From: ron@osf.org (Ron Birnbaum)
Subject: Team Seires milepost years
Organization: Open Software Foundation
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 18:52:52 GMT

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This is a copy of some email sent to my company, based in Boston. Seems
like it would be of interest to r.s.b, so here it is:

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So, we all know that Red Sox fans are always whining about not winning the
World Series since forever.  Well, what about in other towns?  How long have
teams in other towns been whining?

The following is a list of the 26 major league teams.  The parentheses
after the team contains other cities that the franchise has resided in since
the World Series began in 1903, if any.  The year column is either the last 
time the team won the World Series, or (if in parentheses) the year the team 
was created.  Those parentheses mean that the team has *never* won the World 
Series.  If a team moves, the records move with them.  For example, the last 
time the Braves won was in 1957, when the team was in Milwaukee.

Minnesota (Wash)		1991
Cincinnatti			1990
Oakland (Phi, KC)		1989
Los Angeles (Bkn)		1988
New York Mets			1986
Kansas City			1985
Detroit				1984
Baltimore (StL)			1983
St. Louis			1982
Philadelphia			1980
Pittsburgh			1979
New York Yankees 		1978
Toronto				(1977)
Seattle				(1977)
Milwaukee (Sea)			(1969)
Montreal			(1969)
San Diego			(1969)
Houston				(1962)
California (LA) 	        (1961)
Texas (Wash)			(1961)
Atlanta (Bos, Mil)		1957
San Francisco (NY)		1954
Cleveland			1948
Boston				1918
Chicago	White Sox		1917
Chicago	Cubs			1908


*  Expansion teams haven't had much success.

There were 16 major league teams from 1901-1960.  All of these teams have 
won a World Series, which began in 1903.  Of the ten expansion teams, only 
two have *ever* won a World Series.  The Mets (69,86) and Royals (85).  I 
think this is very odd.  For example, there were two expansion teams in 
1961 (now California and Texas) and they have never even sniffed a Series.  
I mean, they aren't expansion teams anymore, right?  After 32 years?

* Neither have many of the other teams.

For that matter, since the first expansion teams in 1961, only 10 of the 
*original* 16 teams have won the World Series.  ONLY 12 OF THE 26 TEAMS 
HAVE WON THE WORLD SERIES IN THE PAST 35 YEARS.  Even more pronounced is the 
American League.  Only 9 of the 14 teams in the AL have *ever* won the 
World Series, and only 6 in the past 44 years.

* And another thing

Actually, there are two other teams that have not won since they were in
a different city (Giants and Braves).  So of the 26 current teams, 10 of
them have *never* won in their current version.  Thats ten cities worth of 
suffering.  There is a chance that one of those ten (Atlanta or Toronto) 
will win this year.

* A few teams have broken through on this list recently.  For example, the 
Royals became the 18th and most recent entry of teams that have won, in 
1985.  The Twins victory in 1987 was the first for the franchise since
they were in Washington in 1924.  So they were *0 for 62*.  This is the fifth 
longest drought of all time.

* The Philadelphia Phillies were the 17th team, and the last of the 
original 16 teams, to win the Series, in 1980.  Another way to arrange this 
is by when the *first* time they won the World Series was.  So, here is 
that list :

Boston				1903
San Francisco (NY)		1905
Chicago	White Sox		1906
Chicago	Cubs			1907
Pittsburgh			1909
Oakland (Phi, KC)		1910
Atlanta (Bos, Mil)		1914
Cincinnatti			1919
Cleveland			1920
New York Yankees 		1923
Minnesota (Wash)		1924
St. Louis			1926
Detroit				1935
Los Angeles (Bkn)		1955
Baltimore (StL)			1966
New York Mets			1969
Philadelphia			1980
Kansas City			1985

So the Phillies went *0 for 76*, which is the the second longest streak ever.  
The top ten streaks (number of consecutive years without winning the World 
Series) :

Chicago Cubs		(09-present)	84
Phil. Phillies  	(03,05-79)	76
Chicago W Sox   	(18-present)	75
Boston R Sox    	(19-present)    74
Wash Sens/Minn Twins 	(25-86)		62
StL Browns/Balt Orioles	(03,05-65)      62
Brooklyn Dodgers	(03,05-54)      51
Cleveland Indians       (49-present)    44
Bos/Milw Braves         (15-56)         42
Phil/KC/Oakland A's     (31-71)         41

Now that there are more teams, of course, winning the World Series is harder.
So, in many ways a streak like the Phillies is that much more amazing.
The first 57 years were in a 16 team pool.  The Giants will break into this
top ten if they can avoid winning until 1996, which they seem capable of
doing.  The Braves need to hold out until 2000, which could be difficult
to do.  They may not even last the month.  The early expansion teams (like
California, Texas and Houston) will crack 40 at the turn of the century as
well.  This list will be a-changin'.  Like I said, going 40 years in a 28
team pool isn't that difficult.  I expect that there are several current
teams that will not win in the next 50 years.

*MATH BREAK*

The chances of winning at least 1 Series title in an X team pool in Y 
years is   1 - ( (X-1)/X) ** Y )

			20 years	40 years	60 years
          16 teams      .73		.92		.98
	  28 teams      .52		.76		.88

A forty year streak is not going to be that difficult anymore.

