Yanks Now Need Some Funk To Top Phils?

Before Game One of the 2009 World Series, since 1969, the visiting team has won the first game of the World Series 14 times. Here’s the list of all the times, since 1969, where the visiting team has won Game One of a World Series:

Date		Win	Lose	Score	Champ
10/28/2009	PHI	NYY	6-1	??
10/22/2008	PHI	TBR	3-2	PHI
10/21/2006	STL	DET	7-2	STL
10/18/2003	FLA	NYY	3-2	FLA
10/19/2002	SFG	ANA	4-3	ANA
10/23/1999	NYY	ATL	4-1	NYY
10/20/1996	ATL	NYY	12-1	NYY
10/18/1986	BOS	NYM	1-0	NYM
10/19/1985	STL	KCR	3-1	KCR
10/9/1984	DET	SDP	3-2	DET
10/11/1983	PHI	BAL	2-1	BAL
10/12/1982	MIL	STL	10-0	STL
10/12/1974	OAK	LAD	3-2	OAK
10/14/1972	OAK	CIN	3-2	OAK
10/10/1970	BAL	CIN	4-3	BAL

O.K., so, in these 14 cases, here, 57% of the time the team that won that first game went on to win the World Series. That’s not far off from being 50-50.

However, note that, from 1985 forward, the visiting team who won that first game of the series went on to get a ring every time except in series where something funky happened – like the Giants choke in 2002, the Leyritz/Wohlers homer in 1996, the Red Sox choke in 1986 and the Don Denkinger call in 1985.

So, does this mean the Yankees now need something funky to happen in this World Series for them to come back and win it? Well, put it this way…it couldn’t hurt…could it?