List of Major League Baseball franchise postseason droughts
World Series championship droughts -- Longest current World Series championship droughts
Table:
Seasons

Team

Last World Series championship won

Last World Series appearance

75
Cleveland Indians
1948
2016

63
Texas Rangers
Never (franchise began 1961)
2011

55
Milwaukee Brewers
Never (franchise began 1969)
1982

55
San Diego Padres
Never (franchise began 1969)
1998

47
Seattle Mariners
Never (franchise began 1977)
Never

44
Pittsburgh Pirates
1979
1979

40
Baltimore Orioles
1983
1983

39
Detroit Tigers
1984
2012

37
New York Mets
1986
2015

35
Los Angeles Dodgers
1988
2018

34
Oakland Athletics
1989
1990

33
Cincinnati Reds
1990
1990

32
Minnesota Twins
1991
1991

31
Colorado Rockies
Never (franchise began 1993)
2007

30
Toronto Blue Jays
1993
1993

28
Atlanta Braves
1995
1999

26
Tampa Bay Rays
Never (franchise began 1998)
2008

22
Arizona Diamondbacks
2001
2001

21
Los Angeles Angels
2002
2002

20
Miami Marlins
2003
2003

Based on the given table plus the article excerpts provided.

Give the answer to the question: What year was the team that went the fewest seasons longer than the Baltimore Orioles without winning a World Series founded ? Provide just your answer in a JSON object {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}.

