Ultimate Games™
Follow the history of what we call Ultimate Games™ in our unique timeline, which includes two clutch World Series Game Seven wins by Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson.
What are Ultimate Games™?
An ultimate game is a must win for both teams. A seventh game of the World Series for example, or a thrilling game five or game seven that decides the LCS or division series. Even the final game of the regular season game that determines a post-season berth, one of the rarest ultimate games of all, is an Ultimate Game™.
Through Game Seven of the 2006 National League Championship Series, there had been 85 Ultimate Games™ in modern baseball history (since 1903). 35 Ultimate Games™ have occurred in the Fall Classic (most recently in 2002), 22 in the League Championship Series (last one in '06 NLCS), 16 in the Division Series (once in 2005), three as special pennant-playoffs (1948 AL, 1951 and 1962 NL), four on the final day of the regular season (1908 in both leagues, 1949 AL, and 1982 AL East), two as Wild Card playoffs (1998 and 1999 NL), and three as division championship playoffs (1978 AL East, 1980 NL West, 1995 AL West).
The History of Ultimate Games™
The true Ultimate Game™ is the climactic game of the World Series. There have been 35 seventh game clashes. Some have been classics, some have been duds. All have had one element in common - finality. Both teams had to win, but only one could. The Pittsburgh Pirates were the first team to win a Game Seven - in 1909 they defeated the Detroit Tigers, 8-0. In the Fall Classic, 13 of the 35 seventh games have been decided by one run, and seven times the winning team scored the deciding run in the final inning.
On four occassions, a World Series Ultimate Game™ has gone to extra-innings: in 1912, Game Eight (which was really Game Seven, because there had been a tie in Game Two), went 10 innings, before the Boston Red Sox pulled it out thanks to an error by New York Giants outfielder Fred Snodgrass; in 1924, the Washington Senators and Giants battled 12 innings, with the Nats prevailing 4-3 behind the stellar relief pitching of Walter Johnson; in 1991, Jack Morris of the Minnesota Twins willed himself to a complete-game, 10-inning, 1-0 shutout over the Atlanta Braves; and in 1997, the Florida Marlins eked out an 11-inning, 3-2 win over the Cleveland Indians.
The longest drought between Ultimate Games™ occurred between 1912 and 1924, when every World Series was decided under the maximum. However, the 1924 Series (won by the Washington Senators), marked the first of three consecutive seven-game World Series. That streak would be topped in the 1950s when four straight World Series went to a seventh game. The Yankees were involved in all four of those Game Seven Ultimate Games™, winning two and losing two.
The most lopsided World Series Ultimate Games™ occurred in 1909 (Pirates 8-0 over Tigers), 1934 (Cardinals 11-0 over Tigers), 1945 (Tigers 9-3 over Cubs), 1956 (Yankees 9-0 over Dodgers), 1985 (Royals 11-0 over Cardinals), 2004 (Astros 12-3 over Braves, and Red Sox 10-3 over Yankees).
Predictably, the number of Ultimate Games™ has increased with the arrival of the playoffs in 1969. In fact, 57 of the 85 Ultimate Games™ in baseball history have occurred in the playoff era. Of those, 44 were a direct result of the added playoff rounds. The longest stretches with at least one UG were from 1975-1982 (eight years), and 1995-2006 (12 years and counting).
During the 1970s, fans were treated to five World Series Game Seven Ultimate Games™, two of which were won by Pittsburgh, and two by Oakland. The other Ultimate Game™ in the Fall Classic was one of baseball's most famous games - Game Seven of the 1975 Series, between the Cincinnati Reds and Boston Red Sox. The Baltimore Orioles were 0-3 during the decade in Ultimate Games™, while the A's were a perfect 4-0. Marquee years for Ultimate Games™ were 1972 and 1973, when every post-season series went the distance.
The 1980s produced 17 Ultimate Games™, four of them in the World Series. The first season in baseball history with four ultimate games was the strike-shortened 1981 campaign. That year, three of the four manufactured playoff series between first and second half division leaders produced a game five. Subsequently, the NLCS went the distance as well. 1982 produced three Ultimate Games™, with the Milwaukee Brewers taking part in all of them. The Brewers won their division on the last day of the regular season, took Game Five of the ALCS over the Angels, and then lost Game Seven of the World Series to St. Louis. The '82 Brewers remain the only club to compete in three Ultimate Games™.
Since 1990, there have been 24 Ultimate Games™, with four World Series Game Sevens. The added round of divisional playoffs, which began in 1995, has proved to be a dud as far as Ultimate Games™. Through 2006, there had been 44 division series, but only 13 had went to a game five. In contrast, 18 of the division series had ended in a sweep.
