World Series history is filled with dramatic moments and dynamic players. The stories of dominant pitching performances, clutch hits and defensive gems, year after year, are what have made baseball’s championship so memorable.
Here in the Vault you can relive your favorite World Series moments, from the walk off home runs of Bill Mazeroski and Joe Carter to Don Larsen’s perfect game.
You can even check out our ranking of the greatest years in World Series history.
The Fall Classic is just that. Classic. And this is why.
Table of Contents
1900s
The upstart American League was finally able to establish its legitimacy after two years when in 1903 the National League agreed to a best-of-nine championship series. Though the NL champion New York Giants declined to play the next year, the tradition was established and has become the standard by which American sports championships are measured.
The first few years saw two teams, the Chicago Cubs and the Detroit Tigers, make back-to-back-to-back appearances. But the West Side Chicago fans couldn’t have known that their early dynasty, featuring the famous Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance infield, would be short-lived and followed by more than a century of disappointment.
| Year | AL | NL | Result |
| 1903 | BOSTON AMERICANS | Pittsburgh Pirates | 5-3 |
| 1904 | No World Series | No World Series | N/A |
| 1905 | Philadelphia Athletics | NEW YORK GIANTS | 4-1 |
| 1906 | CHICAGO WHITE SOX | Chicago Cubs | 4-0 |
| 1907 | Detroit Tigers | CHICAGO CUBS | 4-0 |
| 1908 | Detroit Tigers | CHICAGO CUBS | 4-1 |
| 1909 | Detroit Tigers | PITTSBURGH PIRATES | 4-3 |
1910’s
Connie Mack’s young Philadelphia Athletics team began the decade with an impressive World Series title over the Chicago Cubs, shifting baseball’s dynasty over to the American League. The A’s would rule the first half of the decade, but the second half would see a young Boston Red Sox pitcher explode on the scene with one of the most impressive streaks in World Series history: 29 consecutive scoreless innings. That pitcher’s name was Babe Ruth.
The decade closed with the infamous Black Sox scandal that threatened to halt the momentum baseball had gained coming out of the “Great War.” Would baseball survive? Well, 1919 also saw a young hitter for the financially struggling Red Sox set a new Major League record with 29 home runs. That hitter’s name was Babe Ruth.
| Year | AL | NL | Result |
| 1910 | PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS | Chicago Cubs | 4-1 |
| 1911 | PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS | New York Giants | 4-2 |
| 1912 | BOSTON RED SOX | New York Giants | 4-3 |
| 1913 | PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS | New York Giants | 4-1 |
| 1914 | Philadelphia Athletics | BOSTON BRAVES | 4-0 |
| 1915 | BOSTON RED SOX | Philadelphia Phillies | 4-1 |
| 1916 | BOSTON RED SOX | Brooklyn Robins | 4-1 |
| 1917 | CHICAGO WHITE SOX | New York Giants | 4-2 |
| 1918 | BOSTON RED SOX | Chicago Cubs | 4-2 |
| 1919 | Chicago White Sox | CINCINNATI REDS | 5-3 |
1920’s
The “Roaring Twenties” would not only see the country as a whole flourish, but baseball also roared back from the gambling scandal of 1919 as a team from New York began what would become a string of dynasties. Early in the decade it looked as though the New Yorkers from the NL were that team as they won back-to-back championships. But the “Sultan of Swat” and the upstart Yankees had other plans. By 1930 they had appeared in six World Series in nine year, won three of them, and were already grooming an Iron Horse to continue their winning ways.
| Year | AL | NL | Result |
| 1920 | CLEVELAND INDIANS | Brooklyn Robins | 5-2 |
| 1921 | New York Yankees | NEW YORK GIANTS | 5-3 |
| 1922 | New York Yankees | NEW YORK GIANTS | 4-0 |
| 1923 | NEW YORK YANKEES | New York Giants | 4-2 |
| 1924 | WASHINGTON SENATORS | New York Giants | 4-3 |
| 1925 | Washington Senators | PITTSBURGH PIRATES | 4-3 |
| 1926 | New York Yankees | ST. LOUIS CARDINALS | 4-3 |
| 1927 | NEW YORK YANKEES | Pittsburgh Pirates | 4-0 |
| 1928 | NEW YORK YANKEES | St. Louis Cardinals | 4-0 |
| 1929 | PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS | Chicago Cubs | 4-1 |
1930’s
As the decade rolled over and the country was heading into the depths of the Great Depression, Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics were enjoying a resurgence, winning their second consecutive World Series title on the arm of Lefty Grove and the bat of Jimmie Foxx.
