Showing posts with label Plus and Minus Years. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Plus and Minus Years. Show all posts
Thursday, March 20, 2014
World Series Losers: The Plus Years
You should know how this works by now, as there have been three previous posts with this theme. Let's just jump right in. Who are the Plus Year leaders among the teams that lost the World Series?
Plus-1
Median: 22
Top Teams: 1991 ATL (32), 2007 COL (31), 1955 NYY (30), 2009 DET (29)
Bottom Teams: 1905 PHA (15), 1921 NYY (15), 1942 NYY (15), 2003 NYY (15), 1906 CHC (16), 1908 DET (16), 1922 NYY (16), 1943 STL (16)
After that magical 1991 season, the Braves wanted to bring back as much of the old gang as possible. Of course, many of those players were traded or released during the 1992 season, so it all evens out. It's not surprising that so many of the bottom teams played in an era of smaller rosters, but that 2003 Yankees team stands out. After losing to the Marlins, George Steinbrenner wanted him an overhaul.
Plus-2
Median: 16
Top Teams: 1965 MIN (22), 1969 BAL (22), 1979 BAL (22), 1991 ATL (21)
Bottom Teams: 1919 CHW (7), 1903 PIT (9), 1921 NYY (10), 1946 BOS (10)
The Orioles and Braves were definitely built around strong cores, but the 1965 Twins are something of a surprise. That was one of the more underrated cores in baseball history. As for the bottom teams, we can see that the Black Sox Scandal hit Comiskey's boys hard.
Plus-3
Median: 12
Top Teams: 1979 BAL (18), 1947 BRO (17), 1978 LAD (17), 1909 DET (16), 1934 DET (16), 1955 NYY (16), 1962 SFG (16), 1969 BAL (16), 1988 OAK (16)
Bottom Teams: 1998 SDP (5), 1914 PHA (6), 1919 CHW (6), 1940 DET (6), 2005 HOU (6), 1924 NYG (7), 1931 PHA (7), 1941 BRO (7), 2001 NYY (7), 2003 NYY (7)
The most impressive team in the top group is the 1909 Tigers. Even in the smaller-roster era, they had 16 of those players three years later. The bottom teams are more interesting. We see teams that had fire sales, the infamous Black Sox again, some teams just before World War II, and teams that were full of veterans at the end of the line. So close, and yet, so far.
Plus-4
Median: 9
Top Teams: 1952 BRO (16), 1955 NYY (16), 1947 BRO (15), 1979 BAL (15), 1942 NYY (14), 1956 BRO (13), 1969 BAL (13), 1974 LAD (13), 1988 OAK (13), 1992 ATL (13)
Bottom Teams: 1914 PHA (2), 1998 SDP (2), 1938 CHC (3), 1910 CHC (4), 1924 NYG (4), 1944 SLB (4), 1945 CHC (4), 1987 STL (4), 2002 SFG (4)
Imagine going to the World Series, and then having only two of those players still on the team four years later. Before I compiled this information, I didn't realize the Padres had done that just recently.
Plus-5
Median: 7
Top Teams: 1979 BAL (14), 1949 BRO (12), 1974 LAD (12), 1941 BRO (11), 1950 PHI (11), 1955 NYY (11), 1980 KCR (11)
Bottom Teams: 1931 PHA (1), 1944 SLB (1), 1998 SDP (1), 2000 NYM (1), 1914 PHA (2), 1945 CHC (2)
Two forgotten cores, the 1950's Phillies and the 1980's Royals, pop up in the top group.
Plus-6
Median: 5
Top Teams: 1940 DET (11), 1966 LAD (10), 1979 BAL (10), 1943 STL (9), 1949 BRO (9), 1950 PHI (9), 1955 NYY (9), 1974 LAD (9)
Bottom Teams: 1944 SLB (0), 2000 NYM (0), 1914 PHA (1), 1915 PHI (1), 1931 PHA (1), 1954 CLE (1), 1985 STL (1), 1993 PHI (1)
Now we see some teams who had no one left six years later. The 1944 Browns I can understand, as that was mostly a collection of WWII fill-ins playing for a financially-strapped franchise, but the 2000 Mets? Yes, that 2006 team that came within one game of the World Series actually had no players in common with the pennant-winner of six years before. The top team here is the 1940 Tigers, who saw a lot of their guys come back after the war to reclaim their old spots.
Plus-7
Median: 4
Top Teams: 1949 BRO (9), 1955 NYY (9), 1988 OAK (9), 1943 STL (8), 1950 PHI (8), 1962 SFG (8)
Bottom Teams: 1914 PHA (0), 1920 BRO (0), 1944 SLB (0), 1954 CLE (0), 2000 NYM (0)
The teams with none are piling up.
Plus-8
Median: 3
Top Teams: 1943 STL (7), 1949 BRO (7), 1950 PHI (7), 1955 NYY (6), 1962 SFG (6)
Bottom Teams: 1910 CHC (0), 1914 PHA (0), 1915 PHI (0), 1920 BRO (0), 1954 CLE (0), 1997 CLE (0), 2000 NYM (0), 2002 SFG (0), 2005 HOU (0)
That Whiz Kids core is still hanging around the top group. Two of these franchises in the bottom group won pennants in their Plus-8 seasons, the 1910 Cubs and the 2002 Giants. Apparently they needed to cleanse their rosters of all the guys from their last pennant-winner before they could win another.
Plus-9
Median: 2
Top Teams: 1909 DET (6), 1947 BRO (6), 1949 BRO (6), 1950 PHI (5), 1955 NYY (5), 2001 NYY (5)
Bottom Teams: 1910 CHC (0), 1914 PHA (0), 1918 CHC (0), 1920 BRO (0), 1933 WSH (0), 1960 NYY (0), 1963 NYY (0), 1990 OAK (0), 2000 NYM (0), 2002 SFG (0)
The 1918 Tigers saw several old faces come back, namely Bill Donovan and Davy Jones, plus an in-game appearance from manager Hughie Jennings, explaining their sudden appearance tied for the top spot.
Plus-10
Median: 2
Top Teams: 1955 NYY (5)
Bottom Teams: 18 teams
1955 was truly the beginning of a new era for the Yankees, as the core that carried them for the next ten years started to emerge. As you can also see, we're at the point where it's not uncommon to have no one left either.
Plus-11
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1907 DET (4), 1940 DET (4), 1947 BRO (4), 1955 NYY (4), 1992 ATL (4)
Bottom Teams: 27 teams
The good cores representin'!
Plus-12
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1935 CHC (4), 1940 DET (4), 2001 NYY (4), 1947 BRO (3), 1955 NYY (3), 1969 BAL (3), 1972 CIN (3), 1976 NYY (3), 1991 ATL (3), 1996 ATL (3)
Bottom Teams: 35 teams
Alfonso Soriano's return to the Bronx last season allowed the 2001 Yankees to join the top group. The 1935 Cubs are the real surprise, but the late-career returns of Billy Jurges and Bill Lee put them here.
Plus-13
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1925 WSH (4), 1932 CHC (3), 1940 DET (3), 1943 STL (3), 1947 BRO (3), 1972 CIN (3)
The 1925 Senators? Really? Believe it. The returns of Goose Goslin and Harry Kelley make it possible.
Plus-14
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1925 WSH (3), 1943 STL (3), 1970 CIN (3), 1972 CIN (3), 1911 NYG (2), 1912 NYG (2), 1914 PHA (2), 1932 CHC (2), 1947 BRO (2), 1975 BOS (2)
Plus-15
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1970 CIN (3), 1932 CHC (2)
The 1932 Cubs are the only team with as many as two...except the 1970 Reds, who win with three.
