I was watching the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies play in the the 103rd World Series (aka Fall Classic) the other night while reading some franchise statistics.Here's what I came up with:
Did you know that in 103 World Series editions, the New York Yankees (AL) and St. Louis Cardinals (NL) reached the World Series finals 56 times? I chose these two teams because they have won more titles than anyone else.
New York reached the finals 39 times and St.Louis 17. That means baseball have seen the Cardinals and Yankees 54% of the time. More importantly, they have won 36 titles (NYY 26; STL 10) or 35% of the championships.*
The number increases further when we add the Los Angeles Dodgers who have reached more finals than any team - except of course the Yankees - 18 times. Of course, these figures include the Brooklyn playing days before they moved to L.A in the mid-50s.So between the Yankees, Cardinals and Dodgers three teams have reached the finals 74 times (72%). Staggering.
In terms of titles, the Dodgers have won six World Series. Thus, if we add to the 36 already won by the Cards and Yanks, it brings the title to 44 (43%).
You do the math on the San Francisco Giants (originally from New York like the Dodgers franchise) who reached the finals 17 times and won five times.
For their part, if the Boston Red Sox win (and it looks as though they will) the World Series, they will go 7-4.
*The Cardinals who a 3-2 edge over the Yankees in World Series action.
Thank youCommish, for your congratulations of the L.A. Dodgers acquiring Joe Torre. Buying a world class manager complete with retinue does not create a winner, of course. These letters-to-the-editor prove a healthy and well-founded skepticism exists in the Dodger Nation. But a change like this will at least make things more interesting.
ReplyDeleteI need a login. The LA Times are still stuck in the 80s. They should smarten up like the New York Times: no one is willing to pay to read Maureen Dowd.
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