[This formula assumes that each team, given the talent, has an equal
 shot at the World Series.  Specifically it assumes that the divisions
 and leagues are the same size.  Currently, of course, each American 
 League team has a lesser chance of of winning the division, and
 therefore a lesser chance of winning the Series.  Next year that will
 change. ]

*END MATH BREAK*

The White Sox and Red Sox seem poised to pass the Phillies streak.  The 
only way the Red Sox can move up any further is if the White Sox or Cubs 
win.  Can they?

*  The Curse of Chick Gandil

In the first 15 World Series, the cities of Boston and Chicago were
represented 13 times, winning 10.  In 1904, the New York Giants refused
to play the defending Champion Red Sox.  Going back into the 19th century, 
we would see the same thing, with those cities dominating the early 
National League years as well as the other various major leagues of the 
era.

In 1919, it was all going to happen again, as the White Sox appeared
ready to crush the inferior Reds team.  However, two very unusual things 
happened at the end of 1919 : the White Sox threw the World Series;
the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth.  Since then, Boston and Chicago have been
shut out.  The cities had 4 teams from 1919-1952, and three since then.
So, since 1918, the two cities are a combined *0 for 296*!

In that same period, the city of New York has won 29 Series in 183 tries,
which is extraordinary.  The longest drought for the city of New York since
the Ruth sale has been 7 YEARS (70-76, again 79-85)!  They are currently in 
a six year dry spell.  Those poor people.

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FYI, this is the raw data.  By the way, I think everyone should KNOW this
information.

World Series contestants.  BOLD indicates the winner.

        NL              AL

1991	Atlanta		MINNESOTA
1990	CINCINNATTI	Oakland
1989	San Francisco	OAKLAND
1988	LOS ANGELES	Oakland
1987    St. Louis	MINNESOTA
1986    NEW YORK	Boston
1985    St. Louis	KANSAS CITY
1984    San Diego	DETROIT
1983	Philadelphia	BALTIMORE
1982    ST. LOUIS	Milwaukee
1981	LOS ANGELES	New York
1980	PHILADELPHIA	Kansas City
1979	PITTSBURGH	Baltimore
1978	Los Angeles	NEW YORK
1977	Los Angeles	NEW YORK
1976	CINCINNATTI	New York
1975	CINCINNATTI	Boston
1974	Los Angeles	OAKLAND
1973    New York	OAKLAND
1972	Cincinnatti	OAKLAND
1971	PITTSBURGH	Baltimore
1970	Cincinnatti	BALTIMORE
1969    NEW YORK	Baltimore
1968    St. Louis	DETROIT
1967    ST. LOUIS	Boston
1966	Los Angeles	BALTIMORE
1965	LOS ANGELES	Minnesota
1964    ST. LOUIS	New York
1963	LOS ANGELES	New York
1962	San Francisco	NEW YORK
1961    Cincinnatti	NEW YORK
1960	PITTSBURGH	New York
1959	LOS ANGELES	Chicago
1958	Milwaukee	NEW YORK
1957	MILWAUKEE	New York
1956	Brooklyn	NEW YORK
1955	BROOKLYN	New York
1954    NEW YORK	Cleveland
1953	Brooklyn	NEW YORK
1952	Brooklyn	NEW YORK
1951    New York	NEW YORK
1950	Philadelphia	NEW YORK
1949	Brooklyn	NEW YORK
1948	Boston		CLEVELAND
1947	Brooklyn	NEW YORK
1946    ST. LOUIS	Boston
1945	Chicago		DETROIT
1944    ST. LOUIS	St.  Louis
1943    St. Louis	NEW YORK
1942    ST. LOUIS	New York
1941	Brooklyn	NEW YORK
1940	CINCINNATTI	Detroit
1939	Cincinnatti	NEW YORK
1938	Chicago		NEW YORK
1937    New York	NEW YORK
1936    New York	NEW YORK
1935	Chicago		DETROIT
1934    ST. LOUIS	Detroit
1933    NEW YORK	Washington
1932	Chicago		NEW YORK
1931    ST. LOUIS	Philadelphia
1930    St. Louis	PHILADELPHIA
1929	Chicago		PHILADELPHIA
1928    St. Louis	NEW YORK
1927	Pittsburgh	NEW YORK
1926    ST. LOUIS	New York
1925	PITTSBURGH	Washington
1924    New York	WASHINGTON
1923    New York	NEW YORK
1922    NEW YORK	New York
1921    NEW YORK	New York
1920	Brooklyn	CLEVELAND
1919	CINCINNATTI	Chicago
1918    Chicago		BOSTON
1917    New York	CHICAGO
1916	Brooklyn	BOSTON
1915	Philadelphia	BOSTON
1914	BOSTON		Philadelphia
1913    New York	PHILADELPHIA
1912    New York	BOSTON
1911    New York	PHILADELPHIA
1910    Chicago		PHILADELPHIA
1909	PITTSBURGH	Detroit
1908	CHICAGO		Detroit
1907	CHICAGO		Detroit
1906	Chicago		CHICAGO
1905    NEW YORK	Philadelphia
1904    New York	Boston		(no Series)
1903	Pittsburgh	BOSTON
1902	Pittsburgh      Philadelphia	(no Series)
1901	Pittsburgh      Chicago		(no Series)