The Cleveland Indians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland , Ohio . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the American League ( AL ) Central division . Since 1994 , they have played at Progressive Field . The team 's spring training facility is at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear , Arizona . Since their establishment as a major league franchise in 1901 , the team has won 10 Central Division titles , six American League pennants , and two World Series championships , ( in 1920 and 1948 ) . The team 's current 71-year World Series championship drought is the longest active among all 30 current Major League teams . The name Indians originated from a request by club owner Charles Somers to baseball writers to choose a new name to replace Cleveland Naps following the departure of Nap Lajoie after the 1914 season . It was a revival of the nickname that fans gave to the Cleveland Spiders while Louis Sockalexis , a Native American , was playing for the team . Common nicknames for the Indians include the Tribe and the Wahoos , the latter referencing their former logo , Chief Wahoo . The team 's mascot is named Slider . The franchise originated in 1894 as the Grand Rapids Rustlers , a minor league team in the Western League . The team relocated to Cleveland in 1900 and was renamed the Cleveland Lake Shores .
The 1948 World Series saw the Cleveland Indians against the Boston Braves . The Braves had won the National League pennant for the first time since the Miracle Braves team of 1914 , while the Indians had spoiled a chance for the only all-Boston World Series by winning a one-game playoff against the Boston Red Sox for the American League flag . Though superstar pitcher Bob Feller failed to win either of his two starts , the Indians won the Series in six games to capture their second championship and their first since 1920 ( as well as their last to the present date ) . It was the first World Series to be televised beyond the previous year 's limited New York-Schenectady-Philadelphia-Baltimore-Washington network and was announced by famed sportcasters Red Barber , Tom Hussey ( in Boston ) and Van Patrick ( in Cleveland ) . This was the second appearance in the Fall Classic for both teams , with the Indians ' lone previous appearance coming in a 1920 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Braves ' lone previous appearance coming in a 1914 win against the Philadelphia Athletics . Consequently , this was the first , and to date only , World Series in which both participating teams had previously played in , but not yet lost , a previous World Series . Currently , this phenomenon can only be repeated if either the Miami Marlins or the Arizona Diamondbacks play against either the Toronto Blue Jays or the Los Angeles Angels in a future World Series . Television coverage of the World Series increased this year , but due to the medium still being in its infancy coverage was strictly regional . Games played in Boston could only be seen in the Northeast , while when the series shifted to Cleveland those games were the first to be aired in Chicago , Pittsburgh , Milwaukee , St. Louis , Detroit and Toledo . This was the only World Series from 1947 to 1958 not to feature a New York team , and also the last World Series until 1957 not won by a New York team ( which the Braves won over the Yankees , after they had relocated to Milwaukee ) . The teams would meet again in the 1995 World Series won by the Braves - by then relocated to Atlanta . This was the first World Series and the last until 2016 where the series score was even .
The 2016 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 2016 season . The 112th edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League ( NL ) champion Chicago Cubs and the American League ( AL ) champion Cleveland Indians , the first meeting of those franchises in postseason history . The series was played between October 25 and November 2 ( although Game 7 ended slightly after 12:00 am local time on November 3 ) . The Indians had home-field advantage because the AL had won the 2016 All-Star Game . This was the final World Series to have home-field advantage determined by the All-Star Game results ; since 2017 , home-field advantage has been awarded to the team with the better record . The Cubs defeated the Indians 4 games to 3 to win their first World Series since 1908 . Game 7 , an 8-7 victory in 10 innings , marked the fifth time that a Game 7 had gone into extra innings and the first since 1997 ( which the Indians also lost ) . It was also the first Game 7 to have a rain delay , which occurred as the tenth inning was about to start . The Cubs became the sixth team to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a best-of-seven World Series , following the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates , the 1958 New York Yankees , the 1968 Detroit Tigers , the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates , and the 1985 Kansas City Royals . The Cubs , playing in their eleventh World Series and their first since 1945 , won their third championship and first since 1908 , ending the longest world championship drought in North American professional sports history . It was the Indians ' sixth appearance in the World Series and their first since 1997 , with their last Series win having come in 1948 . Cleveland manager Terry Francona , who had previously won World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox in 2004 and 2007 , fell short in his bid to become the third manager to win his first three trips to the Fall Classic , after Casey Stengel and Joe Torre .
The Texas Rangers are an American professional baseball team based in Arlington , Texas , located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the American League ( AL ) West division . In 2020 , they will move to the new Globe Life Field after having played at Globe Life Park in Arlington from 1994 to 2019 . The team 's name is borrowed from the famous law enforcement agency of the same name . The franchise was established in 1961 as the Washington Senators , an expansion team awarded to Washington , D.C. , after the city 's first AL ballclub , the second Washington Senators , moved to Minnesota and became the Twins ( the original Washington Senators played primarily in the National League during the 1890s ) . After the 1971 season , the new Senators moved to Arlington , and debuted as the Rangers the following spring . The Rangers have made eight appearances in the MLB postseason , seven following division championships in 1996 , 1998 , 1999 , 2010 , 2011 , 2015 , and 2016 and as a wild card team in 2012 . In 2010 , the Rangers advanced past the Division Series for the first time , defeating the Tampa Bay Rays . The team then brought home their first American League pennant after beating the New York Yankees in six games . In the 2010 World Series , the franchise 's first , the Rangers fell to the San Francisco Giants in five games . They repeated as American League champions the following year , then lost the 2011 World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games .
The 1961 Major League Baseball season was played from April 10 to October 12 , 1961 . That season saw the New York Yankees defeat the Cincinnati Reds in five games in the World Series . The season is best known for Yankee teammates Roger Maris ' and Mickey Mantle 's pursuit of Babe Ruth 's prestigious 34-year-old single-season home run record of 60 . Maris ultimately broke the record when he hit his 61st home run on the final day of the regular season , while Mantle was forced out of the lineup in late-September due to a hip infection and finished with 54 home runs . In response to the proposed Continental League , the American League expanded by two teams in the first MLB expansion since 1901 . The original Washington Senators moved to Minnesota and became the Minnesota Twins . The American League therefore placed a new team in Washington , also called the Senators . Also , the American League placed a team in Los Angeles called the Los Angeles Angels . In order to keep its schedule balanced , the American League season was extended by eight games . Previously , teams had played 154 games ( 22 games per opponent ) , but from 1961 AL teams would play opponents 18 times each for a total of 162 games . The National League played a 154 game schedule for the final time in 1961 before switching to 162 games when they also expanded to ten teams for the following season .
The 2011 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 2011 season . The 107th edition of World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League ( AL ) champion Texas Rangers and the National League ( NL ) champion St. Louis Cardinals ; the Cardinals defeated the Rangers in seven games to win their 11th World Series championship and their first since 2006 . The Series was noted for its back-and-forth Game 6 , in which the Cardinals erased a two-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning , then did it again in the 10th . In both innings , the Rangers were one strike away from their first World Series championship . The Cardinals won the game in the 11th inning on a walk-off home run by David Freese . The Series was also known for the blowout Game 3 , in which Cardinals player Albert Pujols hit three home runs , a World Series feat previously accomplished only by Reggie Jackson and Babe Ruth , and subsequently by Pablo Sandoval ( in 2012 ) . The Series began on October 19 , earlier than the previous season so that no games would be played in November . The Cardinals enjoyed home-field advantage for the series because the NL won the 2011 All-Star Game 5-1 on July 12 . The 2011 World Series was the first World Series to go all seven games since the 2002 Series .