In 1932, Babe Ruth hit the “called shot,” one of the most controversial and famous moments in World Series history, and as his career came to a close the thought was that the Yankee dominance of the 1920’s would come to an end as well. But Lou Gehrig and a young outfielder named Joe DiMaggio instead finished the decade with an unprecedented four consecutive titles for the “Bronx Bombers.”
| Year | AL | NL | Result |
| 1930 | PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS | St. Louis Cardinals | 4-2 |
| 1931 | Philadelphia Athletics | ST. LOUIS CARDINALS | 4-3 |
| 1932 | NEW YORK YANKEES | Chicago Cubs | 4-0 |
| 1933 | Washington Senators | NEW YORK GIANTS | 4-1 |
| 1934 | Detroit Tigers | ST. LOUIS CARDINALS | 4-3 |
| 1935 | DETROIT TIGERS | Chicago Cubs | 4-2 |
| 1936 | NEW YORK YANKEES | New York Giants | 4-2 |
| 1937 | NEW YORK YANKEES | New York Giants | 4-1 |
| 1938 | NEW YORK YANKEES | Chicago Cubs | 4-0 |
| 1939 | NEW YORK YANKEES | Cincinnati Reds | 4-0 |
1940’s
The United States found itself engulfed in World War II during the first half of the 1940’s, and baseball saw many of its stars called from the game to serve their country. But baseball and its championship series played on, providing an escape from the harsh realities of war.
The decade also saw the rise of a worthy NL rival to the mighty second-generation Yankees. Stan “The Man” Musial led the St. Louis Cardinals to the World Series four out of five years, winning three titles. But after the soldiers returned to the diamond and Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, the boys in pinstripes got back to their winning ways and began the greatest run in World Series history in 1949 under a new skipper, Casey Stengel.
| Year | AL | NL | Result |
| 1940 | Detroit Tigers | CINCINNATI REDS | 4-3 |
| 1941 | NEW YORK YANKEES | Brooklyn Dodgers | 4-1 |
| 1942 | New York Yankees | ST. LOUIS CARDINALS | 4-1 |
| 1943 | NEW YORK YANKEES | St. Louis Cardinals | 4-1 |
| 1944 | St. Louis Browns | ST. LOUIS CARDINALS | 4-2 |
| 1945 | DETROIT TIGERS | Chicago Cubs | 4-3 |
| 1946 | Boston Red Sox | ST. LOUIS CARDINALS | 4-3 |
| 1947 | NEW YORK YANKEES | Brooklyn Dodgers | 4-3 |
| 1948 | CLEVELAND INDIANS | Boston Braves | 4-2 |
| 1949 | NEW YORK YANKEES | Brooklyn Dodgers | 4-1 |
1950’s
The 1950’s saw another passing of the Yankee dynasty torch as rookie Mickey Mantle joined Joe DiMaggio for his final season in 1951. The team then finished a run of five consecutive titles that began in 1949, played in eight of the decade’s World Series, and won six of them.
The Brooklyn Dodgers finally won their first title in 1955 after seven unsuccessful trips to the Fall Classic, Don Larsen threw the only perfect game in World Series history in 1956, and Hank Aaron displayed his power in winning his only World Series championship in 1957.
| Year | AL | NL | Result |
| 1950 | NEW YORK YANKEES | Philadelphia Phillies | 4-0 |
| 1951 | NEW YORK YANKEES | New York Giants | 4-2 |
| 1952 | NEW YORK YANKEES | Brooklyn Dodgers | 4-3 |
| 1953 | NEW YORK YANKEES | Brooklyn Dodgers | 4-2 |
| 1954 | Cleveland Indians | NEW YORK GIANTS | 4-0 |
| 1955 | New York Yankees | BROOKLYN DODGERS | 4-3 |
| 1956 | NEW YORK YANKEES | Brooklyn Dodgers | 4-3 |
| 1957 | New York Yankees | MILWAUKEE BRAVES | 4-3 |
| 1958 | NEW YORK YANKEES | Milwaukee Braves | 4-3 |
| 1959 | Chicago White Sox | LOS ANGELES DODGERS | 4-2 |
1960’s
Bill Mazeroski started of the 1960’s in dramatic fashion with the first series-clenching walk-off home run in World Series history. But the Yankees picked right back up again during the magical season of 1961 and finished the first half of the decade having appeared in fifteen of the last eighteen World Series, taking home ten titles during that stretch.
