| THE TEAMS |
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| 114-48 / .704 |
» 1998 New York Yankees |
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The '98 Yankees had no superstars, but consistent excellence from their entire roster helped them win an AL-record 114 regular-season games |
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| 85-77 / .525 |
» 1987 Minnesota Twins |
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The 1987 Minnesota Twins were no juggernaut, but rode an unprecedented home-field advantage to garner the first championship in franchise history |
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| 108-54 / .667 |
» 1986 New York Mets |
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The Mets were the best team in the majors in '86, and knew it. Their
swagger, cockiness, and uncanny knack for winning infuriated their opponents |
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| 104-58 / .642 |
» 1984 Detroit Tigers |
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After a 35-5 start, it was smooth sailing for Sparky Anderson's veteran club -- only the third team ever to spend an entire season at the top of the standings |
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| 108-54 / .667 |
» 1975 Cincinnati Reds |
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The first "Big Red Machine" team to win it all, with a combination of power and speed rarely seen before or since |
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| 108-54 / .667 |
» 1970 Baltimore Orioles |
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The centerpiece of a dominant three-year run, the 1970 version staked its claim as the best of the bunch by accomplishing what the other two couldn't manage -- winning the World Series |
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| 109-53 / .673 |
» 1969 Baltimore Orioles |
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The '69 Orioles represented the pinnacle of Baltimore's defense-oriented and pitching-rich baseball tradition |
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| 109-53 / .673 |
» 1961 New York Yankees |
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Mantle and Maris weren't the only outstanding individual performers on the '61 Yankees; they also had a fine pitching staff and stellar defense |
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| 111-43 / .721 |
» 1954 Cleveland Indians |
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Bill Veeck's willingness to sign black players was criticized by some, but his '54 Indians, well-stocked with black stars, set an AL record with 111 wins |
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| 106-48 / .688 |
» 1942 St. Louis Cardinals |
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The first of three consecutive pennants for the Cardinals, the first team to develop raw, unproven ballplayers in a farm system |
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| 106-45 / .702 |
» 1939 New York Yankees |
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The '39 Yankees overcame early-season obstacles to win 106 games and sweep the Cincinnati Reds for their fourth consecutive World Series victory |
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| 107-45 / .704 |
» 1931 Philadelphia A's |
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"Connie's Bull Elephants" featured six future Hall of Famers, three 20-game
winners, and a pair of great streaks; 17 consecutive wins in May and 13 in July |
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| 104-46 / .693 |
» 1929 Philadelphia A's |
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After a valiant but unsuccessful run at the powerful Yankees in 1928, Mack's "White Elephants" finally took the pennant in 1929 |
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| 110-44 / .714 |
» 1927 New York Yankees |
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Few teams have been able to totally demoralize their competition like the '27 Yankees; their "Murderer's Row" included Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig |
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| 110-42 / .724 |
» 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates |
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Led by Honus Wagner, the '09 Pirates had the highest winning percentage (regular season and post-season) of any modern World Series champ |
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| 116-36 / .763 |
» 1906 Chicago Cubs |
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The '06 Cubs finished twenty games ahead of the second-place Giants with the most wins of any team in baseball history |
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| 103-36 / .741 |
» 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates |
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The '02 Pirates romped through the season with the second-best winning percentage of the twentieth century, but never faced the AL champs |
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