MLB's 20 Greatest Games

Last updated

MLB's 20 Greatest Games
Genre Major League Baseball
Presented by
Country of originUnited States
Original language English
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes20
Production
Executive producers
  • Mark Ciafa
  • Bruce Cornblatt
  • Chris Pfeiffer
ProducerJed Tuminaro
Production location Secaucus, New Jersey
Editors
  • Ryan Dever
  • Art Guglielmo
Camera setup Multi-camera
Running time90 minutes
Original release
Network MLB Network
ReleaseJanuary 3 (2011-01-03) –
May 22, 2011 (2011-05-22)

MLB's 20 Greatest Games is an American television series that aired in 2011 on MLB Network. Hosted by Bob Costas [1] and Tom Verducci, [2] the series counted down and dissected the 20 greatest games in Major League Baseball history since 1961. [3] The selections were determined by an expert panel of sports journalists and media personalities and votes [4] from MLB Network viewers via MLB Network's official website and MLB.com.

Contents

Format

Each episode has hosts Costas and Verducci sitting down with the players or managers involved in either the game that was the focus of the episode, or the memorable moment from the game, while watching the original television broadcast of the game, providing their own input into the games and the moments, as well as how their careers and lives were changed by the game.

Episodes

GameRankingAirdateGuests
May 17, 1979 - Philadelphia Phillies vs. Chicago Cubs #20January 3, 2011 [5] Larry Bowa
2003 National League Division Series Game 4 [6] - San Francisco Giants vs. Florida Marlins #19January 10, 2011None
1980 National League Championship Series Game 5 - Philadelphia Phillies vs. Houston Astros #18January 17, 2011Larry Bowa
2004 American League Championship Series Game 4 [7] - New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox #17January 24, 2011 Kevin Millar
2009 American League Central Tiebreaker - Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins #16January 31, 2011 Michael Cuddyer
1995 American League Division Series Game 5 [8] - New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners #15February 7, 2011 Lou Piniella and David Cone
1993 World Series Game 6 [9] - Philadelphia Phillies vs. Toronto Blue Jays #14February 14, 2011 Joe Carter and Mitch Williams [10]
1997 World Series Game 7 [11] - Cleveland Indians vs. Florida Marlins #13 [12] February 21, 2011 Al Leiter
2001 World Series Game 4 [13] - Arizona Diamondbacks vs. New York Yankees #12 [14] February 28, 2011 Joe Torre and Tim McCarver
1978 American League East Tiebreaker - New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox #11March 7, 2011 Bucky Dent and Lou Piniella
1988 World Series Game 1 - Oakland Athletics vs. Los Angeles #10 [15] March 14, 2011 Kirk Gibson and Dave Stewart
2001 World Series Game 7 - New York Yankees vs. Arizona Diamondbacks #9March 21, 2011 Joe Torre and Tim McCarver
1986 American League Championship Series Game 5 - Boston Red Sox vs. California Angels #8March 28, 2011 Bobby Grich, Dave Henderson, and Bruce Hurst
2003 National League Championship Series Game 6 - Florida Marlins vs. Chicago Cubs #7April 3, 2011 Jack McKeon, Mike Lowell, and Alex S. Gonzalez
2003 American League Championship Series Game 7 - Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees #6April 10, 2011 Aaron Boone, Pedro Martinez, and Bernie Williams
1986 National League Championship Series Game 6 [16] - New York Mets vs. Houston Astros #5April 17, 2011 Darryl Strawberry, Jesse Orosco, and Bob Knepper [17]
1992 National League Championship Series Game 7 - Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Atlanta Braves #4 [18] April 24, 2011 Andy Van Slyke, Sid Bream, and Mark Lemke
1986 World Series Game 6 [19] - Boston Red Sox vs. New York Mets #3 [20] May 1, 2011 Bill Buckner, Mookie Wilson, and Bob Ojeda
1991 World Series Game 7 [21] - Atlanta Braves vs. Minnesota Twins #2 [22] May 8, 2011 John Smoltz and Jack Morris
1975 World Series Game 6 [23] - Cincinnati Reds vs. Boston Red Sox [24] #1 [25] May 22, 2011 Johnny Bench and Fred Lynn. Also: Pete Rose, Bernie Carbo, Dwight Evans, Pat Darcy, and Denny Doyle

