Coming Up Short

Excluding the strike year, the Atlanta Braves won their division every year from 1991-97 yet have only one World Series championship to show for it. A look at some other teams in baseball history that missed out on multiple world titles:

* Brooklyn Dodgers, 1947-56--The Dodgers dominated the National League during these years, reaching the World Series six times and finishing second in the NL three times. But they played the Yankees in each World Series appearance, and lost five of them, winning only in 1955.

* Baltimore Orioles, 1969-74--The Orioles won their division five times in these years, but won only one World Series title, defeating Cincinnati in 1970.

* Los Angeles Dodgers, 1974-78--The Garvey-Lopes-Russell-Cey Dodgers went to the World Series three times in these years and finished second to the Reds in the NL West the other two years. But they lost all three chances at the title, once to Oakland and twice to the Yankees.

* Kansas City Royals, 1976-80--The Royals won four division titles in these five years but lost to the Yankees in the AL Championship Series from 1976-78 before finally reaching the World Series in 1980, only to lose to Philadelphia.

* Philadelphia Phillies, 1976-83--The Phillies reached the playoffs during six of these eight years, losing in the strike-induced division series once (1981), in the NL Championship series three times (1976-78) and in the World Series once (1983). They won their only World Series in 1980, over the Royals.

* St. Louis Cardinals, 1982-87--The Cardinals reached the World Series three times during this period, winning only in 1982, when they defeated Milwaukee.

* Oakland Athletics, 1988-92--One of the most feared teams of the late ‘80s, featuring Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and Dave Stewart, the A’s won their division four times, but managed only one World Series title, defeating the San Francisco Giants in 1989.