WORLD SERIES Memories abound in 100th anniversary

The Fall Classic has produced wonderful moments that many fans will recall.
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
MILWAUKEE -- For many baseball fans, the World Series conjures up familiar images, accessed by flipping through the photo album of their minds to October. Some are wonderfully pleasing. Others evoke painful grimaces, depending on one's rooting interests.
Yogi Berra jumping into Don Larsen's arms. Willie Mays robbing Vic Wertz with "The Catch." Carlton Fisk using body English to keep his game-winning home run fair late in the New England night.
Reggie Jackson socking three pitches into the nether regions of Yankee Stadium. A gimpy Kirk Gibson circling the bases, pumping a fist after his stunning homer.
Bill Mazeroski being mobbed at home plate after becoming the first hitter to end a World Series with a home run. Bill Buckner letting Mookie Wilson's grounder roll between his legs. Joe Carter's joyous, arm-waving romp around the bases.
As the World Series celebrates its 100th anniversary, many of those wondrous memories again will flicker through the nation's consciousness. October is a magical month for baseball fans around the world, anxiously awaiting the next highlight-film moment.
No wonder the event came to be known through the years as the Fall Classic. Is there anything greater in a baseball player's life than becoming a World Series hero?
"Maybe having a child or getting married, something like that," said Jackson, whose World Series exploits earned him the undeniable nickname "Mr. October."
"It's pretty neat being called a World Series hero, being a World Series champion. I've experienced it quite a bit being associated with the Yankees, so I really can't complain. It's been a wonderful thing, a fabulous thing.
"The World Series has become part of the American fabric."
Before television
Believe it or not, many memorable moments occurred prior to the advent of television. They were passed down by word of mouth, from grandfather to father to son, or on the written page. Just because it wasn't captured on film doesn't mean it didn't happen.
Cristy Mathewson's three shutouts. Bill Wambsganss' unassisted triple play. The Babe's "called shot."
While the World Series has bestowed baseball immortality on many of its participants, others achieved unwanted notoriety. Does anybody remember the otherwise solid career of Buckner? Mickey Owen was a pretty fair catcher, by all accounts, yet is remembered primarily for a passed ball that cost Brooklyn the '41 title.