World Series: They Blew It Trivia Quiz

Answer: Florida Marlins

The Marlins finished off the 2003 season as a wildcard playoff contender, although finishing 10 games behind the NL East winning Atlanta Braves. The Yankees were heavily-favored to win this World Series. The Yankees out-hit Florida 54-47, and put more runs on the board, 21-17, but the Marlins would become victorious. Even though the Marlins' Brad Penny won two games for them, Josh Beckett who went 1-1 was the World Series MVP for Florida.

Answer: Atlanta Braves

The Braves went to six postseasons in the 1990s including five World Series. In the promised land, they lost to the Twins, Blue Jays, and the Yankees twice in the decade. They also made the postseason in 1993, but were knocked out of the NLCS by the Phillies.

Answer: Cincinnati Reds

The Athletics went 103-59, 12 more wins than the Reds. It was the Reds who showed signs of the "Big Red Machine" of the 1970s, and kept the Athletics to only eight runs in the entire series against their own 22.

Answer: Oakland Athletics

It was Kirk Gibson's two-run home run in the ninth inning of game one to win it for the Dodgers, 5-4. Although Oakland had a breath in game three by winning that game in the bottom of the ninth inning, this was their only relief. They would go on to lose the next two games and the series. Dodger pitcher Orel Hershiser was the series MVP.

Answer: Minnesota Twins

It was Walter Johnson and the Washington Senators in 1924 that defeated the New York Giants for the franchise's first World Series crown. After moving to Minnesota in 1961, the team had only been to one World Series in 1965 (a losing effort), before winning it all against the favored St. Louis Cardinals in 1987. Twins Frank Viola was the series MVP.

Answer: Kansas City Royals

The Royals had George Brett, the team's only .300 hitter in the season. The Cardinals had Jack Clark and two 20-game winners in John Tudor and Joaquin Andujar. The Royals won the series four games to three, out-scoring the Cardinals 28-13 including an 11-0 game seven shutout.

Answer: Oakland Athletics

The Athletics made it three consecutive World Series crowns in 1974. They had the arms of Catfish Hunter and Rollie Fingers, who the latter was the series MVP. Every game in the series was decided by only one run, except for game four with a 5-2 win for Oakland. It was a low scoring series, with the Athletics scoring 16 runs against the Dodgers' 11.

Answer: New York Giants

The Giants went 97-57 in the season, and took the NL pennant by five games over the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Giants won each game over the Indians by no less than two runs. The stage for the series may have been set by Giant Dusty Rhodes, whose bottom of the 10th inning home run in game one, did the Indians in.

Answer: Detroit Tigers

The Cubs won 98 games taking the NL pennant, while the Tigers went 88-65 in the season. The Cubs were led by first baseman Phil Cavarretta and his .355 average, along with two other .300+ hitters. They also had four pitchers win at least 16 games in the season.

It was not to be though. The Tigers had their only .300 hitter in Hank Greenberg, and had only one 20-game winner in Hal Newhouser. After three games in the series, the Cubs seemed in control, winning two games via shutout, 9-0 and 3-0.

The Tigers would come back and win it all in seven games.

Answer: Chicago White Sox

The White Sox were led by the arms of Frank Owens and Nick Altrock, both 20-game winners, but had no .300 hitters in the season. The Cubs had two 20-game winners also in Jack Pfiester and Mordecai Brown, but also had three .300 hitters in Frank Chance, Johnny Kling, and Harry Steinfeldt.

The Cubs just couldn't put together any kind of streak except for winning game two 7-1. The Cubs would rebound and win the World Series in 1907 and 1908, then take another National League crown in 1910.