But a couple of future Hall of Fame pitchers in the National League helped turn the focus away from the AL and lead their teams to two titles in three appearances each from 1963 to 1968. The St. Louis Cardinals’ Bob Gibson posted a 7-2 Series record while Sandy Koufax went 4-2, including 2 shutouts in games 5 and 7 to take the 1965 title. The decade finished with the Miracle Mets becoming the first expansion team to claim a World Series title.
| Year | AL | NL | Result |
| 1960 | New York Yankees | PITTSBURGH PIRATES | 4-3 |
| 1961 | NEW YORK YANKEES | Cincinnati Reds | 4-1 |
| 1962 | NEW YORK YANKEES | San Francisco Giants | 4-3 |
| 1963 | New York Yankees | LOS ANGELES DODGERS | 4-0 |
| 1964 | New York Yankees | ST. LOUIS CARDINALS | 4-3 |
| 1965 | Minnesota Twins | LOS ANGELES DODGERS | 4-3 |
| 1966 | BALTIMORE ORIOLES | Los Angeles Dodgers | 4-0 |
| 1967 | Boston Red Sox | ST. LOUIS CARDINALS | 4-3 |
| 1968 | DETROIT TIGERS | St. Louis Cardinals | 4-3 |
| 1969 | Baltimore Orioles | NEW YORK METS | 4-1 |
1970’s
The 1970’s began to see more franchises develop their own personalities and put together dominant stretches, with five different teams reaching the World Series in consecutive years.
The Athletics returned to glory with back-to-back-to-back titles despite clubhouse fighting and front office chaos. In Cincinnati, they built the “Big Red Machine” and became the first team from the Senior Circuit to win consecutive titles in more than fifty years. And after an eleven-year drought, the Yankees once again started collecting American League pennants and World Series titles on the back of “Mr. October.”
| Year | AL | NL | Result |
| 1970 | BALTIMORE ORIOLES | Cincinnati Reds | 4-1 |
| 1971 | Baltimore Orioles | PITTSBURGH PIRATES | 4-3 |
| 1972 | OAKLAND ATHLETICS | Cincinnati Reds | 4-3 |
| 1973 | OAKLAND ATHLETICS | New York Mets | 4-3 |
| 1974 | OAKLAND ATHLETICS | Los Angeles Dodgers | 4-1 |
| 1975 | Boston Red Sox | CINCINNATI REDS | 4-3 |
| 1976 | New York Yankees | CINCINNATI REDS | 4-0 |
| 1977 | NEW YORK YANKEES | Los Angeles Dodgers | 4-2 |
| 1978 | NEW YORK YANKEES | Los Angeles Dodgers | 4-2 |
| 1979 | Baltimore Orioles | PITTSBURGH PIRATES | 4-3 |
1980’s
After more than seven decades of dynasties and dominance, the 1980’s saw nine different World Series champions crowned in ten years and three franchises (Royals, Brewers, Padres) make their Fall Classic debuts.
The decade started with the Philadelphia Phillies becoming the last of the original 16 franchises to win the World Series on the pitching of their ace, Steve Carlton, and bat of their MVP, Mike Schmidt.
The 80’s also provided some of the most memorable moments in World Series history. No one will ever forget the ground ball that rolled between Bill Buckner’s legs to end Game 6 in 1986, Kirk Gibson’s improbable Game 1 walk-off home run in 1988, or the devastating earthquake that hit the Bay Area just before Game 3 in 1989.
