10. MARLINS OVER INDIANS
1997
Established in 1993, the
Marlins had finished below .500 in each of their previous four seasons. The
Indians were making their second World Series appearance in a three-year span
and seemed destined to breeze to a victory over the inexperienced Marlins. Florida
was the first Wild Card team to win it all.
9. DIAMONDBACKS OVER YANKEES 2001
This was one of the
greatest New York teams in modern history. They had won four of the previous
five World Series. In the wake of the World Trade Center attack, they also had
a legion of fans on their side. The Diamondbacks had a talented roster full of
seasoned veterans. But few expected them to take down the Yankees. Mariano
Rivera’s infamous stumble in the finale left fans utterly stunned and gave
Arizona its first professional championship in any of the four major sports.
8. ROYALS OVER CARDINALS 1985
The Cardinals won 101
games in 1985. They had a batting champ (Willie McGee), a stolen base leader
(Vince Coleman), and one of the most gifted defensive shortstops in history
(Ozzie Smith). Kansas City had one of the worst team batting averages in the
American League. They weren’t even expected to win their division let alone the
World Series. But fate intervened when Coleman was injured during the NLCS in a
freak accident. The Cards never fully recovered without him.
7. CARDINALS OVER TIGERS 2006
At 83-78, St. Louis had
the worst regular season record of any championship team in history. Proving
how improbable their World Series victory was, the Cardinals missed the
playoffs in three of the next four seasons.
6. TWINS OVER CARDINALS 1987
The Twins had averaged
89 losses per year in the previous seven campaigns. They opened the season with
500-to-1 betting odds stacked against them. Their 29-52 record on the road during the
regular season made a Series victory even more incredible.
5. PIRATES OVER YANKEES 1960
Pittsburgh had not been
to a World Series since 1927—the year they were swept by the “Murderer’s Row”
Yankees. The Yankees had won eight pennants and six World Series in a ten-year
span. They had Mantle, Maris, Berra, and Whitey Ford. In spite of their record-setting
55 runs, 91 hits, and .338 team batting average in the Series, the Bombers fell
to the Pirates in seven games.
4. BRAVES OVER A’S 1914
The Braves (who were
stationed in Boston back then) got off to a 10-22 start yet somehow managed to
turn their season around. The outcome of the Series was so shocking that
sportswriters referred to the victors as “The Miracle Braves.” A’s manager
Connie Mack, who had guided his club to three World Series titles in a
four-year span, was so disgruntled by the outcome that he traded off most of
his best players. The result was seven consecutive last place finishes.
3. DODGERS OVER YANKEES 1955
The Dodgers had five
Hall of Famers in their lineup (Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Roy Campanella,
Pee Wee Reese, and Gil Hodges). But their opponents were the mighty Yankees—the
winningest franchise in baseball history. The Dodgers had been to the World
Series on seven occasions prior to 1955 and lost each time. This included five
October defeats at the hands of their cross-town rivals.
2. METS OVER ORIOLES 1969
The Mets had never
finished above-.500 prior to 1969. They had dropped at least 100 games five
times, including an NL record 120 losses in their inaugural campaign (1962).
The Orioles were a powerhouse club with four Hall of Famers in residence
(including manager Earl Weaver). Their 109 wins in '69 are
still a franchise record.
1. WHITE SOX OVER CUBS 1906
There is no way the
White Sox should have won this Series. Their .230 team batting average was the
worst for any pennant-winning squad of the 20th century, earning
them the nickname: “Hitless Wonders.” The Cubs entered the Series with 116
regular season victories (a major league record that still stands). They
carried a 23-game advantage over Chicago in the win column.
