Monday, October 20, 2008

Deep Thoughts

After last night, all four of the 90s expansion teams -- Marlins, Rockies, Diamondbacks, and Rays -- have won a pennant. Teams that have not won a pennant during those clubs' existence: Orioles, Twins, Royals, Rangers, A's, Mariners, Nats/Expos, Cubs, Brewers, Reds, Pirates, Dodgers.

2 comments:

Mark S said...

What is interesting about this is none of the expansion teams can be considered large market teams so the big purse strings argument is basically moot. How can a KC or Pittsburgh not be compared to a Marlins or Rays in market size, fan attendance and financial resources?

As much as people may rip the Marlins for their 'buying' two championships - the strategy has worked better than the highly touted Moneyball as ownership/GM recognized that they had lots of home grown talent (several who could not be kept long term) and supplementted it with some one time FA monies to buy a chance at a champuionship. Then in trading away the hired guns and some of their homegrwon talent they get talent back that is developed again and less than a decade later Josh Beckett et al help them win another chmapionship and he is then caste off for Hanley Ramirez who is beginning to lead the Marlins to the next potential championship. Seems to me that Billy Beane may be able to learn a thing or two.

Keith Law said...

If you shifted the cutoff to 1993 - since neither the Marlins nor Rockies were going to make the playoffs that year - you could add the Blue Jays, and would have had the Phillies until a week ago.