Worst Plays To End A World Series

At the end of October every year, the baseball fans around the world are glued to their television sets watching the World Series. The best of seven series between the two best teams brings drama, excitement and some of the greatest moments in baseball history. Unfortunately for some, the world series also brings some of the worst moments in baseball history and these moments are burned in the collective memories of fans. For some fans, these plays meant their team won the championship.  For other fans, it means someone on their team lost them the championship.  The following is a short list of some of the worst plays to end a world series.

Mitch Williams was the closer for the 1993 Philidelphia Phillies. Known as the Wild Thing, Williams was a left hand flame thrower whose fastball reached the high 90s. However, Williams had his nickname for a reason, he was often erratic and would walk a number of batters.

In 1993 his Phillies faced the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series. Although Williams had a career best 43 saves in that season, his erratic control of his pitchers made many of his teammates nervous when he was handed the ball in the ninth inning. Curt Schilling famously put a towel over his head when Williams pitched so not have to watch Williams pitch. Williams got the save in Game 2 of the Series, however, Williams was the losing pitcher in game four when the Blue Jays scored six runs in the eight inning to take a 3-1 lead in the Series. Williams' performance was so bad that he received death threats from angry, but passionate, Phillies' fans after the game.

The Phillies won game 5 and so the eams returned to Toronto for Games six and seven. During game six, the Phillies handed a 6-5 lead to Williams in the ninth inning. Williams allowed two runners on base and then served Joe Carter a fastball right down the middle. Carter drove the ball into the left field bleachers and Toronto won the game and the Championship. Many wondered why Williams was put in the game after his terrible performance in Game 4.

The worst play to end a world series did not even end the series, but it ended the chances of the Boston Red Sox to win the 1986 World Series.

The Red Sox led the New York Mets 3 games to 2. The score was tied in the bottom of the tenth inning. The Mets had scored two runs to tie the game. Infamous Boston reliever Bob Stanley faced Mets Centerfielder Mookie Wilson. Wilson hit what appeared to be a routine ground ball towards first base where the sure handed Bill Buckner stood. Buckner reached down to field the ball, missed, and the ball rolled under his legs into shallow right field. Ray Knight scored from second and the Mets won the game. The Mets went on to win the World Series in seven games.

Despite being a solid player, Buckner lives the life as the man who let the ball go between his legs. And for the Red Sox, it continued to curse of the Bambino that would not break for another twenty years. While Buckner's play didn't technically end the series, it ended what hope the Red Sox had and fed a frenzy of cursed fans.