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According to the Archives Mailbag of the Sporting News, the phrase is borrowed from the card game bridge. The third and final game in bridge is called the "rubber game." A set of three games is also called a "rubber." In baseball, however, a "rubber game" doesn't necessarily refer to the third game of a tied series, but the last and deciding game of any series. The seventh game of the World Series, for example, is a classic rubber game. Alas, this doesn't get us much closer to the true origin of the phrase. Evan Morris' Word Detective digs a little deeper and finds that the phrase comes from the old English game of "bowls," or lawn bowling and
dates from the 16th century. But why "rubber"? All the WordWizard can do is offer the term's Oxford English Dictionary entry. The American Heritage Dictionary tosses up an "Origin unknown." Mr. Morris suggests that it may refer to the loser's hopes being "rubbed out." No one is sure.
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