Plus-16
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1970 CIN (3), 1909 DET (2), 1914 PHA (2), 1992 ATL (2)
The Philadelphia A's brought back Eddie Collins and Wally Schang at the end of their careers, making them one of the top teams in the Plus-16 year despite being one of the bottom teams in the Plus-3 year.
Plus-17
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1991 ATL (2)
The Glavine-Smoltz duo was something truly special, and don't you ever forget it.
Plus-18
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1907 DET, 1908 DET, 1927 PIT, 1935 CHC, 1943 STL, 1951 NYG, 1962 SFG, 1970 CIN
Most players who put their teams here are Hall of Famers, but two (Phil Cavarretta and Dave Concepcion) are not, and another (Lloyd Waner) probably shouldn't be.
Plus-19
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1907 DET, 1943 STL, 1951 NYG
Cobb, Musial, Mays...
Plus-20
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1943 STL, 1951 NYG
Musial, Mays...
Plus-21
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1951 NYG
Mays...
Plus-22
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1966 LAD
...and then Don Sutton returned to the Dodgers for one last season, where they won the World Series two months after he was released.
So that does it for the World Series editions of these lists. I might have more along these lines in the future though, since I'm trying to compile this info for every team, not just the ones that made it to the World Series. We'll see if anything comes of that.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
World Series Losers: The Minus Years
Almost exactly a year ago, I did a two-part series that looked at all the World Series Champions and the differing player acquisition and attrition levels from those teams. I've spent the last year compiling the same information on every World Series losing team, and finally the results are in! If you need a refresher on how this works, I'd recommend reading the first post in the series, where I explain it all.
Anyway, how 'bout them runners-up?
Minus-24
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1933 WSH
Senators coach Nick Altrock and his late-season pinch-hitting appearance are the only thing to make a blip here. When Altrock's career as a regular player ended with the Senators in 1909, it began a long association with the franchise as a coach and baseball clown, who frequently made odd appearances in games for amusement's sake.
Minus-23
None
Minus-22
None
Minus-21
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1933 WSH
Altrock again, this time linked to a pitching appearance he'd made in 1912. Amazing that we have a publicity stunt connected to a publicity stunt here.
Minus-20
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1933 WSH
Guess who?
Minus-19
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1933 WSH
Yep, that's right!
Minus-18
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1933 WSH (2), 1925 WSH, 1954 CLE, 1989 SFG, 2011 TEX
The '33 Senators have two now, Altrock and Hall of Famer Sam Rice. Several other teams join the list, by virtue of great players like Walter Johnson! Bob Feller! Chris...Speier! Darren...Oliver? Well, they were players good enough to stick around, at least.
Minus-17
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1925 WSH, 1933 WSH, 1945 CHC, 1954 CLE, 1963 NYY, 1989 SFG, 2005 HOU, 2010 TEX, 2011 TEX
Much the same group, this time joined by the Yankees of Yogi Berra, the Astros of Craig Biggio and the Cubs of Johnny Moore.
Minus-16
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1925 WSH, 1933 WSH, 1938 CHC, 1940 DET, 1945 CHC, 1954 CLE, 1956 BRO, 1958 MLN, 1963 NYY, 1971 BAL, 1981 NYY, 1989 SFG, 1998 SDP, 2005 HOU, 2010 TEX, 2011 TEX
So many teams, but none has more than one player to represent it!
Minus-15
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1933 WSH (2), 1925 WSH, 1938 CHC, 1940 DET, 1945 CHC, 1954 CLE, 1956 BRO, 1963 NYY, 1968 STL, 1971 BAL, 1981 NYY, 1989 SFG, 1990 OAK, 1998 SDP, 2005 HOU, 2010 TEX, 2011 TEX
Nick Altrock appeared again in 1918 to put the '33 Senators back in the lead.
Minus-14
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1933 WSH (2), 1945 CHC (2), 1979 BAL (2), 2005 HOU (2)
Several teams are into the twos now. I'll bet most people couldn't name either of the two for the 1945 Cubs.
Minus-13
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1945 CHC (3), 1954 CLE (3), 1914 PHA (2), 1924 NYG (2), 1936 NYG (2), 1963 NYY (2), 1966 LAD (2), 1979 BAL (2), 1989 SFG (2), 2005 HOU (2)
Minus-12
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1942 NYY (3), 1914 PHA (2), 1924 NYG (2), 1933 WSH (2), 1936 NYG (2), 1938 CHC (2), 1945 CHC (2), 1954 CLE (2), 1963 NYY (2), 1966 LAD (2), 1975 BOS (2), 1979 BAL (2), 1986 BOS (2), 1989 SFG (2), 2005 HOU (2)
Minus-11
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1942 NYY (4), 1914 PHA (3), 1933 WSH (3), 1936 NYG (3), 1945 CHC (3), 1966 LAD (3), 1983 PHI (3)
The Yankees and their deep pockets are in the top spot all alone.
Minus-10
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1942 NYY (5), 1983 PHI (5), 1936 NYG (4), 1979 BAL (4)
Bottom Teams: 31 teams
The Paul Owens Phillies kept their players together better than a lot of people probably remember.
Minus-9
Median: 2
Top Teams: 1956 BRO (6), 1983 PHI (6), 1964 NYY (5), 1966 LAD (5), 1971 BAL (5)
Bottom Teams: 17 teams
1947 began the Jackie Robinson era in Brooklyn, as well as the beginning of one of the most successful player cores ever.
Minus-8
Median: 2
Top Teams: 1956 BRO (8), 1942 NYY (7), 2003 NYY (7), 1914 PHA (6), 1963 NYY (6), 1966 LAD (6), 1978 LAD (6), 1983 PHI (6)
Bottom Teams: 12 teams
That Brooklyn core gets more impressive with the 1948 debuts of Roy Campanella and Carl Erskine. It's not surprising that each of these teams at the top here was becoming somewhat dynastic.
Minus-7
Median: 3
Top Teams: 1956 BRO (9), 1966 LAD (8), 2003 NYY (8), 1942 NYY (7), 1955 NYY (7), 1957 NYY (7), 1978 LAD (7), 1999 ATL (7)
Bottom Teams: 1903 PIT (0), 1918 CHC (0), 1943 STL (0), 1951 NYG (0), 1967 BOS (0), 1984 SDP (0), 1992 ATL (0)
Then, in 1949, Don Newcombe joined the Brooklyn crew. We can also finally can see who the teams at the bottom were, and they were all teams near the beginning of an emergence. Not surprising.
Minus-6
Median: 4
Top Teams: 1978 LAD (12), 1956 BRO (11), 1914 PHA (10), 2001 NYY (10)
Bottom Teams: 1903 PIT (0), 1918 CHC (0), 1984 SDP (0), 1992 ATL (0)
Who knew that 1972 would be such a year of beginnings for the Los Angeles Dodgers? The 2001 Yankees also come out of nowhere to score high on this list thanks to the returns that year of '95-ers Randy Velarde and Sterling Hitchcock.
Minus-5
Median: 5
Top Teams: 1958 MLN (13), 1913 NYG (12), 1914 PHA (12), 1946 BOS (12), 1953 BRO (12), 1956 BRO (12), 1977 LAD (12), 1978 LAD (12)
Bottom Teams: 1903 PIT (1), 1918 CHC (1), 1991 ATL (1), 1907 DET (2), 1923 NYG (2), 1941 BRO (2), 1984 SDP (2), 2006 DET (2)
Every World Series loser had at least one player on their roster five seasons earlier, just as it was with the World Series Champions. We can see that the Braves' first year in Milwaukee was truly the beginning of an era as far as player personnel was concerned too.
