The only WS game I've ever attended in person. Guy I went with died two years ago.

He turned to Jeff Weaver

*Breaks down into tears*

However, Ron Swoboda, nobody’s idea of an excellent defensiveman, made the play of his life catching it.

Terrible decision- he had no business trying to catch the ball rather than cutting it off.

Great catch though.

Good list, but one glaring omission. I'll bet that Harvey backs me up on this one.

In 1957, the Yankees and Braves split the first two games in New York, but when the Series came to Milwaukee, the Yanks crushed the Braves in the third game by 12 to 3. You could measure the effect that this game had on the Braves fans' collective psyche by the fact that when the Yankees' Tony Kubek---a 20-year old Milwaukee native, no less---opened the scoring with a long home run, there wasn't a single peep out of the crowd. No cheering, no booing, just total silence. Fans across the country thought that their TV sets were malfunctioning. A New York writer had famously labeled Milwaukee as "Bushville," and you couldn't help but think that after that third game some of their fans were taking that slander to heart.

And then in the fourth game, Hank Aaron had hit a three run homer, Warren Spahn cruised into the ninth with a 4-1 lead, and it looked like a routine win. And Spahn retired the first two batters easily. Just one more to go.

So at this point you had a replay of the setting that you had in 1941, except that in this game the Braves had a three run lead, not a one run lead, and instead of a journeyman on the mound they had one of the 10 or 15 greatest pitchers in history.

Then a single by Yogi Berra. And an opposite field single by Gil McDougald that barely made it over Red Schoendienst's glove. And all of a sudden here comes the tying run to the plate in the form of Elston Howard. And the count goes to 3 and 2.

And then one swing and the game is tied. Again total silence in County Stadium. The Braves go down quietly in their half, and the Yanks go ahead in the tenth. Psychiastrists all over Milwaukee were already planning their Hawaiian vacations. Maybe Harvey was scheduling an appointment himself.

But these weren't the feeble Dodgers of 1941, and the Gods were smiling on the Braves. Nippy Jones got hit by a pitch, and the ump didn't see it and called it a ball. But by some stroke of luck, he'd polished his shoes before the game and Augie Donatelli could see the smudge of polish on his shoe and sent him to first. And within a couple of minutes you got a sacrifice, a game tying double by Johnny Logan, and a game ending home run by Eddie Mathews, easily the biggest hit of his entire career.

So instead of having to face Whitey Ford in a game five win or else situation after the most crushing loss imaginable, the Braves had tied the Series and had seized the momentum. And Lew Burdette shut out the Yanks 1 to 0 and then threw another shutout in game seven to win it all. One of the Milwaukee papers had a "Bushville Wins" headline.

I'm not saying that this was the "best" game 4, because there are so many others. But considering the overall context, I don't see how you can beat it. The ONLY other game 4 that featured a win by a team that was trailing in the Series, and that wound up WINNING the Series, was 1978---and while that was a dramatic game, it can't compare to this one. 1957 was like 2001, but like 2001 if the Yankees had then gone on to win the Series. It certainly belongs way up there in any top 10 list.

another glaring omission is game 4 of 1996

don't have to recap it here (do I?)

it clearly marked the beginning of the current Yankee mini-dynasty

Except that game 4 of 1996 was horrendously played, lots of errors, lots of walks, and some bad umpiring.

Except that game 4 was horrendously played, lots of errors, lots of walks, and some bad umpiring.

and errors caused by bad umpires not getting the (forget) out of the way

another glaring omission is game 4 of 1996

Oh God, yes. Because like 1957 and 1978 the team that won had had its back to the wall. It was either wind that game or face elimination the next day. In the other games on that list, the winning team either was already ahead in the Series, or it wound up losing the Series. In either case it reduces the overall significance of the game 4 outcome.

If 1969 was only #6, then I gotta go read up on these other games. #6?

Well, I like slugfests. I remember that 15-14 game pretty well. I don't remember how many times I said "holy ####," however.

Quicky on Game 4...1968 Cards-Tigers WS

My McCocktailing parents forcibly dragged me out of the house for one of those "Let's pretend we're a family and really love him" thingees for my 14th birthday.

