A Good Year for the Outlaw

I did my impression of the Cubs making the playoffs this week at work: I walked backwards down the hall.

Anyway, while you guys go ga-ga for simply making the postseason, enjoy this list of teams that have made the postseason at least 4 times in this decade already:

Boston Red Sox; New York Yankees; California Angels; Atlanta Braves; St Louis Cardinals; and the Minnesota Twins.

Think about that as your team makes its fifth postseason appearance since 1945. The Yankees are appearing for the 13th straight time in the playoffs, the Cards are missing this year for only the second time in 8 years.

BTW, here are the most successful franchises since WWII ended:

1. New York Yankees – 33 postseasons, 16 WS titles 
2. Brooklyn/LA Dodgers – 21 postseasons, 6 WS titles
3. Atlanta Braves – 19 postseasons, 2 WS titles
4. Oakland A’s – 15 postseasons, 4 WS titles
5. St. Louis Cardinals – 14 postseasons, 5 WS titles
6. Boston Red Sox – 12 postseasons, 1 WS title
7. Baltimore Orioles - 10 postseasons, 3 WS titles 
8. Pittsburgh Pirates – 10 postseasons, 3 WS titles
9. NY/SF Giants – 10 postseasons, 1 WS title
10. Cincinnati Reds – 9 postseasons, 3 WS titles
11. Minnesota Twins – 9 postseasons, 2 WS titles
12. Philadelphia Phillies – 9 postseasons, 1 WS title
13. Cleveland Indians – 9 postseasons, 1 WS title
14. Houston Astros – 9 postseasons, 0 WS titles (since 1962)
15. New York Mets – 7 postseasons, 2 WS titles (since 1962)
16. Anaheim Angels – 7 postseasons, 1 WS title (since 1961)
17. Kansas City Royals – 6 postseasons, 1 WS title (since 1969)
18. Detroit  Tigers – 6 postseasons, 3 WS titles
19. San Diego Padres – 6 postseasons, 0 WS titles (since 1969)
20. Toronto Blue Jays – 5 postseasons, 2 WS titles (since 1977)
21. Chicago White Sox – 5 postseasons, 1 WS title
22. Arizona Diamondbacks – 3 postseasons, 1 WS title (since 1998!)
23. Florida Marlins – 2 postseasons, 2 WS titles (since 1993!)

That’s right. In 62 years since the Cubs last lost the world series, 21 different franchises have won one, and two expansion teams have visited the postseason without winning the World Series with greater regularity than the hate-able losers.

I posted this list because this week, Cub fans all over the area will think the world revolves around them even more than usual, and I wanted you to see how many teams’ fans have had actual titles to cheer. Eight expansion franchises that didn’t even exist when the Cubs last made the Series have made the postseason more, and six of them have titles. Six other cities that had teams move there after 1945 (Minnesota, SF, Oakland, LA, Baltimore, Atlanta) have cheered championships. So it’s not all about you guys this week, okay? Just cheer for your team amongst yourselfs, leave the rest of us alone, and know that for Yankees fans, this week is just the next week of the regular season.

Now, seriously, enjoy the playoffs, its a great time. I won’t be watching, the only good sport anymore is just starting it’s season, so I’ve got something to care about. Go Wild!