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee , Wisconsin . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the National League ( NL ) Central division . The team is named for the city 's association with the brewing industry . Since 2001 , the Brewers have played their home games at Miller Park , which has a seating capacity of 41,900 . The team was founded in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots , an expansion team of the American League ( AL ) , in Seattle , Washington . The Pilots played their home games at Sick 's Stadium . After only one season , the team relocated to Milwaukee , becoming known as the Brewers and playing their home games at Milwaukee County Stadium . In 1998 , the Brewers joined the National League . They are the only franchise to play in four different divisions since the advent of divisional play in Major League Baseball in 1969 . They are also one of two current MLB franchises to switch leagues in their history , the other one being the Houston Astros . The team 's only World Series appearance came in 1982 , and they are one of only six current MLB teams that have never won the World Series . After winning the ALCS against the California Angels , the Brewers faced off against the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series , losing 4-3 .
The 1969 Major League Baseball season was celebrated as the 100th anniversary of professional baseball , honoring the first professional touring baseball team , the Cincinnati Red Stockings .
The 1982 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 1982 season . The 79th edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National League ( NL ) champion St. Louis Cardinals and the American League ( AL ) champion Milwaukee Brewers . The Cardinals won the series , four games to three . The Cardinals had last been in the World Series in 1968 ; a Milwaukee team , the Braves , had last contended in 1958 . The Milwaukee team of 1982 started as an expansion team , the Seattle Pilots , in 1969 , which then moved to Milwaukee in 1970 and changed their name to the Brewers . The Cardinals made it to the Series by winning the NL East division by three games over the Philadelphia Phillies , and then defeating the Atlanta Braves , three games to none , in the NL Championship Series . The Brewers made it by winning the AL East division by one game over the Baltimore Orioles , and then defeating the California Angels , three games to two , in the AL Championship Series . As of 2019 , it is the Brewers ' only World Series appearance . The Cardinals ' victory helped the National League win four straight World Series from 1979 to 1982 . The National League would not again win even consecutive titles until the 2010 Giants , the 2011 Cardinals and the 2012 Giants . Though the teams had never met before , their home cities had a commercial rivalry in the beer market , as St. Louis is the home of Anheuser-Busch , which owned the Cardinals at the time , while Milwaukee is the home of Miller Brewing and other past major competitors of Anheuser-Busch . This led the media to refer to it as the Suds Series .
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego , California . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the National League ( NL ) West division . Founded in 1969 , the Padres have won two NL pennants - in 1984 and 1998 , losing in the World Series both years . As of 2018 , they have had 14 winning seasons in franchise history . The Padres are one of two Major League Baseball teams ( the other being the Los Angeles Angels ) in California to originate from that state ; the Athletics were originally from Philadelphia ( and moved to the state from Kansas City ) , and the Dodgers and Giants are originally from two New York City boroughs - Brooklyn and Manhattan , respectively . The Padres are the only MLB team that does not share its city with another franchise in the four major American professional sports leagues . The Padres are the only major professional sports franchise to be located in San Diego , following the relocation of the Chargers to Los Angeles in 2017 . They are also the only franchise in the MLB not to have a no-hitter , having gone 8,020 games without throwing one , a major league record to begin a franchise .
The 1998 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 1998 season . The 94th edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League ( AL ) champion New York Yankees and the National League ( NL ) champion San Diego Padres . The Yankees swept the Padres in four games to win their second World Series championship in three years and their 24th overall . Yankees third baseman Scott Brosius was named the World Series Most Valuable Player . The Yankees advanced to the World Series by defeating the Texas Rangers in the AL Division Series , three games to none , and then the Cleveland Indians in the AL Championship Series , four games to two . The Padres advanced to the series by defeating the Houston Astros in the NL Division Series , three games to one , and then the Atlanta Braves in the NL Championship Series , four games to two . It was the Yankees ' second appearance in the World Series in three years , and San Diego 's second World Series appearance overall , their first since losing in 1984 . This was officially the first World Series that Bud Selig presided over as Commissioner of Baseball , although he had presided over the Commissioner 's Trophy presentation at the end of the 1995 and 1997 World Series as the interim Commissioner . For the first time , the same city - San Diego - hosted both the final World Series game and the Super Bowl the same year ; not only were they held in the same city , they were both also held in the same stadium , Qualcomm Stadium .
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle , Washington . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the American League ( AL ) West division . The team joined the American League as an expansion team in 1977 playing their home games in the Kingdome . Since July 1999 , the Mariners ' home ballpark has been T-Mobile Park ( formerly Safeco Field ) , located in the SoDo neighborhood of Seattle . The Mariners name originates from the prominence of marine culture in the city of Seattle . They are nicknamed the M 's , a title featured in their primary logo from 1987 to 1992 . They adopted their current team colors - navy blue , northwest green ( teal ) , and silver - prior to the 1993 season , after having been royal blue and gold since the team 's inception . Their mascot is the Mariner Moose . The organization did not field a winning team until 1991 , and any real success eluded them until 1995 when they won their first division championship and defeated the New York Yankees in the ALDS . The game-winning hit in Game 5 , in which Edgar Martínez drove home Ken Griffey Jr. to win the game in the 11th inning , clinched a series win for the Mariners , served as a powerful impetus to preserve baseball in Seattle , and has since become an iconic moment in team history . The Mariners won 116 games in 2001 , which set the American League record for most wins in a single season and tied the 1906 Chicago Cubs for the Major League record for most wins in a single season . Through the end of the 2019 season , the franchise has finished with a losing record in 29 of 43 seasons .
The 1977 Major League Baseball season . The American League had its third expansion as the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays began play . However , the National League did not expand , thus they remained at twelve teams , to the AL 's fourteen , until the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins joined in 1993 .
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the National League ( NL ) Central division . Founded in 1881 under the name Pittsburgh Allegheny , the franchise has won five World Series championships . The Pirates are also often referred to as the Bucs or the Buccos ( derived from buccaneer , a synonym for pirate ) . The team plays its home games at PNC Park , its home since 2001 . The Pirates previously played at Forbes Field from 1909-1970 and at Three Rivers Stadium , so named because of its location near the confluence of the Allegheny , Monongahela , and Ohio rivers , from 1970-2000 . The franchise joined the NL in its eighth season in 1887 and was competitive from its early years , winning three NL titles from 1901 to 1903 , playing in the inaugural World Series in 1903 and winning their first World Series in 1909 behind Honus Wagner . The Pirates have had many ups and downs during their long history , most famously winning the 1960 World Series against the New York Yankees on a series-winning walk-off home run by Bill Mazeroski , the only time that Game 7 of the World Series has ever ended with a home run . They also won the 1971 World Series , led by the talent of Roberto Clemente , and the 1979 World Series under the slogan We Are Family , led by Pops Willie Stargell . After a run of regular-season success in the early 1990s ( winning three straight NL East Division titles ) , the Pirates struggled mightily over the following 20 years , with 20 consecutive losing seasons from 1993 to 2012 - the longest such streak in American professional sports history - before posting a winning record in 2013 of 94-68 , qualifying them for the NL Wild Card . They advanced to the NL Division Series round , where they lost in 5 games to the St. Louis Cardinals . The Pirates made the playoffs in both 2014 and 2015 , losing in the Wild Card Game both times .
