Conclusion

With a 7-6 victory in Game 5, the NL officially wins the All-Time World Series. Although the Series only went five games, I am grateful for the way it played out. None of the games were blowouts (in fact, two of them went to extra innings), and every non-pitcher on both team's rosters collected at least one hit. Although the roll of the dice is random and the players' performances are imaginary, it was nonetheless exciting to watch and manage a Series between the all-time greats of both leagues. 

Here are the stats for the All-Time World Series:

Collins (2B) 5 G, 17 AB, 3 R, 3 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K, .176 / .300 / .353 

Lajoie (2B) 2 G, 5 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K, .200 / .200 / .400 

Gehrig (1B) 5 G, 21 AB, 4 R, 6 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K, .286 / .348 / .571, 1 SB 

Foxx (3B) 3 G, 6 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, .167 / .167 / .167 

Ruth (RF) 5 G, 22 AB, 3 R, 6 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K, .273 / .333 / .545, 1 SB 

Williams (LF) 5 G, 18 AB, 2 R, 6 H, 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, .333 / .368 / .611 

Cobb (CF) 4 G, 8 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 0 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, .250 / .250 / .500 

Mantle (LF) 4 G, 7 AB, 2 R, 1 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, .143 / .143 / .571 

Trout (CF) 3 G, 11 AB, 2 R, 4 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K, .364 / .364 / .636 

Speaker (CF) 4 G, 8 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, .250 / .250 / .625  

Brett (3B) 4 G, 14 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K, .143 / .143 / .214 

Ripken (SS/3B) 5 G, 16 AB, 0 R, 5 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 0 K, .313 / .353 / .375 

Boudreau (SS) 4 G, 7 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K, .143 / .143 / .286 

Berra (C) 4 G, 15 AB, 4 R, 4 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, .267 / .267 / .533 

Rodriguez (C) 2 G, 7 AB, 2 R, 5 H, 2 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 0 K, .714 / .778 / 2.000 

W. Johnson (P) 2 G, 4 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, .250 / .250 / .500 

Ohtani (PH/P) 3 G, 5 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K, .200 / .200 / .200 

Martinez (P) 2 G, 4 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, .000 / .000 / .000 

Grove (P) 2 G, 2 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K, .000 / .000 / .000 
Total AL 5 G, 197 AB, 28 R, 51 H, 15 2B, 8 3B, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 11 BB, 20 K, .259 / .298 / .508, 2 SB 

W. Johnson 3 G, 2 GS, 1 W, 1 L, 0 SV, 11 2/3 IP, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 K, 15 H, 3 BB, 5.40 ERA, 1.54 WHIP 

Waddell 2 G, 1 GS, 0 W, 0 L, 0 SV, 1 2/3 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 K, 3 H, 1 BB, 10.80 ERA, 2.40 WHIP 

Grove 2 G, 1 GS, 0 W, 0 L, 0 SV, 9 2/3 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 7 H, 1 BB, 0.93 ERA, 0.83 WHIP 

Ohtani 1 G, 1 GS, 0 W, 0 L, 0 SV, 5 1/3 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 5 H, 0 BB, 0.00 ERA, 0.94 WHIP 

Rivera 3 G, 0 GS, 0 W, 0 L, 1 SV, 2 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 3 H, 1 BB, 3.86 ERA, 1.71 WHIP 

Martinez 2 G, 0 GS, 0 W, 0 L, 0 SV, 9 2/3 IP, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 K, 11 H, 3 BB, 3.72 ERA, 1.45 WHIP 

Paige 2 G, 0 GS, 0 W, 1 L, 0 SV, 1 1/3 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 K, 3 H, 0 BB, 13.50 ERA, 2.25 WHIP 

Walsh 2 G, 0 GS, 0 W, 1 L, 0 SV, 3 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 K, 7 H, 1 BB, 9.00 ERA, 2.67 WHIP 

Ryan 1 G, 0 GS, 0 W, 0 L, 0 SV, 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 K, 1 H, 0 BB, 27.00 ERA, 3.00 WHIP 

Feller 2 G, 0 GS, 0 W, 0 L, 0 SV, 2/3 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 K, 3 H, 0 BB, 13.50 ERA, 4.50 WHIP 

Verlander 1 G, 0 GS, 0 W, 1 L, 0 SV, 1/3 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 K, 3 H, 0 BB, 81.00 ERA, 9.00 WHIP 