Minus-4
Median: 8
Top Teams: 1913 NYG (16), 1955 NYY (16), 1956 BRO (16), 1958 MLN (14), 1971 BAL (14)
Bottom Teams: 1918 CHC (1), 1903 PIT (2), 1907 DET (3), 1984 SDP (3), 1988 OAK (3)
The teams at the top clearly knew the value of keeping a good thing together. The teams at the bottom knew how to rebuild quickly.
Minus-3
Median: 11
Top Teams: 1912 NYG (17), 1919 CHW (16), 1942 NYY (16), 1953 BRO (16), 1955 NYY (16), 1958 MLN (16), 1964 NYY (16), 1971 BAL (16), 1996 ATL (16)
Bottom Teams: 1918 CHC (3), 1948 BSN (4), 2008 TBR (4), 1988 OAK (6), 1903 PIT (7), 1940 DET (7), 1944 SLB (7), 1967 BOS (7), 1970 CIN (7)
Minus-2
Median: 15
Top Teams: 1966 LAD (22), 1971 BAL (22), 1945 CHC (21), 1964 NYY (20), 1978 LAD (20), 1990 OAK (20)
Bottom Teams: 1940 DET (8), 1922 NYY (9), 1903 PIT (10), 1906 CHC (10), 1918 CHC (10), 1921 NYY (10), 1934 DET (10), 1944 SLB (10), 1946 BOS (10)
It's curious that the 1945 Cubs keep popping up among the top teams. It seems that the Minus-2 year is where a pennant winner tends to begin to take shape.
Minus-1
Median: 21
Top Teams: 1992 ATL (32), 2013 STL (28), 1958 MLN (27), 1959 CHW (27), 1989 SFG (27), 2011 TEX (27), 2012 DET (27)
Bottom Teams: 1906 CHC (11), 1946 BOS (11), 1903 PIT (13), 1921 NYY (13), 1905 PHI (14), 1915 PHI (14), 1922 NYY (15), 1933 WSH (15), 1935 CHC (15)
The 1992 Braves brought back a whopping 32 players. I guess after that Cinderella season in 1991 they didn't have the heart to get rid of anyone (although they did get rid of some of them during the 1992 season). The teams at the bottom, unsurprisingly, come from an era of smaller rosters.
So there's your interesting trivia for the day. Next time we'll look at the plus years from the World Series losers!
Anyway, how 'bout them runners-up?
Minus-24
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1933 WSH
Senators coach Nick Altrock and his late-season pinch-hitting appearance are the only thing to make a blip here. When Altrock's career as a regular player ended with the Senators in 1909, it began a long association with the franchise as a coach and baseball clown, who frequently made odd appearances in games for amusement's sake.
Minus-23
None
Minus-22
None
Minus-21
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1933 WSH
Altrock again, this time linked to a pitching appearance he'd made in 1912. Amazing that we have a publicity stunt connected to a publicity stunt here.
Minus-20
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1933 WSH
Guess who?
Minus-19
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1933 WSH
Yep, that's right!
Minus-18
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1933 WSH (2), 1925 WSH, 1954 CLE, 1989 SFG, 2011 TEX
The '33 Senators have two now, Altrock and Hall of Famer Sam Rice. Several other teams join the list, by virtue of great players like Walter Johnson! Bob Feller! Chris...Speier! Darren...Oliver? Well, they were players good enough to stick around, at least.
Minus-17
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1925 WSH, 1933 WSH, 1945 CHC, 1954 CLE, 1963 NYY, 1989 SFG, 2005 HOU, 2010 TEX, 2011 TEX
Much the same group, this time joined by the Yankees of Yogi Berra, the Astros of Craig Biggio and the Cubs of Johnny Moore.
Minus-16
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1925 WSH, 1933 WSH, 1938 CHC, 1940 DET, 1945 CHC, 1954 CLE, 1956 BRO, 1958 MLN, 1963 NYY, 1971 BAL, 1981 NYY, 1989 SFG, 1998 SDP, 2005 HOU, 2010 TEX, 2011 TEX
So many teams, but none has more than one player to represent it!
Minus-15
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1933 WSH (2), 1925 WSH, 1938 CHC, 1940 DET, 1945 CHC, 1954 CLE, 1956 BRO, 1963 NYY, 1968 STL, 1971 BAL, 1981 NYY, 1989 SFG, 1990 OAK, 1998 SDP, 2005 HOU, 2010 TEX, 2011 TEX
Nick Altrock appeared again in 1918 to put the '33 Senators back in the lead.
Minus-14
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1933 WSH (2), 1945 CHC (2), 1979 BAL (2), 2005 HOU (2)
Several teams are into the twos now. I'll bet most people couldn't name either of the two for the 1945 Cubs.
Minus-13
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1945 CHC (3), 1954 CLE (3), 1914 PHA (2), 1924 NYG (2), 1936 NYG (2), 1963 NYY (2), 1966 LAD (2), 1979 BAL (2), 1989 SFG (2), 2005 HOU (2)
Minus-12
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1942 NYY (3), 1914 PHA (2), 1924 NYG (2), 1933 WSH (2), 1936 NYG (2), 1938 CHC (2), 1945 CHC (2), 1954 CLE (2), 1963 NYY (2), 1966 LAD (2), 1975 BOS (2), 1979 BAL (2), 1986 BOS (2), 1989 SFG (2), 2005 HOU (2)
Minus-11
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1942 NYY (4), 1914 PHA (3), 1933 WSH (3), 1936 NYG (3), 1945 CHC (3), 1966 LAD (3), 1983 PHI (3)
The Yankees and their deep pockets are in the top spot all alone.
Minus-10
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1942 NYY (5), 1983 PHI (5), 1936 NYG (4), 1979 BAL (4)
Bottom Teams: 31 teams
The Paul Owens Phillies kept their players together better than a lot of people probably remember.
Minus-9
Median: 2
Top Teams: 1956 BRO (6), 1983 PHI (6), 1964 NYY (5), 1966 LAD (5), 1971 BAL (5)
Bottom Teams: 17 teams
1947 began the Jackie Robinson era in Brooklyn, as well as the beginning of one of the most successful player cores ever.
Minus-8
Median: 2
Top Teams: 1956 BRO (8), 1942 NYY (7), 2003 NYY (7), 1914 PHA (6), 1963 NYY (6), 1966 LAD (6), 1978 LAD (6), 1983 PHI (6)
Bottom Teams: 12 teams
That Brooklyn core gets more impressive with the 1948 debuts of Roy Campanella and Carl Erskine. It's not surprising that each of these teams at the top here was becoming somewhat dynastic.
Minus-7
Median: 3
Top Teams: 1956 BRO (9), 1966 LAD (8), 2003 NYY (8), 1942 NYY (7), 1955 NYY (7), 1957 NYY (7), 1978 LAD (7), 1999 ATL (7)
Bottom Teams: 1903 PIT (0), 1918 CHC (0), 1943 STL (0), 1951 NYG (0), 1967 BOS (0), 1984 SDP (0), 1992 ATL (0)
Then, in 1949, Don Newcombe joined the Brooklyn crew. We can also finally can see who the teams at the bottom were, and they were all teams near the beginning of an emergence. Not surprising.