The 1979 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 1979 season . The 76th edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National League ( NL ) champion Pittsburgh Pirates ( 98-64 ) and the American League ( AL ) champion Baltimore Orioles ( 102-57 ) . The Pirates won in seven games , becoming the fourth team in World Series history to come back from a three-games-to-one deficit to win the Series . This marked the second time in the 1970s the Pirates won a World Series Game 7 on the road against the Orioles , the previous time being in the 1971 World Series . The Pirates were famous for adopting Sister Sledge 's hit song We Are Family as their theme song during the 1979 season . Willie Stargell , pitcher Bruce Kison , and catcher Manny Sanguillén were the only players left over from the Pirates team that defeated the Orioles in 1971 , and Orioles ' pitcher Jim Palmer , shortstop Mark Belanger , and manager Earl Weaver were the only remaining Orioles from the 1971 team . Grant Jackson pitched for the Orioles in the 1971 series and for the Pirates in the 1979 series . In this Series , it was the AL team 's turn to play by NL rules , meaning no designated hitter and the Orioles ' pitchers would have to bat . While this resulted in Tim Stoddard getting his first major league hit and runs batted in in Game 4 , overall , it hurt the Orioles because Lee May , their designated hitter for much of the season and a key part of their offense , was only able to bat three times in the whole series . Willie Stargell , who was named the World Series Most Valuable Player , hit .400 with a record seven extra-base hits and matched Reggie Jackson 's record of 25 total bases , set in 1977 . The 1979 Pirates were the last team to win Game 7 of a World Series on the road until the San Francisco Giants defeated the Royals in Kansas City to win Game 7 of the 2014 series . With the Steelers having already won Super Bowl XIII ( they would later repeat in Super Bowl XIV following the Pirates ' championship ) , Pittsburgh also became the third city to win both the Super Bowl and the World Series in the same season or calendar year .
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore , Maryland . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the American League ( AL ) East division . As one of the American League 's eight charter teams in 1901 , this particular franchise spent its first year as a major league club in Milwaukee , Wisconsin , as the Milwaukee Brewers before moving to St. Louis , Missouri , to become the St. Louis Browns in 1902 . After 52 years in St. Louis , the franchise was purchased in November 1953 by a syndicate of Baltimore business and civic interests led by attorney and civic activist Clarence Miles and Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro , Jr . The team 's current owner is American trial lawyer Peter Angelos . The Orioles adopted their team name in honor of the official state bird of Maryland ; it had also been used by several previous major and minor league baseball clubs in Baltimore , including another AL charter member franchise also named the Baltimore Orioles , which moved north in 1903 to eventually become the New York Yankees . Nicknames for the team include the O 's and the Birds . The Orioles experienced their greatest success from 1966 to 1983 , when they made six World Series appearances , winning three of them ( 1966 , 1970 , 1983 ) . This era of the club featured several future Hall of Famers who would later be inducted representing the Orioles , such as third baseman Brooks Robinson , outfielder Frank Robinson , starting pitcher Jim Palmer , first baseman Eddie Murray , shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. , and manager Earl Weaver . The Orioles have won a total of nine division championships ( 1969-1971 , 1973-1974 , 1979 , 1983 , 1997 , 2014 ) , six pennants ( 1966 , 1969-1971 , 1979 , 1983 ) , and three wild card berths ( 1996 , 2012 , 2016 ) . Since moving to Baltimore in 1954 , the franchise has a win-loss record of 5306-5174 ( with a winning percentage of .506 ) as of the end of the 2019 season . After suffering a stretch of 14 straight losing seasons from 1998 to 2011 , the team qualified for the postseason three times under manager Buck Showalter and general manager Dan Duquette , including a division title and advancement to the American League Championship Series for the first time in 17 years in 2014 .
The 1983 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 1983 season . The 80th edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League champion Baltimore Orioles and the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies . The Orioles won , four games to one . The I-95 Series , like the World Series two years later , also took its nickname from the interstate that the teams and fans traveled on , Interstate 95 in this case . This was the last World Series that Bowie Kuhn presided over as commissioner . This is Baltimore 's most recent World Series championship , and also their most recent appearance in a World Series . This was the first World Series since 1956 in which the teams did not use air travel , as Baltimore and Philadelphia are approximately 100 miles apart .
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit , Michigan . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member of the American League ( AL ) Central division . One of the AL 's eight charter franchises , the club was founded in Detroit as a member of the minor league Western League in 1894 and is the only Western League team still in its original city . They are also the oldest continuous one name , one city franchise in the AL . Since their establishment as a major league franchise in 1901 , the Tigers have won four World Series championships ( 1935 , 1945 , 1968 , and 1984 ) , 11 AL pennants ( 1907 , 1908 , 1909 , 1934 , 1935 , 1940 , 1945 , 1968 , 1984 , 2006 , 2012 ) , and four AL Central division championships ( 2011 , 2012 , 2013 , and 2014 ) . They also won division titles in 1972 , 1984 , and 1987 as a member of the AL East . The team currently plays its home games at Comerica Park in Downtown Detroit . The Tigers constructed Bennett Park at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Trumbull Avenue in Corktown ( just west of Downtown Detroit ) and began playing there in 1896 . In 1912 , the team moved into Navin Field , which was built on the same location . It was expanded in 1938 and renamed Briggs Stadium . It was renamed Tiger Stadium in 1961 and the Tigers played there until moving to Comerica Park in 2000 . From 1901 to 2019 , the Tigers ' overall win-loss record is 9,346-9,191 ( a winning percentage of .504 ) .
The 1984 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 1984 season . The 81st edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League ( AL ) champion Detroit Tigers and the National League ( NL ) champion San Diego Padres . The Tigers won the series , four games to one . This was the city of Detroit 's first sports championship since the Tigers themselves won the 1968 World Series . This was the first World Series that Peter Ueberroth presided over as commissioner . Ueberroth began his tenure on October 1 , succeeding Bowie Kuhn . Ueberroth had been elected as Kuhn 's successor prior to the 1984 season , but did not take over until the postseason as he was serving as the chairman of the 1984 Summer Olympics , which ran from July 28 through August 12 . This was the last World Series in which the designated hitter was used for games played in a NL team 's ballpark in the World Series ( as in even-numbered years , the DH would be used in all games , which was first instituted in 1976 ) . The next World Series did not use the DH ( as odd-numbered years saw the DH rule not in force for the World Series ) . Starting in 1986 , the DH would only be used in games played at the AL representative 's park .
The 2012 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 2012 season . The 108th edition of the World Series , the series was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League ( NL ) champion San Francisco Giants and the American League ( AL ) champion Detroit Tigers ; the Giants won in a four-game sweep . This marked the Giants ' seventh World Series title in franchise history , their second in San Francisco ( they won five in New York ) , and their second in a three-year period ( 2010-2012 ) . Their World Series sweep was the first by an NL team since the Cincinnati Reds swept the Oakland Athletics in the 1990 series and the first NL sweep not by the Reds since 1963 , when the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the New York Yankees . This was also the first World Series since 1988 to feature both of that year 's League MVPs ( Miguel Cabrera for the AL and Buster Posey for the NL ) . The Giants ' Pablo Sandoval , who in Game 1 tied a record by hitting three home runs in one World Series game , two off Tigers ' ace pitcher Justin Verlander , was named the World Series Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) . The San Francisco Giants held home field advantage for the World Series due to the NL winning the 2012 MLB All-Star Game : San Francisco hosted Games 1 and 2 , and would have hosted Games 6 and 7 if these had been necessary to decide the Series . The 2012 series began on Wednesday , October 24 , at AT & T Park in San Francisco , California and ended on Sunday , October 28 , at Comerica Park in Detroit , Michigan , with the conclusion of the fourth game . The Tigers advanced to the World Series after sweeping the Yankees in the AL Championship Series . The Giants advanced to the World Series after winning the National League Championship Series 4 games to 3 over the St. Louis Cardinals , the 2011 World Series winners . As of 2019 , this is the most recent World Series to end in a sweep .
