The World Series is baseball’s biggest stage for players and MLB odds fans, and here is where some of baseball’s greatest plays have happened. Let’s look at ten of the biggest plays in the history of the Fall Classic.
Brief Look at the MLB Odds Report on 10 Biggest Plays in World Series History
10. Kirk Gibson’s Walk-Off Home Run (1988, Game 1)
The score was 4-3, Oakland, when Kirk Gibson limped to the plate to pinch-hit. There was a man on second, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Then this happened. It’s still the only walkoff home run in playoff history that happened when a team was down to its last out.
9. Sid Bream’s GIDP (1991, Game 7)
It was the top of the eighth inning in Game 7 between the Minnesota Twins and the Atlanta Braves. This is also the half-inning when Lonnie Smith was fooled into thinking that Chuck Knoblauch had snagged Terry Pendleton’s hit – which turned into a double – and ended up at third instead of putting the Braves up 1-0. However, there were still second and third with nobody out. Then, Ron Gant grounded to first while the runners held. Morris then walked David Justice intentionally to bring slow Sid Bream up. Then, Bream hit into an inning-ending double play. The game stayed tied at zero, and the Twins would prevail 1-0 in the tenth:
8. Cookie Lavagetto’s Double (1947, Game 4)
Bill Bevens, the Yankee pitcher, had not permitted any hits through eight innings, but he had yielded eight walks, one of them turning into a run. In the bottom of the ninth, though, the Yankees led 2-1 until Lavagetto came to the plate for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
7. Yogi Berra’s Three-Run Homer (1960, Game 7)
The Pirates were up on the Yankees, 4-2, in the top of the sixth inning. Then Yogi Berra came to the plate with men on first and third with one out. Check out what he did.
6. Joe Morgan’s Single (1975, Game 7)
It was the top of the ninth with two outs and men on first and third. Joe Morgan would single to break a 3-3 tie and end up on second on the throw.
4. The Shot Heard Round the World (1951 Pennant Tiebreaker)
This wasn’t technically a World Series moment, but in an era when the Series was the only round of the playoffs, this blast in the pennant tiebreaker surely counts. Bobby Thomson came up in the bottom of the ninth with one out and men on second and third, his Giants down 4-2 to the Brooklyn Dodgers.
3. Bill Mazeroski’s Homer (1960, Game 7)
This is the blast that got Bill Mazeroski into the Hall of Fame, as his Pirates and the Yankees sat level in the bottom of the ninth inning.
2. Tony Womack’s Double (2001, Game 7)
The Yankees were leading Arizona 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth with men on first and second with one out. Womack’s double would bring the game level and put the winning run on third.
1. Hal Smith (1960, Game 7)
This was in the same game as Bill Mazeroski’s blast, but it actually helped the Pirates more, because it brought them back from a deficit. He turned a deficit into a lead in the eighth inning – and this hit came from a backup catcher in his only at-bat of the game.
