Before I set down my predictions, I researched the history of the World Series. The World Series started as far back as the 1880s. That was between the National League (founded in 1876) and the long defunct American Association (founded in 1882; collapsed in 1891). However, modern baseball stats do not include the nineteenth century results. The American League was formed in 1901. Based on modern times, there have been 111 World Series competitions since beginning in 1903. An American League (AL) team has won the series 64 times to the National League's (NL) 47 times. And yet, the AL has always been referred to as the "junior league." {Head scratch} 1901 and 1902 saw no series play because the two leagues competed for business supremacy. Other than those two years there have only been two other years where no series was held. In 1904, the NL winning team (NY Giants) refused to play the AL winning team (Boston Americans) because they considered them an inferior league. Thus started the "junior league" attitude. The other year was 1994 due to the players' union strike. I know, those poor fellows just weren't making enough millions.
Because I'm a numbers guy and I like to roll around in numbers like a dog in a stinky patch of something in a park, I compiled some interesting facts with the help of Wikipedia.
The team/organization with the most appearances, wins and losses go to, of course, the New York Yankees. The baseball dynasty that only the most money could buy. Just ask any Boston Red Sox fan. He'll set you straight. The Yanks have been in 40 series, winning 27 of them. The last one was in 2009. The next three teams in order of most appearances are St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics (A's) and the NY/SF Giants. The Cardinals and A's appearances combined still don't outnumber the Yankees. Junior league, indeed. We'll ignore the fact that teams that entered either league after 1969 have an extreme disadvantage to ever catch the most series participants' records.
Yankee fact: The Yankees started out as the Baltimore Orioles for one season. They moved to New York and became the Highlanders. It wasn't until 1923, their twenty-third season, before they went to the World Series and won. It was their third appearance in three consecutive years. Possibly where the expression "the third times the charm" may have come from. [Conjecture] They lost the previous two years to the NY Giants. These two teams would have a rivalry but nothing compared to the one with the Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
While in Brooklyn, the Dodgers were in nine World Series. They won only one of them in 1955 against their arch rivals, the Yankees. But ... I should really say, BUT!!! It was only after losing fives times to the NEW YORK YANKEES!! The Dodgers first two appearances were losses when they were known as the Brooklyn Robins to the Red Sox (second appearance and second win) and the Cleveland Indians (the "mistake by the lake"'s first appearance and first win).
One issue I need to point out that both Messrs. King and O'Nan fail to point out. The Blow Sox, sorry my inner Yankee is emerging, have been to the "Big Show" twelve times. One of their appearances were as the Americans in 1903. A second one would have been in the 1904 Giants no-show. The other eleven were as the Red Sox. Now for an interesting lightning fact: The Red Sox won their first five appearances. They proceeded to lose their next four. Thus the drought since 1916. They had chances in 1946, 1967, 1975 and 1986. Their next three appearances were in the twenty-first century and all victorious. I told you I love numbers ... and patterns. Do you see the pattern here? The Sox win their first five, loss their next four and win their next three. I predict they will be in the Series two more times and will loss before they win one last time to never be seen in the World Series ever again. Okay. My inner Yankee is not just speaking but he's freakin' insane and enraged. I just found that fact weird but interesting.
More interesting facts: The A's played and won series in Philadelphia and Oakland, but never in Kansas City. The poor saps in Kansas City would have to wait until the expansion Royals, who joined the AL in 1969, to get to the series and lose in 1980. They redeemed themselves in 1985. They would redeem themselves again in 2015, by taking my NY Mets behind the wood shed, for their 2014 World Series failure. Lost, Won, Lost, Won. Patterns. I just love patterns. The Mets have been in it five times, winning in 1969 and 1986 defeating the Orioles and Red Sox, respectively. Or should I say disrespectfully. The NL Philadelphia teams have been there seven times winning in 1980 and 2008. I was there for the NLDS and NLCS playoffs in 2008 but failed to score a ticket for the "Show." Too expensive.