The New York Mets are a Major League Baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the National League ( NL ) East division . They are one of two MLB teams based in New York City , the other being the New York Yankees of the American League ( AL ) . One of baseball 's first expansion teams , the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York 's departed NL teams , the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants . The team 's colors combine the Dodgers ' blue and the Giants ' orange . For the 1962 and 1963 seasons , the Mets played home games at the Polo Grounds . From 1964 to 2008 , their home ballpark was Shea Stadium . In 2009 , they moved into their current ballpark , Citi Field . In their inaugural season , the Mets posted a record of 40-120 , the worst regular season record since MLB went to a 162-game schedule . The team never finished better than second-to-last until the Miracle Mets beat the Baltimore Orioles in the 1969 World Series , one of the biggest upsets in World Series history . Since then , they have played in four World Series , including a dramatic run in 1973 that ended in a seven-game loss to the Oakland Athletics , a second championship in 1986 over the Boston Red Sox , a Subway Series loss against their cross-town rivals the New York Yankees in 2000 , and a five-game loss to the Kansas City Royals in 2015 . The Mets qualified to play in the MLB postseason in 1988 and 2006 , coming within one game of the World Series both years .
The 1986 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 1986 season . The 83rd edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National League ( NL ) champion New York Mets and the American League ( AL ) champion Boston Red Sox . The Mets won the Series in the seventh game , after overcoming a deficit of two runs with two outs and no one on base in the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 6 . This was a game in which the Red Sox were twice one strike away from victory , and known for the famous error by Boston 's first baseman Bill Buckner after their lead had already been blown . Game 6 has been cited in the legend of the Curse of the Bambino to explain the major comeback . The 1986 World Series marked the second time in which that team lost the first two games of the series at home ( it had first happened in the previous year 's World Series ) . It was also the first World Series to use the designated hitter only in games played at the American League representative 's stadium , a policy which has continued since ( prior to this , since 1976 , the DH would be used in all parks in the World Series for even-numbered years , but in odd-numbered years , the DH rule would not be in effect ) .
The 2015 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 2015 season . The 111th edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League ( NL ) champion New York Mets and the American League ( AL ) champion Kansas City Royals . The series was played between October 27 and November 1 , with the Royals winning the series 4 games to 1 . It was the first time since the 2010 World Series that the Series extended into November . The Royals had home field advantage for the first two games of the series because of the AL 's 6-3 victory in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game . It was the 13th World Series in which home field advantage was awarded to the league that won the All-Star Game , a practice that was discontinued after the 2016 season . The series was played in a 2-3-2 format : the Royals hosted Games 1 and 2 , and the Mets hosted Games 3 , 4 , and 5 . ( There was no Game 6 or 7 , which the Royals would have hosted . ) The Royals became the first team since the Oakland Athletics in the 1989 World Series to win the World Series after losing in the previous year . It was the first World Series to feature two expansion teams . Salvador Pérez was named the World Series Most Valuable Player .
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles , California . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the National League ( NL ) West division . Established in 1883 in Brooklyn , New York , the team moved to Los Angeles before the 1958 season . They played for four seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before moving to their current home of Dodger Stadium in 1962 . The Dodgers have won six World Series championships and twenty three National League pennants . Eleven NL MVP award winners have played for the Dodgers , winning a total of thirteen MVP Awards ; eight Cy Young Award winners have also pitched for the Dodgers , winning a total of twelve Cy Young Awards . The team has eighteen Rookie of the Year Award winners , more than twice as many as the second place New York Yankees 8 . The Dodgers have had four consecutive Rookies of the Year from 1979 to 1982 and five in a row from 1992 to 1996 .
The 1988 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 1988 season . The 85th edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League ( AL ) champion Oakland Athletics and the National League ( NL ) champion Los Angeles Dodgers , with the Dodgers upsetting the heavily favored Athletics to win the Series in five games . It is best known for the pinch-hit walk-off home run hit by Dodgers outfielder Kirk Gibson , who could barely walk due to injuries suffered during the NL Championship Series , against Athletics closer Dennis Eckersley in Game 1 . The Dodgers were the only MLB team to win more than one World Series title in the 1980s ; their other World Series title during the decade came in 1981 ( they also broke a 10-year streak of 10 different World Series champions going back to 1978 ) . Although Gibson 's home run has become an iconic World Series moment , it was World Series MVP Orel Hershiser who capped a dominant 1988 season in which he set the all time scoreless inning streak at 59 innings , recorded five straight shutouts , led the league with 23 wins and 267 innings , and won the Cy Young and Gold Glove awards . Hershiser was the NL Championship Series MVP , starting three games , getting the save for Game 4 , and shutting out the Mets in Game 7 . In the World Series , he shut out the A 's in Game 2 , and pitched a two-run , complete game in the decisive Game 5 victory . The Dodgers won the NL West division by seven games over the Cincinnati Reds , then upset the New York Mets , four games to three , in the NLCS . The Athletics won the AL West division by thirteen games over the Minnesota Twins , then swept the Boston Red Sox , four games to none , in the AL Championship Series .
The 2018 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's 2018 season . The 114th edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League ( AL ) champion Boston Red Sox and the National League ( NL ) champion Los Angeles Dodgers . The Red Sox defeated the Dodgers in five games to win their fourth World Series title in 15 years dating back to 2004 , and their ninth in franchise history . This was the second World Series matchup between the two franchises , after the Red Sox defeated the Brooklyn Robins ( later known as the Dodgers ) in five games in 1916 . The series was sponsored by the Internet television service YouTube TV and officially known as the 2018 World Series presented by YouTube TV . The Series was televised in the United States on Fox . Steve Pearce won the World Series Most Valuable Player Award , while Alex Cora became the fifth first-season manager and first manager from Puerto Rico to win the World Series . The Series was notable for its third game which lasted 18 innings , a World Series record . The 2018 World Series was the first since 2000 to feature two teams which had also reached the postseason in the prior year . Additionally , the Red Sox became the first team to win two World Series exactly one century apart , as they had defeated the Chicago Cubs in 1918 , while the Dodgers were the first team since the 2011 Texas Rangers , and the first NL team since the 1992 Atlanta Braves , to lose consecutive Fall Classics .
The Oakland Athletics , often referred to as the A 's , are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland , California . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the American League ( AL ) West division . The team plays its home games at the Oakland Coliseum . They have won nine World Series championships . One of the American League 's eight charter franchises , the team was founded in Philadelphia in 1901 as the Philadelphia Athletics . They won three World Series championships from 1910 to 1913 and back-to-back titles in 1929 and 1930 . The team 's owner and manager for its first 50 years was Connie Mack and Hall of Fame players included Chief Bender , Frank Home Run Baker , Jimmie Foxx , and Lefty Grove . The team left Philadelphia for Kansas City in 1955 and became the Kansas City Athletics before moving to Oakland in 1968 . They won three consecutive World Championships between 1972 and 1974 , led by players including Vida Blue , Catfish Hunter , Reggie Jackson , ace reliever Rollie Fingers , and colorful owner Charlie O. Finley . After being sold by Finley to Walter A. Haas Jr. , the team won three consecutive pennants and the 1989 World Series behind the Bash Brothers , Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire , as well as Hall of Famers Dennis Eckersley , Rickey Henderson and manager Tony La Russa . From 1901 to 2019 , the Athletics ' overall win-loss record is 9,028-9,452 ( .489 ) .
