Cubs-Indians' Game 7 rivals as one of the all-time best

Even before the baseball world's collective pulse returned to normal hours after the Chicago Cubs broke their 108-year championship drought early Thursday morning, it was obvious this year's Game 7 was going to be a classic - and oh, did it live up to expectations. This was a contest filled with everything over 10 innings - errors, unlikely heroes, and ultimately ending in baseball history - and it captivated sports fans everywhere.

But was it the greatest Game 7 ever? There have now been 42 Game 7s played in World Series history; only four have gone into extra innings, while just 16 have been decided by a single run. The Cubs and Indians are now on this list, so we put together our picks of the 10 greatest World Series Game 7s to try to find a rightful spot for Wednesday's classic.

10. 1912: Red Sox 3, Giants 2 (10 innings)

Note: This was officially Game 8 of the best-of-seven series, as Game 2 had been declared a tie due to darkness.

The World Series' first-ever legendary deciding game saw Fenway Park gripped by a 1-1 tie that needed extras. The Giants grabbed a 2-1 lead in the 10th on Fred Merkle's RBI hit; with the great Christy Mathewson still pitching, they looked to be in cruise control. But Giants center fielder Fred Snodgrass opened the bottom of the 10th by dropping a routine fly ball that was dubbed "The $30,000 muff" by the press. Then with a man on, Mathewson and catcher Chief Meyers got their signals crossed chasing Tris Speaker's foul pop-up, letting it drop to extend the inning again. One pitch later, Speaker singled home the tying run, and after an intentional walk, Larry Gardner's walk-off sacrifice fly won Boston the series.

9. 1975: Reds 4, Red Sox 3

We all remember Carlton Fisk in Game 6, but even he couldn't save the Red Sox from themselves one night later. Down 3-0 at Fenway in Game 7, the Big Red Machine went to work, storming back to tie it at 3-3 on a Tony Perez two-run blast and a Pete Rose RBI single. In the ninth, Jim Burton looked like he got the Red Sox out of a jam, but Joe Morgan's pop-up fell into no-man's land for a bloop RBI single. Boston went down in order in the bottom half and the Reds had their first championship since 1940.

8. 1962: Yankees 1, Giants 0

The Yankees scored their lone run on a double play, while Ralph Terry went the distance and just barely out-pitched San Francisco's Jack Sanford. In the memorable ninth, Giants pinch-hitter Matty Alou reached on a bunt single and Willie Mays doubled, putting runners at second and third with two out for Willie McCovey. After crushing a foul ball, McCovey hit a bullet of a line drive that went straight into second baseman Bobby Richardson's glove to end the series. It was one of only two times a 1-0 World Series game ended with the tying and winning runs on second and third with two out - Game 3 of this year was the other - and the loss was so painful for Giants fans that even poor Charlie Brown was left in tears.

7. 1926: Cardinals 3, Yankees 2

Nursing a one-run lead in the seventh at Yankee Stadium, Cardinals manager Rogers Hornsby summoned future Hall of Famer Grover Cleveland Alexander - who'd thrown a complete game the day before, then showed up for Game 7 hungover - from the bullpen to face Tony Lazzeri with the bases loaded. After Lazzeri crushed a ball with grand slam distance that was foul by a foot, Alexander fanned the second baseman, ending the threat. In the ninth, Babe Ruth worked a two-out walk off Alexander, then inexplicably tried to steal second one pitch later and was easily thrown out to end the series and give the Cardinals their first title in shocking fashion. In 1952, this game and Alexander's life were immortalized in the film "The Winning Team," starring Ronald Reagan.

6. 2014: Giants 3, Royals 2

San Francisco took a 3-2 lead on Michael Morse's RBI single in the fourth inning, and then manager Bruce Bochy summoned his ace Madison Bumgarner to start the fifth and try for a 15-out save. Bumgarner - who two days earlier had thrown a 117-pitch four-hit shutout in Game 5 - proceeded to strike out four over his five innings, and allowed just two hits in his Herculean effort. Though Kansas City put the tying run 90 feet away with two outs in the ninth, Bumgarner got Salvador Perez to foul out and bring the Giants a third title in six years.

5. 1924: Senators 4, Giants 3 (12 innings)

The longest Game 7 ever by innings played was a tense affair. Down two in the eighth, Senators shortstop-manager Bucky Harris drove in the game-tying runs with a two-out single that hit a pebble and bounced over Giants third baseman Fred Lindstrom's glove. Then Harris summoned Walter Johnson for the ninth, and the "Big Train" turned in four shutout innings to keep the game tied. In the 12th, an error - the Giants' catcher tripped on his mask trying to catch a pop-up - extended the inning, and allowed the Senators to win the World Series on Earl McNeely's single.

4. 2001: D-Backs 3, Yankees 2

Played against the backdrop of the 9/11 tragedy, a World Series that already had plenty of iconic moments finished with an all-time great Game 7. Future Hall of Famers Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling started, Hall of Famer Randy Johnson made an epic relief appearance on zero days' rest to stop a Yankees rally, and the greatest closer of all time, Mariano Rivera, had a rare bad inning that finished with a Luis Gonzalez walk-off single, denying the Yankees a four-peat.

3. 2016: Cubs 8, Indians 7 (10 innings)

With history and droughts as the backdrop, Wednesday's clash in Cleveland has already entered into baseball lore. There may have been one or two better games, but it's easily nestled in the top three, and will always be remembered for the Indians' remarkable comeback, the rain delay, and 10 innings of nail-biting, back-and-forth baseball that culminated in the Cubs finally winning it all.

2. 1991: Twins 1, Braves 0 (10 innings)

One of the all-time great World Series had to end with an epic clash. Jack Morris put Minnesota on his back with 10 shutout innings, and John Smoltz matched him with 7 1/3 scoreless of his own in front of a Metrodome crowd that reached ear-splitting decibels. Pinch-hitter Gene Larkin drove in the series-winning run for the Twins with a 10th-inning walk-off single off reliever Alejandro Pena.

1. 1960: Pirates 10, Yankees 9

Worthy of its crazy final score, this Game 7 truly was one for the ages. There were multiple lead changes, two wild rallies in the final innings, and it all ended on Bill Mazeroski's iconic walk-off homer. Fifty-six years later, this contest remains the gold standard for Game 7s and is, arguably, one of the greatest baseball games ever played.