Most Frequent Franchise Matchups in the World Series

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With the Red Sox and Cardinals meeting each other for the fourth time in World Series history, a list of the matchups that have occurred most frequently might be appropriate. Here is a list of all the combinations that have occurred more than twice:

11 World Series meetings: Yankees/Dodgers
7 World Series meetings: Yankees/Giants
5 World Series meetings: Yankees/Cardinals
4 World Series meetings: Yankees/Braves, Athletics/Giants, Tigers/Cubs, Red Sox/Cardinals (including 2013)
3 World Series meetings: Yankees/Reds, Tigers/Cardinals

I count a total of ten matchups that have occurred exactly twice: the Yankees with the Cubs, Phils and Pirates; the A’s with the Cubs, Reds, Dodgers and Cards; the Indians with the Braves (Native American nickname vs. Native American nickname); the Senators (now known as the Twins) with the Giants; and the Orioles with the Pirates.

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Fireworks

11 years ago

I was thinking about this a bit after the Cards clinched because the World Series matchups between the Cards and the ALCS finalists were interesting. 46 Teddy Ballgames only Series appearance was a loss to the Cards. 67 the Cards made Boston wake up from the Impossible Dream. 68 the Tigers prevented a Cards repeat and handed Gibson his first World Series loss. 04 the Sox and Cards played a series more anticlimactic than any other in history due to the Sox having more momentum than any team in any sport in the history of mankind. 06 the Tigers faded… Read more »

Hartvig

11 years ago

Reply to Fireworks

It’s funny- I came up with the 3 Cards/Tigers Series in the blink of an eye- I wasn’t sure if it was ’34 or ’35 but eventually figured it out and the ’67 & ’46 Sox/Cards just as quickly.

But in that ’04 Series the Cards were just so forgettable as the generic fill-in-the-blank losers I could not bring it to mind

Paul E

11 years ago

Reply to Fireworks

FW:
” ” 68 the Tigers prevented a Cards repeat and handed Gibson his first World Series loss. ” ”

Actually, Gibson lost Game 2 in 1964 to the Yankees…unless, of course, you’re implying Gibson (and the rest of the Cards) “won” in 1964 and 1967 and “his” (their) “first” loss was 1968

fireworks

11 years ago

Reply to Paul E

I could pretend like I meant Series loss. I was aware that it was Gibson’s Cardinals first Series loss. However I always have it in my head that Gibson was 7-1 instead of 7-2 in the WS. I somehow misinternalized that Gibby won 7 straight WS decisions into Gibby only lost the one. I wasn’t sure about it when I typed it but I was on my phone and I’ll be damned if I’ll waste time couching my statements in ambivalence. 90% of the time I start to type a response on my phone I give up. It’s so much… Read more »

Dr. Doom

11 years ago

Least likely World Series matchup to ever be seen again: Brewers-Cardinals. Don’t count on a rematch any time soon. 🙂

Author

birtelcom

11 years ago

Reply to Dr. Doom

I guess ‘Stros/White Sox is now similarly unlikely — though that one would seem pretty unlikely in the near future even if the teams were still in different leagues. Note by the way that no expansion franchise, going all the way back to the 1961-62 expansions more than fifty years ago, has ever faced a World Series opponent franchise more than once. The nineteen pairs of opponents I listed in the main post above, as having met in the Series at least twice, all include only franchises from the “Original 16” group that date back at least to the early… Read more »

Josh

11 years ago

Reply to birtelcom

I just looked and actually, NO World Series matchup has ever featured two expansion teams. There has always been at least “Original 16” team in the World Series.

11 years ago

I’m disappointed the Tigers didn’t make it this year, if only so we would have had the symmetric pleasantness of four teams playing in the last four World Series, and having all four possible combinations between them.

Author

birtelcom

11 years ago

Reply to RJ

A Cards win would be four in a row for the NL. Longest league World Series championship winning streaks:

AL
7 seasons, 1947-53
5 seasons, 1935-39
4 seasons, 1910-1913, 1915-1918, 1927-1930

NL
4 seasons, 1979-82

oneblankspace

11 years ago

Reply to birtelcom

And 1982 was won by the Cardinals.

Doug

11 years ago

There was only one expansion team in the playoffs this year, the fewest since the introduction of the division series.

This is the first time since 1974-75 that, in consecutive seasons, there were no expansion teams among the “final four” teams.

Doug

11 years ago

I believe this is only the second time that both WS teams have won in their previous two WS appearances (2004 and 2007 for Boston; 2006 and 2011 for St. Louis).

In 1942, the Cardinals (winners in 1931 and 1934) beat the Yankees (winners in 1939 and 1941).