Minus-6
Median: 4
Top Teams: 1978 LAD (12), 1956 BRO (11), 1914 PHA (10), 2001 NYY (10)
Bottom Teams: 1903 PIT (0), 1918 CHC (0), 1984 SDP (0), 1992 ATL (0)
Who knew that 1972 would be such a year of beginnings for the Los Angeles Dodgers? The 2001 Yankees also come out of nowhere to score high on this list thanks to the returns that year of '95-ers Randy Velarde and Sterling Hitchcock.
Minus-5
Median: 5
Top Teams: 1958 MLN (13), 1913 NYG (12), 1914 PHA (12), 1946 BOS (12), 1953 BRO (12), 1956 BRO (12), 1977 LAD (12), 1978 LAD (12)
Bottom Teams: 1903 PIT (1), 1918 CHC (1), 1991 ATL (1), 1907 DET (2), 1923 NYG (2), 1941 BRO (2), 1984 SDP (2), 2006 DET (2)
Every World Series loser had at least one player on their roster five seasons earlier, just as it was with the World Series Champions. We can see that the Braves' first year in Milwaukee was truly the beginning of an era as far as player personnel was concerned too.
Minus-4
Median: 8
Top Teams: 1913 NYG (16), 1955 NYY (16), 1956 BRO (16), 1958 MLN (14), 1971 BAL (14)
Bottom Teams: 1918 CHC (1), 1903 PIT (2), 1907 DET (3), 1984 SDP (3), 1988 OAK (3)
The teams at the top clearly knew the value of keeping a good thing together. The teams at the bottom knew how to rebuild quickly.
Minus-3
Median: 11
Top Teams: 1912 NYG (17), 1919 CHW (16), 1942 NYY (16), 1953 BRO (16), 1955 NYY (16), 1958 MLN (16), 1964 NYY (16), 1971 BAL (16), 1996 ATL (16)
Bottom Teams: 1918 CHC (3), 1948 BSN (4), 2008 TBR (4), 1988 OAK (6), 1903 PIT (7), 1940 DET (7), 1944 SLB (7), 1967 BOS (7), 1970 CIN (7)
Minus-2
Median: 15
Top Teams: 1966 LAD (22), 1971 BAL (22), 1945 CHC (21), 1964 NYY (20), 1978 LAD (20), 1990 OAK (20)
Bottom Teams: 1940 DET (8), 1922 NYY (9), 1903 PIT (10), 1906 CHC (10), 1918 CHC (10), 1921 NYY (10), 1934 DET (10), 1944 SLB (10), 1946 BOS (10)
It's curious that the 1945 Cubs keep popping up among the top teams. It seems that the Minus-2 year is where a pennant winner tends to begin to take shape.
Minus-1
Median: 21
Top Teams: 1992 ATL (32), 2013 STL (28), 1958 MLN (27), 1959 CHW (27), 1989 SFG (27), 2011 TEX (27), 2012 DET (27)
Bottom Teams: 1906 CHC (11), 1946 BOS (11), 1903 PIT (13), 1921 NYY (13), 1905 PHI (14), 1915 PHI (14), 1922 NYY (15), 1933 WSH (15), 1935 CHC (15)
The 1992 Braves brought back a whopping 32 players. I guess after that Cinderella season in 1991 they didn't have the heart to get rid of anyone (although they did get rid of some of them during the 1992 season). The teams at the bottom, unsurprisingly, come from an era of smaller rosters.
So there's your interesting trivia for the day. Next time we'll look at the plus years from the World Series losers!
Friday, March 22, 2013
World Series Champions: The Plus Years
Sorry for being lazy, folks. I've finally gotten around to doing this post as a follow-up to the last one. Last time we looked at which World Series Champion teams had the most and the fewest of the same players in each year prior to the title. This time we're looking at the years following the title.
Plus-1
Median: 23
Top Teams: 1980 PHI (30), 1952 NYY (29), 1966 BAL (29), 1971 PIT (29), 1973 OAK (29), 2010 SFG (29)
Bottom Teams: 1918 BOS (10), 1903 BOS (13), 1943 NYY (14), 1905 NYG (16), 1945 DET (16), 1934 STL (17), 1908 CHC (18), 1919 CIN (18), 1930 PHA (18), 1942 STL (18)
As with the Minus years, the bottom teams are either from an era of smaller rosters or war. One thing I discovered from doing this exercise is that player usage has gone up over the years. Since the year 2000, only one World Series Champion has used fewer than 40 players over the course of the season (that being the 2005 Chicago White Sox), so in a way I'm surprised that a team from over 30 years ago holds the top spot for players retained. Then again, you look at the teams just behind them, and you see several teams from that middle era as well, so perhaps the rates of player movement have similarly increased.
Plus-2
Median: 16
Top Teams: 1952 NYY (23), 1971 PIT (23), 1954 NYG (21), 1957 MLN (21), 1979 PIT (21), 1983 BAL (21), 1986 NYM (21), 1989 OAK (21)
Bottom Teams: 1918 BOS (6), 1914 BSN (8), 1997 FLA (9), 1916 BOS (10), 1942 STL (10), 1919 CIN (11), 1941 NYY (11)
The top teams here all come from the same "middle era," interestingly enough.
Plus-3
Median: 12
Top Teams: 1951 NYY (20), 1986 NYM (20), 1962 NYY (19), 1943 NYY (18), 1946 STL (18), 1956 NYY (18), 1989 OAK (18), 1957 MLN (17)
Bottom Teams: 2003 FLA (2), 1918 BOS (4), 1974 OAK (4), 1941 NYY (5), 1997 FLA (5), 1914 BSN (7), 1915 BOS (7), 1919 CIN (7), 1944 STL (7), 1990 CIN (7)
The 2003 Marlins' fire sale was really something, wasn't it? Just three years later only two of those players remained!
Plus-4
Median: 9
Top Teams: 1946 STL (16), 1951 NYY (16), 1981 LAD (16), 1942 STL (14), 1957 MLN (14), 1961 NYY (14), 1962 NYY (14)
Bottom Teams: 1918 BOS (0), 1974 OAK (2), 2003 FLA (2), 1934 STL (3)
Harry Frazee's 1918 Red Sox though, have everyone beat by getting rid of everyone in just four years! The top teams are a testament to the strength of the Cardinal, Yankee and Dodger systems that we always hear about. The Braves are a bit underrated in that regard.
Plus-5
Median: 6
Top Teams: 1941 NYY (15), 1946 STL (14), 1932 NYY (12), 1949 NYY (12), 1951 NYY (12), 1971 PIT (12)
Bottom Teams: 1918 BOS (0), 2003 FLA (0), 1972 OAK (1), 1974 OAK (1), 1913 PHA (2), 1991 MIN (2)
Don't forget about that Pirate system either.
Plus-6
Median: 5
Top Teams: 1932 NYY (10), 1956 NYY (10), 1981 LAD (10), 1926 STL (9), 1942 STL (9), 1950 NYY (9), 1959 LAD (9), 1966 BAL (9), 1968 DET (9), 1989 OAK (9)
Bottom Teams: 1918 BOS (0), 1921 NYG (0), 1972 OAK (0), 2003 FLA (0), 1903 BOS (1), 1916 BOS (1), 1930 PHA (1), 1973 OAK (1), 1974 OAK (1), 1983 BAL (1)
A lot of zeros coming up here. I never realized before I compiled this information how much the 1921 Giants turned over their roster.
