In baseball,
the World Series is the championship series of Major League
Baseball in North America, played in October after the
end of the regular season between the pennant winner of
the American League and the pennant winner of the National
League. The Series winner is determined through a best-of-seven
playoff (except in 1903, 1919, 1920 and 1921 when the
winner was determined through a best-of-nine playoff)
and is awarded the World Series Trophy. The World Series
has been an annual event since 1903, with the exception
of 1904 and 1994. The New York Yankees have the most World
Series titles, with 26 championships.
The 2004 World
Series was played from October 23 until October 27, between
the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals and the
American League champion the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox
won the series four games to none, earning their first
World Series Championship in 86 years 46 days, since 1918.
The first two games of the series are played in one team's
home ballpark, the next three in the other team's ballpark,
and the final two, if necessary, back in the first team's
ballpark. Until 2003, the team given the home-field advantage
was switched every year between the American League and
the National League. Starting in 2003, however, the league
that wins the All-Star Game is given the home field advantage
in the World Series.
A portion of
the gate receipts from the World Series - and, from 1969
onward, the other rounds of postseason play preceding
it - is used to fund a Players' Pool, from which descending
shares are distributed to the World Series winner, the
World Series loser, all the other teams qualifying for
the playoffs which did not reach the World Series, and
certain other teams which did not qualify for the playoffs,
the criteria for the latter changing at various times.
Prior to 1969, teams finishing in the first division,
or top half of the leagues' standings, received such shares;
today only the teams finishing in second place in their
division but not earning a wild card receive them.
.