Total AL 5 G, 5 GS, 1 W, 4 L, 1 SV, 46 IP, 28 R, 25 ER, 11 K, 61 H, 10 BB, 4.89 ERA, 1.54 WHIP 

Hartnett (C) 3 G, 7 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, .286 / .286 / .286 
Bench (C) 4 G, 14 AB, 1 R, 7 H, 2 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, .500 / .533 / 1.071, 1 CS 
Musial (LF/1B) 4 G, 13 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, .154 / .154 / .231 
Pujols (1B) 3 G, 8 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, .125 / .125 / .500 
Hornsby (2B) 5 G, 24 AB, 6 R, 6 H, 1 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 0 K, .250 / .280 / .583 
Morgan (PH) 2 G, 2 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K, .500 / .500 / .500 
Schmidt (3B) 5 G, 15 AB, 2 R, 4 H, 0 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 0 K, .267 / .389 / .400 

Jones (3B) 3 G, 4 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, .250 / .400 / .250 
Wagner (SS/1B) 5 G, 25 AB, 4 R, 9 H, 4 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 3 K, .360 / .360 / .760 
Vaughan (SS) 5 G, 12 AB, 2 R, 8 H, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 BB, 0 K, .667 / .692 / 1.333 
Ott (RF) 5 G, 18 AB, 3 R, 4 H, 0 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, .222 / .222 / .500 
Mays (CF) 5 G, 19 AB, 1 R, 5 H, 1 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, .263 / .300 / .526 
Aaron (LF/CF) 4 G, 15 AB, 2 R, 5 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 0 K, .333 / .375 / .733 
Clemente (RF) 4 G, 9 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K, .111 / .111 / .111 
Raines (LF) 4 G, 4 AB, 2 R, 1 H, 0 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K, .250 / .250 / .750 
Mathewson (P) 2 G, 5 AB, 1 R, 0 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K, .000 / .000 / .000 
Brown (P) 1 G, 2 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 0 K, .500 / .667 / .500, 1 CS 
Alexander (P) 2 G, 1 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K, 1.000 / 1.000 / 1.000 

Hubbell (P) 1 G, 2 AB, 0 R, 2 H, 0 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K, 1.000 / 1.000 / 2.000 
R. Johnson (P) 1 G, 1 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K, .000 / .000 / .000 

Scherzer (P) 1 G, 1 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K, .000 / .000 / .000 

Total NL 5 G, 201 AB, 28 R, 61 H, 13 2B, 16 3B, 5 HR, 26 RBI, 10 BB, 11 K, .293 / .336 / .582, 2 CS

Mathewson 2 G, 2 GS, 1 W, 1 L, 0 SV, 10 2/3 IP, 11 R, 10 ER, 5 K, 11 H, 3 BB, 8.44 ERA, 1.31 WHIP 

Hubbell 1 G, 1 GS, 0 W, 0 L, 0 SV, 4 2/3 IP, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 K, 8 H, 3 BB, 9.64 ERA, 2.36 WHIP 

Brown 1 G, 1 GS, 0 W, 0 L, 0 SV, 8 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 K, 5 H, 1 BB, 1.08 ERA, 0.72 WHIP 

Scherzer 1 G, 1 GS, 0 W, 0 L, 0 SV, 4 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 3 H, 0 BB, 2.25 ERA, 0.75 WHIP 

Kershaw 3 G, 0 GS, 1 W, 0 L, 0 SV, 4 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 3 H, 2 BB, 0.00 ERA, 1.15 WHIP 

R. Johnson 1 G, 0 GS, 0 W, 0 L, 0 SV, 2 2/3 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 K, 7 H, 1 BB, 10.13 ERA, 3.00 WHIP 

Smoltz 3 G, 0 GS, 0 W, 0 L, 0 SV, 1 2/3 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 K, 4 H, 1 BB, 5.40 ERA, 3.00 WHIP 

deGrom 3 G, 0 GS, 0 W, 0 L, 2 SV, 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 0 H, 0 BB, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP 

Seaver 2 G, 0 GS, 1 W, 0 L, 0 SV, 2 1/3 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 K, 3 H, 0 BB, 7.71 ERA, 1.29 WHIP 

Alexander 2 G, 0 GS, 0 W, 0 L, 1 SV, 5 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 5 H, 0 BB, 1.80 ERA, 1.00 WHIP 

Maddux 1 G, 0 GS, 1 W, 0 L, 0 SV, 1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 2 H, 0 BB, 0.00 ERA, 2.00 WHIP 

Total NL 5 G, 5 GS, 4 W, 1 L, 3 SV, 47 IP, 28 R, 24 ER, 20 K, 51 H, 11 BB, 4.60 ERA, 1.32 WHIP 

World Series MVP: Arky Vaughan 

Hall of Fame shortstop Arky Vaughan (1932-1948) wins the MVP of the All-Time World Series. He led the NL with 7 RBI's despite making only 13 plate appearances, and he went 8-for-12 with 16 total bases. Whether as a pinch hitter or the NL's starting shortstop, Vaughan always came through in the clutch, and is very deserving of the honor. 

Something that amazes me is the fact that each league scored the same amount of runs, yet the Series was decided in five games. It just goes to show that one-run wins are just as important as blowouts. It is also interesting that the number of runs scored was the same despite the NL having a 38-point advantage in OBP and 74-point edge in slugging. I guess getting caught trying to steal home twice doesn't help. 

As for the game itself, What About Baseball, I have always been pleased with the game's accuracy. Sure, it leans a little on the offensive side, and there are a few more triples than would be expected, but I've got to hand it to the designers - I was able to play a very realistic series using this game. Whereas many other games are boring to play and pointless to keep statistics for, What About Baseball is an enjoyable game that truly brings baseball to life. 

That'll do it for my project. I hope you enjoyed it! 

Game 5

Here is the starting lineup for the visiting National League in Game 5: 

1. 1B Honus Wagner (7-20) 

2. SS Arky Vaughan (5-8) 

3. 2B Rogers Hornsby (5-19) 

4. RF Mel Ott (4-14) 

5. 3B Mike Schmidt (4-13) 

6. CF Hank Aaron (3-10) 

7. C Johnny Bench (4-9) 

8. LF Tim Raines (0-0) 

9. SP Christy Mathewson (0-1) 

Bench: Hartnett, Musial, Pujols, Morgan, Jones, Mays, Clemente 
Bullpen: Brown, Alexander, Hubbell, Seaver, Maddux, Smoltz, Johnson, Scherzer, Kershaw, deGrom 

While it may seem unconventional to continue starting Wagner at first, it has been working for the NL so far, as they are able to keep him and Arky Vaughan in the lineup amid Musial's and Pujols's struggles. Aaron draws another start, this time in center so Mays can regroup after an 0-for-5. In his place, switch-hitting Raines gets the start in left. 

The starting lineup for the American League: 

1. 2B Eddie Collins (3-13) 

2. CF Mike Trout (4-9) 

3. RF Babe Ruth (5-18) 

4. 1B Lou Gehrig (5-17) 

5. LF Ted Williams (5-14) 

6. 3B Jimmie Foxx (0-2) 

7. C Ivan Rodriguez (3-4) 

8. SS Cal Ripken Jr. (5-14) 

9. SP Walter Johnson (1-4) 

Bench: Berra, Lajoie, Brett, Boudreau, Cobb, Speaker, Mantle, Ohtani 
Bullpen: Waddell, Walsh, Grove, Feller, Paige, Ryan, Martinez, Rivera, Verlander, Ohtani 

The AL makes a bold move by hitting Collins leadoff despite his .231 average in the Series. The owner of a .333 lifetime batting average, .424 OBP, and 741 stolen bases, Collins hit a triple in Game 4 and is the AL's preferred choice to lead off the elimination game. Foxx makes his first start of the Series at third, a position he sometimes played during his career, with infielders Brett and Boudreau slumping, and Ripken, despite not getting a hit since Game 2, is still batting .357 in the Series. Rodriguez, who had three extra-base hits in his only appearance, gets the start over lefty Berra because the AL needs a hot bat in the lineup. 

The game begins with Walter Johnson pitching to Honus Wagner, who promptly leads off the contest with a triple. Immediately faced with a dangerous situation, Johnson keeps his cool, inducing a popup from Vaughan, a comebacker from Hornsby, and a grounder from Ott to escape trouble. In the bottom of the first, Mathewson tosses a 1-2-3 inning, striking out Collins. 

In the top of the second, Johnson again gets off to a rocky start, issuing a leadoff walk to Mike Schmidt. Hank Aaron drives him in with a triple over Ruth's head and comes around to score on another triple by Bench. Quickly down 2-0, the AL calls a mound meeting. With a runner on third and no outs, they consider intentionally walking Raines to face Mathewson, and potentially set up a double play, but decide against it. Raines is the NL's fifth outfielder and hasn't seen a plate appearance this Series, and if the AL is going to win this game, they'll need to rely on Walter Johnson's pitching. With the infield at normal depth, Johnson retires Raines and Mathewson. 

Since the scoring situation has gotten considerably worse for the NL after two outs, Bench begins to think much more aggressively on third base. A seemingly relaxed man on the mound (as related by his contemporaries), Johnson returns to the mound slowly after each pitch, and Bench tries to catch him off guard by stealing home. However, Ivan Rodriguez and the AL defense immediately notice him, and Johnson guns him down for the third out. 

Despite the rally-killer, the NL still leads 2-0, and continues to play well with another 1-2-3 inning from Mathewson. They strike again in the top of the third with a leadoff single by Wagner and an RBI double by Vaughan, Wagner having advanced on a balk. Johnson pitches out of the jam, but after another shaky inning, the NL holds a 3-0 lead. 

In the bottom of the third, Rodriguez leads off the frame with a stand-up double. Mathewson counters by getting Ripken, bringing up Johnson's spot in the lineup. At this point, the AL is faced with a tough decision: leave Johnson in or pinch hit? Johnson is the best pitcher on the team (which has depleted bullpen options), and he'd previously doubled in Game 1, but his control has been very shaky this game, throwing only 23 of 41 pitches for strikes. After surrendering four extra-base hits and committing a balk, the AL manager (me) isn't prepared to risk leaving him out there, with the NL already ahead 3-0 and Mathewson looking nearly untouchable. With a runner in scoring position and one out, the AL needs to give itself the best chance to score. 

Pinch-hitting for Johnson is Ty Cobb, baseball's all-time batting champ with a .366 career batting average. Unfazed, Mathewson sets him down for the second out. Eddie Collins uses his speed to force an error, but Matty gets Trout to finish the inning. 

In the top of the fourth, Pedro Martinez takes the mound for the AL. Martinez had previously come on in relief of Rube Waddell in Game 2, throwing 7 2/3 innings and allowing three runs. P-Mart begins his night by retiring Aaron but allows back-to-back triples to Bench and Raines. The AL has no choice but to leave him in, and he recovers by inducing weak contact from Mathewson and Wagner. 

Now ahead 4-0, Mathewson comes out for the fourth and makes quick work of the AL offense, fanning Ruth in another 1-2-3 inning. In the top of the fifth, Martinez issues two walks but throws a scoreless inning of his own. 

In the bottom of the fifth, Mathewson strikes out Foxx to begin the inning but allows a solo home run to Ivan Rodriguez, making it 4-1. The homer is the second hit allowed by Mathewson, both by Rodriguez. Despite the homer, Matty quickly regroups, getting both Ripken and pinch hitter Mickey Mantle to end the inning. 

In the top of the sixth, the AL brings in righty Ed Walsh, a deadball-era hurler who once went 18-20 despite leading the Majors with a 1.27 ERA. A three-time leader in shutouts and the owner of a 1.82 career ERA, Walsh had previously pitched in Game 2, allowing a walk-off hit in extra innings. He begins his outing by allowing a leadoff double to Bench, but gets the next three batters to escape the inning without any damage. 

In the bottom of the sixth, Mathewson retires Collins for the first out when the AL announces another pinch hitter. Due next is Mike Trout, who is 4-for-11 in the Series but 0-for-2 in the game, and hasn't been able to do anything against Mathewson. Replacing Trout is Tris Speaker, a lefthanded batter and a fantastic defensive centerfielder. Despite the change, the AL still can't mount a rally against Mathewson, as he puts down Speaker and Ruth to end the inning. 

In the top of the seventh, Walsh runs into trouble again, surrendering a leadoff single to Vaughan and a double to Hornsby. With two runners in scoring position and no outs, the AL is forced to bring the infield in. Walsh induces a popup from Ott but can't capitalize, walking Schmidt and yielding a two-run double to Aaron. Walsh gets the next two batters, but it is too late. The AL now trails 6-1, and is running out of at bats. 

In the bottom of the seventh, Lou Gehrig leads off against Mathewson with a single and promptly steals second base. Matty strikes out Williams and gets Foxx on a grounder, bringing up Rodriguez with two outs. Not wanting to take any chances, Mathewson pitches carefully to Rodriguez and ends up walking him on five pitches, bringing up Ripken. Mathewson had made quick work of Ripken in both at bats this game, inducing two weak groundouts with his devastating fadeaway. With two outs, two runners on, and Ripken looking helpless at the plate, the AL doesn't want to squander their scoring chance, and calls on lefty Shohei Ohtani to pinch hit. Nevertheless, Mathewson continues his dominant outing and retires Ohtani, ending another shutout inning. Through seven, Mathewson has allowed only three hits and one earned run, and his pitch count is in good shape. 

Lou Boudreau takes over at short in the top of the eighth while Walsh gets set to face Christy Mathewson. The inning begins in just about the worst way imaginable for the AL, as Mathewson reaches base on an error. Walsh retires Wagner but allows an RBI triple to Vaughan, making it 7-1. The AL wants the infield to play in to cut off the run at the plate, but with a 7-1 deficit, they need outs more than anything, and realize they won't win the game unless they mount a massive rally, anyway. Keeping this in mind, the AL has the corner infielders play even with the bag. This decision pays off almost immediately, as Hornsby hits a line drive straight to Foxx, who doubles off Vaughan to end the inning. 

In the bottom of the eighth, the NL begins the inning with the same mistake the AL had just made, allowing pinch hitter Yogi Berra to reach on an error. Mathewson proceeds to walk Collins and give up a single to Speaker, loading the bases and prompting a mound meeting. When play resumes, Babe Ruth promptly tacks on another single, making it 7-2. Mathewson gets Gehrig to pop up for the first out but then surrenders a two-run double to Williams, cutting the NL's lead to 7-4. This marks the end of Mathewson's outing, as NL closer John Smoltz comes on to put out the fire. However, Smoltz's first pitch is wild, allowing Ruth to score and advancing Williams to third. He then gives up an RBI single to Jimmie Foxx, making it 7-6. Despite holding a five-run lead before the inning, the NL has let a couple careless mistakes bring the AL right back into this game. Smoltz gets out of the inning without any further damage, striking out Boudreau, but the NL's lead is much more tenuous. 

In the top of the ninth, Berra stays in the game to catch, moving the pitcher spot to #7. With the pitcher spot due up in the bottom of the inning and only two available pinch hitters, the AL needs to move it as far away as possible. Since they're now only trailing by one, that should give them time to make or break before needing to use one of their remaining bats, and could allow their new reliever to stay in longer in case of extra innings. Their hurler of choice is lefty Rube Waddell, the eccentric lefty who had pitched 2/3 of an inning as Game 2's starter before running off to chase a fire truck. Waddell starts his second outing by allowing a leadoff single to pinch hitter Roberto Clemente (batting for Ott), but he retires the next three batters to send the game to the bottom of the ninth. 

Before taking the field, the NL announces several defensive changes. Clemente stays in the game as the rightfielder and Willie Mays comes in for Raines, moving Aaron to left. Coming on to pitch is Jacob deGrom, who had previously earned a save in Game 3 and is looking for his second. Leading off the inning is Berra, who is promptly retired. deGrom then strikes out Eddie Collins, bringing up Speaker. As the AL's last hope, Speaker hits a line drive right at Hornsby, ending the game and the All-Time World Series. 

1B Wagner 5 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

SS Vaughan 4 AB, 1 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 RBI, 0 K 

2B Hornsby 5 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

RF Ott 4 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    PH-RF Clemente 1 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

3B Schmidt 2 AB, 1 R, 0 H, 3 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

CF-LF Aaron 5 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 3 RBI, 0 K 

C Bench 5 AB, 1 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 1 RBI, 0 K 

LF Raines 4 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 RBI, 0 K 

    CF Mays 0 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

SP Mathewson 4 AB, 1 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    RP Smoltz 0 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    RP deGrom 0 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

Total NL 39 AB, 7 R, 13 H, 4 BB, 7 RBI, 0 K 

SP Mathewson (W, 1-1) 7 1/3 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 K, 2 BB, 75 Pit, 51 Str 

RP Smoltz 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 0 BB, 15 Pit, 9 Str 

RP deGrom (SV, 2) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 0 BB, 6 Pit, 5 Str 

Total NL 9 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 6 K, 2 BB, 96 Pit, 65 Str 

2B Collins 4 AB, 1 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 RBI, 2 K 

CF Trout 2 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    PH-CF Speaker 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

RF Ruth 4 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 RBI, 1 K 

1B Gehrig 4 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

LF Williams 4 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 RBI, 1 K 

3B Foxx 4 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 RBI, 1 K 

C Rodriguez 3 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 RBI, 0 K 

    RP Waddell 0 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

SS Ripken 2 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    PH Ohtani 1 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    SS Boudreau 1 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 1 K 

SP Johnson 0 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    PH Cobb 1 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    RP Martinez 0 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    PH Mantle 1 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    RP Walsh 0 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    PH-C Berra 2 AB, 1 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

Total AL 36 AB, 6 R, 7 H, 2 BB, 5 RBI, 6 K 

SP Johnson (L, 1-1) 3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 K, 1 BB, 41 Pit, 23 Str 

RP Martinez 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 K, 2 BB, 25 Pit, 16 Str 

RP Walsh 3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 K, 1 BB, 35 Pit, 23 Str 

RP Waddell 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 0 BB, 5 Pit, 4 Str 

Total AL 9 IP, 13 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 0 K, 4 BB, 106 Pit, 66 Str 

For the second straight game, the NL wins, 7-6, and takes the Series from the AL. Stay tuned for the conclusion of The All-Time World Series, which will include a recap and the final statistics. 

