There will be November baseball in the 2021 World Series; here’s the history of MLB’s November classics

When the Astros fended off that first-inning grand slam to take Sport 5 of the World Sequence in opposition to the Braves, it ensured mentioned sequence would shift again to Houston. It additionally ensured we might as soon as once more expertise one of many oddities of the sporting calendar — Main League Baseball performed in November. 

Sport 6 at Minute Maid Park takes place on Tuesday, which Gregorians agree is Nov. 2. Ought to the Astros prevail over the Braves and power a figuring out Sport 7, then that may go down on Nov. 3. Each dates are — stirring conclusion forthcoming — squarely throughout the bounds of November. 

Postseason baseball is strongly related to the month of October, so it follows that November MLB video games are usually not a frequent incidence. They’re additionally very a lot a current phenomenon. The primary instance of November baseball on the highest stage traces again to 2001, when the assaults of Sept. 11 compelled the ultimate day of the common season to be pushed again from Sept. 30 till Oct. 7. That, in flip, pushed again the postseason schedule, and Video games 5, 6, and seven of the World Sequence between the Yankees and Diamondbacks happened in November. 

From that time, occasional November baseball was a operate of two coinciding occasions — the common season beginning a bit later than it does in most seasons and the World Sequence lasting lengthy sufficient to achieve the hardly ever explored shores of November. In all, six totally different World Sequence have stretched into November — 2001 Diamondbacks-Yankees, 2009 Yankees-Phillies, 2010 Giants-Rangers, 2015 Royals-Mets, 2016 Cubs-Indians, and 2017 Astros-Dodgers — and the 2021 version will make seven. Drilling down additional, a complete of 11 World Sequence video games have been performed in November. Sport 6 between the Braves and Astros will make it 12. 

Apart from 2001, the frequent theme of seasons that sprawl into November is the later Opening Day. Courtroom observers shall gasp on the forthcoming proof: 

• 2009 Opening Day: April 6
• 2010 Opening Day: April 5
• 2015 Opening Day: April 6
• 2016 Opening Day: April 4
• 2017 Opening Day: April 3
• 2021 Opening Day: April 1

The final lesson is that the later you begin in April, the extra doubtless it’s that the World Sequence will stretch into November. Additionally price noting is that the schedule now has further off days in-built, which explains how the present season remains to be occurring regardless of the April 1 begin. That additionally means November baseball will most likely be a semi-regular incidence transferring ahead.

It so occurs that the month of November has occasioned some legendary World Sequence video games. Of explicit notice is Sport 5 of the 2001 World Sequence, when Scott Brosius hit a game-tying homer off Byung Hyun-Kim with two outs within the backside of the ninth. The Yankees went on to nip the D-Backs in 12 innings by a rating of 3-2. Sport 7 of that very same sequence, on Nov. 4, was much more iconic, as Luis Gonzalez gave Arizona a walk-off win together with his bloop hit off Mariano Rivera. 

Earlier than we transfer on, you will most likely recall this second from Sport 4 on this sequence: 

That walk-off house run to even the sequence earned Derek Jeter the nickname Mr. November. His clutch blast did certainly happen in November, albeit barely. That, nonetheless, is just as a result of Sport 4, which started on Oct. 31, lasted previous midnight native time. So it isn’t technically a November World Sequence sport. 

Sport 5 of the 2015 World Sequence went down on Nov. 1, and it is our subsequent November traditional. The Mets held a 2-0 lead going into the ninth, and supervisor Terry Collins famously/infamously let starter Matt Harvey proceed pitching. Thanks partially to that call, the Royals tied it up and finally gained the sport and sequence within the twelfth inning. 

Rivaling 2001 Sport 7 is Sport 7 of the 2016 World Sequence between the Cubs and the Cleveland baseball staff. With dueling title droughts hanging within the stability, Cleveland plated three runs within the eighth to tie the sport. Two of these runs got here on an unlikely house run from Rajai Davis off Aroldis Chapman. The sport went to extras following a 17-minute rain delay, and within the prime of the tenth the Cubs put two on the board. Cleveland mounted a critical menace within the house half — Davis drove in a run — however Michael Martinez grounded out to Kris Bryant at third to finish it with the potential tying run on first.  

Maybe the present World Sequence will add to that transient ledger of November classics? Maybe certainly. 

Earlier than we take go away of this topic, let’s take a short strolling tour of the MLB November file guide, lets? We will. To the digits: 

• Most November video games performed: Six — Derek Jeter, Yankees; Jorge Posada, Yankees
• Most November hits: Eight — Derek Jeter, Yankees
• Most November house runs: Three — Chase Utley, Phillies/Dodgers
• Most November extra-base hits: 4 — Chase Utley, Phillies/Dodgers
• Most November whole bases: 14 — Chase Utley, Phillies/Dodgers
• Most November stolen bases: Two — Lorenzo Cain, Royals; Johnny Damon, Yankees
• Most November RBI: Seven — Addison Russell, Cubs
• Most November runs scored: 5 — Johnny Damon, Yankees; Chase Utley, Phillies/Dodgers
• Most November walks: 4 — Nick Swisher, Yankees
• Highest November batting common (min. 10 plate appearances): .600 — Johnny Damon, Yankees
• Highest November on-base proportion (min. 10 plate appearances): .667 — Johnny Damon, Yankees
• Highest November slugging proportion (min. 10 plate appearances): 1.273 — Chase Utley, Phillies/Dodgers
• Most November innings pitched: 14 — Cliff Lee, Rangers
• Most November pitching wins: Two — Randy Johnson, Diamondbacks
• Most November strikeouts: 10 — Roger Clemens, Yankees; Tim Lincecum, Giants; Mike Mussina, Yankees
• Most November walks: Seven — Andy Pettitte, Yankees
• Lowest November ERA (min. 6 innings pitched): 0.00 — Miguel Batista, Diamondbacks
• Most November saves: One — Ryan Madson, Royals; Mike Montgomery, Cubs; Mariano Rivera, Yankees; Brian Wilson, Giants

So who’s the actual Mr. November? With all apologies to Jeter, it is most likely Chase Utley or Johnny Damon. Maybe, although, an Astro or Courageous will barge into that dialog by the top of the 2021 World Sequence. 

November baseball forthcoming? November baseball forthcoming, folks.