The 2012 World Series is scheduled to open Wednesday, Oct. 24. Because the National League beat the American League 8-0 in the All-Star game on July 10 in Kansas City, the NL champion will have home-field advantage for the Fall Classic.
The World Series has been played each year but two since 1903, pitting the AL pennant winner against the champions from the NL. In 1903 and again from 1919-21, the World Series was played as a best-of-nine series; in every other year, the series has been a best-of-seven affair.
The only two times the World Series was not played were in 1904 and 1994. In 1904, the New York Giants won the National League but refused to play the American League champion Boston Americans (a forerunner to the present-day Red Sox). Giants manager John McGraw believed the NL was the only major league (the American League was only completing its fourth season in 1904), and Giants owner John T. Brush had announced during the season that his club would not participate in the World Series should it win the pennant. Ironically, it was Brush who would lay out the guidelines for all future Fall Classics in the winter of 1904-05.
In 1994, the World Series was cancelled because of a players' strike that began on Aug. 11, 1994, and wasn't settled until the following April.
Below is the schedule for the 2012 World Series (per mlb.com, all times TBA, all games to be broadcast on FOX):
Wednesday, Oct. 24
World Series Game 1
AL Champion at NL Champion
Thursday, Oct. 25
World Series Game 2
AL Champion at NL Champion
Saturday, Oct. 27
World Series Game 3
NL Champion at AL Champion
Sunday, Oct. 28
World Series Game 4
NL Champion at AL Champion
Monday, Oct. 29
World Series Game 5 (if necessary)
NL Champion at AL Champion
Wednesday, Oct. 31
World Series Game 6 (if necessary)
AL Champion at NL Champion
Thursday, Nov. 1
World Series Game 7 (if necessary)
AL Champion at NL Champion
Phil Watson is a veteran sportswriter and a longtime New York Yankee fan.
