Ten Favorite World Series: 1975 World Series (#4)

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I'm cleaning the living room...well, not now. I'm typing this! But I have been cleaning the living room, so that's why I'm late in posting this, the next World Series on my list of my favorites throughout my lifetime. I think everyone who's a baseball fan -- and even a lot who aren't -- has been waiting for today's entry. Here it is. #4: 1975: Reds/Red Sox For years this was considered the great World Series of our time. It's still one of THE great series in history. Sadly, for younger people, this fantastic series has been relegated to Carlton Fisk waving a deep fly ball fair in the 12th inning of game six. Oh, was there more to this series than that one moment. Yes, Fisk's homer was one of the most fabulous moments in World Series history. The Reds were nicknamed "the Big Red Machine" because of the nonstop offensive threat, top to bottom, in the line-up. Yet, despite their prowess and the fact that they won the NL West by two miles (technically, 20 games) in '75, they were still looking for a World Series title that would "justify" the moniker. They lost to the Orioles in 1970 and the A's in 1972. (And, if you remember Mike Hargrove getting fired as skipper of the Cleveland Indians after all those World Series appearances in the 90s, you know that it's not enough to just get to the Series anymore.) Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, there was the Red Sox, the team matching the Chicago Cubs in futility. Boston hadn't raised a World Series banner since 1918 (when they beat the Cubs, oddly enough). This was their first World Series since 1967 (when they were beaten by the Cardinals). And I was torn. Yes, the Reds were the "local" team (Cincinnati is less than 100 miles away), but Boston's AAA farm team used to be the Louisville Colonels! Two of the games went extra innings, and it was about as evenly matched as a series could possibly be. The Reds took game five at Riverfront Stadium and went up, three games to two, going back to Boston. And then it rained. And rained. And rained. Game six was postponed for three days. And man, was it ever worth the wait. If you've never seen game six, watch it on You Tube. Yes, it's 42 years old, and yes, you know the outcome, but your heart is going to be pounding. In game seven, the Red Sox were ahead in the 7th when the Reds tied it. Then, with two out in the 9th, the Reds went ahead, then held on for the victory. The Reds repeated the next year, then won in 1990, but haven't been back since. In contrast, the Red Sox ended their drought in 2004, then won again in 2007 and 2013. A World Series for the ages. It took a long, long time to top it. 1975 World Series Cincinnati Reds (NL) / Boston Red Sox (AL) Winner: Reds, 4 games to 3 Best game: game six (Red Sox won, 7-6 in 12 innings) Who I was pulling for: Reds, but I wouldn't have been upset if the Red Sox had won The final out in game seven: