2019 World Series Preview and Mindless Minutiae

The 2019 World Series is now set.  In the NL, the Montreal Expos -- er, I mean Washington Nationals -- swept the Cardinals last week to clinch their franchise's first-ever pennant.  In the AL, my beloved Astros clinched their third pennant in dramatic fashion on Jose Altuve's walk-off two-run moonshot Saturday night, to finish off the Yankees.  When that left the yard, I cheered loud enough that I may have woken up half the neighborhood -- or at the very least my sleeping dog.

Needless to say, I'm pumped about the World Series.  It's the Astros/Expos matchup everyone was clamoring for in the 1994 NLCS, but which never happened because of the strike.  This one should be a pitching clinic, with Cole/Verlander/Greinke for the Astros and Scherzer/Strasburg/Corbin/Sanchez for the Nats.  All seven of those pitchers ranked in the MLB's Top 27 in ERA this year, with all but Sanchez in the Top 16.  And for the first time in World Series history, five of the top ten pitchers in regular season strikeouts are in the World Series:  Cole (#1), Verlander (#2), Strasburg (#6), Scherzer (#8), and Corbin (#10).

The bats aren't too shabby either, with 7 of the MLB's Top 30 in batting average playing in the Series:  Anthony Rendon (Was, #5), Michael Brantley (Hou, #11), Jose Altuve (Hou, #19), Yuli Gurriel (Hou, #20), Trea Turner (Was, #21), Alex Bregman (Hou, #22), and George Springer (Hou, #30).  Six players hit more than 30 home runs in the regular season:  Bregman (Hou, 41), Springer (Hou, 39), Rendon (Was, 34), Juan Soto (Was, 34), Altuve (Hou, 31), and Gurriel (Hou, 31).

The Astros have home-field advantage, but both teams have shown thus far that they can win on the road in the playoffs, with the Nats winning four of five road games in the playoffs and the Astros winning two of three at Yankee Stadium.  On the other end, the Astros are 5-1 at home in the playoffs, and the Nats are 4-1.

Here is the schedule (all times Central), the location, and the probable starting pitchers, to the extent known.  All games are being televised on Fox:

Game 1 (at Houston):  Tuesday 10/22 7:08 p.m.; Scherzer (Was) vs. Cole (Hou)

Game 2 (at Houston):  Wednesday 10/23 7:07 p.m.; Strasburg (Was) vs. Verlander (Hou)

Game 3 (at Washington):  Friday 10/25 7:07 p.m.; Greinke (Hou) vs. Corbin (Was)

Game 4 (at Washington):  Saturday 10/26 7:07 p.m.; starters TBD

Game 5 (if necessary) (at Washington):  Sunday 10/27 7:07 p.m.; starters TBD

Game 6 (if necessary) (at Houston):  Tuesday 10/29 7:07 p.m.; starters TBD

Game 7 (if necessary) (at Houston):  Wednesday 10:30 7:08 p.m.; starters TBD

If the Astros win, it will be their second World Series title (and second in three years).  If the Nationals win, it will their franchise's first World Series title, and the city of Washington's first World Series title since 1924.

Now, here are some mindless stats about this year's World Series and current droughts.

Fewest World Series titles between teams

The Astros and Nationals have a combined one World Series title (Astros in 2017).  

Since 1920, there has only been one World Series in which neither team had previously won a World Series title:  the 1980 World Series, in which the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals.  Here are the years since 1940 where the two World Series teams had three or fewer World Series titles when they met:

Three

2015:  Kansas City Royals (1) vs. New York Mets (2)

1984:  Detroit Tigers (3) vs. San Diego Padres (0)

1983:  Baltimore Orioles (2) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (1)

1970:  Baltimore Orioles (1) vs. Cincinnati Reds (2)

1959:  Los Angeles Dodgers (1) vs. Chicago White Sox (2)

1945:  Detroit Tigers (1) vs. Chicago Cubs (2)

Two

2005:  Chicago White Sox (2) vs. Houston Astros (0)

1997:  Florida Marlins (0) vs. Cleveland Indians (2)

1993:  Toronto Blue Jays (1) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (1)