More quick facts then on to my predictions: Two teams have never been to the World Series, the Seattle Mariners and Washington Nationals (née Montreal Expos). The Mariners won 116 games in 2001, which set the American League record for most wins in a single season and tied the 1906 Chicago Cubs for the Major League record for most wins in a single season. (Wikipedia) Of course, the Cubs (their first appearance) went on to loss in the World Series that year. The Mariners were defeated in the ALDS by, you guessed it, the Yankees, four games to one. Washington, on the other hand, is not accurately portrayed because the third Washington rendition came via Montreal. The other two renditions, AKA Senators, had been to the World Series and have won (once in 1924).
The city that has the most teams with World Series appearances, wins and losses is the same as the one I mention above New York City. This includes when the Dodgers and Giants were in New York. Between the Dodgers, Giants, Mets and Yankees there have been 68 World Series that graced the city, 61%. That's a lot. Again, cities in the Midwest, South and left coast are at a disadvantage as the original sixteen MLB teams resided in Central U.S. and East coast cities. Three of the sixteen existed in New York City. Because of the high percentage there have been many (14) subway, bridge or crosstown rivalry series. All involved the Yankees and someone: the Dodgers (7), Giants (6) or Mets (1). Three have been in Chicago (1906), St. Louis (1944) and the other was the SF Bay area "Bay Bridge Series," Giants-Oakland A's (1989). That was the only World Series where an earthquake made a guest appearance at the start of Game 3. Play was suspended for nearly two weeks and when it resumed Oakland finished their sweep of the Giants.
Honorable mentions: St. Louis would be the next city with the most appearances and then Chicago.
Teams that are undefeated are: Miami (Florida) Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays (the only Canadian victors with back-to-back winners in 1992 and 1993) with two wins each. Miami's first win was in their fifth season of operation. Teams with one win in their only appearance are: Arizona Diamondbacks (2001) and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2002).
Teams that have never won are: Texas Rangers, two time back-to-back loses (2010 & 2011) and San Diego Padres, where they netted a total of one game won in 1984. They were swept by the YANKEES in 1998. With one loss on their only appearance each are Tampa Bay Rays, Colorado Rockies, Houston (NL) Astros and the Milwaukee (AL) Brewers. Colorado and Houston never won a World Series game. They were swept in their appearances.
I hope you were as titillated as I was with all these numeric fun facts.
Now for my predictions:
Teams I believe that are out of it bar a miracle:AL East: Tampa Bay Rays
AL Central: Minnesota Twins
AL West: Oakland A's, LA Angels of Anaheim
NL East: Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies
NL Central: Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers
NL West: Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies
Teams that are hanging on but bar a miracle won't be in the playoffs:
AL East: New York Yankees (It's just not their year!)
AL Central: Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals (No repeat!)
AL West: Seattle Mariners
NL East: New York Mets, Miami Marlins
NL Central: Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals
NL West: N/A
Teams that have a chance for the Wild Card depending on what happens in the next 75 days:
AL East: Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox
AL Central: Detroit Tigers
AL West: Houston Astros
NL East: New York Mets, Miami Marlins
NL Central: Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers
How I think it will shake out:
AL East: Baltimore Orioles
AL Central: Cleveland Indians
AL West: Texas Rangers
AL WC: Boston Red Sox
NL East: Washington Nationals
NL Central: Chicago Cubs
NL West: San Francisco Giants
NL WC: Los Angeles Dodgers
Both Wild Card teams will be defeated in the first round. Texas will dominate the AL winning the ALCS. Chicago will annihilate the NL for the NLCS. It's going to be a Central Time Zone Series, "North Side" against the "Deep South" and no one is going to give a crap. However, I believe the Cubbies will trot away with a W in 6, reversing the Curse of the Billy Goat and ending a 108 year championship drought (currently the longest drought in any of the four major sports) and 71 years since their last appearance to the "Show."
There you have it. My picks. Be they wrong; be they right. No one cares. However, I caution anyone on taking these picks and running to Vegas. I won't ever say take my advice to the bank. Any-who. There's still half of summer left. So let's play ball, swim, picnic, be American and most of all be safe and respect each other. All lives matter. TTFN.
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