2007 MLB World Series

Congratulations to the Boston Red Sox, winners of the 2007 World Series and to Mike Lowell, 2007 World Series MVP!

Whenever the entire season comes down to two competitors hungry for victory, fans can expect dramatic battles in every game, and the 2007 MLB World Series was full of surprises. In a major upset, despite trailing the Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Padres for the majority of the season, the Colorado Rockies really stepped it up and made it all the way to the World Series, where they faced off against the Boston Red Sox. The Rockies’ luck ran out there though, as the Red Sox swept the series 4-0 and won their second World Series title in 4 years.

How did all this World Series history begin? The first World Series between the AL and NL was in 1903. The World Series began when Pittsburgh of the older National League (founded in 1876) invited Boston of the American League (founded in 1901) to play a best-of-9 game series to determine which of the two league champions was the best.

Boston was the surprise winner, 5 games to 3. The 1904 NL champion New York Giants refused to play Boston the following year, so there was no Series. Giants' owner John T. Brush and his manager John McGraw both despised AL president Ban Johnson and considered the junior circuit to be a minor league. By the following year, however, Brush and Johnson had smoothed out their differences and the Giants agreed to play Philadelphia in a best-of-7 game series. Since then the World Series has been a best-of-7 format, except from 1919-21 when it returned to best-of-9.

The 1904 NL champion New York Giants refused to play Boston the following year, so there was no Series.

In 1922 the World Series was broadcast over the radio for the first time. In 1947 the first World Series was televised locally for the first time.

The 1951 World Series was broadcast coast to coast for the first time. The World Series was played between the two New York teams. The New York Giants lost to the Yankees 4-2. Willie Mays had only four hits in the loss.

The World Series was cancelled for only the second time in 1994 due to the players' strike.

Going into the 2005 post season, the New York Yankees have won the World Series 26 times. With their win in 2006, the St. Louis Cardinals have now surpassed the Philadelphia-Oakland A's nine World Series triumphs. The Brooklyn-Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox each have six under their belt, while the Cincinnati Reds, New York-San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates have five to their credit.