World Series

World Series, manufactured by Chicago Coin Machine Manufacturing Company in 1960, is an unusual entry in the pinball world: IPDB classifies it as not a true pinball machine, but rather a rebound shuffleboard-style game that used the same backbox scoring mechanism found on Chicago Coin's 'Bulls-Eye Drop Ball' upright model. It's included here for reference given its close kinship to pinball-adjacent novelty games of the era.

The game's unique feature lies in the way players interact with the ball: using a puck, the player slides toward Left Field, Center Field, or Right Field, causing the corresponding metal bar to pull in and drop any balls rolling on it. The balls then fall into a scoring area below, contributing to the player's overall score. This mechanic not only adds an element of strategy but also provides a thrilling experience as players aim for the correct field to maximize their points.

The backglass animation features men running the bases, a charming touch tied to the baseball theme. Catalin balls in the backbox are continually fed to the top of a scoring area to roll across a ledge of three metal bars aligned above nine rollovers. Balls that travel the ledge into the far left unmarked lane don't count against the player, adding an extra layer of nuance to an otherwise simple design.