1992:  Toronto Blue Jays (0) vs. Atlanta Braves (2)

1948:  Cleveland Indians (1) vs. Boston Braves (1)

1940:  Cincinnati Reds (1) vs. Detroit Tigers (1)

One

2019:  Houston Astros (1) vs. Washington Nationals (0)

2008:  Philadelphia Phillies (1) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (0)

1969:  New York Mets (0) vs. Baltimore Orioles (1)

Zero

1980:  Philadelphia Phillies vs. Kansas City Royals

Fewest World Series appearances between teams

Including this World Series, the Astros and Nationals have a combined four World Series appearances prior to this World Series (Astros in 2005, 2017, and 2019, and Nationals in 2019).  Since 1920, this is tied with three other years for the fewest World Series appearances between the two World Series teams.  Here are the years:

2019:  Houston Astros (3) vs. Washington Nationals (1)

1980:  Philadelphia Phillies (3) vs. Kansas City Royals (1)

1969:  New York Mets (1) vs. Baltimore Orioles (3)

1948:  Cleveland Indians (2) vs. Boston Braves (2)

Record of first-time World Series participants

With their first appearance, the Nationals leave the Seattle Mariners as the only Major League franchise that has not yet appeared in a World Series.  First-time World Series participants are 13-15.

Winners

-Boston Americans/Red Sox (1903)

-New York/San Francisco Giants (1905)

-Chicago White Sox (1906)

-Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1914)

-Cincinnati Reds (1919)

-Cleveland Indians (1920)

-Washington Senators/Minneapolis Twins (1924)

-St. Louis Cardinals (1925)

-New York Mets (1969)

-Toronto Blue Jays (1992)

-Florida/Miami Marlins (1997)

-Arizona Diamondbacks (2001)

-California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels (2002)

Losers

-Pittsburgh Pirates (1903)

-Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics (1905)

-Chicago Cubs (1906)

-Detroit Tigers (1907)

-Philadelphia Phillies (1915)

-Brooklyn Robins/Brooklyn Dodgers/LA Dodgers (1916)

-New York Yankees (1921)

-St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles (1944)

-Kansas City Royals (1980)

-Milwaukee Brewers (1982)

-San Diego Padres (1984)

-Houston Colt .45s/Astros (2005)

-Colorado Rockies (2007)

-Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays (2008)

-Washington Senators/Texas Rangers (2010)

Longest spans between World Series appearances and titles for cities

This is the first time a team from Washington, DC is in the World Series since 1933.  That 86 years is the longest drought between World Series appearances for any city that has had a Major League Baseball team.  Below are the droughts between World Series appearances and World Series titles for cities with Major League teams.  Obviously, these respective lists require a city's team or teams to have been in the World Series and won a World Series more than once.  Current droughts do not count.  Also, for purposes of any list in this post, I consider Los Angeles and Anaheim separate.

Years between World Series appearances

86 years:  Washington (Senators in 1933 and Nationals in 2019)

46 years:  Chicago (White Sox in 1959 and 2005)

41 years:  Cleveland (Indians in 1954 and 1995)

33 years:  Pittsburgh (Pirates in 1927 and 1960)

30 years:  Philadelphia (Phillies in 1950 and 1980)

29 years:  Kansas City (Royals in 1985 and 2014); Los Angeles (Dodgers in 1988 and 2017)

28 years:  Boston (Red Sox in 1918 and 1946)

27 years:  San Francisco (Giants in 1962 and 1989)

25 years:  Detroit (Tigers in 1909 and 1934)

24 years:  Milwaukee (Braves in 1958 and Brewers in 1982)

22 years:  Minneapolis (Twins in 1965 and 1987)

21 years:  Brooklyn (Robins in 1920 and Dodgers in 1941); Cincinnati (Reds in 1940 and 1961)

18 years:  St. Louis (Cardinals in 1946 and 1964)

14 years:  Oakland (Athletics in 1974 and 1988); San Diego (Padres in 1984 and 1998)

12 years:  Houston (Astros in 2005 and 2017)

10 years:  New York (Mets in 1986 and Yankees in 1996)

8 years:  Baltimore (Orioles in 1971 and 1979)