Editor

John Autin

11 years ago

No player on either 2013 WS roster has ever played for the other side. Boston used one ex-Cardinal this year, RP Clayton Mortensen, but I’m pretty sure he won’t be in the Series, since he was sent to the minors in June. I believe this will snap a streak that goes back at least to 1990, in which at least one player on a WS roster had previously played in the majors for the other side. Here’s one from each of those years: 2012, Aubrey Huff 2011, Arthur Rhodes (pitched for both teams that very year) 2010, Bengie Molina 2009,… Read more »

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

To continue your list:

1989 – Dave Henderson
1988 – Dave Stewart
1987 – George Frazier
1986 – Calvin Schiraldi
1985 – Lonnie Smith
1984 – Ruppert Jones
1983 – Todd Cruz
1982 – Ted Simmons
1981 – Jay Johnstone
1980 – Jose Cardenal
1979 – Grant Jackson

The streak ends there. The only player on the two 1978 league champions who had previously played for the other team was Andy Messersmith, the former Dodger who played a handful of mid-season games for the 1978 Yankees.

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

You mention Rhodes playing for both WS teams in 2011; Bengie Molina also did that in 2010. He was traded to the Rangers a month after Posey’s call-up.

Editor

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to RJ

Lonnie Smith in 1985 is the only other player to appear in a WS opposing a team he had played for earlier that season.

These players played for both league champions, but did not appear in the WS.
2010 – Chris Ray
1998 – Jim Bruske
1984 – Sid Monge
1951 – Jack Kramer

Jeff b

11 years ago

Also, there has never been a World Series between 2 expansion teams, over 50 years since expansion began. PS: is the new COG post coming out soon?

Author

birtelcom

11 years ago

Reply to Jeff b

Yes, COG 1941 is coming soon!

Dr. Doom

11 years ago

Reply to birtelcom

The suspense is killing me!

JasonZ

11 years ago

David Ortiz is the only one left from 2004.

On 12/18/74 Harry Hooper, the last surviving member of the 1918 Red Sox died.

Hall of Famer Hooper was a member of all 4 World Championship Bosox teams of almost 100 years ago.

Therefore, Ortiz is attempting to become the first human being to walk the Earth with at least 3 Red Sox World Championships since the day Hooper died.

JasonZ

11 years ago

Actually, the question I have is how many Yankees are walking around sporting a triumvirate of hardware.

This is a job for Richard Chester.

Since the Yankees are playing golf, I desperately need something to make me smile.

Jimbo

11 years ago

A side WS comment about a matchup that only happened once.

Here in Canada the Joe Carter home run game is on TV. In fact, his AB is happening now.

Lost in all the memories of that home run, is an observation I’ve never heard commenting on. Both the runners driven in by Carter’s home run, are Hall of Famers, Henderson, who led off with a walk, and Molitor, who singled in front of Carter.

I wonder if in 20 WS since, any player has homered in a pair of Hall members. I imagine this hasn’t happened many times, period.

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Jimbo

Actually, there have been only two HOFers who have appeared in a WS game since 1995: Eddie Murray in 1995 and Tony Gwynn in 1998. So, you’re right. So far. Other HRs like this: 1975, Game 5 – Tony Perez homered, scoring Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan 1975, Game 6 – Fred Lynn homered, scoring Carl Yastrzemski and Carlton Fisk 1971, Game 3 – Bob Robertson homered, scoring Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell 1970, Game 4 – Lee May homered, scoring Johnny Bench and Tony Perez 1956, Game 1 – Gil Hodges homered, scoring Pee Wee Reese and Duke Snider… Read more »

David Horwich

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

Here are a couple more:

1929, Game 2 – Jimmie Foxx homered, scoring Mickey Cochrane and Al Simmons

1932, Game 3 – Babe Ruth homered, scoring Earle Combs and Joe Sewell (this was the “called shot” game, although this was not that shot)

Addendum to Doug’s list: Berra’s 1956 HR was a grand slam; the other runner who scored was Don Larsen.

Richard Chester

11 years ago

Reply to David Horwich

Here’s more:

1933, Game 5-Fred Schulte homered with Heinie Manush and Joe Cronin aboard

1951, Game 5- Gil McDougald homered with Berra, DiMaggio and Mize aboard

Editor

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

Doug, add Wade Boggs (1996 WS) to Murray and Gwynn, as HOFers who have appeared in a WS game since Carter’s famous HR.

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

Thanks John,

I didn’t pick up Boggs because he didn’t score a run in that series.

Editor

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

Another WS HR driving in 2 HOF baserunners:
1936, Game 2 — Tony Lazzeri homered, scoring Lou Gehrig and Bill Dickey.