Natch...I wanted to stay home and watch game four of the WS...but nooooo. I had to go to a swankified dump in the Jersey swamps (I believe it was the Oily Doily in Nutley). Now while I king pouted most of the trip, they did allow to listen to my trusty VoxBox at the table.

Just as the buxabombed waitress was asking me how I wanted my steak...Lou Brock hit a flucking leadoff tater off Denny McLain...so this AL fan just yelled out "####### REGULAR!!"

With that, I got leveled with by a right cross from alcohol-a-pop.

Happy Birthday everybody!

Game 4 in 1947 was not the last game of Bill Bevens's career; he pitched in relief in game 7.

Two forgotten game 4s:

1971 (first night game in WS history), in which Baltimore, up two games to one, knocked out Luke Walker with a three-run first only to be stymied by rookie Bruce Kison thereafter, while the Pirates came back to tie it, then got a game-winning hit from another rookie, backup C Milt May.

1979: The Pirates, down 2-1, took a 6-3 lead into the eighth inning. Don Robinson loaded the bases with one out, then closer Kent Tekulve came in. Earl Weaver then started unloading his lefty bats off the bench against Teke: John Lowenstein doubled for two runs, Billy Smith walked to reload the bases, Terry Crowley doubled to give the Orioles the lead. Weaver then let Tim Stoddard bat for himself, and Stoddard, in his first AB in any major league game, delivered an RBI single. Al Bumbry's groundout plated a ninth run. One of the great comebacks of all time (although not close to the A's 1929 effort), but it was essentially Baltimore's last gasp in that series, as the Bucs became the first team to come from a 3-1 deficit twice to win a series.

EDIT: The 1971 Game 4 was also won by a team trailing 2-1 that went on to win the Series.

-- MWE

Hey Repoz, does the Oily Doily in Nutley have squeeze bottles of maple syrup to squirt on your steak? I've been told that this is a New Jersey tradition, although maybe it's a tradition that mostly survives among the Kallikats and the Jukes. But I did see it in action once, and it wasn't in the Pine Barrens.

The most memorable moment of the 15-14 game was Todd Stottlemyre bloodying his chin in an awkward slide at third.

One fun thing about that 1969 Game 4: It was the Mets starter, Tom Seaver, who gave up the tying run in the top of the ninth -- and Gil Hodges left him in to not only finish that inning but to pitch the tenth as well. Gad, that was a long time ago.

Few things:

- 1957 definately belongs on the list. Huge oversight on my part. I did two-three sweep throughs (once Total Baseball, once the Enders book, and maybe once b-ref) and still missed it. Gack. That's hugely effing embarressing. Looking back, I'd put it in #5, and punt 1910 off the list.

- 1996 wasn't an oversight. It was one that just missed. It's the sort of game I'd sometimes try to work in as a tie with another game, but I already had 2001 & 2003 tied, and 14 games over all, so I left it out. It was definately a great game, but there's 103 Game Fours. More than 10 are great. I got 14 on the list, and four others have been mentioned here as possibles -- none of which were the original #11 on my list, 1991's Game Four. That's 19 great Game Fours.

In general, when trying to sort out the lists, the top 4-5 are easy, and the rest I look for things that are distinctive as well as great. Best pitchers' duels? Put them in. Biggest slugfest? In it goes. Game where a team despeartely fought back though down 3-0 in the Series - that's borderline, so it narrowly made it. Controversy? In go 1933 & 1978. I'm a little partial to 1972, just because it was such an incredibly underrated Series. 1991 and 1996 were both great, but didn't have that little extra edge for me.

- Nice catch on the Bevens. I'd heard it was his last game and check his b-ref page. I guess I heard it was his last start. Nuts. Not nearly as bad as the 1957 oversight, though.

Take a look at some of the regular season games he lists at the end of the article, the ones from 1957 to the present where teams score 3 runs on one hit. You'd expect that most of those games involved a three run homer, but it's not always the case.

For example, in this game, the Angels scored 3 in the top of the 5th on two walks, a double, an intentional walk and a sacrifice fly which included an error. That's a pretty rough way to lose a ballgame.