Game 4

Here is the starting lineup for the visiting National League in Game 4: 

1. CF Willie Mays (5-14) 

2. 1B Honus Wagner (4-15) 

3. 2B Rogers Hornsby (4-14) 

4. RF Mel Ott (3-9) 

5. 3B Mike Schmidt (3-9) 

6. SS Arky Vaughan (2-4) 

7. LF Stan Musial (2-9) 

8. C Johnny Bench (1-5) 

9. SP Max Scherzer (0-0) 

Bench: Hartnett, Pujols, Morgan, Jones, Aaron, Clemente, Raines 

Bullpen: Mathewson, Brown, Alexander, Hubbell, Seaver, Maddux, Smoltz, Johnson, Kershaw, deGrom 

The National League is not going heavy on the platoon, starting only three lefties (Ott, Vaughan, and Musial) against righthander Ohtani. Hornsby gets the start over Joe Morgan because he is better equipped to handle Ohtani's velocity. Onlookers used to swear that he'd hit the ball out of the catcher's mitt for a base hit. Schmidt gets another start at third for defensive purposes, and Wagner draws another start at first with Pujols struggling mightily. 

And the starting lineup for the American League: 

1. SP Shohei Ohtani (1-1) 

2. CF Mike Trout (3-6) 

3. RF Babe Ruth (4-14) 

4. 1B Lou Gehrig (4-13) 

5. LF Ted Williams (4-11) 

6. C Yogi Berra (3-9) 

7. 3B George Brett (2-10) 

8. 2B Eddie Collins (2-9) 

9. SS Cal Ripken Jr. (5-11) 

Bench: Rodriguez, Foxx, Lajoie, Boudreau, Cobb, Speaker, Mantle 

Bullpen: Waddell, Walsh, Johnson, Grove, Feller, Paige, Ryan, Martinez, Rivera, Verlander 

Two-way sensation Ohtani gets the start and bats leadoff, providing power and speed right out of the gate. By starting a pitcher who can hit, the AL hopes to gain an advantage with an extra slugger in their lineup. Trout starts in center over two slumping lefties, Cobb and Speaker, who both incidentally have never faced Scherzer before. In all, the American League will start seven lefties against righty Scherzer. 

After taking his warmup tosses, Ohtani gets set to face Willie Mays, whom he retires on a ground ball. He beats Wagner and Hornsby in similar fashion, making it a 1-2-3 first inning for the Japanese superstar. In the bottom of the first, he leads off against Scherzer but makes a quick out. Mike Trout reaches on an error, but Scherzer gets Ruth for the second out. Gehrig, however, launches a two-run home run, giving the AL an early lead, and Williams keeps the rally going with a double. Scherzer recovers and retires Yogi Berra for the final out, and although the runs are unearned, he is quickly behind a multiple-run deficit. 

In the second inning, Ohtani works around a two-out single by Arky Vaughan for a scoreless frame, which is promptly matched by Scherzer, who retires the bottom of the AL lineup in order. Ohtani opens the third by giving up a single to Johnny Bench, bringing up Scherzer. Not much of a hitter, he manages to make contact, but hits a weak popup to the infield. The next batter, Mays, hits into a double play, ending the top of the inning. 

In the bottom of the third, Scherzer quickly retires both Ohtani and Trout but serves up a solo homer to Ruth, making it 3-0 for the AL. Nonetheless, Scherzer is a fearless competitor, and he immediately strikes out Gehrig. Despite the rebound, Scherzer returns to the dugout an unhappy man. 

In the top of the fourth, Honus Wagner leads off and reaches on an error. Seemingly undeterred, Ohtani retires Hornsby and Ott, but allows an RBI triple to Mike Schmidt. Arky Vaughan follows with a double, cutting the AL's lead to 3-2. After a quick mound conference, Ohtani retires Musial to get out of the inning, but the NL is right back in this game. Scherzer quiets the AL in the bottom of the fourth, retiring the side in order. 

Back for his fifth inning of work, Ohtani quickly strikes out Bench, bringing up the pitcher spot. Despite pitching fairly well so far, the NL can't afford to let Scherzer, a .168 career hitter, bat in a situation like this, and calls on lefty Joe Morgan to hit for him. Ohtani gets Morgan and Willie Mays on ground balls, preserving his one-run lead. 

In the bottom of the fifth, the NL brings in lefty Clayton Kershaw to face the AL's predominantly lefthanded lineup. Kershaw had previously pitched in Games 1 and 3 of this Series, allowing no runs over 2 1/3 innings. However, he only threw seven pitches in Game 3, and was a better lefthanded option than Randy Johnson, who pitched poorly in his only Series appearance. Kershaw starts his third outing well, retiring Collins, Ripken, and Ohtani in order. 