And an asterisk for this one:
1980, Game 1 — Bake McBride homered, scoring Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt.

Editor

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to Jimbo

Just three WS triples scored 2 HOF baserunners, by my check:

1938, Game 4 — Frankie Crosetti tripled, scoring Joe Gordon and Red Ruffing.
1949, Game 4 — Bobby Brown tripled, scoring Yogi Berra and Joe DiMaggio.
1951, Game 6 — Hank Bauer tripled, scoring Berry, DiMaggio and Johnny Mize.

Bauer’s 3-run triple broke a 1-1 tie in the home 6th, and the Yanks held on, 4-3, to clinch the Series. Up to that moment, Bauer had gone 5 for 38 across the 1949-51 Series, with one RBI and no runs. He would go on to have bigger moments.

Richard Chester

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

So Berra, DiMaggio and Mize scored on a bases-loaded HR and a bases-loaded triple in consecutive games.

Richard Chester

11 years ago

If I have done my work correctly there are 33 still-living Yankees with 3 WS rings.

Andy Pettitte, Art Schallock, Bernie Willams, Bob Cerv, Bob Kuzava, Bobby Brown, Bobby Richardson, Charlie Silvera, Chuck Knoblauch, Darryl Strawberry, David Cone, Derek Jeter, Irv Noren, Jeff Nelson, Jerry Coleman, Jim Coates, Jim Leyritz, Joe Girardi, Jorge Posada, Luis Sojo, Mariano Rivera, Mike Stanton, Orlando Hernandez, Paul O’Neill, Ralph Terry, Ricky Ledee, Scott Brosius, Shane Spencer, Tino Martinez, Tony Kubek, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Ramiro Mendoza.

I cannot guarantee accuracy or completeness.

fireworks

11 years ago

Cardinals making a stronger claim for best MLB team in history that isn’t the Yankees. Granted, their claim was already the strongest, but you could make a good case for the other NL teams originally from New York, and the A’s. I wonder what the pennant and WS totals would look like if the Yankees had been as crappy as the Browns or Senators all these years. Cardinals were my favorite NL team when I was a kid. Whiteyball and all. Doesn’t seem fair in retrospect. I think all Yanks fans that feel like rooting for a second team for… Read more »

JasonZ

11 years ago

Thanks Richard.

I want you to know that I will be using this information to torture various misguided souls with whom I am associated.

Richard Chester

11 years ago

Reply to JasonZ

JasonZ: you’re welcome. Just to let you know, I used the Baseball-Reference leader boards to get the list of all players with 3 or more championship rings. At the top of the list there is a qualifying statement that reads: “Please note that this does not measure how many times the player was on the roster during the WS of a World Series winner. It only measures if they appeared for that team at some point and then if they appeared in the WS that year for the winning team.” So it’s possible that some of the players on the… Read more »

Editor

Bryan O'Connor

11 years ago

Interesting how many of these repeat matchups are ancient history. From 1979 to 2012, we had 33 unique World Series matchups, 34 if you count 1994 as a “unique matchup”. Take it back to 1970 and you get Yankees-Dodgers x 3, Pirates-Orioles x 2, and A’s-Dodgers x 2. Back to 1960 and you add a fourth Yankees-Dodgers, a second Cardinals-Tigers, and a second Cardinals-Red Sox (tomorrow night will be the third). It’s in the ’50s when we last saw the same teams facing off with regularity (Yankees-Dodgers, Yankees-Braves). To wit, if we only look at the last half of World… Read more »

Author

birtelcom

11 years ago

Reply to Bryan O'Connor

There were of course only 16 teams prior to 1961, and some of them were chronically non-competitive. Say what you will about big market advantages in the free agent era, but in the old reserve clause days, before the amateur draft and before shared dollars from big national TV contracts and new media revenue sources, there wasn’t much competitive balance at all. Teams with high revenues from home attendance could sign the top prospects and hold them forever and there was little anyone could do short of major innovations such as developing a sophisticated farm system or recruiting from a… Read more »

Mike A.

11 years ago

Reply to Bryan O'Connor

Actually, Yankees and Braves played in both 1996 and 1999. 1979 to 2012 is 34 years, so your statement indicates no repeats at all. But still, that’s quite a streak.

Editor

Bryan O'Connor

11 years ago

Reply to Mike A.

Thanks, Mike. Not sure why I completely neglected 1996. Though I wouldn’t mind if that had been the strike year and we got the Expos and a sub-.500 Rangers team in the series instead.

Since the Yankees and Braves played in ’58 as well, they should be added to the “3 matchups since ’58” group above.