As I'm sure you've heard, Roger Clemens vs. Curt Schilling marks only the sixth Game 7 battle between 20-game winners in World Series history.

Were they pitcher's duels? Three of them were, two of them were not. Here are all five, with the winning team's starter listed first:

 
Year Starters                  Score 
1912 Bedient vs. Mathewson     3-2, Red Sox 
1940 Derringer vs. Newsom      2-1, Reds 
1945 Newhouser vs. Borowy      9-3, Tigers 
1962 Terry vs. Sanford         1-0, Yankees 
1985 Saberhagen vs. Tudor     11-0, Royals 

Game 7 of the 1912 World Series -- actually, it was Game 8 because of an earlier tie -- matched the New York Giants and Christy Mathewson (23-12, 2.12) against the Red Sox and Hugh Bedient (20-9, 2.92). Mathewson, of course, was considered the best pitcher in the National League. Bedient's record looks good and it was, but three starters on his own team had better ERA's that season.

Bedient pitched well, allowing just one run, but was lifted for pinch-hitter Olaf Henriksen in the bottom of the seventh. That move worked out wonderfully, as Henriksen doubled down the left-field line to tie the game at one apiece. It was still 1-1 after nine innings, but the Giants took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 10th. Mathewson was still in the game for New York, but he coughed up the lead when the Giants blew a couple of plays in the field, and the Red Sox won when Larry Gardner hit a long sacrifice fly to right field.

Game 7 of the 1940 World Series matched the Cincinnati Reds and Paul Derringer (20-12, 3.06) against the Detroit Tigers and Buck Newsom (21-5, 2.83). Those two matched up in Game 1, but it wasn't much of a match. Derringer didn't escape the second inning, and Newsom pitched a complete game to earn the W. Newsom didn't get to celebrate for long, though; his father was in the Tiger Stadium stands for Game 1, and suffered a fatal heart attack that evening. (Just imagine what sort of horrible things the TV networks would do with a story like that today.)

With Derringer having pitched so little in Game 1, he came back two days later to start (and win) Game 4. Newsom started Game 5, and pitched a three-hit shutout. And then Game 7, with Derringer working on two days' rest, Newsom on one day of rest. They both went the distance, but the Reds bunched their hits better and won the Series with a 2-1 Game 7 victory.

Game 7 of the 1945 World Series matched the Chicago Cubs and Hank Borowy (21-7, 2.65) against the Tigers and Hal Newhouser (25-9, 1.81). Borowy actually won only 10 games for the Cubs; he'd won 11 for the Yankees before coming over in a mid-season trade. Newhouser was the best pitcher in the American League that season, by far. In Game 1, though, Newhouser got knocked out in the third inning -- it must have been one of his worst starts all season -- and Borowy pitched a six-hit shutout. Four days later, they met again in Game 5, and this time Newhouser won. And three days later, Borowy and Newhouser met one more time, both on two days' rest. Borowy didn't last long, though; the first three Detroit hitters singled, and Borowy got yanked. His replacements (among them Paul Derringer) didn't fare particularly well, and Newhouser cruised. Final score: Detroit 9, Chicago 3 ... and of course, the Cubs haven't even reached a World Series since, let alone won one.

Game 7 of the 1962 World Series matched San Francisco and Jack Sanford (24-7, 2.43) against the Yankees and Ralph Terry (23-12, 3.19). As you might guess from the 1-0 final, both starters pitched well, but it's the memory of a line drive that survives from that Series. In the top of the fifth, the Yankees scored the game's only run when Moose Skowron came to the plate on Tony Kubek's GIDP.

When Terry took the mound in the bottom of the ninth, he was working on a two-hit shutout. Matty Alou led off and beat out a bunt, but Terry struck out Felipe Alou and Chuck Hiller. Mays then doubled to right field, but Roger Maris made a good play and held Matty at third base. That brought up Willie McCovey, who zipped a line drive toward right field. A few feet either way, and the Giants would have won their first world championship since moving to San Francisco.

Instead, McCovey's liner zipped right into Yankee second baseman Bobby Richardson's glove. And the fans in San Francisco are still waiting for their first championship.

Game 7 of the 1985 World Series matched St. Louis and John Tudor (21-8, 1.93) against Kansas City and Bret Saberhagen (20-6, 2.87). Tudor had pitched well in Games 1 and 4, though not quite as well as the box scores suggested. Pitching Game 7 on three days' rest, Tudor didn't have anything at all. Darryl Motley hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the second, Tudor got kayoed in the third, and the Royals were off to the races. Meanwhile, Saberhagen, working on four days' rest, pitched a five-hit shutout and the Royals were champs. Now it seems so long ago ...

I was a bit surprised to learn that only five Games 7 have matched 20-game winners. But you know, there haven't really been that many winner-take-all games in the World Series (Game 7 in the best-of-seven format, Game 9 in the best-of-nine). By my count, this is the 34th such contest. And it's only the second since 1991, which means that we're lucky, because baseball's best offerings are a down-to-the-wire pennant race and a Game 7 in the World Series.

And perhaps those of you who aren't Yankee fans can agree on something very specific for which to root: Byung-Hyun Kim on the mound after recording the final out of the 2001 World Series, with a big smile on his face as his teammates rush the mound in celebration. Now that would be a perfect ending to a wonderful Fall Classic.

Rob can be reached at rob.neyer@dig.com, and to order his books, including the just-published Feeding the Green Monster, click here.