erik lundegaard

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Thursday November 03, 2016

Joy in Mudville

I had some friends over last night to watch Game 7 of the World Series, and it was fun, and the Cubs won in extras, and it was great to see those players, and those fans, celebrating the team's first championship since 1908. But it was all muted for me because of the machinations behind the looming presidential election. I should let go of it but I can't. It's the bullshit that gets me. The fact that a week ago FBI director James Comey changed the narrative and possibly the election based on NOTHING. Nothing. And the same right-wring frothbots are at it again. With NOTHING. They create smoke and they hope you think there's a fire. 

But enough of that. Enjoy this. And rest easy, Steve Bartman. 

Cubs win first championship in 108 years

Now that the Cubs have finally done it after 108 years, which current team has the longest championship drought? That would be their opponents last night—the team that came back in the bottom of the 8th with three runs to tie it. The team that couldn't hold on in the top of the 10th to win it. The Cleveland Indians.

Here's the new chart. “Pennants Since” means how many times they've been to the World Series since they last won a championship. Again, Cleveland is on top here. Any errors, report to me:

Team Last Title Yrs Since Pennants Since
Indians 1948 68 4
Senators/Rangers * 1961 55 2
Astros * 1962 54 1
Padres * 1969 47 2
Pilots/Brewers * 1969 47 1
Expos/Nationals ** 1969 47 0
Mariners ** 1977 39 0
Pirates 1979 37 0
Browns/Orioles 1983 33 0
Tigers 1984 32 2
Mets 1986 30 2
Dodgers 1988 28 0
Athletics 1989 27 0
Reds 1990 26 0
Senators/Twins 1991 25 0
Blue Jays 1993 23 0
Rockies * 1993 23 1
Braves 1995 21 2
Rays * 1998 18 1
D-backs 2001 15 0
Angels 2002 14 0
Marlins 2003 13 0
White Sox 2005 11 0
Phillies 2008 8 0
Yankees 2009 7 0
Cardinals 2011 5 1
Red Sox 2013 3 0
Giants 2014 2 0
Royals 2015 1 0
Cubs 2016 0 0

* Have never won a championship
** Have never been to the World Series

I still find it fascinating that for every year MLB has expanded, only one of the teams from that year has ever won a World Series championship. Even in 1969, when there were four teams that entered the Majors, only one of those teams, the KC Royals, has won a title. They've won two, in fact. The others? Padres went twice, lost twice. Brewers went once, lost once. Expos/Nats have never been. 

Am I the only one who's noticed this?

Posted at 09:33 AM on Thursday November 03, 2016 in category Baseball