Orioles’ fans are starved for a World Series title.
We all know that.
And it is human nature to think your situation is worse than others. I mean, the Orioles haven’t been in – or won — a World Series since 1983. That’s 33 years.
Heck, I was a freshman in high school the last time the Orioles captured the October Classic. And now I am the father of a senior in high school.
That’s 33 long years.
But here is where things get a little crazy.
Of the six current division leaders, only the San Francisco Giants have won the World Series more recently than the Orioles.
Seriously.
The Giants have won it three times in the previous six seasons: 2010, 2012 and 2014. Being an even year, the Giants are on a collision course with destiny this season, right?
But if they don’t win at all, and one of the current division leaders does, well, there will be a city celebrating a championship for the first time in a long time – or ever.
The AL Central-leading Cleveland Indians last won the World Series in 1948. The AL West-leading Texas Rangers have never won one, despite being in two since 2010. The Rangers have been in existence since 1972 and their AL predecessor, the Washington Senators, existed from 1961 to 1971 with only one winning season.
The current team in the Nation’s Capital, the Washington Nationals, are leading the NL East. They haven’t been to the World Series since the new franchise was created in 2005. Their predecessor, the Montreal Expos, never made one in their history from 1969 to 2004.
And we’re all aware the NL-central leading Chicago Cubs haven’t won it all since 1908.
If the Los Angeles Dodgers can overtake the Giants in the West, they’d have a chance of winning the World Series for the first time since 1988. The Toronto Blue Jays haven’t won it all since 1993, the Detroit Tigers since 1984. The Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners never have.
There are some other potential postseason contenders that have won the Series in the past 15 years – the Boston Red Sox (2004, 2007, 2013), the St. Louis Cardinals (2006, 2011), and, believe it or not, the Florida/Miami Marlins (2003).
But of the current division leaders?
It’s the Giants who have most recently won World Series rings.
And, after, that, incredibly, it’s the Orioles.
Pretty crazy, eh?
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Very crazy Mr. Connolly. As a guy that grew up during the glory days of the O's, I thought they'd be there every year. How wrong I was. Still, 33 years seems like yesterday.
So how about they win one in honor of #33 Eddie Murray? Call it numeric justice.