World Series: Eight Teams That Have Never Won

The World Series, the official championship of Major League Baseball, is being conducted now for the 112th time, and there are eight current organizations that have never won.

As the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians battle for the 2016 World Series crown, much has been made of the fact the neither organization has won the championship of Major League Baseball in a very long time.

The Indians last won the World Series way back in 1948, just a couple of years after the end of World War II and prior to the dawn of the age of television.

The Cubs have not won since 1908, and have for more than half a century been living under the infamous “Curse of the Billy Goat” and in the shadow of Steve Bartman.

With the Cubs’ victory in Wednesday’s Game 2, the 2016 World Series is now even at a game apiece. At some point in the next week, one of these two teams is going to end their long drought, and there will be much joy and celebrating.

Meanwhile, the losing team and their fans will remain frustrated. They will remain without having won a championship for generations.

But as long as it has been for those two organizations, there are clubs and fan bases out there who are just as frustrated. In fact, there are teams whose fan bases have never been able to celebrate a World Series title at all.

Let’s take a look at the eight Major League Baseball franchises who have still not won a World Series, and see how close each has come in their history.

Colorado Rockies

The city of Denver was awarded a Major League Baseball franchise in 1991 and began play in 1993 as the Colorado Rockies.

Since that time, not only have the Rockies not won a World Series crown, but they are also one of only two teams to not even win a division championship, sharing that distinction with their 1993 expansion brethren, the Florida/Miami Marlins

The “Blake Street Bombers” have, however, reached the MLB postseason on three occasions. They were a National League Wild Card team in the 1995, 2007 and 2009 seasons.

In 1995, the Rox dropped a four-game NLDS to the eventual world champion Atlanta Braves. In 2009, the Rockies dropped a tough four-game NLDS to the defending world champion Philadelphia Phillies, the last three games all decided by one run.

But it was in the 2007 season that the Rockies came the closest to snapping their World Series drought.

That season, Colorado won 14 of their final 15 regular season games, culminating in a thrilling 13-inning walk-off 9-8 playoff victory over the San Diego Padres to earn one of the NL Wild Card berths.

The Rockies then swept the Phillies in three straight games in the NLDS and defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in four games to capture their only National League pennant.

Advancing to the Fall Classic for the only time in franchise history, the Rockies were mowed down by the Boston Red Sox in four straight games.

Houston Astros

The franchise was established as an expansion team in the National League for the 1962 season as the Houston Colt .45s.

The name change to the Houston Astros would come three years later to correspond with their move into the “eighth wonder of the world”, the Astrodome, and to highlight both the new space age and the franchise’s proximity to the control center of the U.S. space program.

For the first 51 years of their existence, Houston would play in the National League, first in the NL West Division (1969-93) and ultimately in the NL Central (1994-2012) before a move to their current home in the American League West Division.

The organization does have a winning tradition. They captured NL West crowns in 1980 and 1986, and won NL Central titles four times in a five-year span between 1997-2001.

The club was also a National League Wild Card team in both 2004 and 2005, and reached the postseason for the first time in the American League a year ago as a 2015 AL Wild Card.

It was in one of those Wild Card years of 2005 that the Astros claimed their lone pennant, defeating the Atlanta Braves in four games in the NLDS and then the St. Louis Cardinals in six to reach their only World Series.

In that 2005 World Series, the Astros were swept by the Chicago White Sox in four straight. But they were all hard-fought. The ChiSox won the opener 5-3, took Games 2 and 4 by a single run, and won Game 3 by 7-5 in a 14-inning marathon.

San Diego Padres

In 1969, Major League Baseball added two new teams in both the National and American Leagues, and switched to a divisional setup for the first time.

Three of those clubs, including the San Diego Padres who were added to the NL West Division, have still almost a half-century later never won a World Series title.

The Friars have won five NL West crowns in the 1984, 1996, 1998, 2005 and 2006 seasons, and have reached the World Series twice, in 1984 and 1998.

In ’96, ’05, and ’06, the Padres were knocked out of the NLDS by the St. Louis Cardinals. The first two were sweeps in three straight games, and they lost in four games in 2006.

The 1984 and 1998 teams that reached the World Series were both led by the late Hall of Famer and greatest player in franchise history, outfielder Tony Gwynn.

In 1984, the Padres dropped the first two games of the NLCS to the Chicago Cubs, who were trying to shake a 76-year old World Series drought. You may have heard of it.

Those Padres roared back to win three straight and advance to their first World Series. They split the first two games with a powerful Detroit Tigers club, but would lose in five games.

The 1998 team may have been the best in Padres history. They defeated a 102-win Houston Astros team in four games in the NLDS, and a 106-win Atlanta Braves club in six games to win the NL pennant.