The 1989 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 1989 season . The 86th edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League ( AL ) champion Oakland Athletics and the National League ( NL ) champion San Francisco Giants . The Series ran from October 14 through October 28 , with the Athletics sweeping the Giants in four games . It was the first World Series sweep since 1976 , when the Cincinnati Reds swept the New York Yankees . The four-game sweep by the Athletics at the time would mark only the third time in World Series history that a team never trailed in any game , with the 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers , 1966 Baltimore Orioles , and later the 2004 Boston Red Sox being the only other times this occurred , and the first in the playoff era ( post-1968 ) . This marked the fourth World Series matchup , and first since 1913 , between the two franchises . The previous three matchups occurred when the Giants were in New York and the Athletics resided in Philadelphia . The then New York Giants defeated the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1905 World Series four games to one , the Athletics defeating the Giants in the 1911 World Series four games to two , and then again in the 1913 Fall Classic four games to one . The series would be historic in other ways as well : the 76-year gap between matchups was the longest in World Series history , a record this World Series would hold until 2018 when the Red Sox and Dodgers met for their first World Series meeting in 102 years ; it also marked the first time two franchises had faced off in the World Series after having once played each other when both were based in a different city . Fay Vincent , who had just taken over as Commissioner of Baseball after the sudden death of his predecessor Bart Giamatti in September , presided over his first World Series and dedicated it to his predecessor 's memory . This Series was also known as the Bay Bridge Series , BART Series , Battle of the Bay , and Earthquake Series as the two participant cities lie on opposite sides of San Francisco Bay , connected by the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the Bay Area Rapid Transit ( BART ) system , and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that occurred before the start of Game 3 . It was the first cross-town World Series ( involving two teams from the same metropolitan area ) since 1956 , and only the third such series that did not involve New York City ( the 1906 and 1944 World Series , which featured matchups between the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Browns respectively , were the others ) .
The 1990 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 1990 season . The 87th edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the defending champions and heavily favored American League ( AL ) champion Oakland Athletics and the National League ( NL ) champion Cincinnati Reds . The Reds defeated the Athletics in a four-game sweep . It was the fifth four-game sweep by the NL and second by the Reds after they did it in 1976 . It was the second consecutive World Series to end in a sweep , after the Athletics themselves did it to the San Francisco Giants in 1989 . It is remembered for Billy Hatcher 's seven consecutive hits . The sweep extended the Reds ' World Series winning streak to nine games , dating back to 1975 . This also was the second World Series meeting between the two clubs ( Oakland won four games to three in 1972 ) . As of 2019 , this remains both teams ' most recent appearance in the World Series . Athletics manager Tony La Russa and Reds manager Lou Piniella were old friends and teammates from their Tampa American Legion Post 248 team .
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati , Ohio . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the National League ( NL ) Central division . They were a charter member of the American Association in 1882 and joined the NL in 1890 . The Reds played in the NL West division from 1969 to 1993 , before joining the Central division in 1994 . They have won five World Series championships , nine NL pennants , one AA pennant , and 10 division titles . The team plays its home games at Great American Ball Park , which opened in 2003 replacing Riverfront Stadium . Bob Castellini has been chief executive officer since 2006 . From 1882 to 2019 , the Reds ' overall win-loss record is 10,599-10,393 ( a 0.505 winning percentage ) .
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis , Minnesota . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the American League ( AL ) Central division . The team is named after the Twin Cities area comprising Minneapolis and St. Paul . The franchise was founded in Washington , D.C. in 1901 as the Washington Senators . The team relocated to Minnesota and was renamed the Minnesota Twins at the start of the 1961 season . The Twins played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome from 1982 to 2009 . The team played its inaugural game at Target Field on April 12 , 2010 . The franchise won the World Series in 1924 as the Senators , and in 1987 and 1991 as the Twins . Through the 2019 season , the team has fielded 19 American League batting champions . The team has hosted five All-Star Games : 1937 and 1956 in Washington , D.C. ; and 1965 , 1985 , and 2014 in Minneapolis-St. Paul .
The 1991 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 1991 season . The 88th edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League ( AL ) champion Minnesota Twins ( 95-67 ) and the National League ( NL ) champion Atlanta Braves ( 94-68 ) . The Twins defeated the Braves four games to three to win the championship . In 2003 , ESPN selected it as the Greatest of All Time in their World Series 100th Anniversary countdown , with five of its games being decided by a single run , four games decided in the final at-bat and three games going into extra innings . In addition to the suspense of the outcome of many of its games , the Series had other highlights . For example , the series-deciding seventh game was a scoreless tie ( 0-0 ) through the regular nine innings , and went into extra innings ; Minnesota won by a score of 1-0 in the 10th inning , with their starting pitcher , Jack Morris , pitching a complete game . ( Morris was named Most Valuable Player for the Series . ) With 69 innings in total , the 1991 World Series shares the record for longest seven-game World Series ever , in terms of innings , with 1924 ( some early series were best-of-nine contests or contained tie games ; 1912 logged the most innings ever , at 75 ) .
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver , Colorado . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the National League ( NL ) West division . The team 's home venue is Coors Field , located in the Lower Downtown area of Denver . The team is owned by the Monfort brothers and managed by Bud Black . The Rockies began play as an expansion team for the 1993 season , and played their home games for their first two seasons at Mile High Stadium . Since 1995 , they have played at Coors Field , which has earned a reputation as a hitter 's park . The Rockies have qualified for the postseason five times , each time as a Wild Card winner . In 2007 , the team earned its first ( and only ) NL pennant after winning 14 of their final 15 games in the regular season to secure a Wild Card position . In the 2007 World Series , they were swept by the American League ( AL ) champions Boston Red Sox in four games .
The 1993 Major League Baseball season was the final season of two-division play in each league , before the Central Division was added the following season , giving both the NL and AL three divisions each . Sixteen years after the American League expanded from 12 to 14 teams , the National League finally followed suit , with the Colorado Rockies and the Florida Marlins ( now the Miami Marlins ) joining the NL . It was also the first season since 1976 that both leagues had the same number of teams . The Toronto Blue Jays capped off the season by winning their second consecutive World Series title , beating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games . The World Series was clinched when , in one of the most famous moments in baseball , Joe Carter hit a three-run walk off home run in the 9th to seal the victory at home .
The 2007 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 2007 season . The 103rd edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League ( NL ) champion Colorado Rockies and the American League ( AL ) champion Boston Red Sox ; the Red Sox swept the Rockies in four games . It was the Rockies ' first appearance in a World Series . The Red Sox 's victory was their second World Series championship in four seasons and their seventh overall ; it also marked the third sweep in four years by the AL champions . The series began on Wednesday , October 24 and ended on Sunday , October 28 . Terry Francona became the second Red Sox manager to win two World Series titles , following Bill Carrigan , who won the 1915 and 1916 World Series . Including the last three games of the AL Championship Series , the Red Sox outscored their opposition 59-15 over their final seven games . Francona also became the first manager to win his first 8 World Series games . The Rockies , meanwhile , became the first NL team to get swept in a World Series after sweeping the League Championship Series , and just the second team ever to suffer such a fate , following the Oakland Athletics in 1990 . This fate would again be suffered by the 2012 Detroit Tigers , being swept by the San Francisco Giants in the World Series after sweeping the New York Yankees in the ALCS .