6 years:  Miami (Marlins in 1997 and 2003)

3 years:  Atlanta (Braves in 1996 and 1999)

1 year:  Toronto (Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993)

Years between World Series titles

88 years:  Chicago (White Sox in 1917 and 2005)

86 years:  Boston (Red Sox in 1918 and 2004)

50 years:  Philadelphia (Phillies in 1930 and 1980)

35 years:  Cincinnati (Reds in 1940 and 1975); Pittsburgh (Pirates in 1925 and 1960)

30 years:  Kansas City (Royals in 1985 and 2015)

28 years:  Cleveland (Indians in 1920 and 1948)

24 years:  St. Louis (Cardinals in 1982 and 2006)

23 years:  Detroit (Tigers in 1945 and 1968)

16 years:  Los Angeles (Dodgers in 1965 and 1981); New York (Giants in 1905 and 1921)

15 years:  Oakland (Athletics in 1974 and 1989)

13 years:  Baltimore (Orioles in 1970 and 1983)

6 years:  Miami (Marlins in 1997 and 2003)

4 years:  Minneapolis (Twins in 1987 and 1991)

2 years:  San Francisco (Giants in 2010, 2012, and 2014)

1 year:  Toronto (Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993)

Current World Series droughts for franchises and cities

The logical extension of the prior section is to look at the longest current World Series appearance and title droughts for franchises and cities. 

Current World Series appearance droughts for franchises/cities

The Nationals/Expos had the longest current drought, having never been to a World Series since their founding in 1969, and they also broke Washington's 86-year absence as a city from the World Series.  With the Nats winning the NL pennant, here are the ten current longest World Series appearance droughts (including the Mariners, which have never been), with the year of their last World Series appearance.  Of course, since these teams cannot go to this year's World Series, I am adding a year.  It's the same list for franchises and cities, so deal with this:

1.  43 years:  Seattle Mariners (1977) (have never been)

2.  41 years:  Pittsburgh Pirates (1979)

3.  38 years:  Milwaukee Brewers (1982)

4.  37 years:  Baltimore Orioles (1983)

5 (tie).  30 years:  Cincinnati Reds and Oakland Athletics (1990)

7.  29 years:  Minnesota Twins (1991)

8.  27 years:  Toronto Blue Jays (1993)

9.  22 years:  San Diego Padres (1998)

10.  21 years:  Atlanta Braves (1999)

I guess what this means is that 2/3 of the league has been to a World Series in the last 20 years, which seems like a decent stat

Current World Series title droughts for franchises

For shits and giggles, I'll include the franchises that have never won a World Series.  The franchise's last World Series appearance or founding year is in parentheses.  Here are the ten longest current title droughts:

1.  Cleveland Indians:  72 years (1948)

2.  Washington Senators/Texas Rangers:  59 years (never, franchise began in 1961)

3 (tie).  Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals:  51 years (never, franchises began in 1969)

6.  Seattle Mariners:  43 years (never, franchise began in 1977)

7.  Pittsburgh Pirates:  41 years (1979)

8.  Baltimore Orioles:  37 years (1983)

9.  Detroit Tigers:  36 years (1984)

10.  New York Mets:  34 years (1986)

Current World Series title droughts for cities

Now let's look at how long current cities with Major League Baseball franchises have gone without winning a title.  With all the jumping around, especially in the '50s and '60s, as well as two-team cities, this list looks slightly different that the one right above.  Again, I'll include the cities where the current franchise has not won a World Series.  Here are the ten longest droughts for cities:

1.  Washington:  95 years (Senators in 1924)

2.  Cleveland:  72 years (Indians in 1948)

3.  Milwaukee:  63 years (Braves in 1957)

4.  Dallas:  59 years (Rangers founded in 1961, have never won)

5.  San Diego:  51 years (Padres founded in 1969, have never won)

6.  Seattle:  43 years (Mariners founded in 1977, have never won)

7.  Pittsburgh:  41 years (Pirates 1979)

8.  Baltimore:  37 years (Orioles in 1983)

9.  Detroit:  36 years (Tigers in 1984)

10.  Los Angeles:  32 years (Dodgers in 1988)

Anyway, go 'Stros!