When It Comes to Baseball Playoffs, the Best Teams Often Lose

The best team does not always win.

At least that’s been the case since the post-season baseball playoff format was initiated 16 years ago.

The team with the best record during the course of the regular season has made it to the World Series only 50% of the time in the American League and only slightly more than 50% of the time in the National League.

In the 16 previous AL championship series, the team with the best regular season record reached the World Series eight times. In the NL championship series, the team with the best regular season record reached the World Series on nine occasions.

The unpredictability of the post-season can perhaps best be demonstrated by the performance of the Baltimore Orioles and Oakland A’s in the early 1970s. Baltimore had the best record in the AL in five of six seasons from 1969-74 but made it to the World Series only three times (1969-71).

Oakland, which won three straight world championships from 1972-74, had the best record in the league only during the 1972 season. Ironically, the A’s had the best record in the AL in 1975 but were beaten in the playoffs by the Boston Red Sox.

In the NL, the team with the best regular season record has been to the World Series only once in the past five years. That came in 1982 when the St. Louis Cardinals posted a record of 92-70 and defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series.

In 1981 when baseball was interrupted by a 50-day players strike, causing the season to be split into two separate halves, the team with the best overall record did not even make it to the mini-playoffs. The Cincinnati Reds had the best record of 66-42 for the season but finished second in both halves of the split season and watched as a team from their own division, the Los Angeles Dodgers, became world champions.

Until this season all post-season playoffs were a best-of-five format, yet, surprisingly, less than 33% of them went to a decisive fifth game. Only five times in each league did the championship series go to a fifth game.

Those that did, however, offered some of the more memorable moments in baseball history.

Who can forget Chris Chambliss’ dramatic ninth inning homer that gave the New York Yankees a 7-6 victory over the Kansas City Royals in the fifth game of the 1976 AL championship series? Or Bob Moose’s wild pitch in the ninth inning of the fifth game of the 1972 NL playoffs that gave the Cincinnati Reds a 4-3 triumph? Or Rick Monday’s ninth inning homer that gave the Dodgers a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Expos in the fifth game of the 1981 NL series?

Here’s a capsule look at past post-season championship series:

1969

NL--The New York Mets, a 30-1 longshot at the start of the season, defeated the Atlanta Braves in three games to win their first league title after five 10th place finishes and two ninth place finishes. The Mets batted .327 as a team in the three games and hit six home runs. Hank Aaron had three homers for the Braves.

AL--The Baltimore Orioles, whose 109-53 record was the best in baseball, swept a three-game series from the Minnesota Twins. The Orioles had to go extra innings to win the first two games then scored a crushing 11-2 triumph in the finale. Paul Blair drove in six runs for Baltimore to spark the sweep.

1970

NL--The Cincinnati Reds received some outstanding pitching and defeated the Pirates in three straight games. Reds’ pitchers held the Pirates to only three runs for the entire series.

AL--The powerful Orioles once again won in three straight over the Twins. The Orioles outscored the Twins 27-10 in the three games with Brooks Robinson batting .583 to lead the Baltimore offense.

1971

NL--Led by Bob Robertson’s four home runs and six RBIs, the Pirates defeated the San Francisco Giants in four games. Relief pitcher Dave Giusti also sparkled for the Pirates, posting three saves in the series.

AL--There was a new victim for the Orioles but the same old result as the Orioles whipped the Oakland A’s in three games. Brooks Robinson again led the Orioles’ attack with a .364 average and both Mike Cuellar and Jim Palmer posted complete game victories.

NL--Bob Moose’s wild pitch handed the Reds the pennant in five games. Pete Rose hit .450 for the Reds in the series, but Reds’ pitchers held Roberto Clemente to only four hits in 17 at-bats.

AL--The A’s needed five games to subdue the Detroit Tigers. Oakland won the decisive game behind the combined five-hit pitching of John (Blue Moon) Odom and Vida Blue. Oakland batted just .224 for the series but A’s pitchers, led by Odom who did not allow an earned run in 14 innings, limited the Tigers to a .198 batting average.

1973

NL--The Mets, winners of only 82 games during the regular season, dethroned the powerful Reds in five games. The series is etched firmly in the minds of baseball fans, however, because of a fight that erupted between Rose and the Mets’ Bud Harrelson in game three which nearly precipitated a fan riot.

AL--Oakland made it two championships in a row by downing Baltimore in five games. Jim “Catfish” Hunter established his reputation as a big money pitcher by blanking the Orioles on five hits, 3-0, in the fifth game.

