I've computed to "closeness" of a World Series or Playoff by looking at the lead at the end of each inning, and adding these up for each game.
For example, if the runs scored during the game were
000 010 200 000 000 011The the leads were 0,0,0, 0,1,1, 3,2,1. These add to 8.
I was going to call this the NailBiting Count (NBC), but realized that the current network broadcasting the World Series might not like that, so I randomly settled on Figure Of eXcitement (FOX) over other random choices such as Close Baseball Score and Anxious Baseball Count.
Through the 2002 World Series:
The average score was 19.32.
In 4 game series, the average was 19.38
In 5 game series, the average was 16.03
In 6 game series, the average was 19.27
In 7 game series, the average was 20.80
In 8 game series, the average was 19.00
In the 4 game series the averages scores for games 1,2,3,4 were
20.5, 22.7, 18.7, 15.7
In the 5 game series:
12.0, 16.5, 19.7, 14.3, 17.7
In 6 game series:
20.1, 19.9, 13.2, 18.9, 23.0, 20.5
In 7 game series:
21.1, 20.4, 20.9, 21.5, 19.3, 22.5, 20.0.
4 GAMES 5 GAMES
Year G1 G2 G3 G4 Total Year G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 Total
2005 11 10 12 2 35 1915 8 5 2 9 12 36
1914 27 1 1 11 40 1941 10 9 2 11 14 46
1950 6 3 5 28 42 1943 11 17 14 5 8 55
1939 2 27 24 3 56 1922 5 10 17 15 9 56
1966 25 23 5 6 59 2000 4 31 7 10 6 58
1938 13 11 13 26 63 1942 15 17 8 20 7 67
1976 18 13 25 14 70 1949 1 8 2 17 39 67
1927 12 20 34 5 71 1974 9 14 17 15 12 67
1963 35 25 9 5 74 1929 4 28 9 17 11 69
1954 4 12 34 25 75 1983 7 14 11 8 32 72
1998 18 59 6 8 91 1907 6 12 27 16 17 78
1932 33 21 15 24 93 1905 11 11 45 6 7 80
1999 10 50 15 21 96 1969 24 4 31 7 14 80
1928 20 42 20 16 98 1908 20 11 23 15 14 83
2004 22 30 24 23 99 1933 25 23 29 3 8 88
1990 47 8 36 9 100 1913 10 0 43 23 18 94
1989 37 26 38 34 135 1988 14 41 3 12 25 95
1984 9 17 29 23 20 98
1970 9 19 35 11 32 106
1910 24 28 43 7 14 116
1961 10 13 6 28 60 117
1937 27 31 30 36 11 135
6 GAMES 7 GAMES
Year G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 Total Year G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 Total
1995 6 7 15 9 15 4 56 1952 9 26 7 8 5 4 7 66
1918 6 23 7 10 11 8 65 1972 7 14 3 5 11 25 10 75
1992 10 12 3 8 26 7 66 1962 11 12 7 20 7 21 5 83
1948 2 15 13 13 27 7 77 1991 20 7 10 3 38 10 0 88
1980 16 9 3 31 7 21 87 1925 14 5 7 28 12 8 20 94
1917 8 30 12 18 19 9 96 1975 18 7 14 12 21 11 11 94
1944 11 7 26 34 6 14 98 1924 9 19 20 23 15 9 6 101
1911 5 9 6 17 16 50 103 1964 18 12 4 20 8 19 22 103
1981 31 9 11 14 8 30 103 1926 4 12 23 27 4 39 9 118
1935 19 46 15 5 16 5 106 1979 29 5 28 20 17 10 9 118
2003 8 46 9 17 28 9 117 1947 17 34 24 10 7 17 15 124
1906 5 34 12 3 18 46 118 1973 8 14 12 39 12 16 28 129
1916 13 2 12 24 51 19 121 1957 10 12 50 18 4 9 30 133
1930 11 36 19 14 2 45 127 1971 14 54 19 5 28 8 6 134