| Year | AL | NL | Result |
| 1980 | Kansas City Royals | PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES | 4-2 |
| 1981 | New York Yankees | LOS ANGELES DODGERS | 4-2 |
| 1982 | Milwaukee Brewers | ST. LOUIS CARDINALS | 4-3 |
| 1983 | BALTIMORE ORIOLES | Philadelphia Phillies | 4-1 |
| 1984 | DETROIT TIGERS | San Diego Padres | 4-1 |
| 1985 | KANSAS CITY ROYALS | St. Louis Cardinals | 4-3 |
| 1986 | Boston Red Sox | NEW YORK METS | 4-3 |
| 1987 | MINNESOTA TWINS | St. Louis Cardinals | 4-3 |
| 1988 | Oakland Athletics | LOS ANGELES DODGERS | 4-1 |
| 1989 | OAKLAND ATHLETICS | San Francisco Giants | 4-0 |
1990’s
The 1990’s provided some of the highest and lowest points in World Series history. In an unlikely match-up of “worst to first” pennant winners, the 1991 World Series between the Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves was one of the all-time greats. In 1993, Joe Carter hit the second series-winning walk-off home run in World Series history to finish off back-to-back championships for the Toronto Blue Jays, the first titles to be won outside the United States.
But the next year would bring baseball to its lowest point since the Black Sox scandal of 1919. The strike of 1994 canceled the last six weeks of the season, the playoffs, and the World Series–the first time in 90 years without a Fall Classic.
The Braves made five World Series appearances and were finally able to bring the Commissioner’s Trophy to Atlanta on the strength of a pitching staff that featured Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz. And the Yankees returned to prominence as the decade came to a close, winning three of four championships as baseball prepared for the 21st century.
| Year | AL | NL | Result |
| 1990 | Oakland Athletics | CINCINNATI REDS | 4-0 |
| 1991 | MINNESOTA TWINS | Atlanta Braves | 4-3 |
| 1992 | TORONTO BLUE JAYS | Atlanta Braves | 4-2 |
| 1993 | TORONTO BLUE JAYS | Philadelphia Phillies | 4-2 |
| 1994 | No World Series | No World Series | N/A |
| 1995 | Cleveland Indians | ATLANTA BRAVES | 4-2 |
| 1996 | NEW YORK YANKEES | Atlanta Braves | 4-2 |
| 1997 | Cleveland Indians | FLORIDA MARLINS | 4-3 |
| 1998 | NEW YORK YANKEES | San Diego Padres | 4-0 |
| 1999 | NEW YORK YANKEES | Atlanta Braves | 4-0 |
2000’s
It looked as though the Yankees were on their way to another ten years of power after winning the “Subway Series” of 2000 against the Mets. But the Arizona Diamondbacks, the first of five teams to make their World Series debuts during the decade, won their first title by beating the “unbeatable” Yankees and Mariano Rivera in dramatic fashion the next year.
The “Curse of the Bambino” finally wore off in 2004 after the Red Sox came from down 0-3 to the Yankees in the playoffs and rode that momentum all the way to a sweep of the Cardinals in the World Series. The 2000’s ended the way they began as the Yankees took home another title despite the Phillies’ Chase Utley tying Reggie Jackson’s World Series record with five home runs.
| Year | AL | NL | Result |
| 2000 | NEW YORK YANKEES | New York Mets | 4-1 |
| 2001 | New York Yankees | ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS | 4-3 |
| 2002 | ANAHEIM ANGELS | San Francisco Giants | 4-3 |
| 2003 | New York Yankees | FLORIDA MARLINS | 4-2 |
| 2004 | BOSTON RED SOX | St. Louis Cardinals | 4-0 |
| 2005 | CHICAGO WHITE SOX | Houston Astros | 4-0 |
| 2006 | Detroit Tigers | ST. LOUIS CARDINALS | 4-1 |
| 2007 | BOSTON RED SOX | Colorado Rockies | 4-0 |
| 2008 | Tampa Bay Rays | PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES | 4-1 |
| 2009 | NEW YORK YANKEES | Philadelphia Phillies | 4-2 |
2010’s
The 2010’s opened with the stellar pitching of two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants taking down the colossal offense of the Texas Rangers and bringing the first World Series title to San Francisco since the Giants relocated there from New York in 1958.
| Year | AL | NL | Result |
| 2010 | Texas Rangers | SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS | 4-1 |
| 2011 | Texas Rangers | ST. LOUIS CARDINALS | 4-2 |
World Series history continues to be written, decade after decade, in new and unexpected ways.
Records will continue to be broken, and more dramatic moments will be etched forever into our memories.
It’s why they call it the “Fall Classic.”