It's still early, but 2017 World Series could be one of the greatest ever

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The World Series opened with a game that was remarkable in its exquisite brevity, and then followed that up with a game that could have gone on forever.

In other words, Game 3 has almost too much to live up to. But we’re willing to give it a try.

The Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers have given us two wildly divergent yet equally riveting performances so far. Game 2 alone, with its festival of late-game and extra-inning homers could have made this a memorable series, and eradicated the complete lack of impact of the 2005 Series.

Oh, and Vin Scully.

Of course, the Law of Anti-Momentum can come into play here, and Game 3 could be a drab and featureless mess. That is, after all, part of baseball as well.

But Games 1 and 2 have been useful in defining the dichotomy of the time of game debate. A game that lasts an instant (or 2:28) can have the same entertainment value as a game that lasts an eon (or 4:19) because the tyranny of numbers under which the game often resides is not absolute. Context matters more in baseball than any other sport, and great World Series are made contextually.

The very best World Series are ones that last beyond the excitement of the moment – the Giants’ third World Series victory in 2014 is remarkable mostly for Madison Bumgarner, which while singularly fascinating does not make it a great Series except for Giants fans.

But the 1991 World Series, which it is agreed was a monumental triumph from start to finish, was a series of great games (five decided by one run and three, including Game 7, that went extra innings) and great players doing great things.

It was also a Series in which the home team won every game, and this postseason has reveled in happy fans as backdrop – the home team is 24-9 so far, an unusually high number for this sport.

And it’s still early. This could still be that 2005 World Series, which by now is vexing you because you can’t remember it at all. It was Astros-White Sox, it was a sweep, and it was a matchup between a team that had never been in the Series and one that hadn’t made one in 57 years, and it came and went and left no trace at all.

That could still happen here, like we said, but the early evidence makes that unlikely. This could be one of the great World Series ever, from diversity of outcomes to spectacular moments that transcend even time.

I mean, it's already kicked the hell out of time of game.

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