The 2023 World Series gets started this coming Friday, with the Philadelphia Phillies taking on the Texas Rangers. With Game 1 falling on Oct. 27, that means at least one game in this Fall Classic will take place in November. Here is a short history lesson on the history of the World Series in the calendar’s penultimate month.
Which World Series have been played in November?
Until 2001, the World Series was almost always held exclusively in October. The only instance in which that hadn’t been true was in 1918, when the Fall Classic was moved up to early September due to World War I.
The 2001 MLB season was halted for one week following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, pushing the entire postseason schedule back — including the World Series. That, combined with an expanding playoff field that introduced more rounds, more games and more weeks of postseason baseball, meant that the 2001 World Series would stretch into November. And it did so in dramatic fashion: When Derek Jeter stepped to the plate in the 10th inning of Game 4, he did so at the stroke of midnight, becoming the first November batter in Major League history. He took hold of the moment by hitting a walk-off home run to send the Yankees home with a win and even the series at two games apiece, earning the nickname of “Mr. November.”
Since then, baseball has been played in November in seven World Series: 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021 and 2022. The 2001 and 2009 series ended on Nov. 4, marking the latest date on the calendar that featured MLB postseason baseball. The Diamondbacks and Phillies could match that if this year’s World Series goes to a Game 7, currently scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 4.
