The word dynasty is defined as “a family, team, etc., that is very powerful or successful for a long period of time”. With a third World Series championship in five seasons, the San Francisco Giants would arguably become baseball’s first dynasty since the Yankees won four title in five seasons in the late-90s. Since the Yankees shut down the Mets to win the 2000 World Championship, only two teams have won multiple titles: the Red Sox in 2004, 2007, and 2013, and the Cardinals in 2006 and 2011. However, I don’t know if I’d call either of those clubs a dynasty: the Red Sox won exactly zero Postseason games between their 2004 and 2007 titles, and only made the playoffs once, in 2008, between their 2007 and 2013 titles. And like the Red Sox, the Cardinals didn’t win one playoff game in between their two most recent titles.
The Giants have a chance to do something we haven’t seen since those dominant Yankee teams – three titles in five years. In fact, since divisional play began in 1969, the only team to go on a run like that aside from the Giants and Yankees are the early-70s A’s, though the Reds, Yankees (again), and Blue Jays did win back to back titles. The Giants are already among historical company, but they have a chance to truly become legendary with three more wins this season.
Then I got to thinking – since divisional play began, what teams looked like they could become World Championship dynasties but fell flat? These teams could have gone down in history, but ended up simply being a footnote.
Early-70s Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates began the 1970s with a title in 1971, and closed the decade with a title in 1979, but they really could have been so much more. Throughout the decade, the Pirates finished under .500 just once – in 1973, when they went 80-81. They made the playoffs five times in six seasons from 1970 to 1975, and exited with just one title (and one pennant). And it’s not as if the Pirates were coming up just short in the NLCS – they were swept in 1970 and 1975 by the Reds and fell to the Dodgers in four in 1974. The 1972 NLCS was the real heartbreaker, though. The Pirates had a 2-1 lead over the Reds in the NLCS, lost 7-1 in Game 4, and blew a 3-2, ninth inning lead in Game 5 to lose their chance at winning back to back World Championships. One wonders what would have happened with this team if Roberto Clemente didn’t tragically pass away two and a half months after that NLCS loss to the Reds.
1970s Baltimore Orioles. The Pirates and Orioles were dominant teams at the same time, and both ended up suffering the same sort of fate, winning just one title apiece during their budding dynasties. Baltimore won the 1966 World Series, fell back to the pack for a couple of years, and lost the 1969 World Series to the Miracle Mets despite winning 109 games. They won 108 in 1970 and won the title, but lost their crown to the Pirates in seven games in 1971. After struggling once again in 1972, Baltimore went back to the playoffs in 1973 and 1974, getting eliminated by the A’s in both years. Five division titles, three pennants, and just one title over a six year span is rough. The Orioles would miss the playoffs in four straight years from 1975-1978, win the pennant again in 1979, and lose the title to the Pirates in seven games once again. They’d finish second in three straight years to start the 1980s, but knocked off the Phillies in the 1983 World Series to finally claim the crown once again.
Mid-70s to mid-80s Kansas City Royals. Before the Royals were doormats, they were a power in the American League. The club won the AL West title in three straight years from 1976-1978, but lost to the Yankees each team, including blowing a 2-1 series lead in 1977. After finishing second to the Angels in 1979, the Royals won the division once again in 1980, and finally got by the Yankees, sweeping them in three games. The Phillies beat Kansas City in six games, and while the Royals made the playoffs in both 1981 and 1984, they couldn’t win a playoff game in either year. The Royals finally completed their journey to the title in 1985, beating the Cardinals to win the only championship (as of now, at least) in club history. But for them to win just one title over a ten-year span that saw the team reach the playoffs seven times? That’s disappointing.
Mid-70s to early-80s Philadelphia Phillies. This was a Phillies team that was anchored by Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton, two first ballot Hall of Famers and two of the best players in baseball history. Yet, they have just one World Championship flag flying at Citizens Bank Park for this team. The Phillies won three straight division titles from 1976-78, but won just two playoff games total over those three years. After struggling in 1979, they won the title in 1980, beating those aforementioned Royals. They’d get eliminated by the Expos in 1981, finish second in 1982, and lose the 1983 World Series to the Orioles in five games. Five playoff appearances, two pennants, and one title in seven years ushered in an era of mediocrity that lasted for over two decades, minus the miraculous 1993 season.