In the top of the sixth, Ohtani allows a leadoff triple to Honus Wagner, prompting a mound visit. Righty Rogers Hornsby, who is 0-for-2 so far, stands ready to bat, followed by lefty Mel Ott. Ohtani stays in to face Hornsby, whom he retires on a line drive to short, before coming out of the game. With a one-run lead, one out, and a runner on third, the AL needs a stopper to put out the fire, and decides between Lefty Grove and Mariano Rivera. 

Rivera had pitched in Games 1 and 2, earning a save in the Series opener, while Grove had tossed eight innings in Game 3. Grove, one of baseball's first great relievers who made over 150 relief appearances between starts, had only thrown 78 pitches the previous night and was looking as strong as ever when he came out. Rivera, on the other hand, had looked solid in Game 1 but was inconsistent in Game 2, tossing a wild pitch and throwing only 5 of 11 pitches for strikes. Additionally, Ott had singled against Rivera in Game 1, and had the platoon advantage, whereas Grove, a lefty, had the platoon advantage over Ott. Although gut instinct wants to go with the closer, the AL goes with Grove in what may be the biggest situation of the game. Grove does not disappoint, getting Ott and Schmidt to retire the side. The NL players trot out to their positions with frustration after stranding the tying run on third base with no outs. 

In the bottom of the sixth, Kershaw allows a leadoff single to Trout before striking out Babe Ruth. He retires Gehrig on a lineout but issues a five-pitch walk to Ted Williams, the all-time leader in OBP. With two runners on and two outs, Kershaw has allowed multiple baserunners in an inning for the first time this Series, but quickly gets out of the inning by retiring Yogi Berra. After six, the AL still holds a 3-2 lead. 

In the top of the seventh inning, Grove keeps rolling, getting two quick outs. However, he allows an unlikely triple to catcher Johnny Bench, a slow runner who only hit 24 in his career. Due after Bench is Kershaw, who is called back in favor of Hank Aaron, a 25-time all-star who hit 755 career home runs. Facing a dangerous hitter in a pivotal situation, Grove keeps his composure, getting Aaron to end the inning. 

Taking the mound for the NL in the seventh is Tom Seaver, a 311-game winner who led the league in strikeouts five times. Making his second appearance of the Series, Seaver throws a 1-2-3 inning. With the clean frame, the NL hopes he can hold the AL scoreless for the rest of the game. 

In the top of the eighth with three righties due up, the AL pulls Grove for Justin Verlander, who makes his Series debut. Verlander has three Cy Youngs and an MVP to his credit, having topped his league four times in wins, twice in ERA, and five times in strikeouts. After taking his warmups, he retires Mays but soon runs into trouble, surrendering a double to Wagner and a two-run homer to Hornsby. All of a sudden, the AL's lead has evaporated, and the NL now leads 4-3. After a triple by Ott, the AL yanks Verlander and has no choice but to go with their closer, Mariano Rivera. Rivera retires Schmidt but gives up a two-run homer to Arky Vaughan, digging his team into a 6-3 hole. He gets out of the inning a batter later, but the damage is done. 

Seaver starts the bottom of the eighth for his second inning of work, where he faces pinch hitter Ty Cobb, batting for Rivera. Cobb promptly singles, bringing up another pinch hitter, Mickey Mantle, who bats for Mike Trout. Despite a strong Series from Trout so far, the AL opts for the switch-hitting Mantle to face righty Seaver. The decision pays off immediately, as the Commerce Comet belts a two-run home run, cutting the NL's lead to 6-5. This is the end of Seaver's day, as the NL quickly brings in Grover Cleveland Alexander, who had pitched three scoreless innings in Game 2. Remembering his clutch Game 7 performance in the 1926 World Series, the NL relies on him to stamp out the AL's rally and finish the game. Alex comes in ready, retiring Ruth, Gehrig, and Williams on weak contact. 

In the top of the ninth inning, the AL brings in Bob Feller, a seven-time strikeout king and six-time leader in wins. Rapid Robert makes his second appearance of the Series, having previously thrown 2/3 of a scoreless inning in Game 3. The AL also looks to tighten their defense by replacing Mantle with Tris Speaker, perhaps the greatest defensive centerfielder of all time. Johnny Bench leads off for the NL with a double, bringing up Alexander. Alexander was a good hitter for a pitcher, clubbing 11 career homers, but is hard-pressed for an at bat on a team full of all-time greats. However, he has been nearly untouchable this Series, and the NL manager (me) doesn't want to take a chance on another relief pitcher. After some intense lobbying, Alexander gets his chance to bat, and makes good by smacking a single, moving pinch-runner Tim Raines to third. This is all for Feller, as the AL can't afford to surrender another run. In a fit of desperation, they bring in Walter Johnson, their Game 1 starter and perhaps the greatest pitcher ever. If anyone is going to keep the AL in this game, it will be him. Johnson retires Mays to begin his evening but surrenders an RBI double to Honus Wagner, extending the NL's lead to 7-5. Luckily for the AL, Alexander stops on third, but there are two runners in scoring position with only one out. Johnson bears down and gets both Hornsby and Ott, sending the AL to their final inning with a 2-run deficit. 