Although not officially apart of the series, MLB Network, with Bob Costas and Tom Verducci moderating, would later run specials on Game 7 of the 2016 World Series (with managers Joe Maddon and Terry Francona as special guest) and Game 7 of the 2025 World Series. [26]

References

  1. ↑ "Costas & Verducci Count Down MLB's 20 Greatest Games of the Last 50 Seasons". Sports Media News. December 13, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  2. ↑ Duerson, Adam (December 19, 2024). "THE YEAR IN Sports Media". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  3. ↑ Van Riper, Tom (May 2, 2011). "Baseball's Heroes and Goats are Mostly Myth". Forbes. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  4. ↑ Lundegaard, Erik (March 21, 2011). "The 20 Greatest Games". Erik Lundegaard. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  5. ↑ "MLB's 20 Greatest Games Season 1 Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Marlins Featured in MLB's 20 Greatest Games Tonight". Fish Stripes. January 10, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  7. ↑ Randhawa, Mandy (March 29, 2020). "What's ahead this week on MLB Network". MLB.com. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  8. ↑ Keating, Olivieri, Hajducky, Peter, Anthony, Dan (October 8, 2020). "How Ken Griffey Jr.'s mad dash home in 1995 saved baseball in Seattle -- and ignited a Yankees dynasty". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 25, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ Narducci, Marc (February 5, 2011). "Phillies' Mitch Williams recalls fateful pitch". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  10. ↑ Narducci, Marc (February 5, 2011). "Phillies' Mitch Williams recalls fateful pitch". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on December 21, 2011.
  11. ↑ Frisaro, Joe (March 30, 2020). "Marlins' epic G7 win in 1997 WS to air today". MLB.com. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Jim Leyland Discusses Highs and Lows of his Baseball Career on "Studio 42 with Bob Costas" Sat, June. 9". MLB.com. June 7, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  13. ↑ Goodman, Max (May 28, 2020). "Celebrate 25th Anniversary of Derek Jeter's Debut With 64 Consecutive Hours of Jeter Programming on MLB Network". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  14. ↑ Rosenstein, Mike (May 29, 2020). "Yankees fans can binge-watch MLB Network's Derek Jeter marathon to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his debut". nj.com. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  15. ↑ Stephen, Eric (March 11, 2011). "Kirk Gibson's Wife Left Game 1 Of The 1988 World Series Early". SB Nation. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  16. ↑ "MLB's 20 Greatest Games". MLB. Retrieved November 26, 2011.
  17. ↑ Deitsch, Richard (April 12, 2011). "ESPN downscales its draft coverage". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  18. ↑ "MLB's 20 Greatest Games | MLB Network: Network".
  19. ↑ "Buckner, Wilson & Ojeda Discuss 1986 World Series Game 6 on "MLB's 20 Greatest Games"". Sports Media Watch. April 29, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  20. ↑ Finn, Chad (April 29, 2011). "Game 6, worth revisiting". Boston.com. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  21. ↑ Kepner, Tyler (May 7, 2011). "Strong Arms, Long Memories for Smoltz and Morris". The New York Times. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  22. ↑ "John Smoltz - Fox Sports Press Pass". Fox Sports.
  23. ↑ "Johnny Bench & Fred Lynn Discuss 1975 World Series Game 6 on "MLB's 20 Greatest Games"". Sports Media News. May 20, 2011. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  24. ↑ Ramsey, Jamie (May 19, 2011). "'75 GAME SIX NAMED MLB'S GREATEST GAME OF LAST 50 YEARS". Better Off Red. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  25. ↑ Finn, Chad (May 22, 2011). "Pudge, Bernie, and Game 6, 1975". Boston.com. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  26. ↑ "Iconic broadcasters to dive deep into 2025 WS Game 7 (Dec. 11, MLB Network)". MLB.com. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
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