Worst. World Series. Ever. (Well, tied)

If there's one thing in my life that approaches my love for my wife, my family and my dog, it's my passion for baseball, specifically the St. Louis Cardinals and the World Series. As I type, Mike Lowell is being handed the World Series MVP trophy for 2007, as the Red Sox finished off a four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies. The brief, unremarkable series got me thinking: Is it possible to quantify the "greatness" of a World Series? And I came to the conclusion that, on a subjective basis, it is. So, as I watched the closing innings of this game, I tried to do just that.

A few numbers jumped out at me. This was my 20th season of closely (nay, obsessively) following Major League Baseball. I have vague memories of watching the 1987 series with my dad. I have concrete memories of staying up late to watch the 1988 playoffs with him, chanting "Mets are pondscum" during the '88 NLCS, etc. That's where my timeline begins. Unfortunately, that means I have only 19 World Series to evaluate, since 1994 was a strike washout. Say thank'ya!

A final caveat: I am a St. Louis Cardinals fan, and without apology. Any series that included the Cardinals got an extra three points in my (again, subjective!) ratings. If you have a problem with that, I suggest you skew your OWN ratings. Unless you're a Cubs fan, because then there would be no Series ratings to skew. Honestly, unless the Cardinals are involved, you won't find a more unbiased baseball fan, so I feel I'm mostly qualified to make this analysis.

The criteria and somewhat arbitrary scoring system:

Length of series: All things being equal, I want to see a long series, even if FOX doesn't. Points are weighted double for each game it progresses past a four-game sweep (zero points).
+2 for a five-game series
+4 for a six-game series
+8 for a seven-games series

Winning the series at home: All things being equal, I want to see a team celebrate a championship on its home field. It makes the conclusion infinitely more satisfying.
+3 for clinching a championship at home.

Being "Old-School": Okay, I'll admit. I'm what you might call a baseball snob--a "purist" in the old tongue. Any series that includes a team that existed--EVEN IN ANOTHER CITY, BY ANOTHER NAME--in the pre-expansion era gets bonus points.
+2 for pre-expansion participants PER TEAM.

Signature moments: This is where this list exits the realm of science and becomes purely subective. No fan is going to remember exactly the same moments from any given series. However, as a (mostly) unbiased, ever-watching baseball fan, I'm confident that if I can't remember a Series-"defining" moment, not many people can. What are defining moments? Pretty much any dramatic, noteworthy play, accomplishment or factor that the history books will note in, say, 25 years. Example: You remember Reggie's three-homer game in 1977 against the Dodgers; do you remember anything about the 1978 Series, also against the Dodgers? Or the 1979 Series between the O's and Pirates, for that matter? 'Nuff said.
+3 for every "Signature" moment as defined by this blog's master, Matt Lemmon

Without further ado, my best World Series' ever. (And, yes, this blog post's title gave away the 2007 Series' ranking.)

1991-Minnesota Twins over Atlanta Braves: 33 points
I didn't need math to tell you this one was the best I've seen. I was in the sixth grade, fixated on nothing but baseball (the girl I was "going out" with will attest to that). This series was my first proof that A.) A series could go seven games and B.) include a team other than Oakland. The result: A classic.
+8: Seven-game series (home team won every game)
+3: Won at home
+4: Two old-school teams (the Twins were the original Washington Senators, so I counted them. The '91 series would have won handily regardless)
+18: Six signature moments. Perhaps I'm being generous here, seeing as how I watched every OUT, which is something I can't say for every series, but here are the things I remember:
--Kirby Puckett's Game 6 catch to rob Ron Gant of a go-ahead home run-->

--Kirby Puckett's Game 6 walk-off home run (and Jack Buck's "And we'll see you.... tomorrow night! call).
--Jack Morris's 10 shutout innings in Game 7.
--Gene Larkin's walk-off Texas leaguer to win Game 7.
--Some unnamed Brave scoring on a sac fly to win game four or five in Atlanta (I just remember it being dramatic)
--Lonnie Smith being duped into a baserunning error by the Twins' second baseman, and thus not scoring the go-ahead run in Game Seven.
--Minnesota's Dan Gladden plowing over Atlanta catcher Gregg Olson (SP?) at the plate, creating that unforgettable image.