This is my favorite from the list. KC's only hit was a single in the bottom of the 8th. After an error, a bunt was beaten out for a base hit. Ron Darling uncorks two wild pitches in a row. The batter then grounds out, whereup Gregg Jefferies (of 1989 Topps fame) hit a sacrifice fly to score the third run.

Any list of regular season games that omits this one is an incomplete list. Fenway Park, June 18, 1961. I hope that the formatting doesn't screw it all up:

Bottom of the 9th, Red Sox Batting, Behind 5-12, Carl Mathias facing 7-8-9
Chuck Hinton moves to LF
O --- V Wertz Groundout: 1B-P
--- D Buddin Single to RF
Billy Harrell pinch hits for Ted Wills batting 9th
O 1-- B Harrell Strikeout
1-- C Schilling Single to CF; Buddin to 2B
R 12- C Hardy Single to CF; Buddin Scores; Schilling to 3B
1-3 G Geiger Walk; Hardy to 2B
Dave Sisler replaces Carl Mathias pitching and batting 9th
R 123 J Jensen Walk; Schilling Scores; Hardy to 3B; Geiger to 2B
R 123 F Malzone Walk; Hardy Scores; Geiger to 3B; Jensen to 2B
RRRR 123 J Pagliaroni Home Run (Deep LF); Geiger Scores; Jensen Scores; Malzone Scores
--- V Wertz Walk
Marty Kutyna replaces Dave Sisler pitching and batting 9th
1-- D Buddin Single to LF; Wertz to 2B
Russ Nixon pinch hits for Billy Harrell batting 9th; Pete Runnels pinch runs for Vic Wertz batting 7th
R 12- R Nixon Single to RF; Runnels Scores; Buddin to 2B
8 runs, 6 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Senators 12, Red Sox 13.

I'm really enjoying this series Chris, despite any occasional omissions or oversights.

I can't believe 2004 and 2007 are not on the list.

Kevin's just trying to see how many people are awake at this point.

I generally prefer my games in the range of 4-3, but that 1993 game was pretty amazing and highly entertaining.

Mark Buehrle didn't even pitch in game 4. Freddy Garcia started and went 7. Politte and Cotts went in the 8th. Jenks finished it off in the 9th.

wimperoo,

I was just coming here to post that, as White Sox Fan Brother and others have noted it to me via e-mail. I'm doing a really lousy job on the 2005 Series frankly (for Game 3, I had Geoff Blum hitting a 2-run homer instead of a solo shot). It's especially embarassing, because it was the Series I followed closest in my lifetime. Paradoxically, that's why I am making the mistakes with it. I rely heavily on the boxscores for all the others, but I was so sure that Buehrle pitched Game 4, that I didn't bother to check. Big mistake.

What ruined me was the memory of White Sox symmatery: 1-0 on Opening Day and Game 4. I thought Buehrle was part of that symmetry. I remember he pitched in relief in Game 3, but figured since he only threw one inning, and Ozzie's willing to ride his horses hard, that he had him back out the next night.

does the Oily Doily in Nutley have squeeze bottles of maple syrup to squirt on your steak?

If the Oily Doily actually existed I would ask...:) And yes, I've of maple syrup on steaks...but only in the wretched halls of Newburgh, NY.

If anyone's curious, games left on the cutting room floor:

1913
1927
1966
1991
1996

And of course, 1910 should've been there if 1957 made the article.

Sorry, Mike - 1971 & 1979 didn't even get that far.

I’m not sure what’s more amazing: that the A’s would have three consecutive pinch hitters succeed at this most vital moment, or that in the ninth inning of a World Series game they had three out of four hitters in their starting batting order that they didn’t trust with the bat. I know all lineups have weak spots, but man!

You have to consider the times. There was no DH and middle infielders generally didn't hit much in those days. When you got to the bottom of the A's order, you had George Hendrick (filling in for injured Reggie Jackson - less than 100 games of major league experience), light-hitting second baseman Dick Green, and the pticher. That's how you have a spot where three consecutive pinch hitters can be sent to the plate. If Reggie hadn't been injured scoring the winning run of the final playoff game against the Tigers, you wouldn't have seen three consecutive pinch hitters there.

does the Oily Doily in Nutley have squeeze bottles of maple syrup to squirt on your steak?

