I.

Introduction

World Series, major league baseball's annual championship series, played between the winners of the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) playoffs. The first team to win four of the series's seven games becomes the World Series champion. (In 1903 and from 1919 to 1921 the first team to win five out of nine games became champion.) The World Series is the most popular event in baseball. Thousands of fans fill the stadiums where the games are played, and millions more follow the series on radio and television.

The World Series is held in October and concludes the major league baseball season. Beginning in late March or early April, NL teams and AL teams play 162 regular-season games for the right to compete in their league's postseason playoffs. These separate playoffs match the best four teams in each league. They determine who wins the pennant, or championship, of each league. The two pennant winners play in the World Series.