2001-Arizona Diamondbacks over New York Yankees: 25 points
Many would argue this was the best series ever, and if it weren't for the non-stop drama of 1991, I'd agree. Heightening this Series's import were the September 11 attacks, barely a month before this series, which pushed the final games into November, an unheard-of thing. When the D-backs won, it almost seemed they should have apologized for twisting the knife in the heart of a messed up city, but really, this series was it's own reward for the whole nation.
+8: Seven-game series (another where the home team won every game)
+2: One old-school team (NY)
+3: Won at home
+12: Signature moments. I'm admittedly giving this one a bit of an emotional boost because it came so quickly after 9/11, and included a team from New York. So sue me.
--George W. Bush (hssssst!) throwing out the first pitch of Game 3/post-9/11 hoopla
--Scott Brosius walk-off, Game 4
--Tino Martinez's walk-off, Game 5. I watched both of these home runs from the exact same spot on back-to-back nights--lying on my left side watching the tiny TV in my then-girlfriend's room (sorry mom, but it's true). It's the most overwhelming feeling of deja vu I've ever had.
--Luis Gonzalez's walk-off single to win Game 7.

2002-Anaheim Angels over San Francisco Giants: 19 points
This one surprised me, and not just because I spent the entirety of the series on my honeymoon (those nights sleeping over in 2001 paid off). Granted, it went seven games, and I gave a "signature moment" status to Dusty Baker's kid almost getting run over at the plate, but how can you not?
+8: Seven-game series
+2: One old-school team (SF)
+3: Won at home
+6: Signature moments
--Angels comeback in Game 5. Giants manager Dusty Baker had even given the damn game ball to his starter, and then the Halos come back to win it. I don't recall much about Games 6 and 7, except that I watched Game 7 from the terminal of LAX, waiting for a plane to Chicago (not 10 miles from the Angels' stadium, or so they say). But fairly dramatic, anyway.
--Aforementioned toddler-in-the-basebaths incident.

1996-New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves: 17 points
When the Yanks won this series, I was a bit nieve. After all, it had been 18 years since they'd won one: I hadn'tt even been (quite) conceived when they repeated in 1978. The Braves were the big bad bullies, trying to repeat... well, we all know what happened after that. Still this was a pretty remarkable series, the Yankees losing the first two games overwhelmingly (at home!) and then winning four straight, culminating in the best celebration to date...
+4: Six-game series
+3: Won at home
+4: Two old-school teams
+6: Signature moments
--Wade Boggs on the back of a NY police horse, high-fiving fans. Indeed, ALL of the Yankees high-fiving fans. The Boggs part seemed a bit incestuous, since I remembered him as a Red Sock (though it wasn't quite as incestuous as seeing him get his 3,000th hit as a Devil Ray).
--Andruw Jones hitting homers in his first two WS at-bats as a 19-year-old. I was impressed by it, what can I say?

1997-Florida Marlins over Cleveland Indians: 16 points
The lowest-ranked over all my seven-game series, this was the first time I'd watched a series and wondered, "What the hell is THAT team doing there?" But Florida shocked us all, as several teams have since.
+8: Seven-game series
+3: Won at home
+2: One old-school team (CLE)
+3: Signature moments
--Edgar Renteria's walk-off single to score Craig Counsell is all I really remember. Tony Fernandez booting a ball at second base immediately preceded that, but I'm going to lump them together.