If the Oily Doily actually existed I would ask...:) And yes, I've of maple syrup on steaks...but only in the wretched halls of Newburgh, NY.

I kind of figured that there's no Oily Doily in Nutley, but there should be, and maybe between us we can inspire a would-be entrepreneur. Just keep humming Co-STAN!-za to the tune of the old Mennen commercial.

But I've seen maple syrup on steaks in several diners just off the Turnpike. They put it on their baked potatos and their salads, too. Either that's one weird state or that's some great maple syrup.

You have to consider the times. There was no DH and middle infielders generally didn't hit much in those days. When you got to the bottom of the A's order, you had George Hendrick (filling in for injured Reggie Jackson - less than 100 games of major league experience), light-hitting second baseman Dick Green, and the pticher. That's how you have a spot where three consecutive pinch hitters can be sent to the plate. If Reggie hadn't been injured scoring the winning run of the final playoff game against the Tigers, you wouldn't have seen three consecutive pinch hitters there.

Right, I understand that, but even back then 3 pinch hitters in one inning is odd. And you'd expect a World Series team to have fewer holes in their line up than a regular thing.

Minor point: it wasn't 3 consecutive pinch hitters. Gene Tenace laced a single in the middle of that.

I kind of figured that there's no Oily Doily in Nutley, but there should be,

Would they be antimacassarole?

Just asking.

repoz, i lived overseas in 1968, so couldn't watch the games, but followed the box scores (two days late) in the papers. so i knew the cards were playing the seventh game, but i had to go to school so i couldn't even listen on the short wave. when i got home, some kid whose dad had listened to it called me and told me they had lost, this after being up 3-1 in the series. i called him a liar and cried like a baby.

My favorite factoid from the day: Toronto retired the last eight Phillies. Only one hit the ball out of the infield.

Even better: Winning pitcher Tony Castillo batted for himself to start the 7th inning, when the Jays were trailing 13-9. On the DVD/tape, Gaston defends this by saying something to the effect of "We just needed to get guys out" as the reason for not pinch-hitting for Castillo.

Castillo would then allow 2 walks, a hit and a hbp in the next inning (scoring one run) before squeaking out of the inning only down 14-9.

Jose Rijo's gem in Game 4 of the '90 WS has to be 1 of the most dominant sweep clenchers of all time. He allowed just 2 hits and 1 run and retired the last 20 (including 8 k's)A's he faced before Randy came on in the 9th and retired Canseco and Lansford to finish off a Wire To Wire season. And I was lucky enough to be there.

In the 1993 game, I recall that of those last eight outs, Mike Timlin got the first two outs of the eighth easily, and then Duane Ward got the next four also with no trouble.

I'm partial to Game 4 of 1992, myself; if I recall correctly it was Jimmy Key's last start as a Blue Jay, and a dashed good one too.

Instead, shortstop Juan Uribe made back-to-back dynamite defensive plays to thwart Houston’s last hopes and end the game and the most exciting World Series sweep ever.

Uribe also made a helluva play to end the eighth, charging a grounder and beating Jose Vizcaino by a step. Willy Taveras was on third at the time.

So he really made three outstanding plays in the last four outs, and he might've been the only shortstop in baseball that year with the ability to make the last two. It's a shame that he's kind of been swept under the rug, and they keep showing that damn Jeter dive over and over again.

Right, I understand that, but even back then 3 pinch hitters in one inning is odd. And you'd expect a World Series team to have fewer holes in their line up than a regular thing.

No doubt it's odd but I don't think it's a sign of an exceptional hole in the A's lineup. The players repalced by pinch hitters were a bench player forced into the lineup by Jackson's injury, a weak hitting middle infielder, and a pitcher. I think the oddity is found in a bench that had three capable pinch hitters and a manager willing to use them. It could have backfired if the A's had only tied the game. Williams used four pinch hitters in game #4 of ALCS (not in the same inning) which left only Gene Tenace to play second base in the seventh inning. Tenace's inability to play the position cost the A's that game in extra innings and forced the fifth game in which Jackson was injured. He was luckier in game #4 of the World Series.

Minor point: it wasn't 3 consecutive pinch hitters. Gene Tenace laced a single in the middle of that.

Quite right. I stand corrected.