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OCTOBER 10, 1957 -- Milwaukee Braves right-hander Lew Burdette accomplished what still seems to be the impossible against Casey Stengel's powerful New York Yankees squad in Game 7 of the 1957 World Series. Burdette, who was given the assignment to pitch in the Series' deciding game after staff ace Warren Spahn was stricken with the flu, had already tossed in two complete-game victories in Games 2 and 5 against a Yankees lineup that featured Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Enos Slaughter.

OCTOBER 8, 1956 -- It just goes to show: on any given day, any given man can achieve perfection. It's safe to say that Don Larsen was not the best starting pitcher on the 1956 Yankees. Whitey Ford, who won 19 games, had that distinction. But don't tell that to the Brooklyn Dodgers, who saw Larsen become the first -- and still only -- pitcher in World Series history to pitch a perfect game. Offensively, a solo home run by Mickey Mantle and RBI single from Hank Bauer was all Larsen needed. Defensively, a 3rd inning Andy Carey-to-Gil McDougald ricochet play off a Jackie Robinson liner, a just-foul Sandy Amoros home-run shot, and a Mantle backhand stab of a Gil Hodges drive all conspired to keep the day perfect. Pinch-hitter Dale Mitchell was called out on strikes for the final out, and history was written.

JULY 10, 1956 -- 1956 proved to be one of baseball's most memorable years. Mickey Mantle won the triple crown, Don Larsen pitched a World Series perfect game, and the Midsummer Classic was about as star-studded as you can get. Virtually every player in the starting lineup was to ultimately be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, including the four who went yard: Mantle, Stan Musial, Willie Mays and Ted Willams. Other stars included Duke Snider, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford and Warren Spahn, but MVP honors went to Cardinals' third baseman Ken Boyer, who went 3-for-5 and and made some sparkling defensive plays at the hot corner.

SEPTEMBER 29 - OCTOBER 2, 1954 -- For the first time in five years, the New York Yankees were not going to be World Champs. A record 111-win season by the Cleveland Indians sent the Tribe to the Series as American League champs and sent the Bronx Bombers home in October for the first time since 1949. New York was still represented in the Fall Classic, this time by the National League champion New York Giants.

OCTOBER 7, 1952 -- Gene Woodling and Mickey Mantle homered, and Billy Martin made a game-saving grab of an infield pop-up gone awry, as the Yankees recovered from a three game to two deficit to win their fourth of five straight World Series, in seven games over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Mantle's homer in the sixth gave the Yankees the lead for good, and an insurance run in the seventh made it 4-2. With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the inning, Jackie Robinson hit a high pop up that Yankees first baseman Joe Collins appeared to lose it in the sun. But Martin charged in from second base to snatch the ball at his shoetops to end the inning and snuff out the Dodgers' last threat as the Yankees secured the championship.

OCTOBER 6, 1952 -- A classic "Subway Series," old-school style. Leading the Series 3-2, Brooklyn rookie Billy Loes battled Yankee veteran Vic Raschi zero for zero for five complete innings. Duke Snider and Yogi Berra exchanged solo shots in the sixth, and young slugger Mickey Mantle's first career World Series home run extended the lead to 3-1. Snider's second HR of the game drew the Dodgers within a run, but Yankees ace Allie Reynolds relieved Raschi and finished off the 3-2 win to send the Series to a seventh game. The Yankees would win that game the following day, leaving the Dodger faithful to, once again, "Wait 'til next year!"

OCTOBER 3, 1951 -- Although the jubilant, frenzied call of Giants' broadcaster Russ Hodges has become this game's signature ("The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!"), the words of Liberty Radio Network's Gordon McClendon a few hours earlier prove perfectly prophetic: "Twenty years from now, fans will be talking about this afternoon's hero, as yet unknown... but the man and the hour are about to meet." Well, it's 50 years ago (can you believe it?) and we're still talking about Ralph Branca surrendering Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round The World."