In the World Series, however, the Padres ran into a dynastic New York Yankees squad. The Yanks swept out the Padres in four straight, capturing their second Fall Classic in three years and first of what would be three straight championships.

Seattle Mariners

The Mariners became Major League Baseball’s second attempt at expanding into the Seattle market in less than a decade, following the 1970 relocation of the Pilots and a subsequent breach of contract lawsuit by the city and the state of Washington.

The franchise began play in the 1977 season at the Kingdome, which would remain their home until replaced by Safeco Field in July of 1999.

Members of the American League West Division since their inception, the Mariners have won the division crown three times: 1995, 1997, and 2001. They were also an AL Wild Card team in 2000.

Those mid-90s teams were highlighted by the presence of the greatest player in franchise history, new Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr, as well as superstars like Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, and Edgar Martinez.

The winning continued into the early 21st century thanks largely to the addition of future Hall of Fame outfielder Ichiro Suzuki from Japan.

The Mariners have not only never won a World Series, they have never even played in one.

In 1995, the Mariners defeated the California Angels 9-1 in a tie-breaker playoff game to win the AL West crown.

Then down 2-0 to the New York Yankees in the ALDS, the M’s rallied to win in a dramatic fifth game walk-off. But those M’s were knocked out in the ALCS in six games by a powerful Cleveland Indians team.

In 1997 they were rushed out of the NLDS in four games by the Baltimore Orioles. In 2000, the Mariners swept the Chicago White Sox in three straight, but then lost a six-game ALCS to the eventual world champion New York Yankees.

The 2001 Mariners were perhaps one of the best teams of the 2000s. That club set the American League record and tied the MLB record by winning 116 games in the regular season.

The M’s then rallied from down two games to one to take two straight and edge the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS, but lost in five to the New York Yankees in the ALCS.

Tampa Bay Rays

After trying for decades to land a big league team, the Tampa market was awarded a club in 1995, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays began play in the 1998 season.

Following the 2007 season, the “Devil” was dropped from the team name, and maybe it lifted a hex, as for the first time the club won the AL East Division crown in 2008.

The Rays would go on to win another AL East Division title in 2010, and they were also an AL Wild Card team in both the 2011 and 2013 seasons.

In 2010, the Rays dropped the first two games of the ALDS, but fought back to even the series against the Texas Rangers. However, Texas pulled out the fifth and decisive game.

As the AL Wild Card team in 2011, the Rays were against bounced out by the Rangers in the ALDS, this time in four games.

The 2013 Rays gained a measure of vengeance against Texas by winning a playoff game between the two teams, who had tied for the second AL Wild Card berth.

Those 2013 Rays then shut out the Cleveland Indians 4-0 in the first AL Wild Card Game, but were subsequently knocked out in four games in the ALDS by the eventual world champion Boston Red Sox.

The 2008 Tampa Bay club had changed its name and team colors, and an exciting group of young players not only won their first AL East crown, they also defeated the Chicago White Sox in four games in the ALDS.

That moved the Rays into the ALCS against the defending world champion Boston Red Sox. Tampa Bay won three of the first four, but Boston rallied to win to straight and force a seventh game.

In a dramatic Game Seven, the BoSox took an early 1-0 lead. But the Rays rallied for single runs in the fourth, fifth, and seventh and held on for a 3-1 victory and the lone American League pennant in franchise history.

In the World Series, the Rays had home field advantage against a powerful Philadelphia Phillies squad. However, the Fightin’ Phils would win in five games, including a fifth game that took three days to complete thanks to torrential rains.

Texas Rangers

This franchise was established way back in 1961 as the Washington Senators as a replacement for the original Senators squad that had been in existence since 1901, but which had moved west to become the Minnesota Twins.

Playing in the nation’s capital for a decade, these new Senators then fled themselves, moving to Arlington, Texas and becoming the Texas Rangers following the 1971 season.

The franchise played in the AL East for the first three seasons of divisional play while in D.C., then moved to the AL West beginning with their move to the Lone Star State in 1972.

This season, the Rangers won their second consecutive AL West crown, their seventh overall division championship.

Texas has won the AL West in the 1996, 1998-99, 2010-11, and 2015-16 seasons. They were also an AL Wild Card team in the 2012 season.

The club won back-to-back American League pennants in 2010 and 2011, and have been consistent contenders as one of MLB’s best teams in this current decade.

Back in 1996, the Rangers lost the ALDS in four games to the eventual world champion New York Yankees after taking the opener.

In both 1998 and 1999, the Rangers again lost to the Yankees, this time begin swept out both years in three straight ALDS games.

