1. World Series History

2. The First World Series - 1903 After two years of battling each other over players, the established National League and upstart American League signed a peace agreement before the '03 season. It wasn't until August, with the Pilgrims and Pirates well in front of their respective leagues, that their owners agreed on a so-called "World's Championship Series," best-of-nine format.

3. Players from Boston received $1,182.00 each for the series. Boston Pilgrims vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Players from Pittsburgh lost the series yet received $1,316.25 each - thanks to the team owner giving his share of the gate receipts to the players. Boston won 5 – 3 in 9 games

4. The Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds was the scene of the first ever modern World Series and a plaque at Northeastern University now commemorates the location of the site that was once home of the first American League Boston franchise.

5. A Baseball Tradition? There was no World Series in 1904 because John T. Brush, president of the National League champion New York Giants, refused to allow his team to compete against Boston, the representative of the "inferior" American League

6. This time it stuck… But 1905 was a different story. With the public expressing its indignation over the Giants' "thanks, but no thanks" Series attitude of the previous season, Brush, McGraw and company were ready to take on the American League champion Philadelphia Athletics after an NL race in which the Giants won 105 games. The Series would be contested under guidelines drawn up by the Giants' owner, the John T. Brush Rules called for - - among other things -- a best-of-seven format.

7. Top Teams The top teams when it comes to winning World Series championships: Yankees (26) Cardinals & Athletics (9) Dodgers (6)

8. First Night Game Game Four of the 1971 World Series between the Pirates and the Orioles. Since then every WS had at least one game played at night. Staring in 1985 every WS game was played in the evening.

9. Hitting Records (cumulative) CategoryRecordPlayer Games75Yogi Berra At Bats259Yogi Berra Hits71Yogi Berra Runs42Mickey Mantle Doubles10Yogi Berra Triples4 Billy Johnson Tommy Leach, Tris Speaker Strike Outs54Mickey Mantle Walks43Mickey Mantle RBIs40Mickey Mantle Home Runs18Mickey Mantle Stolen Bases14Lou Brock, Eddie Collins

10. Pitching Records (cumulative) CategoryRecordPlayer Games22Whitey Ford Complete Games10Christy Mattewson Innings Pitched146Whitey Ford ERA0.83Harry Brecheen Wins10Whitey Ford Losses8Whitey Ford Strikeouts94Whitey Ford Walks34Whitey Ford Saves7Mariano Rivera

11. A few other firsts… 1947 – First integrated World Series 1970 – First game played on artificial turf 1976 – First year they used the designated hitter rule 1997 – First Wild Card Team appeared in World Series (and also won) 2003 – All Star game winner determined home field advantage