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto , Ontario . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the American League ( AL ) East division . The team plays its home games at Rogers Centre . The name Blue Jays originates from the bird of the same name , and blue is also the traditional colour of two of Toronto 's other professional sports teams : the Maple Leafs ( ice hockey ) and the Argonauts ( Canadian football ) . In addition , the team was originally owned by the Labatt Brewing Company , makers of the popular beer Labatt 's Blue . Colloquially nicknamed the Jays , the team 's official colours are royal blue , navy blue , red , and white . An expansion franchise , the club was founded in Toronto in 1977 . Originally based at Exhibition Stadium , the team began playing its home games at SkyDome upon its opening in 1989 . Since 2000 , the Blue Jays have been owned by Rogers Communications and in 2004 , SkyDome was purchased by that company , which renamed it Rogers Centre . They are the second MLB franchise to be based outside the United States , and currently the only team based outside the U.S. after the first Canadian franchise , the Montreal Expos , became the Washington Nationals in 2005 . In the late 1970s and early 1980s , the Blue Jays went through struggles typical of an expansion team , frequently finishing in last place in its division . In 1983 , the team had its first winning season and two years later , they became division champions .
The 1993 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 1993 season . The 90th edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the defending champions and American League ( AL ) champion Toronto Blue Jays and the National League ( NL ) champion Philadelphia Phillies . The Blue Jays defeated the Phillies , four games to two . With Toronto ahead three games to two in the Series , but trailing Game 6 by a score of 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning , Joe Carter hit a game-winning three-run home run to clinch Toronto 's second consecutive championship ( the first team to repeat as champions since the 1977-78 Yankees ) . This was only the second Series concluded by such a home run ( the first was in the 1960 World Series on a Bill Mazeroski home run for the Pittsburgh Pirates ) , and the first such occasion where a come-from-behind walk-off home run won a World Series . This was the last major North American professional sports championship won by a Canadian team until the Toronto Raptors won the 2019 NBA Finals . Larry Andersen was the only member of the 1993 Phillies to also play for them in the 1983 World Series , although Darren Daulton was a late season call-up in 1983 , but only served as the bullpen catcher in the World Series . Fittingly , in Daulton 's first ever MLB game , he was a catcher for Andersen .
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the National League ( NL ) East division . The team played its home games at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium from 1966 to 1996 , and at Turner Field from 1997 to 2016 . Since 2017 , their home stadium has been Truist Park ( formerly SunTrust Park ) , located 10 miles ( 16 km ) northwest of downtown Atlanta in Cobb County , Georgia . The Braves play spring training games at CoolToday Park in North Port , Florida . The name Braves , which was first used in 1912 , originates from a term for a Native American warrior . They are nicknamed the Bravos , and often referred to as America 's Team in reference to the team 's games being broadcast on the nationally available TBS from the 1970s until 2007 , giving the team a nationwide fan base . From 1991 to 2005 , the Braves were one of the most successful teams in baseball , winning division titles an unprecedented 14 consecutive times ( omitting the strike-shortened 1994 season in which there were no official division champions ) , and producing one of the greatest pitching rotations in the history of baseball . Most notably , this rotation consisted of pitchers Greg Maddux , John Smoltz , and Tom Glavine . Pitcher Steve Avery also was a significant contributor to the rotation during the period of 1991-1993 . The Braves won the National League West division from 1991 to 1993 , and after divisional realignment , the National League East division from 1995 to 2005 . They returned to the playoffs as the National League Wild Card in 2010 .
The 1995 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 1995 season . The 91st edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National League ( NL ) champion Atlanta Braves and the American League ( AL ) champion Cleveland Indians . The Braves won in six games to capture their third World Series championship in franchise history ( along with 1914 in Boston and 1957 in Milwaukee ) , making them the first team to win at least one crown in three different cities . This was also Cleveland 's first Series appearance in 41 years and marked the resumption of the Fall Classic after the previous year 's Series was canceled due to a players ' strike . The Series was also remarkable in that five of the six games were won by one run , including the clinching sixth game , a 1-0 combined one-hitter by Tom Glavine and Mark Wohlers . This was the first time since the LCS changed to a best-of-seven format that a winner of a LCS via a sweep has gone on to win the World Series . It has since been repeated in 2019 by the Washington Nationals .
The 1999 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 1999 season . The 95th edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff between the defending American League ( AL ) and World Series champion New York Yankees and the National League ( NL ) champion Atlanta Braves in a rematch of the 1996 World Series , in which the Yankees prevailed . The Yankees swept the 1999 Series in four games for their second consecutive title , third in four years , and 25th overall . It was the Yankees ' third straight defeat of the Braves franchise in the Fall Classic ( having beaten the Milwaukee Braves in the 1958 World Series in addition to their 1996 victory over the Atlanta Braves ) . Yankees closer Mariano Rivera was named the World Series Most Valuable Player . The Yankees advanced to the World Series by defeating the Texas Rangers in the AL Division Series , three games to zero , and then the Boston Red Sox in the AL Championship Series , four games to one . The Braves advanced to the series by defeating the Houston Astros in the NL Division Series , three games to one , and then the New York Mets in the NL Championship Series , four games to two . The 1999 Series is remembered for Chad Curtis 's walk-off home run in Game 3 , which gave the Yankees a 6-5 victory , and Game 2 's infamous interview of Pete Rose by Jim Gray on NBC . This was the first World Series to feature both number-one seeds from the AL and NL , which would not repeat again until 2013 .
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg , Florida . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member of the American League ( AL ) East division . Since its inception , the team 's home venue has been Tropicana Field . Following nearly three decades of unsuccessfully trying to gain an expansion franchise or enticing existing teams to relocate to the Tampa Bay Area , an ownership group led by Vince Naimoli was approved on March 9 , 1995 . The Tampa Bay Devil Rays began play in the 1998 Major League Baseball season . Their first decade of play , however , was marked by futility ; they finished in last place in the AL East in all but the 2004 season , when they finished second to last . Following the 2007 season , Stuart Sternberg , who had purchased controlling interest in the team from Vince Naimoli two years earlier , changed the team 's name from Devil Rays to Rays , now meant to primarily refer to a burst of sunshine rather than a manta ray , though a manta ray logo remains on the uniform sleeves . The 2008 season saw the Tampa Bay Rays post their first winning season , their first AL East championship , and their first pennant ( defeating the rival Boston Red Sox in the ALCS ) , though they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in that year 's World Series . Since then , the Rays have played in the postseason in 2010 , 2011 , 2013 , and 2019 . The Tampa Bay Rays ' chief rivals are the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees . Regarding the former , there have been several notable on-field incidents . The Rays also have an intrastate interleague rivalry with the National League ( NL ) 's Miami Marlins ( originally the Florida Marlins ) , whom they play in the Citrus Series .
The 1998 Major League Baseball season ended with the New York Yankees sweeping the San Diego Padres in the World Series , after they had won a then AL record 114 regular season games . The Yankees finished with 125 wins for the season ( regular season and playoffs combined ) , which remains the MLB record . The 1998 season was also marked by an expansion to 30 teams ( 16 in the NL , 14 in the AL ) , with two new teams-the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League , and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the American League-added to the MLB ( as of 2019 , this is the last time MLB has expanded ) . To keep the leagues with even numbers of teams while allowing both leagues to have a new team , the Milwaukee Brewers were moved from the American League Central Division to the National League Central Division . The Detroit Tigers were shifted from the American League East to the American League Central , while the Devil Rays were added to the American League East . The Diamondbacks were added to the National League West , making the NL have more teams than the AL for the first time ( this arrangement would last until the end of the 2012 season , when the Houston Astros moved from the National to the American League for 2013 , giving each league 15 teams ) . The biggest story of the season was the historic chase of the single-season home run record held at the time by Roger Maris . Initially , the St. Louis Cardinals ' Mark McGwire and Ken Griffey , Jr. of the Seattle Mariners started the season on a pace to both break Maris ' record . In June , the chase was joined by the Chicago Cubs ' Sammy Sosa , who broke the decades-old record of Rudy York for most home runs in a calendar month with 20 that month . Eventually , Griffey fell off the record pace , but still ended with 56 homers . Both McGwire and Sosa broke the record in September , with McGwire ultimately finishing with 70 homers to Sosa 's 66 . McGwire 's record would last only three years , with Barry Bonds hitting 73 in 2001 .
