The World Series has been the annual championship series of the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada since 1903, concluding the postseason of Major League Baseball. Since the Series takes place in October, sportswriters many years ago dubbed the event the Fall Classic, a usage reflected in the official symbols of the 2009 World Series; it is also sometimes known as the October Classic or simply The Series.
The World Series is played between the League Championship Series winning clubs from MLB’s two circuits, the American and National Leagues, which collectively consist of 29 teams based in the United States and one in Canada (Toronto) with players drawn primarily from the United States, Latin America (including the Caribbean), Canada, Japan, and Korea. With the exception of 1904 (boycott) and 1994 (player strike), the “modern” World Series has been played every year since 1903. Baseball has employed various championship formulas since the 1860s. When the term “World Series” is used by itself, it is usually understood to refer to the “modern” World Series exclusively.
The term “World Series” is derived from “World’s Championship Series”, a term which first appeared in the 1880s and continued into the early 1900s. This was eventually shortened to “World’s Series” and then “World Series”. While no international federation has ever sanctioned the series as a world championship event, its winners are still sometimes referred to informally as “world champions” by baseball players, owners and writers within the United States and Canada. For example, TV announcer Joe Buck said at the final out of the 2009 Series, “The Yankees are back on top… World Champions for the 27th time.”
The World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff. Best-of-seven has been the format of all the modern World Series except in 1903, 1919, 1920 and 1921 when the winner was determined through a best-of-nine playoff. The Series winner is awarded the Commissioner’s Trophy, as well as, for the last several decades, individual World Series rings. The Series winning club also receives a larger proportion of the gate receipts than does the Series loser.
The New York Yankees of the American League have played in 40 of the 105 Series through 2009 and have won 27 World Series championships, the most of any Major League franchise. For the National League, the Dodgers have appeared in the Series the most at 18 times (9 each in Brooklyn and Los Angeles), and have won the Series 6 times (once as Brooklyn, five times as Los Angeles). The St. Louis Cardinals have represented the National League 17 times and have won 10 championships, which is the second most of any Major League Team. The Chicago Cubs have the longest streak of not winning the World Series, with their last championship coming in 1908.