Plus-7
Median: 3
Top Teams: 1939 NYY (10), 1965 LAD (9), 1959 LAD (8), 1966 BAL (8), 1996 NYY (8)
Bottom Teams: 1916 BOS (0), 1918 BOS (0), 1921 NYG (0), 1929 PHA (0), 1930 PHA (0), 1934 STL (0), 2003 FLA (0)
The 1939 Yankees benefit from World War II. Their Plus-7 year was 1946, so they had a bunch of players returning from the war who might have been traded or released if they hadn't been serving their country.
Plus-8
Median: 3
Top Teams: 1938 NYY (8), 1942 STL (7), 1966 BAL (7), 1948 CLE (6), 1971 PIT (6)
Bottom Teams: 1903 BOS (0), 1913 PHA (0), 1915 BOS (0), 1916 BOS (0), 1918 BOS (0), 1921 NYG (0), 1929 PHA (0), 1934 STL (0), 2001 ARI (0), 2003 FLA (0)
You can see the 1946 phenomenon strike again here.
Plus-9
Median: 2
Top Teams: 1937 NYY (7), 1996 NYY (7), 1933 NYG (6), 1942 STL (6), 1907 CHC (5), 1932 NYY (5), 1966 BAL (5)
Bottom Teams: 21 teams
By this point there are too many teams at the bottom with zero to mention each one individually.
Plus-10
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1932 NYY (5), 1936 NYY (5), 1923 NYY (4), 1937 NYY (4), 1956 NYY (4), 1966 BAL (4), 1996 NYY (4), 1998 NYY (4), 1999 NYY (4), 2000 NYY (4)
Bottom Teams: 24 teams
All these Yankee teams! Where'd they come from? How does that franchise manage to keep their players together like that? Give credit where due though, to the 1966 Orioles.
Plus-11
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1996 NYY (4), 1998 NYY (4), 1999 NYY (4)
Well now, here's an interesting development. The Yankees' famed big four (Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada) make that late-90's dynasty stand apart. If Andy Pettitte hadn't spent the 2011 season in retirement, the 2000 team would be up here too.
Plus-12
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1996 NYY (4), 1998 NYY (4), 1999 NYY (3), 2000 NYY (3)
Plus-13
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1996 NYY (4), 1995 ATL (3), 1998 NYY (3), 1999 NYY (3)
The usual suspects, except the 1995 Braves join the mix. The 2000 Yankees are ineligible because their Plus-13 year is coming up soon and doesn't qualify yet.
Plus-14
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1932 NYY (4), 1996 NYY (4), 1998 NYY (3), 1924 WSH (2), 1942 STL (2), 1946 STL (2), 1953 NYY (2), 1966 BAL (2), 1982 STL (2)
Thanks to WWII, the 1932 Yankees sneak in here.
Plus-15
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1914 BSN (3), 1996 NYY (3), 1913 PHA (2), 1942 STL (2), 1946 STL (2), 1966 BAL (2)
Johnny Evers and Hank Gowdy were coaches for the 1929 Boston Braves, and it looks like they knew this list would be compiled one day, so they had to make some token appearances.
Plus-16
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1996 NYY (3), 1914 BSN (2), 1946 STL (2)
Plus-17
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1913 PHA (2), 1946 STL (2)
The 1963 Cardinals still had Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst hanging around. It looks like their departure was the last thing needed for them to get back to the World Series.
Plus-18
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1910 PHA (1), 1911 PHA (1), 1914 BSN (1), 1916 BOS (1), 1928 NYY (1), 1942 STL (1), 1944 STL (1), 1954 NYG (1), 1966 BAL (1), 1983 BAL (1)
Plus-19
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1910 PHA (1), 1911 PHA (1), 1914 BSN (1), 1915 BOS (1), 1942 STL (1), 1944 STL (1)
They're clearly dwindling now....
Plus-20
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1910 PHA (1), 1942 STL (1)
Plus-21
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1914 BSN (1), 1942 STL (1)
Thanks to two Hall of Famers, Stan Musial and Rabbit Maranville, these two teams are the only ones to suit up a player 21 years after the title.
Plus-1
Median: 23
Top Teams: 1980 PHI (30), 1952 NYY (29), 1966 BAL (29), 1971 PIT (29), 1973 OAK (29), 2010 SFG (29)
Bottom Teams: 1918 BOS (10), 1903 BOS (13), 1943 NYY (14), 1905 NYG (16), 1945 DET (16), 1934 STL (17), 1908 CHC (18), 1919 CIN (18), 1930 PHA (18), 1942 STL (18)
As with the Minus years, the bottom teams are either from an era of smaller rosters or war. One thing I discovered from doing this exercise is that player usage has gone up over the years. Since the year 2000, only one World Series Champion has used fewer than 40 players over the course of the season (that being the 2005 Chicago White Sox), so in a way I'm surprised that a team from over 30 years ago holds the top spot for players retained. Then again, you look at the teams just behind them, and you see several teams from that middle era as well, so perhaps the rates of player movement have similarly increased.
Plus-2
Median: 16
Top Teams: 1952 NYY (23), 1971 PIT (23), 1954 NYG (21), 1957 MLN (21), 1979 PIT (21), 1983 BAL (21), 1986 NYM (21), 1989 OAK (21)
Bottom Teams: 1918 BOS (6), 1914 BSN (8), 1997 FLA (9), 1916 BOS (10), 1942 STL (10), 1919 CIN (11), 1941 NYY (11)
The top teams here all come from the same "middle era," interestingly enough.
Plus-3
Median: 12
Top Teams: 1951 NYY (20), 1986 NYM (20), 1962 NYY (19), 1943 NYY (18), 1946 STL (18), 1956 NYY (18), 1989 OAK (18), 1957 MLN (17)
Bottom Teams: 2003 FLA (2), 1918 BOS (4), 1974 OAK (4), 1941 NYY (5), 1997 FLA (5), 1914 BSN (7), 1915 BOS (7), 1919 CIN (7), 1944 STL (7), 1990 CIN (7)
The 2003 Marlins' fire sale was really something, wasn't it? Just three years later only two of those players remained!
Plus-4
Median: 9
Top Teams: 1946 STL (16), 1951 NYY (16), 1981 LAD (16), 1942 STL (14), 1957 MLN (14), 1961 NYY (14), 1962 NYY (14)
Bottom Teams: 1918 BOS (0), 1974 OAK (2), 2003 FLA (2), 1934 STL (3)
Harry Frazee's 1918 Red Sox though, have everyone beat by getting rid of everyone in just four years! The top teams are a testament to the strength of the Cardinal, Yankee and Dodger systems that we always hear about. The Braves are a bit underrated in that regard.
Plus-5
Median: 6
Top Teams: 1941 NYY (15), 1946 STL (14), 1932 NYY (12), 1949 NYY (12), 1951 NYY (12), 1971 PIT (12)
Bottom Teams: 1918 BOS (0), 2003 FLA (0), 1972 OAK (1), 1974 OAK (1), 1913 PHA (2), 1991 MIN (2)
Don't forget about that Pirate system either.
Plus-6
Median: 5
Top Teams: 1932 NYY (10), 1956 NYY (10), 1981 LAD (10), 1926 STL (9), 1942 STL (9), 1950 NYY (9), 1959 LAD (9), 1966 BAL (9), 1968 DET (9), 1989 OAK (9)
Bottom Teams: 1918 BOS (0), 1921 NYG (0), 1972 OAK (0), 2003 FLA (0), 1903 BOS (1), 1916 BOS (1), 1930 PHA (1), 1973 OAK (1), 1974 OAK (1), 1983 BAL (1)
A lot of zeros coming up here. I never realized before I compiled this information how much the 1921 Giants turned over their roster.
Plus-7
Median: 3
Top Teams: 1939 NYY (10), 1965 LAD (9), 1959 LAD (8), 1966 BAL (8), 1996 NYY (8)
Bottom Teams: 1916 BOS (0), 1918 BOS (0), 1921 NYG (0), 1929 PHA (0), 1930 PHA (0), 1934 STL (0), 2003 FLA (0)
The 1939 Yankees benefit from World War II. Their Plus-7 year was 1946, so they had a bunch of players returning from the war who might have been traded or released if they hadn't been serving their country.
Plus-8
Median: 3
Top Teams: 1938 NYY (8), 1942 STL (7), 1966 BAL (7), 1948 CLE (6), 1971 PIT (6)
Bottom Teams: 1903 BOS (0), 1913 PHA (0), 1915 BOS (0), 1916 BOS (0), 1918 BOS (0), 1921 NYG (0), 1929 PHA (0), 1934 STL (0), 2001 ARI (0), 2003 FLA (0)
You can see the 1946 phenomenon strike again here.
Plus-9
Median: 2
Top Teams: 1937 NYY (7), 1996 NYY (7), 1933 NYG (6), 1942 STL (6), 1907 CHC (5), 1932 NYY (5), 1966 BAL (5)
Bottom Teams: 21 teams
By this point there are too many teams at the bottom with zero to mention each one individually.
Plus-10
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1932 NYY (5), 1936 NYY (5), 1923 NYY (4), 1937 NYY (4), 1956 NYY (4), 1966 BAL (4), 1996 NYY (4), 1998 NYY (4), 1999 NYY (4), 2000 NYY (4)
Bottom Teams: 24 teams
All these Yankee teams! Where'd they come from? How does that franchise manage to keep their players together like that? Give credit where due though, to the 1966 Orioles.
Plus-11
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1996 NYY (4), 1998 NYY (4), 1999 NYY (4)
Well now, here's an interesting development. The Yankees' famed big four (Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada) make that late-90's dynasty stand apart. If Andy Pettitte hadn't spent the 2011 season in retirement, the 2000 team would be up here too.
Plus-12
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1996 NYY (4), 1998 NYY (4), 1999 NYY (3), 2000 NYY (3)
Plus-13
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1996 NYY (4), 1995 ATL (3), 1998 NYY (3), 1999 NYY (3)
The usual suspects, except the 1995 Braves join the mix. The 2000 Yankees are ineligible because their Plus-13 year is coming up soon and doesn't qualify yet.
Plus-14
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1932 NYY (4), 1996 NYY (4), 1998 NYY (3), 1924 WSH (2), 1942 STL (2), 1946 STL (2), 1953 NYY (2), 1966 BAL (2), 1982 STL (2)
Thanks to WWII, the 1932 Yankees sneak in here.
Plus-15
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1914 BSN (3), 1996 NYY (3), 1913 PHA (2), 1942 STL (2), 1946 STL (2), 1966 BAL (2)
Johnny Evers and Hank Gowdy were coaches for the 1929 Boston Braves, and it looks like they knew this list would be compiled one day, so they had to make some token appearances.
Plus-16
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1996 NYY (3), 1914 BSN (2), 1946 STL (2)
Plus-17
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1913 PHA (2), 1946 STL (2)
The 1963 Cardinals still had Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst hanging around. It looks like their departure was the last thing needed for them to get back to the World Series.
Plus-18
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1910 PHA (1), 1911 PHA (1), 1914 BSN (1), 1916 BOS (1), 1928 NYY (1), 1942 STL (1), 1944 STL (1), 1954 NYG (1), 1966 BAL (1), 1983 BAL (1)
Plus-19
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1910 PHA (1), 1911 PHA (1), 1914 BSN (1), 1915 BOS (1), 1942 STL (1), 1944 STL (1)
They're clearly dwindling now....
Plus-20
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1910 PHA (1), 1942 STL (1)
Plus-21
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1914 BSN (1), 1942 STL (1)
Thanks to two Hall of Famers, Stan Musial and Rabbit Maranville, these two teams are the only ones to suit up a player 21 years after the title.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
World Series Champions: The Minus Years
As any regular reader of this blog knows, I kind of have a fascination with teams that win the World Series. A group of guys that came together to reach the pinnacle of their sport just has a special mystique about it, and when it's in baseball, the only sport that really matters, it takes on an extra special meaning.
A while back I introduced the activity chart, which was inspired by the tidbits from my Profiling the World Series Winners series (which I really ought to resume at some point). I put together an activity chart for each of the World Series Champion teams, and with it I was able to see how different the trends were of players playing for these teams in the years before and after. Some teams kept their core together for many years, while others were dismantled through fire sales shortly after the championship. Similarly, others had their players grow and develop together long before they won anything, while others were put together rather quickly.
I decided to record the number of players who were with the team in each year removed from the championship year. For instance, the 1924 Washington Senators had 35 players get into a game that season. Of those 35, 20 also played a game for the 1923 Senators. Since 1923 was one year before 1924, 1923 is the "Minus-1" year for the 1924 Senators, and we would say their Minus-1 number is 20. Make sense?
With this post I thought I'd examine each Minus number so we can see which teams were the most extreme in the years before they hoisted the trophy.
Minus-24
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1930 PHA
As you can see, only one team makes the cut here. If it weren't for Eddie Collins making a few token appearances when he was primarily a coach, none of these teams would even have a Minus-24 qualifier.
Minus-23
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1929 PHA, 1930 PHA
Same deal here. Collins and the A's went way back.
Minus-22
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1929 PHA, 1930 PHA, 1988 LAD
More of the same deal, except you can add Don Sutton and his return to the Dodgers during the '88 season to the fun.
Minus-21
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1929 PHA, 1930 PHA, 1988 LAD
Minus-20
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1929 PHA, 1930 PHA, 1988 LAD
Minus-19
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1929 PHA, 1930 PHA, 1988 LAD
Minus-18
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1925 PIT, 1929 PHA, 1930 PHA, 1983 BAL, 1988 LAD
Babe Adams' and Jim Palmer's longevity are suddenly of interest to us.
Minus-17
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1930 PHA (2), 1924 WSH, 1929 PHA, 1979 PIT, 1983 BAL, 1987 MIN, 1988 LAD, 1990 CIN, 2004 BOS
The 1930 Athletics had Wally Schang as their backup catcher, giving them the top Minus-17 number.
Minus-16
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1930 PHA (2), 1924 WSH, 1925 PIT, 1929 PHA, 1931 STL, 1939 NYY, 1944 STL, 1959 LAD, 1962 NYY, 1971 PIT, 1979 PIT, 1983 BAL, 1987 MIN, 1988 LAD, 1990 CIN, 2004 BOS
The 1930 A's are still #1, though more teams are joining the fun.
Minus-15
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1924 WSH (2), 1925 PIT (2), 1930 PHA (2), 1945 DET (2), 1971 PIT (2)
By now we have enough twos that we don't need to list all the ones.
Minus-14
Median: 0
Top Teams: 2009 NYY (4), 1925 PIT (2), 1945 DET (2), 1971 PIT (2)
Wow. Now here's an interesting development: The 2009 Yankees had their big four, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada each make their debut in 1995, catapulting them to the #1 spot here with twice as many as anyone else. As much as I wish that team hadn't won the World Series, it's pretty impressive to see what they did here.
Minus-13
Median: 0
Top Teams: 2009 NYY (4), 1925 PIT (2), 1930 PHA (2), 1950 NYY (2), 1971 PIT (2), 1992 TOR (2)
Minus-12
Median: 1
Top Teams: 2009 NYY (4), 1959 LAD (3), 1985 KCR (3)
The median for all the teams is suddenly one, but there are still so many teams with zero that I don't need to list them all.
Minus-11
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1959 LAD (4), 1985 KCR (4), 2009 NYY (4), 1913 PHA (3), 1929 PHA (3), 1941 NYY (3), 1943 NYY (3), 1945 DET (3), 1962 NYY (3), 1981 LAD (3)
Move over, 2009 Yankees, you've got company!
Minus-10
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1985 KCR (5), 1913 PHA (4), 1941 NYY (4), 1947 NYY (4), 1959 LAD (4), 1980 PHI (4), 1981 LAD (4), 1992 TOR (4), 2009 NYY (4)
Bottom Teams: 25 teams
Fewer and fewer teams have zero, but there are still too many to list them all individually. The 1985 Royals have overtaken the "lead."
Minus-9
Median: 2
Top Teams: 1985 KCR (8), 1981 LAD (6), 1909 PIT (5), 1939 NYY (5), 1941 NYY (5), 1959 LAD (5), 1974 OAK (5)
Bottom Teams: 17 teams
Color me impressed. The 1985 Royals' have a Minus-9 number of 8! It's a testament to how committed they were to their core players in that era (or perhaps, how committed their core players were to them).
Minus-8
Median: 3
Top Teams: 1974 OAK (7), 1985 KCR (7), 1939 NYY (6), 1956 NYY (6), 1979 PIT (6), 1980 PHI (6), 1981 LAD (6)
Bottom Teams: 12 teams
The 1974 A's are right there with the Royals now.
Minus-7
Median: 4
Top Teams: 1974 OAK (10), 1962 NYY (9), 1983 BAL (9), 1938 NYY (8), 1955 BRO (8), 1980 PHI (8), 1985 KCR (8)
Bottom Teams: 1905 NYG (0), 1912 BOS (0), 1914 BSN (0), 1919 CIN (0), 1951 NYY (0), 1996 NYY (0), 2006 STL (0), 2010 SFG (0)
Ten in the Minus-7 year! Not bad, '74 A's, not bad. That's going back to the Kansas City Athletics, right there. At this point you can see which teams were built with a homegrown core and which teams came together quickly (although in the case of the 1951 Yankees, World War II was a big factor).
Minus-6
Median: 5
Top Teams: 1973 OAK (11), 1974 OAK (11), 1938 NYY (10), 1962 NYY (10), 1983 BAL (10)
Bottom Teams: 1905 NYG (0), 1951 NYY (0), 2010 SFG (0), 1914 BSN (1), 1919 CIN (1), 1942 STL (1), 1996 NYY (1), 1998 NYY (1), 2006 STL (1)
Five in the double digits now!
Minus-5
Median: 7
Top Teams: 1974 OAK (14), 1946 STL (13), 1983 BAL (13), 1930 PHA (12), 1937 NYY (12), 1956 NYY (12), 1973 OAK (12)
Bottom Teams: 1914 BSN (1), 1919 CIN (1), 2010 SFG (1), 1912 BOS (2), 1969 NYM (2), 1998 NYY (2), 2006 STL (2)
At this point each of the bottom teams has at least one. It'd be really something if a championship team had turned over its entire roster in the previous five years.
Minus-4
Median: 9
Top Teams: 1973 OAK (15), 1983 BAL (15), 1946 STL (14), 1957 MLN (14)
Bottom Teams: 1914 BSN (2), 1919 CIN (2), 1998 NYY (2), 1905 NYG (4), 1922 NYG (4), 1949 NYY (4), 2010 SFG (4)
The 1957 Braves had a huge infusion of future-championship talent coincide with their move to Milwaukee. It's amazing that the famous 114-win Yankees only had a Minus-4 number of 2.
Minus-3
Median: 12
Top Teams: 1957 MLN (19), 1970 BAL (18), 1983 BAL (18), 1972 OAK (17), 1981 LAD (17), 1951 NYY (16), 1958 NYY (16), 1976 CIN (16)
Bottom Teams: 1914 BSN (3), 1919 CIN (5), 1948 CLE (5), 2006 STL (5), 2001 ARI (6)
I'm starting to think the 1914 Boston Braves might be the most surprising World Series Champion ever. They had a bunch of players who came together out of nowhere to somehow form a title-winner. The 2001 Diamondbacks just now qualify, because their Minus-3 year was also the franchise's debut season.
Minus-2
Median: 16
Top Teams: 1970 BAL (21), 1983 BAL (21), 1950 NYY (20), 1951 NYY (20), 1953 NYY (20), 1957 MLN (20)
Bottom Teams: 1914 BSN (5), 1947 NYY (8), 1903 BOS (9), 1907 CHC (10), 1918 BOS (10), 1923 NYY (10), 1924 WSN (10), 1944 STL (10), 1997 FLA (10)
Few are the teams that can crack the 20 mark in the Minus-2 year! Some of the bottom teams, as you might be able to observe, were affected by wars or eras of smaller rosters.
Minus-1
Median: 22
Top Teams: 1956 NYY (30), 1953 NYY (29), 1974 OAK (29), 1992 TOR (29), 1983 BAL (28), 1989 OAK (28), 2009 NYY (28), 2010 SFG (28)
Bottom Teams: 1918 BOS (11), 1933 NYG (13), 1903 BOS (14), 1919 CIN (14), 1946 STL (14), 1909 PIT (15), 1943 NYY (15)
Not much to say about the top teams, but the bottom teams here are interesting. As I said above, the World Wars impacted several of them, and the 1909 Pirates and 1933 Giants featured their share of newcomers.
Next time we'll look at the Plus Years!
A while back I introduced the activity chart, which was inspired by the tidbits from my Profiling the World Series Winners series (which I really ought to resume at some point). I put together an activity chart for each of the World Series Champion teams, and with it I was able to see how different the trends were of players playing for these teams in the years before and after. Some teams kept their core together for many years, while others were dismantled through fire sales shortly after the championship. Similarly, others had their players grow and develop together long before they won anything, while others were put together rather quickly.
I decided to record the number of players who were with the team in each year removed from the championship year. For instance, the 1924 Washington Senators had 35 players get into a game that season. Of those 35, 20 also played a game for the 1923 Senators. Since 1923 was one year before 1924, 1923 is the "Minus-1" year for the 1924 Senators, and we would say their Minus-1 number is 20. Make sense?
With this post I thought I'd examine each Minus number so we can see which teams were the most extreme in the years before they hoisted the trophy.
Minus-24
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1930 PHA
As you can see, only one team makes the cut here. If it weren't for Eddie Collins making a few token appearances when he was primarily a coach, none of these teams would even have a Minus-24 qualifier.
Minus-23
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1929 PHA, 1930 PHA
Same deal here. Collins and the A's went way back.
Minus-22
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1929 PHA, 1930 PHA, 1988 LAD
More of the same deal, except you can add Don Sutton and his return to the Dodgers during the '88 season to the fun.