The 2008 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 2008 season . The 104th edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League ( NL ) champion Philadelphia Phillies and the American League ( AL ) champion Tampa Bay Rays ; the Phillies won the series , four games to one . The 2008 World Series is notable because it is the only Fall Classic to involve a mid-game postponement and resumption ( two days later ) . The Series began on Wednesday , October 22 , and ( after weather delays had postponed the end of Game 5 ) concluded the following Wednesday , October 29 . The AL 's 4-3 win in the 2008 All-Star Game gave the Rays home field advantage for the series , meaning no more than three games would be played at the Phillies ' stadium Citizens Bank Park . The Phillies won their second championship in their 126-year history to bring the city of Philadelphia its first championship in 25 years ( since the 1983 NBA Finals ) . This was the first postseason series lost by an MLB team based in the state of Florida ; previously , the Rays and Florida Marlins were 8-0 in post-season series . Additionally , both the Phillies ' World Series wins have come against a team making their World Series debut ( in 1980 , they beat the Kansas City Royals ) . The Phillies advanced to the World Series after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL 's Divisional Series and Championship Series , respectively . The team won its position in the playoffs after its second consecutive NL East division title . This was the Phillies ' first World Series appearance in fifteen years . The Tampa Bay Rays advanced to the World Series after defeating the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox in the AL 's Division Series and 2008 American League Championship Series .
The Arizona Diamondbacks , often shortened as the D-backs , are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix , Arizona . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member of the National League ( NL ) West division . The team plays its home games at Chase Field , formerly known as Bank One Ballpark . The Diamondbacks have won one World Series championship ( defeating the New York Yankees in 2001 ) - becoming the fastest expansion team in Major League history to win a championship , which it did in only the fourth season since the franchise 's inception .
The 2001 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 2001 season . The 97th edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League ( NL ) champion Arizona Diamondbacks and the three-time defending World Series champions and American League ( AL ) champion New York Yankees . The Diamondbacks defeated the Yankees , four games to three to win the series . Considered one of the greatest World Series of all time , memorable aspects included two extra-inning games and three late-inning comebacks . Diamondbacks pitchers Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling were both named World Series Most Valuable Players . The Yankees advanced to the World Series by defeating the Oakland Athletics , three games to two , in the AL Division Series , and then the Seattle Mariners in the AL Championship Series , four games to one . It was the Yankees ' fourth consecutive World Series appearance , after winning championships in 1998 , 1999 , and 2000 . The Diamondbacks advanced to the World Series by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals , three games to two , in the NL Division Series , and then the Atlanta Braves in the NL Championship Series , four games to one . It was the franchise 's first appearance in a World Series . The Series began later than usual as a result of a delay in the regular season after the September 11 attacks and was the first to extend into November . The Diamondbacks won the first two games at home , limiting the Yankees to just one run . The Yankees responded with a close win in game 3 , at which U.S. President George W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch .
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the city of Anaheim , California , part of Orange County and the Los Angeles metropolitan area . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the American League ( AL ) West division . The Angels have played home games at Angel Stadium since 1966 . The current MLB franchise was established as one of the league 's first two expansion teams in 1961 by Gene Autry , the team 's first owner . Autry was a famous singing cowboy actor in a series of films in the 1930s to 1950s , and later was the subject of the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum . The Angels name was taken by Autry in tribute to the previous original Los Angeles Angels , a Minor League franchise in the Pacific Coast League ( PCL ) , which played in South Central Los Angeles from 1903 to 1957 . He bought the rights to the Angels name from Walter O'Malley , the then-Los Angeles Dodgers owner , who acquired the PCL franchise from Philip K. Wrigley , also the owner of the parent Chicago Cubs at the time , as part of the Dodgers ' move to Southern California .
The 2002 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball ( MLB ) 's 2002 season . The 98th edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League ( AL ) champion Anaheim Angels and the National League ( NL ) champion San Francisco Giants ; the Angels defeated the Giants , four games to three , to win their first , and , to date , only World Series championship . The series was played from October 19-27 , 2002 , at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco and Edison International Field of Anaheim in Anaheim . This was the first World Series since the 1995 inception of the wild card in MLB ( and the last until 2014 ) in which both wild card teams would vie for the title . The Angels finished the regular season in second place in the AL West division . They defeated the four-time defending AL champion New York Yankees , three games to one , in the best-of-five AL Division Series , and in doing so won their first postseason series in franchise history . They then defeated the Minnesota Twins , four games to one , in the best-of-seven AL Championship Series to advance to the World Series , another first in franchise history . The Giants finished the regular season in second place in the NL West division . They defeated the Atlanta Braves in the NL Division Series and the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Championship Series to advance to the World Series , giving the team their 20th NL pennant and 17th appearance in the Fall Classic but only their third since moving from New York City to San Francisco in 1958 . The series was the fourth World Series played between two teams from California , after 1974 , 1988 , and 1989 . Barry Bonds , Reggie Sanders , and J. T. Snow each hit home runs to help propel the Giants to win Game one . Game two was a high-scoring affair that the Angels ultimately won on Tim Salmon 's eighth-inning home run .
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami , Florida . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the National League ( NL ) East division . Their home park is Marlins Park . Though one of only two MLB franchises to have never won a division title ( the other being the Colorado Rockies ) , the Marlins have won two World Series championships as a wild card team . The team began play as an expansion team in the 1993 season as the Florida Marlins and played home games from their inaugural season to the 2012 season at what was originally called Joe Robbie Stadium , which they shared with the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League ( NFL ) . Since the 2012 season , they have played at Marlins Park in downtown Miami , on the site of the former Orange Bowl . The new park , unlike their previous home ( which was criticized in its baseball configuration for poor sight lines in some locations ) , was designed foremost as a baseball park . Per an agreement with the city and Miami-Dade County ( which owns the park ) , the Marlins officially changed their name to the Miami Marlins on November 11 , 2011 . They also adopted a new logo , color scheme , and uniforms . The Marlins have the distinction of winning a World Series championship in every postseason they have qualified for to date , having won the World Series in 1997 and 2003 as National League wild card team . They also have the distinction of being the only franchise in the major four North American professional sports leagues ( MLB , NBA , NFL , NHL ) to have never lost a playoff round . They defeated the American League ( AL ) champion Cleveland Indians in the 1997 World Series , with shortstop Édgar Rentería driving in second baseman Craig Counsell for the series-clinching run in the 11th inning of the seventh and deciding game .
The 2003 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) 2003 season . The 99th edition of the World Series , it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League ( NL ) champion Florida Marlins and the American League ( AL ) champion New York Yankees ; the Marlins upset the heavily-favored Yankees , four games to two . The series was played from October 18 to 25 , 2003 . This is the most recent Series in which the losing team outscored the winning team ; the Yankees lost , despite outscoring the Marlins 21-17 in the Series . This was the Marlins ' second World Series championship win , having won their first in 1997 . As of 2019 , this is the last time the Marlins have appeared not only in the World Series , but in the postseason at all .