With the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs splitting the first two games of the 112th World Series at Progressive Field in Cleveland, the series now moves to the Windy City for the next three games, beginning Friday.
So, as we anxiously await the critical Game 3 at Wrigley Field (winner of Game 3 has won the World Series 65 percent of the time-72 of 110), I put together some World Series firsts, facts, feats, and historic footnotes.
- FOX Sports, in its 21st season as the official network broadcaster of Major League Baseball, presents exclusive live coverage of the 112th World Series.
- Calling the action is MLB on FOX’s lead broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Joe Buck, analyst and Hall of Famer John Smoltz, and field reporters Ken Rosenthal and J.P. Morosi.
- 3129 credentials have been printed in Cleveland for the 2016 World Series. 2164 were distributed to the media.
- Media representing 16 different countries and territories were in Cleveland for Games 1 and 2 covering the World Series, which is being broadcast in 270 countries.
- Since 1995, 9 World Series have started 1-1. Winner of Game 3 is 6 of 9 winning the series.
- Home teams have won 356 of the 646 World Series games played to a decision (55.1 percent).
- The home team has won the World Series opener 65 of 111 times (58.6 percent).
- The World Series has been won by the team with home field advantage 55 of 111 times (49.6 percent).
- Only four teams in World Series history have won Game 1 and been swept in the next four: the 1915 Phillies, 1942 Yankees, 1969 Orioles and 1983 Phillies.
- The first time lights were used in a World Series game came on October 9, 1949 in the top of the ninth inning (4:50 p.m.) in the fifth and final game at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn.
- The first night game of World Series was Game 4 of the 1971 World Series when the Pirates hosted the Orioles.
- Beginning in 1985, all World Series games were held at night.
- The youngest World Series MVP was Bret Saberhagen (Royals), who won Games 3 and 7 of the 1985 World Series. He was 21 years, six months and 16 days old.
- The oldest World Series MVP was Willie Stargell (Pirates), who won the award at the age of 39 years and 225 days in 1979.
- Bobby Richardson of the New York Yankees is the only World Series MVP from a losing team (1960).
- Only three pitchers who have primarily been relievers have been named MVP of the Fall Classic. They are Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers of the Oakland Athletics (1974) and New York Yankees closers John Wetteland (1996) and Mariano Rivera (1999).
- Only two players have won the World Series MVP as rookies: Larry Sherry (Dodgers) in 1959 and Livan Hernandez (Marlins) in 1997.
- In 1901, there was only one foreign born player on a World Series roster. In 2015, there were 17.
NOTE: The 2012 World Series featured 20 players born outside of the 50 United States, marking the highest in a single Fall Classic.
- Shortest Game by Time in a World Series: 1:25 — Chicago (NL) 2, Detroit 0 — October 14, 1908 (at Detroit).
- In 1930, Philadelphia Athletics pitcher Jack Quinn, at age 47, was the oldest player to appear in World Series game, while New York Giants third baseman, Freddie Lindstrom in 1924 was 18 years/10 months, the youngest player to appear in a World Series game.
- Woodrow Wilson was the first U.S. President to throw out the first pitch of a World Series in 1915 in Philadelphia; and George W. Bush was the last-in 2001 at Yankee Stadium.
- The designated hitter was used in World Series competition in alternating years from 1976 to 1985. Since 1986, the DH has been used every year in American League parks.
- The first designated hitter to bat in World Series play was Lou Piniella of the New York Yankees in the second inning of Game One in 1976. He doubled to right field and later scored on a sacrifice by Graig Nettles.
- Three-time World Series Champion Madison Bumgarner has allowed just one run over 36.0 innings pitched in the Fall Classic.
- The first radio broadcast of the World Series came in 1921. Grantland Rice provided telephone play-by-play over a special three station hookup on KDKA (Pittsburgh), WJZ (Newark) and WBZ (East Springfield, MA).
- NBC provided the first telecast of a World Series in 1947. Commentators Bob Stanton, Bill Slater and Bob Edge called the action. NBC’s telecast was beamed to New York City, Washington, Philadelphia and Schenectady.
- NBC presented the first coast-to-coast telecast in 1951. Jim Britt and Russ Hodges handled the commentary.
- Gate receipts from the 2015 World Series between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Mets totaled $44,004,088.51,which was a record for a five-game World Series. The Postseason players’ pool of $69,882,149.26, which was a new record, was divided among the 10 Postseason clubs. Each full World Series winner’s share totaled $370,069.03 in 2015, while each full World Series loser’s share was $300,757.78.
- The first World Series trophy was originally created by Major League Baseball in 1967. The St Louis Cardinals who beat the Detroit Tigers in seven games were the first recipients.
- The sterling silver trophy stands 24 inches high with a diameter of 11 inches, requiring master artisans at Tiffany & Co. more than three months and 198.12 troy ounces of sterling silver to create it.
Compiled by Bill Lucey
October 27, 2016
Source: Major League Baseball Press Office
