Special Sub-Topic: October: A Month To Remember Click Here To Play: October: A Month To Remember

October 1, 1903, was the first-ever Major League World Series game. It pitted the Boston Americans of the American League against which team from the National League?

Pittsburgh Pirates. The other teams did not exist in 1903. The Americans had the arms of Bill Dinneen and Cy Young, while the Pirates had Sam Leever and Deacon Phillippe take their mound. The Pirates won the first-ever game on this day, while Jimmy Sebring of the Americans hit the first World Series home run. Deacon Phillippe took the win while Cy Young took the loss. The Americans won the series, five games to three. It would be Cy Young's only World Series.

This October saw a World Series interrupted by a California earthquake. Which season did this occur?

1989. The 1989 series pitted the Athletics against the Giants. After handling the Giants quite easily in the first two games by allowing only one total Giant run, Oakland's drive was put on hold for the October 17th quake. The World Series resumed on the 27th, and saw the Athletics continue to dominate the Giants. Oakland won the series, four games to none. Dave Stewart was the series MVP.

On this October 1st, Roger Maris created one of the biggest asterisks in Major League history when he hit his 61st home run of the season. Which season was this?

1961. On the last day of the season, Maris hit number 61 off Boston's Tracy Stallard in the fourth inning. This home run broke the season record of Babe Ruth, who hit 60 in a 154-game season. 1961 was the first to see a 162-game season. Cardinal Mark McGwire would later remove the asterisk when he hit 70 in 1998.

The world lost a baseball and later Hall of Fame great on October 7, 1925. Who was this pitcher that won over 300 games in his career?

Christy Mathewson. The others stuck around for at least another 20 years. Mathewson died at the age of 45. He played all but one game of his 17 seasons with the New York Giants, and retired as a Cincinnati Red in that lone game. Christy went 373-188. The Hall of Fame inducted him in 1936.

This October 8th saw baseball's first perfect game in a World Series thrown. Which season was this?

1956. Don Larsen of the Yankees threw this gem in game five of the 1956 series. Pitcher Sal Maglie and the Dodgers were on the 2-0 losing end of this one. The Yankees won the series, four games to three.

On October 2, 1884, this pitcher won his 59th game of the season and went 59-12. His 59 wins in a season will probably never be duplicated. Who was this National League pitcher?

Charley Radbourn. Radbourn was in his fourth season of baseball with the Providence Grays of the National League. His three seasons prior, he went 25-11, 33-20, and 48-25. Nicknamed "Old Hoss", the workhorse appeared in 73 games in 1884, only having two no-decisions in the entire season. The team's second starting pitcher, Charlie Sweeney, went "only" 17-8 in the season. The Grays went on to win the National League pennant by 10.5 games over the Boston Beaneaters (later Braves). Radbourn was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1939.

This October and World Series-winning walk-off home run was the first in baseball history. Bill Mazeroski hit this home run in which October?

1960. On October 13, 1960, Forbes Field fans went crazy as they watched Mazeroski's bottom of the ninth inning home run to end the series against the Yankees. The Yankees scored two runs in the top of the ninth to tie it, then Maz worked his magic. Pittsburgh won the series four games to three.

On October 26, 1992, this two-time National League MVP Pittsburgh Pirate was granted free agency. He later signed with another club and went on to win five more MVP awards. Who was this outfielder?

Barry Bonds. Bonds was a rookie in 1986, finishing sixth in the Rookie of the Year voting. He won a MVP in 1990 and 1992 with Pittsburgh. After signing with the Giants, he won another MVP in 1993, then winning four more consecutive from 2001-2004. The Giants would not re-sign Barry, and he couldn't find an employer for the 2008 season, so he sat on 762 career home runs. Bonds set a season record for home runs in 2001 by hitting 73.

Major League Baseball and the Yankees lost a player on October 11, 2006, when he died as a result of a plane crash. Who was this?

Cory Lidle. Lidle began his career with the Mets in 1997. He became a Yankee in midseason 2006, and appeared in 10 games for them. The crash occurred only four days after the Yankees lost their ALDS bid to the Tigers, three games to one. Lidle appeared in only game four of the ALDS with the Yankees, and had an ERA of 20.25.

In October 2007, this National League manager was voted Manager of the Year. Who was this Diamondback?

Bob Melvin. Born in October 1961, Melvin came to the Diamondbacks in 2005 after having the helm of the Seattle Mariners for two seasons. After finishing below .500 for two seasons with Arizona, 2007 saw the team win the NL West with a 90-72 record. Eric Wedge of the Cleveland Indians won the Manager of the Year award for the American League.