When the Dodgers and Giants square off in Thursday’s Game 5, it will bring an end to the first-ever postseason series between the two longtime rivals. It will also conclude perhaps the greatest playoff matchup in league history—non-World Series edition.
Until 1969, there were no division or championship series—the teams with the best record in the American and National Leagues were simply placed directly into the World Series, which is arguably a more fair system but inarguably a far less exciting one. In the 53 years since, there have been just eight instances of 100-win teams squaring off in a playoff series before the Fall Classic.