It comes down to one game for all the marbles tonight. Mother Nature is cooperating with a second night of almost summer-like weather in November, so it figures to be a showcase evening that will see one long world championship drought ended … and another extended.

More after the jump.

The Cubs last World Series title was 108 years ago, so there aren’t any players from that year’s series who are still alive, and only one (Ed Mierkowicz of the Tigers) still living who played in the World Series in the Cubs’ last appearance in 1945. Of players who appeared in the Fall Classic when the Indians last won in 1948, only Cleveland’s Eddie Robinson and the Braves’ Clint Conatser are still with us.

This is the Cubs’ second World Series game 7 and second in a row, after losing to the Tigers in their last Fall Classic appearance in 1945. It’s also the Indians’ second game 7 and second in a row, following a loss to the Marlins in 1997. That 1997 game is one of 3 seventh games to go into extra innings, following those in 1924 (Senators) and 1991 (Twins) that were also won by the home team.

Tonight will be the 38th time the World Series has gone to the limit. The home team has won 18 of the previous 37 games. The margin of victory has been a single run in 13 of the previous 37 games, and three runs or less in 27 of 37 seventh games. When the home team wins, the game is usually close, with a winning margin of three runs or less in 16 of 18 games. When the road team wins, the winning margin has been four runs or more in 8 of 19 games. The winning team in game 7 has allowed one run or none on 14 occasions, 10 of those games won by the road team. The winning team has allowed more than four runs only 4 times, all of those games won by the home team.

Teams that homer in game 7 have won 19 of 30 games. When homering twice, teams have won game 7 on 7 of 10 occasions. Both teams have homered in a game 7 only 6 times, most recently by the Mets and Red Sox in 1986. The most home runs for both teams in game 7 has been 5, both times in Yankee losses, in 1960 and 1964. But, the Yankees also have the most home runs by one team in a game 7, with four round-trippers in dispatching the Dodgers in 1956. The most runs scored by one team in a game 7 is 11, on two occasions, by the Cardinals in 1934 and the Royals in 1985. The most scored by both teams is 19, by the Pirates and Yankees in 1960. The Pirates’ Bill Mazeroski in 1960 has the only walk-off game 7 home run, but four other players have walk-off game 7 hits: Earl McNeely of the Senators in 1924; Gene Larkin of the Twins in 1991; Edgar Renteria of the Marlins in 1997; and Luis Gonzalez of the D-Backs in 2001.

Yogi Berra in 1956 is the only player to homer twice in a game 7. Berra’s 4 RBI in that game are also a game 7 record, one he matched himself in 1960. Bill Skowron also had 4 RBI in the 1956 game and again in 1958, as did Paul Richards of the Tigers in 1945. Five players have scored three runs in a game 7: Berra in 1956; Ken Boyer in 1964; Pepper Martin in 1934; and a pair of Pirates in 1925,  Max Carey and Eddie Moore. Four players (George Brett in 1985, Willie Stargell in 1979, Ripper Collins in 1934 and Carey in 1925) have recorded 4 hits in a game 7, with Stargell and Carey also sharing the game 7 record of three extra-base hits, and Stargell holding the total base record of 9. The highest WPA in a game 7 is Hal Smith‘s 0.636 in 1960, all coming from a single PA, his eighth inning two out 3-run homer that put the Bucs ahead by two.

The most game 7 appearances is 8 by Mickey Mantle, who shares with Yogi Berra the record of four game 7 appearances for the winning team. Mantle’s other four game 7 appearances for the losing team are also a record, tied with Elston Howard. Three players have appeared in a game 7 for three different teams: Lonnie Smith for the Cardinals, Royals and Braves; Andy Pafko for the Cubs, Dodgers and Braves; and David Justice for the Braves, Indians and Yankees. Among players appearing in a game 7 for more than one team, Justice, Lonnie Smith, Roger Maris, Gene Tenace, Matt Williams, Dick Tracewski, Enos Slaughter, Merv Rettenmund, Mike Stanton and Matty Alou did so for teams in both leagues.

The losing team has been shut out in a game 7 on 9 occasions, all of them complete games by the opposing pitcher, the most recent being Jack Morris‘s victory for the Twins over the Braves in 1991, the only extra-inning shutout in game 7 history. Of 16 complete game wins in a game 7, only three have come since divisional play began in 1969: by Morris in 1991; a shutout by Bret Saberhagen in 1985; and Steve Blass‘s 2-1 win over the Orioles in 1971. The most runs allowed in a game 7 complete game win are 5 by Bob Gibson in 1964. Only three pitchers have a complete game loss in game 7, by Walter Johnson in 1925, Bobo Newsom in 1940 and Bob Gibson in 1968. The highest game score in a game 7 is 88 by Sandy Koufax in shutting out the Twins in 1965, and the highest game score for a losing team’s starter is 72 by Mike Cuellar of the Orioles in 1971. The lowest game 7 game score is 26 by Walter Johnson in 1925, allowing 9 runs on 15 hits over 8 innings of work. The lowest game 7 game score for a winning team’s starter is 28, also in 1925, by the Pirates’ Vic Aldridge.

The most strikeouts in a game 7 are 10 by Roger Clemens in 2001, Bob Gibson in 1967, Sandy Koufax in 1965 and Hal Newhouser in 1945. Three pitchers have a CG win in game 7 with only one K: Babe Adams in 1909; Paul Derringer in 1940; and Johnny Kucks in 1956. Bill Donovan of the Tigers has the most walks in a game 7 with 6 in only 3 IP in 1909. Three pitchers walked nobody in a game 7 CG win, all shutouts by Dizzy Dean in 1934, Ralph Terry in 1962 and Bret Saberhagen in 1985. The longest winning relief appearance to finish a game 7 is 6.2 IP by Bob Turley in 1958; the shortest is 0.1 IP by Darold Knowles in 1973 and Bill Hallahan in 1931. The highest WPA by a game 7 pitcher is 0.845 by Jack Morris of the Twins in his 10-inning complete game shutout in 1991.

Bob Gibson is the only pitcher with a decision in 3 seventh games, and the only pitcher with two game 7 wins. Three other pitchers with two game 7 decisions have each posted a 1-1 record, by Ralph Terry, Walter Johnson and Lew Burdette. Gibson, Burdette and Don Larsen are the only pitchers to make game 7 starts in two consecutive seasons. The most game 7 appearances are three, by Gibson and Bob Turley. Mike Stanton, Firpo Marberry and Paul Derringer are the only pitchers to appear in a game 7 for two different teams.

Enjoy the game!