1936 14 57 5 23 8 20 127 1986 3 25 37 22 22 8 21 138
1953 30 10 4 33 34 21 132 1956 23 27 7 24 10 0 50 141
1993 14 20 41 21 17 21 134 1958 4 65 16 9 31 4 13 142
1977 6 35 17 14 46 26 144 1955 10 13 33 20 19 39 10 144
1978 45 9 16 5 48 24 147 1946 5 17 29 47 20 20 9 147
1923 9 13 3 54 57 13 149 1967 3 19 24 50 8 20 29 153
1959 79 14 6 18 6 33 156 1931 24 11 27 17 17 28 30 154
1951 22 16 30 22 62 14 166 1997 25 23 13 45 15 23 10 154
1996 80 25 15 26 6 14 166 1920 19 21 12 30 58 4 14 158
1985 8 12 24 20 27 2 67 160
2002 8 16 36 9 60 11 21 161
1934 31 8 26 15 13 7 63 163
1919 39 16 22 10 9 22 48 166
1987 51 36 7 31 11 26 9 171
1965 45 12 21 27 44 21 12 182
1945 63 16 15 20 14 14 43 185
1982 41 7 18 28 16 67 9 186
1940 52 18 15 22 49 24 7 187
2001 52 17 6 3 8 99 3 188
1909 17 33 41 34 19 14 42 200
1968 21 28 18 46 18 90 9 230
1960 26 60 78 8 17 61 22 272
8 GAMES
Year G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8 Total
1921 18 10 24 7 14 23 5 9 110
1912 12 14 12 12 11 29 58 4 152
1903 45 14 16 15 34 25 29 16 194
Only three series have had two or more games scoring 50 or above:
1960 had 3, and 1923 and 2001 had 2 such games.2001 G6 99 1968 G6 90 1996 G1 80 1959 G1 79 1960 G3 78 1982 G6 67 1985 G7 67 1958 G2 65 1934 G7 63 1945 G1 63 1951 G5 62 1960 G6 61 1960 G2 60 1961 G5 60 2002 G5 60 Giants 16 Angels 4 1998 G2 59 1920 G5 58 1936 G2 57 1923 G5 57 1923 G4 54 1971 G2 54 1940 G1 52 2001 G1 52 1916 G5 51 1987 G1 51 1911 G6 50 1967 G4 50 1999 G2 50
Best of Five
3 games 4 games
Year G1 G2 G3 Total Year G1 G2 G3 G4 Total
1970 NLCS 0 10 6 16 1974 ALCS 22 16 6 7 51
1976 NLCS 14 19 6 39 1971 NLCS 11 25 6 17 59
1969 ALCS 5 0 35 40 1977 NLCS 17 31 5 20 73
1980 ALCS 21 11 8 40 1978 NLCS 28 19 24 3 74
1971 ALCS 16 16 12 44 1983 ALCS 10 22 43 0 75
1979 NLCS 2 6 41 49 1978 ALCS 27 39 7 5 78
1984 ALCS 34 14 8 56 1983 NLCS 9 13 30 37 89
1975 ALCS 31 15 15 61 1979 ALCS 4 51 8 35 98
1982 NLCS 29 9 32 70 1974 NLCS 9 15 59 51 134
1969 NLCS 12 39 20 71
1975 NLCS 34 31 7 72
1981 ALCS 22 48 7 77
1970 ALCS 26 18 36 80
5 games
Year G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 Total
1980 NLCS 10 4 0 8 8 30
1972 ALCS 1 29 14 4 7 55
1981 NLCS 21 20 14 9 5 69
1976 ALCS 18 16 19 22 11 86
1973 ALCS 41 7 6 18 19 91
1972 NLCS 28 23 8 32 10 101
1973 NLCS 7 10 54 4 29 104
1977 ALCS 36 17 25 13 17 108
1982 ALCS 33 19 18 38 7 115
1984 NLCS 77 19 29 7 24 156
Best of Seven
4 games 5 games
Year G1 G2 G3 G4 Total Year G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 Total
1988 ALCS 5 3 20 16 44 2002 NLCS 33 18 8 13 2 74
1995 NLCS 5 5 15 22 47 1987 ALCS 13 23 15 9 19 79
1990 ALCS 12 6 16 23 57 1996 ALCS 7 9 16 16 34 82
2002 ALCS 6 29 7 15 31 88
1989 ALCS 17 18 19 17 18 89
1991 ALCS 23 18 9 29 16 95
2001 NLCS 14 21 23 30 7 95
1989 NLCS 39 49 6 14 7 115
