The World Series

(Photo: Harry Cabluck, AP)

Game 6 of the World Series is going on. It's currently 3-2 Nationals.

While we complain about Joe Buck (a national tradition, of course), length of games, pitching changes, and lousy strike zones in the otherwise meh collection of games, it got me thinking about the best Series games I've seen.

Man, that sentence was silly long. Sorry. I'm better than that.

I remember every series since 1975 and that's a great place to start.

Game 6 is generally regarded as the greatest game ever played, due to Bernie Carbo's game-tying blast and Pudge Fisk's shot down the line as he wildly willed the ball fair. A rat in the rafters of Fenway Park caused that iconic TV shot because the cameraman focused on Fisk as he kept an eye on the rat.

Game 7 was pretty fantastic also, as a Joe Morgan ninth inning bloop single broke the heart of The Hub.

Reggie Jackson, of course, propelled his legend into overdrive with three big swings in Game 6 of 1977. It was otherwise an 8-4 game.

In 1979, it was Game 7 and Wilver Dornell Stargell. Pops' sixth-inning two-run shot gave the Family the title.

We'll move forward a few years to 1986, of course. Once again, Games 6 and 7 were epic as the Mets grabbed their last championship.

Then of course came Kirk Gibson. Game 1, 1988. Three and two to Gibson. Nobody believed what they just saw...but in a year that had been so improbable, the impossible happened.

Perhaps the best game I've ever seen -- end to end -- was Game 7, 1991. Jack Morris and John Smoltz gave everything in the rags to riches battle of the Twins and Braves, a night after Kirby Puckett hit the home that made this game possible.

1993: Joe Carter ends a strange Series and never hits a bigger home run in his life in Game 6.

1996: The 1-0 majesty of Game 5 (sorry again, John Smoltz) as Andy Pettite outdueled the Braves. An unearned run was the difference and Paul O'Neill pounded the wall after the final out.

A year later, the up and down and ultimate heartbreak of the late 90s Indians was magnified as the Marlins became the youngest franchise to win a title, walking off thank to Edgar Renteria.

There was a long night in the Bronx in Game 1 of 2000 (oh, Timo Perez and Armando Benitez).

There's simply too much to deal with in 2001, of course. Games 4, 5, and 7 were bad for the heart.

Since then we've seen David Freese in 2011, the Cubs actually winning in 2016, and a crazy 13-12 game in 2017.

And missing many other games, such as the Don Denkinger game of 1985. I can still remember watching that in stunned silence.

I'm glad -- regardless of rooting interest -- that I've watched all these years.

We could be down to the final pitches of 2019 and I hope that's not the case because I love a Game 7.

Except for Game 7 in 2017. That was awful.