History, Winners, Controversies, and More

As hot summer days turn to crisp autumn, the calendar flips to the most-awaited baseball event all year. Top clubs from the National League and American League fight for postseason dominance, eager to establish their names. Played every year since 1903, aka the modern era, the World Series is a monumental event in American culture.

As beloved as the Fourth of July and as anticipated as Christmas morning, October baseball is the culmination of the country’s favorite pastime. But what defines it exactly?

What Is the World Series?

The World Series is traditionally an annual championship between the two primary leagues in Major League Baseball. A battle of the best teams in a season, the World Series is the ultimate match-up for the Commissioner’s Trophy.

With the exception of two years, the championship has been fought every single season since 1903. New teams have emerged; some have gone obsolete, while others have changed cities. Fans have passed entire lifetimes witnessing their favorite franchise win the biggest baseball title. Or they have seen rival teams win the trophy year after year, setting new records.

The History Behind Baseball’s Biggest Spectacle

The chronology of the World Series is a bit murky. Most authorities on the sport categorize the modern format at the beginning of the 20th century. The National League came into existence first, regaling the masses with the bat and ball. Originally called the National Association of Base Ball Players, the coalition monopolized the sport from 1871 to 1875. 1876 saw the establishment of the National League, as it is known today.

Six years later, the newly formed American Association came into existence, with the best of each league fighting for a top title. But the 19th-century championships were highly disorganized compared to today, thereby falling out of the annals of baseball. Considered a prologue to the story that the 20th century would weave, the original championship teams exist only in the archives.

1903 was the first time the forever-quarreling National and American League decided to settle their disputes. Boston fought Pittsburgh and emerged victorious, but unfortunately, the peace only lasted for a year. Terms and negotiations between the two leagues were still not over, which caused the 1904 championship to be canceled.

There was also the matter of pride: the NL’s top team, the New York Giants (today based in San Francisco), was considered the AL inferior. Since no binding agreements under any governing body existed, John T. Brush, the Giants’ owner, opted out of the championship. However, baseball was by that time a beloved sport. The previous year had seen a record attendance of 100,000, and the press criticized Brush’s move.

In an effort to appease the masses, the owner came up with the ‘Brush Rules’ to maintain a semblance of organization between the two leagues’ greatest match-ups. Starting in 1905, the World Series was resumed, and Brush’s directives still exist today.

Why Is It Called the Fall Classic? A Look at the World Series’ Other Names

The thrill of the game invites multitudes of audiences from all over the country, as well as Canada. Also called the ‘Fall Classic’, the name is derived from the season the World Series takes place in. October brings crisp cold air with the promise of winter in the air, but just before the frigid temperatures arrive, baseball ends the season on an exhilarating note.

In its early stages, the title was originally called ‘The Championship of the United States.’ It was given to the Providence Grays of the National League when they defeated the New York Metropolitan Club of the American Association in 1884. Several newspapers referred to the Grays as ‘World Champions,’ and the game as ‘World's Championship Series’, or ‘World's Series’ for short, and the title stuck.

What is the Format of the World Series? How Do You Qualify for It?

Twelve out of the total thirty MLB teams make it to the playoffs, becoming eligible for the World Series. But the road to stardom is not easy; out of the 12, six are division leaders from each league, the NL and AL’s East, West, and Central. The remaining half are the three wild card winners from each league.

All 12 teams then engage in a bracket-style competition, and there’s no guarantee of who will make it to the final two. Qualified teams are seeded based on their season record, the format of which is as follows:

• No. 1 seed: Best league record
• No. 2 seed: Second-best division winner
• No. 3 seed: Third-best division winner
• No. 4 seed: Best record among Wild Card teams
• No. 5 seed: Second-best record among Wild Card teams
• No. 6 seed: Third-best record among Wild Card teams

October baseball begins with a battle of the Wild Card, the winner of which advances to the Division Series. Its conclusion marks the beginning of the Championship Series, which ultimately leads to the World Series.

The LDS sees a best-of-five format, featuring a 2-2-1 structure, and the home-field advantage goes to the higher seed. The LCS adopts a format similar to the World Series as a best-of-seven, following a 2-3-2 format. The first two games are hosted by the higher seed, games 3, 4, and 5 by the lower seed, and the last two, if necessary, by the higher seed again.