2006-St. Louis Cardinals over Detroit Tigers: 15 points
Okay, okay, okay. This one likely only makes it this high because, you know, my Cardinals WON. But the fact that it went an extra game (and the drama from that game) plus the fact that two storied franchises were participating helped make it the highest-rated five- or four-game series on the list (and even beat one six-game series).
+2: Five-game series
+3: Won at home
+4: Two old-school teams
+6: Signature moments
--Did I mention the Cardinals WON?
--Game 2, Kenny Rogers and the dirty smudge on his hand. Quite the controversy, no? I wonder why he barely pitched in 2008?

1993-Toronto Blue Jays over Philadelphia Phillies: 15 points
The highest-ranked of the non-seven game series, this one is most notable for its final play, and the fact that the Jays were the first team to repeat since the '77-'78 Yankees. But it had its fair share of drama.
+4: Six-game series
+3: Won at home
+2: One old-school team (PHI)
+6: Signature moments
--Joe Carter's walk-off, Game 7 home run off of Mitch Williams. This really should get more points, but a moment's a moment. It's not two moments.
--Maybe this makes up for the lack of gravitas for Carter's bomb: Remember Game 4, when the teams combined for 29 runs, and the Jays prevailed 15-14. Holy crap. I remember watching that game and shaking my head the whole time.

1988-Los Angeles Dodgers over Oakland Atheltics: 12 points
I'm somewhat partial to this series, though the numbers don't bear me out. It's the first series I got jazzed about, watching the entire playoffs with my dad. It also coincided nicely with our first fall in Ozark after moving from Texas... it was sort of a new life for us all, though I was less acutely aware of the fact than my parents were. Anyway, Game 1 is all anyone really needs to remember about this series.
+2: Five-game series
+4: Two old-school teams
+6: Signature moments
--Duh. A limping Kirk Gibson's walk-off homer in Game 1 is perhaps the most famous World Series home run of our generation. Accentuating the drama, for me, is my hero Jack Buck's call: "I don't be-LIEVE what I just saw!" Wow.
--I also remember Jose Canseco's huge home run in Game 1 that bounced off the CBS camera. It was a ridiculous year for Canceco (and also might have been the signature year of the steriod era, save '98 McGwire and '01 Bonds), and that home cemented it.

1995-Atlanta Braves over Cleveland Indians: 11 points
Poor Atlanta. More playoff trips than any of these teams and their only win is only this high. That's because, other than the fact that they actually WON (at home, against another old-school team), it was a wholly unremarkable series. In fact, I couldn't remember a single significant moment. Maybe I had play practice or something.
+4: Six-game series
+3: Won at home
+4: Two old-school teams

2004-Boston Red Sox over St. Louis Cardinals: 10 points
For a sweep, this one was chock full of drama (it's the highest-rated four-game series, but only because of the teams involved). But not for Cardinals fans. For Cardinals fans, this series blew.
+4: Two old-school teams
+6: Signature moments
--First series I'd ever seen the Cardinals in
--Red Sox first series win in a bajillion years or something like that

2000-New York Yankees over New York Mets: 10 points
Subway Series! Though, forgive me, I doubt it lacked the panache of those old Brooklyn-New York matchups. The Yanks were in their prime here, though it probably should have been a bit closer than it was.
+2: Five-game series
+2: One old-school team (NYY)
+6: Signature moments
--It was a Subway Series. Good for the press.
--The whole "Roger Clemens-threw-a-broken-bat-at-Mike-Piazza thing, but not really." That was pretty good theater.

1992-Toronto Blue Jays over Atlanta Braves: 9 points
I must admit, when I was really young and chose teams based on the prettiness of their uniforms (you can make gay jokes, but the Jays' '80s unis were pretty damn attractive), the Jays were my team. So I was a bit happy when they made it to the Fall Classic for the first time in 1992. But, alas, other than a nationalistic faux pas before Game 1, I don't remember a damn thing about this series.
+4: Six-game series
+2: One old-school team (ATL)
+3: Signature moments
-Before Game 1 (or possibly Game 2) in Atlanta, whoever presented the Canadian colors had the flag UPSIDE DOWN. I mean, c'mon, it was the first time a Canadian team had ever made the Series. You can forgive a ROTC schmuck for not knowing what a right-side-up maple leaf looks like, right?

