The 2000s are the Decade of Underdogs in baseball.

Estil

Remember back when the Yankees won the World Series four years out of five (1996, 1998-2000) and then fell just short in 2001, people were complaining that only the top few teams like the Yankees who had virtually bottomless purses had any chance of winning or going to the World Series and were demanding salary caps and things like that to make it fairer to the other teams? Well, that hasn't happened, but look at what has happened for this decade:

2001: The Diamondbacks become the youngest team (four years) to win a World Series Championship.
2002: The Angels win their first ever championship after over 40 years and the Giants go to their first Series since 1989.
2003: Yankees in the Series again, but the Marlins win their second championship in just ten years, and the Cubs just missed going to their first Series since 1945. The Cubs did however, win their first postseason series of any kind since 1908.
2004: The Red Sox win their first championship since 1918 as well as becoming the first team to overcome a 0-3 hole in a best of seven series (before then only the 1998 Braves and 1999 Mets had even made it as far as Game 6). The Cardinals went to their first World Series since 1987.
2005: The White Sox win their first championship since 1917 and the Astros win their first NL Championship after over 40 years.
2006: The Tigers (the TIGERS???) are going to the Series just three years removed from their 119 loss season (third worst team in history behind the 1962 Mets and 1899 NL Cleveland Spiders) and did so in seven straight wins. The Mets became the first team other than Atlanta to win the NL East since 1991 and could also go to their first Series since 2000.

And how about them Twinkies, eh? Remember when Mr. Selig wanted to get rid of them? Well, they sure have been doing pretty good (winning division championships) for a team that had Mr. Selig had his way, would not even exist now.

So much for the richest teams hogging all the championships, huh? I guess that whole salary cap and luxury tax thing is overrated, you think?

SDSportsFan

<< <i>2006: The Tigers (the TIGERS???) are going to the Series just three years removed from their 119 loss season (third worst team in history behind the 1969 Mets and 1899 NL Cleveland Spiders) and did so in seven straight wins. The Mets became the first team other than Atlanta to win the NL East since 1991 and could also go to their first Series since 2000. >>




Estil,

I think you meant the 1962 Mets. The '69 Mets won the World Series.


By the way, I love the fact that so many "underdogs" have gone to the World Series and ended up winning. So much for the theory that the highest payroll wins


Steve

Estil

<< <i>

<< <i>2006: The Tigers (the TIGERS???) are going to the Series just three years removed from their 119 loss season (third worst team in history behind the 1969 Mets and 1899 NL Cleveland Spiders) and did so in seven straight wins. The Mets became the first team other than Atlanta to win the NL East since 1991 and could also go to their first Series since 2000. >>




Estil,

I think you meant the 1962 Mets. The '69 Mets won the World Series.


By the way, I love the fact that so many "underdogs" have gone to the World Series and ended up winning. So much for the theory that the highest payroll wins


Steve >>



Sorry, you're right; I just corrected my mistake. Thank you.

Estil

I guess the Cardinals have pretty much ruled the NL roost lately however. They've won a NL Championship in 2004 and finished NL Runner-Up last year (and one other year in the 2000s I think) and can't do any worse than NL runner up again this year.

Axtell

While I agree that the 'underdogs' have won the world series in recent years, being in the top 10 in payroll will nearly guarantee a spot in the postseason.

In addition, these 'underdogs' are almost always out of the playoffs the following year, seemingly unable to match the chemistry and luck that put them in the world series.

2005 - white sox missed playoffs in 2006.
2004 - red sox, lost in first round of 2005, out of playoffs in 2006.
2003 - florida marlins, haven't been to the playoffs since
2002 - anaheim, missed playoffs in 2003, swept by the red sox in 2003, out of playoffs in 2004.
2001 - arizona, swept by st. louis in 2002, haven't made postseason since

grote15

While I agree that the 'underdogs' have won the world series in recent years, being in the top 10 in payroll will nearly guarantee a spot in the postseason.

In addition, these 'underdogs' are almost always out of the playoffs the following year, seemingly unable to match the chemistry and luck that put them in the world series.

2005 - white sox missed playoffs in 2006.
2004 - red sox, lost in first round of 2005, out of playoffs in 2006.
2003 - florida marlins, haven't been to the playoffs since
2002 - anaheim, missed playoffs in 2003, swept by the red sox in 2003, out of playoffs in 2004.
2001 - arizona, swept by st. louis in 2002, haven't made postseason since

Estil

Well, this year we had the St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series over the Detroit Tigers for their first championship since 1982 and tenth overall. Not bad considering both teams nearly blew their division/wildcard leads and almost didn't make the postseason at all, as well as the fact that the Tigers were just three years removed from their 119 loss season.

Perhaps a 2007 Chicago Cubs championship will follow?