Oddly, since the advent of the division series, drama in the League Championship Series has also suffered. Only six LCS series have gone to a seventh game since 1995 - the '96 NLCS, both series in 2003 and 2004, and the 2006 NLCS. Meanwhile, nearly half of the LCS's played in the "wild-card era" have been finished in five games or less.
Going back historically, the Boston Red Sox have lost four straight Ultimate Games™ in the World Series, beginning in 1946 when they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals. The New York Yankees have appeared in the most Ultimate Games™ (23), winning 13, also a record.
Most Recent Ultimate Game: Game Seven of the 2006 NLCS, won by the Cardinals, 3-1, over the Mets.
Ultimate Games™ in World Series: 35; most recent was Game Seven of the 2002 World Series (Anaheim over San Francisco). 34 of these games were Game Seven of the series. One game (1912, Boston Red Sox vs. New York Giants) was Game Eight, due to a tie game. The home team has an 18-17 record in these games, but they've won the last eight WS Game Sevens (1982 through 2002).
Ultimate Games™ in League Championship Series: 22; most recent was Game Seven of the 2006 NLCS (St. Louis over Mets). 10 of these Ultimate Games™ occurred when the format was five games, 12 have happened since. The home team is 13-10. 13 of the games were won in come-from behind fashion, and twice the games went extra-innings (1980, Philadelphia over Houston; and 2003, Yanks over Red Sox).
Ultimate Games™ in Division Series: 16; The first division series were played in 1981 due to the players strike, which split the season into first and second-half winners. In both 1981 and 2001, there were three division series Ultimate Games™. The home team is 8-8, and just one game has gone extra-innings (1995, Seattle over NY Yankees in 11 innings).
Ultimate Games™ in Three-Game Playoffs for Pennant: Two; the 1951 and 1962 National League Pennants were decided in three-game playoffs, each time won by the Giants over the Dodgers. The Giants won at home in '51 (on Bobby Thomson's famous homer), and on the road in '62 (with four runs in the top of the ninth to erase a 4-2 deficit).
Ultimate Games™ in One-Game Playoff for Pennant: One; the 1948 American League Pennant playoff game between Cleveland and Boston. The Indians prevailed 8-3, on the road in Fenway Park.
Ultimate Games™ in One-Game Playoff for Division Title: Three; in 1978 between the Yankees (W) and Red Sox for the AL East title, in 1980 between the Astros (W) and Dodgers for the NL West title, and in 1995 between the Mariners (W) and Angels for the AL West title. The Yankees in '78 are the only road team to win in this type of game.
Ultimate Games™ in One-Game Playoff for Wild Card: Two; both in the National League, in 1998 when Chicago defeated San Francisco at Wrigley Field, and in 1999 when the New York Mets beat the Reds, in Cincinnati.
Ultimate Games™ in Final Game of Regular Season (not a playoff): Four; most recent was the final game of the 1982 season when Milwaukee defeated Baltimore to win the AL East by one game. This rare regular season Ultimate Game™ occurred in both the NL and AL in 1908. On October 6, the Tigers beat the White Sox in South Side Park in Chicago, 7-0, to win the pennant by 1 1/2 games. Two days later, in front of a reported 250,000 fans inside and surrounding the Polo Grounds in New York, the Cubs defeated the Giants, 4-2. The Cubs finished one game in front of the Giants.
Most Ultimate Games™ in One Season: 4; in 1981, 2001, and 2003.
Most Consecutive seasons with at least one Ultimate Game™: 12; 1995-2006
Longest drought between Ultimate Games™: 12 seasons; 1912-1924.
World Series Ultimate Game™ Standings: the National League is 20-15 in World Series Ultimate Games™.
Most Ultimate Games™, Franchise: 23; New York Yankees, who have a record of 13-10 (5-6 in World Series Game Sevens). The St. Louis Cardinals have played the second most Ultimate Games™ (15), winning 10 times (seven times in Game Seven of the WS, which is a record).
Most Ultimate Games™ by One Team in the Same Season: Three; 1982 Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers won the AL East title in an Ultimate Game™ on the last day of the regular season against Baltimore. In the ALCS they won the deciding fifth game, and in the World Series they lost in seven games.
Fewest Ultimate Games™, Original Franchise: One; Chicago White Sox. The Sox lost the first modern Ultimate Game™, on October 6, 1908, to Detroit, and haven't been back in one since. The Philadelphia Phillies have played in just two Ultimate Games™, defeating Houston in the 1980 NLCS, and losing to Montreal in the 1981 NL East Division Series.
1952 World Series, New York vs. Brooklyn
Here's a unique perspective on this seventh game clash, through the eyes of the author viewing an old TV taping. The Bums and Yanks as you've never seen them.
1946 World Series, St. Louis vs. Boston
The Red Sox were trying to win their first title in 28 seasons. The Cards were a dynasty, in their fourth Series in five years. In the end, Johnny Pesky and Enos Slaughter were the key figures in a fall classic.
