With the 103rd Fall Classic possibly drawing to a close, sooner than expected, I compiled a few historical notes that might be of interest.

    The Boston Red Sox haven't clinched a world series at home since September 11, 1918

     Prior to taking the field at Coors Field during Game 3, David Ortiz only played first base in seven games, all interleague games, without an error.

 Kevin Youkilis has fielded 1,586 straight errorless chances at first base, breaking the club record of first baseman Stuffy McInnis'.

 Youkilis, is the only first baseman in American League history to play an entire season without an error.

     In 2004, when the Red Sox last won a World Series, Trot Nixon was the only player to have come through the Sox farm system. The 2007 Sox, by comparison, has pitcher Jon Lester, a second round pick in 2002, Clay Buchholz, a supplemental pick after the first round in 2005, Jonathan Papelbon, a fourth-round pick in 2003, and Manny Delcarmen, a second- round pick in 2000.

 October 22, 1997: Game 4 of the World Series between the Florida Marlins and Cleveland Indians, was the coldest game in world series history, 38 degrees — 18 degrees with wind chill.

 Game 1 of the this year's world series, registered a 10.5 rating, and a 17 audience share nationally, up 31 percent from last year's game one between the Tigers and Cardinals

 None of the 22 teams that lost the first three world series games haved bounced back to take the series.

 19 teams have swept the World Series.

 Denver is the 25th city to host a world series.

 At 5,280 feet, Denver set a record for the highest altitude for a World Series game.

 Boston's seven consecutive world series wins is the most since the Yankees won 14 world series games in a row, beginning with Game 2 of the 1996 Series through Game 2 in 2000.

 With the Rockies' Aaron Cook, scheduled to toe the rubber in Game 4, it will be his first start since Aug. 10, making it the longest layoff before a World Series start since Bob Grim started Game 5 for the 1955 Yankees, when he last started on June 12th.

 The Red Sox have won the third-most World Series, (six), next to the Yankees (26) and Cardinals (10),

 The six seasons prior to the 1967 ``Impossible Dream'', Boston fielded some woeful teams, drawing fewer than 1 million fans. 

Seven times since 1969, the team that dropped the first two games ended up being swept.

 Since June 2, Colorado is 42-16 at home, including postseason play. The Sox, meanwhile, have the second-best road record in the majors this year at 46-36.

 Game 3 marked the 3rd consecutive game a pitcher has started a game who was born outside the United States: Daisuke Matsuzaka (Japan); Jeff Francis (Canada); and Ubaldo Jimenez (Dominican Republic).

   The Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies have a combined 17  players on thier rosters born outside the United States.

 In 1903 , there was only one foreign-born player that appeared on a World Series roster.

 Lou Pinella of the New York Yankees was the first DH in World Series history on October 16, 1976

 1918 was the last World Series without a home run.

 The Fall Classic was actually called the ``World's Series'' until the 1920's, when the possessive form faded out.

 Bill Wambsganns recorded the only unassisted triple play in World Series history for the Cleveland Indians during game 5 of 1920 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

 NBC televised the first World Series game in 1947.

 The first time lights were used during a World Series game was on October 9, 1949, when they were flipped on in the top of the 9th inning (4: 50 p.m.) at Ebbets Field

 The first night game of a World Series was on October 13, 1971, between the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates.

 The only MVP from a losing team went to Bobby Richardson of the New York Yankees during the 1960 World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

 -Bill Lucey
billlucey@bellsouth.net