1974

NL--With Don Sutton allowing only one run in 17 innings of pitching, the Dodgers beat the Pirates in four games. Steve Garvey emerged as a clutch post-season player by hitting .389 with two home runs and five RBI.

AL--The A’s won their third consecutive pennant by beating the Orioles in four games. Oakland batters managed only a .188 batting average. but A’s pitchers held the Orioles to only a .177 average.

1975

NL--Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine” easily beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in three straight games. Dave Concepcion sparked the Reds by hitting .455.

AL--The Boston Red Sox, surprisingly, swept the A’s in three straight games. Luis Tiant set the tone for the series by beating the A’s on three hits, 7-1, in the opener.

1976

NL--Sparked by Rose’s .429 batting average, the Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies in three games. Don Gullett outdueled Steve Carlton in the opener to get the Reds started on their way.

AL--Chris Chambliss’ dramatic ninth inning homer in the decisive fifth game against Kansas City brought the Yankees their first pennant since 1964. Jim “Catfish” Hunter easily won the opener for the Yankees but lost the fourth game as the Royals tied the series.

1977

NL--A controversial call helped the Dodgers defeat the Phillies in four games. Trailing 5-3 entering the ninth inning of the third game the Dodgers scored three runs to win, 6-5, the tying run scoring when Dave Lopes was ruled safe at first base by umpire Bruce Froemming on an infield hit after shortstop Larry Bowa had apparently thrown him out.

AL--The Yankees defeated the Royals again in five games. New York won the decisive game in the ninth inning by staging a three-run rally. Mickey Rivers led the Yankee offense by batting .391.

1978

NL--Los Angeles beat Philadelphia again in four games. Garvey hit four home runs and batted .389 to lead the Dodgers’ offense. The Dodgers won the fourth game with the aid of an error usually sure-handed center fielder Garry Maddox, who dropped a fly ball in the 10th inning.

AL--Despite an awesome hitting display by George Brett, who had 19 total bases, including three homers in one game, the Yankees beat the Royals in four games. Reggie Jackson, the Yankees’ “Mr. October,” hit .462 to pace New York’s attack.

1979

NL--Willie Stargell paced the Pirates to a three-game sweep of Cincinnati. Stargell hit .455 with two homers and six RBI as the Pirates outscored the Reds 15-5.

AL--Sparked by the brilliant third base play of Doug DeCinces and the hitting of Eddie Murray, the Orioles defeated the California Angels in four games. Scott McGregor won the final game with a six-hit shutout, 8-0.

1980

NL--In one of the most dramatic series ever played, the Phillies defeated the Houston Astros in five games. The Phillies won the decisive game, 8-7, in 10 innings. Rose and Joe Morgan, former teammates with the Reds, each did his best to pull his team over the top. Rose hit .400 to lead the Phillies’ offense.

AL--Kansas City finally prevailed over the Yankees, sweeping the three-game series. Brett’s three-run homer off reliever Rich Gossage in the seventh inning of the third game locked up the series for Kansas City.

1981

NL--The strike-torn season ended in dramatic fashion when Rick Monday homered off Montreal’s Steve Rogers in the ninth inning of the fifth game to give the Dodgers the championship. Burt Hooton won two games for the Dodgers, allowing only one unearned run in 14 2-3 innings.

AL--Sparked by Graig Nettles’ championship series record nine RBI performance, the Yankees swept the A’s to win their fourth pennant in six years.

1982

NL--Led by Darrell Porter, the Cardinals swept the Braves in three games. Porter hit .556 and also was the catcher for a pitching staff that limited the Braves to a .169 batting average. Bob Forsch pitched a three-hit shutout in the first game.

AL--After losing the first two games, the Milwaukee Brewers scored a remarkable comeback and won the next three to capture the series. Milwaukee won the decisive game, 4-3, on Cecil Cooper’s two-run single in the seventh inning.

1983

NL--Gary Matthews hit three home runs and knocked in eight runs as the Phillies whipped the Dodgers in four games. Steve Carlton won two games, allowing only one earned run in 13 2-3 innings.

AL--Baltimore defeated the Chicago White Sox in four games, with Orioles’ pitchers compiling an 0.49 ERA. Mike Boddicker’s five-hit, 14 strikeout performance in the second game turned the series in favor of the Orioles.

1984

NL--The San Diego Padres rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win the series in five games. Steve Garvey knocked in seven runs and batted .400 to spark the comeback. The Padres fought back from a 3-0 deficit in the final game to win 6-3, with first baseman Leon Durham’s error allowing the tying run to score.

AL--The Detroit Tigers, who never trailed from Opening Day, knocked off the Royals in three straight games. Kirk Gibson hit .417 to win the Series MVP award.