Spray-painted on the grass at Yankee Stadium are the words "The 2003 World Series." For the next week, the paint will continue to cover the natural green while the New York Yankees battle the Florida Marlins in the Fall Classic.

The sight of the final two words freezes my mind. I'm forced to do nothing else but turn on television and watch baseball at its best.

The Yankees-Marlins series might not be very sexy, but that doesn't mean it won't be entertaining. It just might turn out to be one of the best championship series ever. Below are my top 11 Fall Classics of all time:

11. New York Mets d. Boston Red Sox (1986)

Made famous by the Bill Buckner between-the-legs error, this series was still very intense. The Red Sox were one out from the title and ahead by a run, but after a wild pitch and the error, the Mets won game six and ended up winning the series in game seven.

10. Cincinnati Reds d. Boston Red Sox (1975)

Sparky Anderson's Big Red Machine had its grasp on the title but handed the Red Sox game six. Game seven came down to the final inning before the Reds won the title.

9. Florida Marlins d. Cleveland Indians (1997)

Just six years into their existence, the Marlins won the seesaw battle over the Indians. Edgar Renteria's single up the middle in the bottom of the seventh capped off a Cinderella story.

8. Detroit Tigers d. Chicago Cubs (1945)

In a do-or-die situation in game six, the Cubs rallied to force a seventh game. But Tigers pitcher Hal Newhouser dominated the Cubs in the decisive game with 10 strikeouts en route to a 9-3 win and the title.

7. Toronto Blue Jays d. Philadelphia Phillies (1993)

The Phillies looked to secure a seventh game, but "Wild Thing" Mitch Williams lived up to his nickname. With just two outs to go, Toronto's Joe Carter launched a fastball into the left-field seats to give the Blue Jays their second straight title.

6. Boston Pilgrims d. Pittsburgh Pirates (1903)

The first World Series set the stage. Despite its best-of-nine format, the Pilgrims out-played the Pirates to win in eight games.

5. Kansas City Royals d. St. Louis Cardinals (1985)

After losing the first two games, the Royals became the first team to win a World Series after falling behind two games to none; a Bret Saberhagen gem in game seven sealed the deal.

4. Detroit Tigers d. St. Louis Cardinals (1968)

Denny McClain vs. Bob Gibson. Arguably the two best pitchers of that era took center stage. Gibson did his part, but McClain won not one or two, but three, world series games, giving Detroit the title in seven.

3. Pittsburgh Pirates d. New York Yankees (1960)

The matchup proved to be lopsided, but somehow the Pirates forced a seven-game series. Bill Mazeroski launched a blast over the left-field wall, giving the Pirates the championship despite being outscored 55-27 and outhit 91-60 in the series.

2. Minnesota Twins d. Atlanta Braves (1991)

The series hinged on the arms of two baseball greats: Jack Morris and John Smoltz. In game seven, Morris refused to be taken out of the game, regardless of how long it went. He only had 10 innings to stay true to his word, as the Twins won the game and the series with a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 10th.

1. Arizona Diamondbacks d. New York Yankees (2001)

Games three, four and five possibly are the greatest baseball games ever played. The Yankee mystique was at its best in 2001, but despite rallying to win all three home games, games six and seven in Arizona proved to be trouble. After a game-six trouncing, the Diamondbacks were the ones who staged the late-inning comeback. Luis Gonzalez's broken-bat single in the bottom of the ninth closed out the greatest World Series in history.

Christopher M. Mackinder is The State News sports editor. If he left your favorite World Series off the list, let him know at mackind8@msu.edu.