In the bottom of the ninth, the NL replaces Ott, an average fielder, with 12-time Gold Glove winner Roberto Clemente, hoping to quell any last-minute rallies. The NL also brings in Gabby Hartnett to catch after Bench was removed from the game. First to face Alexander is Yogi Berra, who hits a leadoff double. He too is promptly replaced by a pinch runner, Nap Lajoie. Alexander retires Brett on a ground ball but surrenders an RBI triple to Collins, putting the tying run on third with only one out. With the score now 7-6, the NL calls a mound meeting. When the meeting breaks up, the AL announces pinch-hitter Lou Boudreau for Cal Ripken Jr. Ripken is 0-for-3 so far and can't afford to continue his slump with the game on the line. With a runner on third, the AL needs Boudreau, a renowned contact hitter, to hit something past the drawn-in infield. However, Alexander thinks otherwise, and gets Boudreau to pop up for the second out, holding Collins on third. The AL's last hope is Jimmie Foxx, a three-time MVP and 1933 Triple Crown winner, who pinch hits for Johnson. Foxx connects for a line drive against Alexander but to no avail, as it is speared to end the game. 

CF Mays 5 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

1B Wagner 5 AB, 2 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 1 RBI, 0 K 

2B Hornsby 5 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 RBI, 0 K 

RF Ott 5 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    RF Clemente 0 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

3B Schmidt 4 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 RBI, 0 K 

SS Vaughan 4 AB, 1 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 3 RBI, 0 K 

LF Musial 4 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

C Bench 4 AB, 0 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 1 K 

    PR Raines 0 AB, 1 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    C Hartnett 0 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

SP Scherzer 1 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    PH Morgan 1 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    RP Kershaw 0 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    PH Aaron 1 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    RP Seaver 0 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    RP Alexander 1 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

Total NL 40 AB, 7 R, 13 H, 0 BB, 7 RBI, 1 K 

Scherzer 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 0 BB, 28 Pit, 22 Str 

Kershaw 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 1 BB, 22 Pit, 14 Str 

Seaver (W, 1-0) 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 K, 0 BB, 11 Pit, 7 Str 

Alexander (SV, 1) 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 K, 0 BB, 16 Pit, 12 Str 

Total NL 9 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 K, 1 BB, 77 Pit, 55 Str 

SP Ohtani 3 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    RP Grove 0 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    RP Verlander 0 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    RP Rivera 0 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    PH Cobb 1 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    RP Feller 0 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    RP Johnson 0 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    PH Foxx 1 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

CF Trout 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    PH Mantle 1 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 RBI, 0 K 

    CF Speaker 0 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

RF Ruth 4 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 RBI, 1 K 

1B Gehrig 4 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 RBI, 1 K 

LF Williams 3 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

C Berra 4 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    PR Lajoie 0 AB, 1 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

3B Brett 4 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

2B Collins 4 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 RBI, 0 K 

SS Ripken 3 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

    PH Boudreau 1 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 RBI, 0 K 

Total AL 36 AB, 6 R, 8 H, 1 BB, 6 RBI, 2 K 

Ohtani 5 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 0 BB, 46 Pit, 35 Str 

Grove 1 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 0 BB, 14 Pit, 11 Str 

Verlander (L, 0-1) 1/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 K, 0 BB, 10 Pit, 7 Str 

Rivera 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 K, 0 BB, 3 Pit, 3 Str 

Feller 0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 K, 0 BB, 5 Pit, 3 Str 

Johnson 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 0 BB, 11 Pit, 5 Str 

Total AL 9 IP, 13 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 1 K, 0 BB, 89 Pit, 64 Str 

With the rollercoaster victory, the NL takes a 3-1 Series lead. Here are the probable starters for Game 5: 

American League: Walter Johnson (1-0, 4.15) 
National League: Christy Mathewson (0-1, 13.50) 

In a rematch of Game 1, Johnson and Mathewson will square off again in Game 5. Although he thew an inning in this game, the AL has no workload concerns for Johnson, who tossed nearly 6,000 innings in his career. On the brink of elimination, they want their best arm on the mound. On the NL side, Mathewson doesn't lose favor after one poor start - a five-time ERA champ and four-time 30-game winner, Matty is seeking to reestablish himself as the dominant arm on the NL's all-time staff.