant made a tough play on an infield chopper to record the last out. The Cubs players then erupted into a joyous baseball pile around the pitcher’s mound, celebrating the long-awaited and hard-fought championship.

Kluber had dominated the Cubs in Game 1 of the series, a 6-0 shutout in Cleveland on October 25. The Cubs struck back in Game 2 on October 26, winning 5-1 behind 5 ⅓ shutout innings by Cubs starter Jake Arrieta. The series moved to Chicago for the first World Series games played at Wrigley Field since 1945. Cleveland won 1-0 on October 28, and 7-2 on October 29, pushing the Cubs to the brink of elimination. The Cubs won 3-2 in Chicago on October 30, and routed the Indians 9-3 in Cleveland on November 1. With their Game 7 victory, the Cubs became the first team to battle back from a 3-games-to-1 World Series deficit since the Kansas City Royals did so in 1985.

The Cubs’ last World Series title had come over the Detroit Tigers in 1908. At that time, Theodore Roosevelt was president of the United States. The first popular production automobile, the Ford Model T, had just been introduced. Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, and New Mexico were not yet states. Tickets to the series cost $1.50. The Cubs last trip to the series came in 1945, just after the end of World War II. During that series (which the Cubs lost to the Tigers), colorful tavern owner William Sianis was thrown out of Wrigley Field for bringing his pet goat to the game. Sianis supposedly cursed the Cubs, and the “Curse of the Billy Goat” became a popular piece of folklore during the team’s long title drought.

For Cleveland, the gut-wrenching near miss in the World Series carried a bitter reminder. The Indians last chance at the title came in 1997, when they also lost Game 7 of the World Series in extra innings, that time to the Florida (now Miami) Marlins.

October 25, 2016

Tonight, October 25, the Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series begins in Cleveland, Ohio. The World Series determines the MLB champion each autumn, but the teams involved in this year’s series make it a little extra special. The teams—the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians—have the two longest World Series droughts in baseball. A drought is a long period of dry weather, and when applied to baseball, it means a team hasn’t won a championship in a very long time.

The venerable lions guarding the Art Institute of Chicago received their first Cubs hats on Oct. 24, 2016, the day before the Cubs first World Series appearance since 1945. Credit: Art Institute of Chicago

How long are we talking about? Well, the Indians last won the World Series in 1948 (68 years ago), and the Cubs’ last title was in 1908—yes, 108 years ago. Do the math, and you have 176 years of combined futility. But with just two teams left—the two hungriest teams in baseball—something has to give. Somebody has to win. One team will end their title drought and elate generations of frustrated fans. But somebody has to lose, too. For one team’s fans, the disappointment will continue, and the ball club will have to “wait ‘til next year.” Again.

On Saturday night, the Cubs won the best-of-seven National League Championship Series (NLCS) by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4 games to 2. The Cubs won it in their home ballpark, Wrigley Field, which was built in 1914—six years after the Cubs last World Series win. The Cubs haven’t even played in a World Series since 1945, when they lost to the Detroit Tigers. The Cubs have been close, however—painfully close. In 2003, the team blew a 3-games-to-1 lead in the NLCS, losing to the Florida (now Miami) Marlins in seven games. In 1984, the Cubs squandered a 2-games-to-0 lead in the NLCS (it was then best-of-5), dropping the series to the San Diego Padres.

The Cleveland Indians hope to win their first World Series title since 1948. Credit: Erik Drost (licensed under CC BY 2.0)

Last week, the Indians took the American League pennant by defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 4 games to 1. The Indians’ title drought is long, too, but their last World Series appearance was a bit more recent. In 1997, Cleveland dropped a heartbreaking seventh game of the World Series in extra innings to the Marlins. The Indians also reached the World Series in 1995, but lost to the Atlanta Braves 4 games to 2.

Several MLB teams have yet to win a World Series, but none of them even existed the last time the Indians won one or the Cubs competed in one. For the cities of Chicago and Cleveland, the World Series is more than just a sporting event. It is a cultural happening, an all-consuming thing that is the point of all conversation. The teams represent an identity, a history, and a common connection. And for the team that wins this year’s wonderful World Series, it will be their fans’ dream come true.

November 2, 2015

The Kansas City Royals seized the World Series crown with a comeback victory at Citi Field in New York last night, defeating the New York Mets 7-2 in Game 5. It was the eighth game in the 2015 post-season that the irrepressible Royals had come from behind to win, including all four of their World Series victories.

The Kansas City Royals celebrate after Game 5 of the World Series against the New York Mets. Credit: © David J. Phillip, AP Photo

The Mets began the game with a leadoff home run by outfielder Curtis Granderson and a dominant pitching performance by starter Matt Harvey. Harvey held the Royals to eight scoreless innings before returning to raucous applause to pitch with a 2-0 lead in the ninth. But trouble developed early with a leadoff walk to Kansas City center fielder Lorenzo Cain. Cain then stole second, and Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer doubled him in to cut the Mets lead in half. The Mets brought in closer Jeurys Familia to face Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas, who grounded out to send Hosmer to third.

 Then, in the critical play, Royals catcher Salvador Perez grounded out to Mets third baseman David Wright, who looked Hosmer back to the bag before making the throw to first. Hosmer broke for home instantly, scoring as the throw from Mets first baseman Lucas Duda flew wide of catcher Travis d’Arnaud. Familia, a reliable closer for most of the year, had a tough series, blowing all three of his save opportunities after being brought into some tight situations.

 Starting pitcher Edinson Volquez of the Royals also turned in a memorable performance, having returned just before Game 4 from his father’s funeral in the Dominican Republic. Volquez held the Mets to two runs, allowing only the leadoff by Granderson and one additional run as he escaped from a bases loaded, no outs jam in the sixth. Both teams carried the tie into the 12th inning, when the Royals finally broke through with a five-run rally against Mets relievers Addison Reed and Bartolo Colon.

 The victory marked something of a double comeback for the Royals, who were returning from a heartbreaking 4 games to 3 loss to the San Francisco Giants in the 2014 World Series. The 2015 victory marked Kansas City’s first MLB championship since 1985. The defeat ended a magical season for the Mets, who took their division despite trailing the majors in runs scored per game before Aug. 1.

Other World Book articles

• Baseball (1985-a Back in time report)
• Baseball
• World Series Winners: 1961 to Present (a Timeline)