The World Series, of course, follows the same format, with the home-field advantage granted to the team with the better record.

Why Has the World Series Format Changed Over the Years?

Beginning in the 19th century, the concept of the World’s Championship Series was simple. The two teams with the highest record in each league would face off at season’s end, determining a victor. But MLB’s expansion forced management to look at disparities, adapting to increasing teams and complications of rules.

From the Temple Cup to the Dauvray Cup and even the Chronicle-Telegraph, the World Series has gone through an evolution. The modern seven-game series was ultimately decided upon in 1905, and except for 1919–21's best-of-nine games, the same format has been followed.

Many major postseason changes were made to increase revenue. Since 2001, MLB’s annual revenue has continued to increase, and, likely, the changes have not ceased yet.

Top World Series Controversies and Conflicts That Brought the Heat

The regular baseball season is thrilling, but tensions run higher than ever in the postseason. Reaching the climax in the Fall Classic, even a single mistake can prove costly, which often results in controversy. Beginning with the 1919 scandal, the Chicago White Sox plotted to intentionally throw the World Series and give the win to the Cincinnati Reds. As a result, eight players were banned from baseball for life, which came to be known as the Black Sox scandal.

Some conflicts arose from bad umpire calls, such as Ken Burkhardt in Game 1 of the 1970 World Series. Baltimore catcher Elrod Hendricks apparently tagged Bernie Carbo heading home, prompting Burkhardt’s call. Except the glove touching Carbo did not contain the ball; Hendricks’ other hand did.

The 1985 World Series saw yet another bad ump call when Don Denkinger declared Kansas City Royals pinch-hitter Jorge Orta safe. It seemed like, except for the umpire, everyone saw Orta as clearly out. It was a huge moment that prompted the installation of instant replay later on.

There was also Reggie Jackson in 1977, who allegedly foiled a double play by sticking his hip out to deflect the throw. Mr. October led the New York Yankees to a victory, but that incident is still considered controversial.

Before the Houston Astros’ massive cheating scandal in 2017, the New York Giants had apparently tried something similar in 1951. Although they lost the World Series to hated cross-town rivals the Yankees, the Giants had supposedly made it to the Fall Classic through elaborate sign-stealing.

A more intricate scam occurred, of course, in 2017. It was the biggest disgrace baseball had seen in recent years, plummeting the sport’s popularity. Until 2019, not many had a clue as to what had been going on, but The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich opened up Pandora’s Box that year.

The Astros had illegally installed video cameras in center field to observe the opposing catcher, and a live feed was shown in the dugout. Players or the team’s staff then used various audio cues, most popularly the trash can banging, to clue in the batter about the next pitch. Houston won the World Series that year, and while MLB took action when the truth came to light, the team retained their trophy.

To many, this cheating topped even the 1994 World Series cancellation due to a strike after the MLB Players Association and baseball's owners disputed.

Which Teams Have Dominated the World Series and Taken Home Baseball’s Biggest Crown?

The New York Yankees, arguably a baseball dynasty of their own, hold the record for most World Series championships at 27. The arrival of Babe Ruth in the Bronx in 1920 turned around the team’s fortunes and instead put Boston under the ‘Curse of the Bambino’. Although the Pinstripes’ last Fall Classic victory was in 2009, the only team to even hold a candle to their record is St. Louis.

The Cardinals rank second at 11, while the Red Sox come in third at 9, as do the Oakland Athletics. The SF Giants rank at 8, the Los Angeles Dodgers at 7, and the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds at 5 each. Incidentally, the Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies, and Tampa Bay Rays have never won a single trophy.

Players to Win World Series Most Times

When luck favors a talented player, he is surrounded by an equally gifted team. Yogi Berra, the late Yankees legend, holds the most number of World Series rings at 10. One below, yet another icon from the Bronx, Joe DiMaggio has 9. Lou Gehrig and Phil Rizzuto each possess eight rings and did it in pinstripes as well.

Other legendary names, such as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Hank Bauer, and Whitey Ford, rank next with 7. There’s also, of course, Reggie Jackson, who has five, the same as Derek Jeter.

Unfortunately, there have been great names that failed to achieve team success. Don Mattingly, Barry Bonds, Ralph Kiner, Ichiro Suzuki, Mike Piazza, Ken Griffey Jr., and Ted Williams, among others, never made it to a Fall Classic victory.