Late-80s to early-90s Oakland Athletics. This team was ridiculous, led by the Bash Brothers of Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco. The A’s won three pennants in a row in dominant fashion from 1988-1990, but only won the 1989 World Series. They won a total of one game in the Fall Classics of 1988 and 1990. Oakland had one last gasp left in them in 1992, winning the AL West but falling to the Blue Jays in six in the ALCS. Canseco was dealt to the Rangers that August, Dennis Eckersley suddenly got old in 1993, injuries crippled McGwire, Rickey Henderson became a vagabond, and the A’s fell into irrelevance for the rest of the decade.
Early-90s Pittsburgh Pirates. Yeah, this run by the Pirates was only three years long, but it could have been special. They won 95 games and the NL East title in each year from 1990-1992, but lost in crippling fashion each year in the NLCS. Barry Bonds would leave town after that 1992 season and become one of the best players in baseball history, and the Pirates stunk for 20 years. Just one title could have changed everything.
1990s to mid-2000s Atlanta Braves. Oh yeah, this is going to be a controversial one. But let’s be honest – how impressive is 14 division titles when you only win one World Series? That’s the burning question when it comes to those Braves teams. They won the 1995 World Series over the Indians, but fell in the World Series in 1991 and 1992, and couldn’t even make it three pennants in a row after falling to the Phillies in the 1993 NLCS. The Braves lost the World Series to the Yankees in 1996 despite winning the first two games in the series at Yankee Stadium, were ousted in the NLCS in 1997 and 1998 by the Marlins and Padres, and got swept by the Yankees in the 1999 World Series. The Cardinals swept them in the 2000 NLDS, the Diamondbacks eliminated them in five in the 2001 NLCS, and they were booted in the NLDS in each year from 2002 to 2005 by the Giants, Cubs, and Astros twice. In a span of 14 seasons, the Braves won one title and five pennants, though only one of those pennants came in the final nine years of their division title streak. I’m sorry, but that’s disappointing. The team has won a total of two playoff games and one division title since.
Mid to late-90s Cleveland Indians. Six playoff berths and two pennants in seven seasons, yet no titles. And thus goes the story of the post-strike Cleveland Indians, who had one of the most ridiculous offenses that baseball has ever seen and couldn’t turn it into a title. The real “what if” season is probably 1996, when the Indians won 99 games the year after falling to the Braves in the World Series…and proceeded to allow 24 runs to the Orioles over four games. Cleveland got revenge by slipping their way by the Yankees and Orioles in 1997, but lost to the Marlins in seven games in the World Series in ultimate gut punch fashion.
2000s Anaheim Angels. This run for the Angels actually started with a title in 2002, but it was all rage after that. The team fell under .500 in 2003. They won the AL West in 2004 and 2005, but were swept by the Red Sox in the 2004 ALDS and bowed out to the White Sox in five games in the 2005 ALCS. After missing the playoffs in 2006, the Angels were swept by the Red Sox again in 2007 and were booted in four by Boston in 2008. In their last gasp in 2009, the Angels fell to the Yankees in six. They finally reached the playoffs again this season…and were swept by the Royals. Aside from that 2002 season (which was made possible by the Twins knocking off an awesome A’s team), the Angels have been specialists in failure in the Postseason for their entire history.
Early-2000s Oakland Athletics. From 2000 to 2003, the A’s won a total of 392 games. They won a total of eight playoff games, and zero playoff series. The team would finally reach the ALCS in 2006 after a pair of second place finishes in 2004 and 2005, but were swept by the Tigers. The struggles have manifested themselves to the current A’s as well – the club has won just four playoff games (and zero series) over the last three seasons despite 278 regular season victories.
Late-2000s Philadelphia Phillies. Yeah, the Phillies got their championship in 2008. But dammit, they should have done more. Over a five year period, the Phillies won five straight NL East titles, and their performance in the playoffs peaked after that 2008 title. They lost the World Series to the Yankees in six games in 2009. The Giants eliminated them in six games in the 2010 NLCS. The Cardinals sent them packing in five games in the 2011 NLDS, despite a franchise record 102 victories. And….scene. This was a damn good team that finished last in the NL East just five years after winning their second-straight pennant. That’s one hell of a fall from grace.
Current Detroit Tigers. This one is a little early…but the Tigers have all the makings of a team that confuses us ten years down the road. Three straight AL MVPs! A rotation featuring the last three AL Cy Young winners! A Triple Crown winner! Four division titles! And…zero wins in the World Series? One pennant? You mean to tell me that the Tigers couldn’t break through in just one of those seasons and win the whole damn thing? And next season, it could all implode (or become even more futile) thanks to the obscene amounts of money owed to Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera and the potential departures of Torii Hunter, Max Scherzer, and Victor Martinez.