Minus-21
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1929 PHA, 1930 PHA, 1988 LAD
Minus-20
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1929 PHA, 1930 PHA, 1988 LAD
Minus-19
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1929 PHA, 1930 PHA, 1988 LAD
Minus-18
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1925 PIT, 1929 PHA, 1930 PHA, 1983 BAL, 1988 LAD
Babe Adams' and Jim Palmer's longevity are suddenly of interest to us.
Minus-17
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1930 PHA (2), 1924 WSH, 1929 PHA, 1979 PIT, 1983 BAL, 1987 MIN, 1988 LAD, 1990 CIN, 2004 BOS
The 1930 Athletics had Wally Schang as their backup catcher, giving them the top Minus-17 number.
Minus-16
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1930 PHA (2), 1924 WSH, 1925 PIT, 1929 PHA, 1931 STL, 1939 NYY, 1944 STL, 1959 LAD, 1962 NYY, 1971 PIT, 1979 PIT, 1983 BAL, 1987 MIN, 1988 LAD, 1990 CIN, 2004 BOS
The 1930 A's are still #1, though more teams are joining the fun.
Minus-15
Median: 0
Top Teams: 1924 WSH (2), 1925 PIT (2), 1930 PHA (2), 1945 DET (2), 1971 PIT (2)
By now we have enough twos that we don't need to list all the ones.
Minus-14
Median: 0
Top Teams: 2009 NYY (4), 1925 PIT (2), 1945 DET (2), 1971 PIT (2)
Wow. Now here's an interesting development: The 2009 Yankees had their big four, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada each make their debut in 1995, catapulting them to the #1 spot here with twice as many as anyone else. As much as I wish that team hadn't won the World Series, it's pretty impressive to see what they did here.
Minus-13
Median: 0
Top Teams: 2009 NYY (4), 1925 PIT (2), 1930 PHA (2), 1950 NYY (2), 1971 PIT (2), 1992 TOR (2)
Minus-12
Median: 1
Top Teams: 2009 NYY (4), 1959 LAD (3), 1985 KCR (3)
The median for all the teams is suddenly one, but there are still so many teams with zero that I don't need to list them all.
Minus-11
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1959 LAD (4), 1985 KCR (4), 2009 NYY (4), 1913 PHA (3), 1929 PHA (3), 1941 NYY (3), 1943 NYY (3), 1945 DET (3), 1962 NYY (3), 1981 LAD (3)
Move over, 2009 Yankees, you've got company!
Minus-10
Median: 1
Top Teams: 1985 KCR (5), 1913 PHA (4), 1941 NYY (4), 1947 NYY (4), 1959 LAD (4), 1980 PHI (4), 1981 LAD (4), 1992 TOR (4), 2009 NYY (4)
Bottom Teams: 25 teams
Fewer and fewer teams have zero, but there are still too many to list them all individually. The 1985 Royals have overtaken the "lead."
Minus-9
Median: 2
Top Teams: 1985 KCR (8), 1981 LAD (6), 1909 PIT (5), 1939 NYY (5), 1941 NYY (5), 1959 LAD (5), 1974 OAK (5)
Bottom Teams: 17 teams
Color me impressed. The 1985 Royals' have a Minus-9 number of 8! It's a testament to how committed they were to their core players in that era (or perhaps, how committed their core players were to them).
Minus-8
Median: 3
Top Teams: 1974 OAK (7), 1985 KCR (7), 1939 NYY (6), 1956 NYY (6), 1979 PIT (6), 1980 PHI (6), 1981 LAD (6)
Bottom Teams: 12 teams
The 1974 A's are right there with the Royals now.
Minus-7
Median: 4
Top Teams: 1974 OAK (10), 1962 NYY (9), 1983 BAL (9), 1938 NYY (8), 1955 BRO (8), 1980 PHI (8), 1985 KCR (8)
Bottom Teams: 1905 NYG (0), 1912 BOS (0), 1914 BSN (0), 1919 CIN (0), 1951 NYY (0), 1996 NYY (0), 2006 STL (0), 2010 SFG (0)
Ten in the Minus-7 year! Not bad, '74 A's, not bad. That's going back to the Kansas City Athletics, right there. At this point you can see which teams were built with a homegrown core and which teams came together quickly (although in the case of the 1951 Yankees, World War II was a big factor).
Minus-6
Median: 5
Top Teams: 1973 OAK (11), 1974 OAK (11), 1938 NYY (10), 1962 NYY (10), 1983 BAL (10)
Bottom Teams: 1905 NYG (0), 1951 NYY (0), 2010 SFG (0), 1914 BSN (1), 1919 CIN (1), 1942 STL (1), 1996 NYY (1), 1998 NYY (1), 2006 STL (1)
Five in the double digits now!
Minus-5
Median: 7
Top Teams: 1974 OAK (14), 1946 STL (13), 1983 BAL (13), 1930 PHA (12), 1937 NYY (12), 1956 NYY (12), 1973 OAK (12)
Bottom Teams: 1914 BSN (1), 1919 CIN (1), 2010 SFG (1), 1912 BOS (2), 1969 NYM (2), 1998 NYY (2), 2006 STL (2)
At this point each of the bottom teams has at least one. It'd be really something if a championship team had turned over its entire roster in the previous five years.
Minus-4
Median: 9
Top Teams: 1973 OAK (15), 1983 BAL (15), 1946 STL (14), 1957 MLN (14)
Bottom Teams: 1914 BSN (2), 1919 CIN (2), 1998 NYY (2), 1905 NYG (4), 1922 NYG (4), 1949 NYY (4), 2010 SFG (4)
The 1957 Braves had a huge infusion of future-championship talent coincide with their move to Milwaukee. It's amazing that the famous 114-win Yankees only had a Minus-4 number of 2.
Minus-3
Median: 12
Top Teams: 1957 MLN (19), 1970 BAL (18), 1983 BAL (18), 1972 OAK (17), 1981 LAD (17), 1951 NYY (16), 1958 NYY (16), 1976 CIN (16)
Bottom Teams: 1914 BSN (3), 1919 CIN (5), 1948 CLE (5), 2006 STL (5), 2001 ARI (6)
I'm starting to think the 1914 Boston Braves might be the most surprising World Series Champion ever. They had a bunch of players who came together out of nowhere to somehow form a title-winner. The 2001 Diamondbacks just now qualify, because their Minus-3 year was also the franchise's debut season.
Minus-2
Median: 16
Top Teams: 1970 BAL (21), 1983 BAL (21), 1950 NYY (20), 1951 NYY (20), 1953 NYY (20), 1957 MLN (20)
Bottom Teams: 1914 BSN (5), 1947 NYY (8), 1903 BOS (9), 1907 CHC (10), 1918 BOS (10), 1923 NYY (10), 1924 WSN (10), 1944 STL (10), 1997 FLA (10)
Few are the teams that can crack the 20 mark in the Minus-2 year! Some of the bottom teams, as you might be able to observe, were affected by wars or eras of smaller rosters.
Minus-1
Median: 22
Top Teams: 1956 NYY (30), 1953 NYY (29), 1974 OAK (29), 1992 TOR (29), 1983 BAL (28), 1989 OAK (28), 2009 NYY (28), 2010 SFG (28)
Bottom Teams: 1918 BOS (11), 1933 NYG (13), 1903 BOS (14), 1919 CIN (14), 1946 STL (14), 1909 PIT (15), 1943 NYY (15)
Not much to say about the top teams, but the bottom teams here are interesting. As I said above, the World Wars impacted several of them, and the 1909 Pirates and 1933 Giants featured their share of newcomers.
Next time we'll look at the Plus Years!
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