The 2012 Rangers were a disappointing team despite their Wild Card berth. The club had to settle for that Wild Card after leading the division for much of the year.

Holding a 13-game lead at one point, the Rangers faltered and were passed by the Oakland A’s on the final weekend. Then they dropped that AL Wild Card Game to the Baltimore Orioles at home by a 5-1 score.

In each of the past two seasons, the Rangers have been eliminated in the ALDS by the Toronto Blue Jays. In 2015 it was a hard-fought five-game series, but this season the Jays swept the Rangers in three straight.

The 2010 Rangers downed Tampa Bay in a tough five-game ALDS. The squad then dropped the ALCS opener to the New York Yankees, but ultimately captured their first American League pennant by winning the series in six games.

In that 2010 World Series, the Rangers were defeated by the San Francisco Giants in five games, giving the Giants franchise their first world championship in 56 years.

The 2011 Rangers again knocked the Rays out in the ALDS, this time in four games. Then in the ALCS, Texas defeated a tough Detroit Tigers squad in six games to advance to a second straight World Series appearance.

This time it was the St. Louis Cardinals waiting for the Rangers. The Cards won two of the first three, but the Rangers came back to take the next two games, and held a 3-2 lead in the series.

In Game 6, the Rangers scored three times in the top of the seventh to break open a tie game, and then took a 7-5 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning.

With young closer Neftali Feliz on the mound for Texas, the Cardinals put two men on base, but with two outs they still trailed by two runs.

Stepping to the plate was third baseman David Freese, who quickly fell behind 1-2 in the count. The Rangers were now just one strike away from the World Series championship.

Instead of putting the game away, Feliz’s next pitch was drilled off the wall by Freese for a dramatic game-tying two-run triple.

The Rangers would respond with a two-run homer by Josh Hamilton in the top of the tenth to again take a two-run lead. In the bottom of the tenth, the Cards crept back to within a run.

Again down to their final strike, veteran outfielder Lance Berkman delivered yet another series-saving hit to tie it up.

Then in the bottom of the eleventh, Freese came up again. This time the Cardinals’ third sacker would win the game, blasting a walkoff solo homer to force a seventh and deciding game.

In that seventh game, the Rangers scored twice in the top of the first inning. But the Cardinals rallied for two of their own in the bottom, and then pulled away for an eventual 6-2 victory and the championship.

Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals have been playing baseball in the nation’s capital for just over a decade, since the 2005 season, so it hasn’t been that long for their immediate fans as far as a World Series wait is concerned.

However, the franchise stretches back to the 1969 season, when first founded as the Montreal Expos in the MLB four-team expansion.

The Expos played in the NL East Division from 1969-2004, reaching the postseason just once in all that time.

Major League Baseball was rocked by a mid-season work stoppage in the 1981 season, and upon resuming play the decision was made to hold a split-season format and a divisional playoff for the first time.

The Philadelphia Phillies had won the “first half”, the Expos would take the “second half”, and thus the two met in the first-ever NLDS. Montreal would dethrone the defending champions in five dramatic games.

In the NLCS, the Expos held a two games to one lead. But the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to capture the next two and the NL pennant en route to winning the World Series.

It is widely believed that the 1994 Montreal Expos were the best team in baseball. However, again a work stoppage played a part, and the World Series would ultimately be cancelled.

This time the mid-season strike wiped out the entire season with the Expos’ record of 74-40 as the best in baseball at the time of the stoppage.

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The franchise never really fully recovered when baseball resumed the following year, beginning a decade-long slide that led to the move to Washington.

The Nationals have emerged as regular contenders this decade. This season, the team won its third NL East crown in the last five years.

In the 2012 NLDS, the Nats held a 7-5 lead into the top of the ninth of the decisive fifth game.

But the St. Louis Cardinals rallied for four runs to win 9-7 en route to winning the World Series that season.

In 2014, the Nationals had the NL’s best regular season record. Trailing the NLDS by a game to the San Francisco Giants, the Nats took a 1-0 lead into the top of the ninth inning of Game 2.

The Giants rallied to tie it up at 1-1, and the game moved into extra innings. A lot of extra innings. San Francisco finally scored in the top of the 18th inning to win 2-1, taking a 2-0 lead in the series.

It was a crucial victory, as Washington took Game 3. But the Giants put the series away with a tight 3-2 victory in Game 4 at San Francisco en route to winning the World Series.

This season, the Nationals held a two games to one lead on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, but once again couldn’t put it away.

The Dodgers rallied for one-run victories in each of the next two game to take the series and continue the Nationals’ postseason frustrations. That 1981 Expos team remains the only one to even play in the NLCS.

Next: Nationals 2016 Season in Review