2001 ALCS 15 12 44 2 47 120
1999 ALCS 7 6 72 13 24 122
2000 NLCS 24 8 38 35 48 153
6 games 7 games
Year G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 Total Year G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 Total
1997 ALCS 23 8 2 12 14 0 59 2003 ALCS 19 22 12 8 18 15 18 112
1990 NLCS 11 9 18 8 13 7 66 1985 ALCS 42 7 9 5 17 9 29 113
1999 NLCS 13 11 9 4 6 29 72 1991 NLCS 28 4 42 5 5 1 32 117
1998 NLCS 3 6 11 20 16 20 76 1987 NLCS 12 26 22 12 18 8 40 138
1986 NLCS 8 24 21 19 0 24 96 1988 NLCS 11 33 16 14 17 25 49 165
1995 ALCS 9 15 7 53 7 11 102 1986 ALCS 37 26 11 5 12 41 49 181
2000 ALCS 9 17 19 19 24 18 106 2003 NLCS 11 72 7 47 15 20 19 191
1993 ALCS 17 12 34 13 26 9 111 1992 NLCS 26 53 5 12 48 77 12 233
1997 NLCS 21 45 12 26 4 22 130 1996 NLCS 9 20 11 9 88 13 96 246
1993 NLCS 5 61 23 8 13 21 131
1992 ALCS 16 12 8 25 31 49 141
1998 ALCS 50 3 29 22 19 34 157
1985 NLCS 15 38 25 80 7 14 179
2003 ALCS 19 22 12 8 18 15 18 112
2003 NLCS 11 72 7 47 15 20 19 = 191
NLDW and ALDW are the series involving wild-card teams.
NLDS and ALDS are the series involving division winners.
3 games 4 games
Year G1 G2 G3 Total Year G1 G2 G3 G4 Total
1997 NLDW 1 8 14 23 1998 NLDS 5 16 4 14 39
2000 ALDW 7 14 3 24 2003 NLDW 8 17 10 13 48
1996 NLDW 1 7 28 36 1996 ALDS 25 10 8 11 54
1996 NLDS 23 9 13 45 1995 NLDW 6 14 9 32 61
1998 NLDW 30 3 13 46 1999 NLDS 11 14 11 25 61
1981 ALDW 20 6 22 48 2000 NLDW 30 7 6 28 71
2001 NLDS 13 8 27 48 1996 ALDW 31 14 19 8 72
1998 ALDS 16 15 20 51 2002 ALDW 11 14 19 28 72
1995 ALDS 8 14 35 57 2003 ALDS 14 13 16 33 76
1999 ALDS 36 6 27 69 1997 ALDW 33 21 12 15 81
1997 NLDS 12 42 22 76 1999 NLDW 12 30 36 3 81
2002 NLDW 27 38 12 77 1998 ALDW 47 31 7 6 91
1995 NLDS 42 5 39 86
2000 NLDS 31 46 31 108
5 games
Year G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 Total
1981 NLDW 3 0 26 7 15 51
1981 ALDE 11 7 7 8 19 52
1995 ALDW 18 3 18 18 5 62
2003 ALDW 10 33 4 8 8 63
2001 NLDW 5 24 11 22 5 67
2001 ALDW 13 7 5 36 13 74
2003 NLDS 13 9 18 13 22 75
1981 NLDE 14 20 20 14 14 82
2000 ALDS 13 13 11 41 25 103
1997 ALDS 28 28 32 9 13 110
2002 NLDS 42 6 22 47 13 130
2002 ALDS 20 58 18 48 8 152
2001 ALDS 24 38 77 12 12 163
1999 ALDW 7 65 21 99 15 207
2003 had the lowest average closeness scores of any set of division series.
2003 262/18G -> 14.6 2002 431/17G -> 25.4
2001 352/18G -> 19.6 2000 306/15G -> 20.4
1999 418/16G -> 26.1 1998 227/14G -> 16.2
1997 290/15G -> 29.3 1996 207/14G -> 14.8
1995 266/15G -> 17.7
Tiebreakers:
1946 Cardinals and Dodgers 16 28
1948 Indians at Red Sox 24
1951 Giants and Dodgers 10 45 10
1959 Dodgers and Braves 6 15
1962 Giants and Dodgers 40 9 11
1978 Yankees at Red Sox 10
1980 Astros at Dodgers 44
1995 Angels at Mariners 24
1998 Giants at Cubs 17
1999 Mets at Reds 34
If you note any errors or have constructive comments,
please e-mail me