2003-Florida Marlins over New York Yankees: 9 points
I suppose a six-game series should get more points than this. Maybe it's a flaw in my rating system. But really, do YOU consider this a more memorable series than the Dodgers in '88? Or the Sox in '04? Didn't think so.
+4: Six-game series
+2: One old-school team (NYY)
+3: Signature moment
-Miggy Cabrera hit a go-ahead homer late in game four or five. I'm being REALLY generous here.

1989-Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants: 7 points
Poor A's. The dominant team of my early basebal-fandom, and the only reason they're this high is because of the San Andreas fault.
+4: Two old-school teams
+3: Signature moment
-The earthquake immediately before Game 3. Drama on live TV. Yowers.

1999-New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves: 7 points
Shi**y, shi**t series. Only here because the teams were historical and it was the NL's year for home-field advantage.
+3: Won at home
+4: Two old-school teams

2005-Chicago White Sox over Houston Astros: 5 points
I was too busy (and pissed at the 'Stros) to watch much of this one. It's a miracle it ranks this high.
+2: One old-school team (CHW)
+3: Signature moment
-Scott Podsednik's walk-off homer in Game 2, further crucifying Brad Lidge, who had been rendered almost impotent by Albert Pujols in Game 5 of the NLCS.

1990-Cincinnati Reds over Oakland Athletics: 4 points
Now we're just going through the motions. Name one thing about this series (Reds fans, pipe down) other than Eric Davis brusing his kidney.
+4: Two old-school teams

1998-New York Yankees over San Diego Padres: 2 points
The only thing I remember about this series is that I was a freshman in college, and I was drunk, trying to impress one of my older fraternity members with all my knowlegdge about the Padres (which, for a drunk 18-year-old, was quite a damn bit). Ugh.
+2: One old-school team (NYY)

2007-Boston Red Sox over Colorado Rockies: 2 points
This series hasn't been over for two HOURS and I can't tell you a single memorable moment. I guess the last two games were close... but so what? It seemed pretty foregone from the moment the Sox went up 6-0 in Game 1. Reminds me of 2004, except without the question of how the Sox could conceivably blow it.
+2: One old-school team (BOS)

Total NL teams I've seen in the Series: 12 of 16 (all but PIT, CHN, WSH/MTL, MIL)
Total AL teams I've seen in the Series: 9 of 14 (all but TB, BAL, KC, SEA, TEX)

Total series wins leaders:
NYY-4 ('96, '98,'99,'00)
TOR-2 ('92, '93)
FLA-2 ('97, '03)
BOS-2 ('04, '07)
LAD-1 ('88)
OAK-1 ('89)
CIN-1 ('90)
MIN-1 ('91)
ATL-1 ('95)
ARZ-1 ('01)
LAA-1 ('02)
CHW-1 ('05)
STL-1 ('06)

Teams I've seen play in the most series:
NYY-6 ('96, '98, '99, '00, '01, '03)
ATL-5 ('91, '92, '95, '96, '99)
OAK-3 ('88, '89, '90)
TOR-2 ('92, '93)
BOS-2 ('04, '07)
FLA-2 ('97, '03)
STL-2 ('04, '06)
SF-2 ('89, '02)
CLE-2 ('95, '97)
ARZ-1 ('01)
LAA-1 ('01)
CHW-1 ('05)
LAD-1 ('88)
CIN-1 ('90)
MIN-1 ('91)
PHI-1 ('93)
SD-1 ('98)
NYM-1 ('00)
HOU-1 ('05)
DET-1 ('06)
COL-1 ('07)

Thanks for bearing with me on my anal-retentive trip down memory lane. It was fun. Rip apart my ratings in the comments, if you wish, and here's hoping that next year's Series is up there on the list.

Peace.

ML