50 best MLB teams that didn’t win the World Series
2. player. 11. . 109-53. Lost in the World Series. 1969 Baltimore Orioles
The 1969 Baltimore Orioles were one of the most dominant regular season teams in Major League Baseball history. After finishing the 162-game schedule with a record of 109-53, the O’s won the AL East by 19 games over the Detroit Tigers.
The Orioles lineup was led a pair of Hall of Famers: outfielder Frank Robinson, who hit .308/.415/.540 with 32 home runs and 100 RBI, and third baseman Brooks Robinson, known far and wide as one of the greatest fielders ever, who contributed 23 home runs and drove in 84 runs. Star first baseman Boog Powell actually led the team offensively with 37 homers and 121 RBI while hitting .304/.383/.559.
The starting rotation featured two 20-game winners in Mike Cuellar (23-11, 2.38) and Dave McNally (20-7, 3.22) and a 23-year old hot shot named Jim Palmer (16-4, 2.34), who would go on to a Hall of Fame career himself.
Baltimore swept the Minnesota Twins in three games in the American League Championship Series, and appeared destined to roll to the World Series title. Of course, the Orioles were stopped dead in their tracks in the Fall Classic by the Miracle Mets, four games to one.
Had Baltimore won in 1969, they would have gone down in history as arguably the greatest team in big league history – but instead, they settle for a spot on our list of the best MLB teams that didn’t win the World Series. However, the Orioles did make it back to Series in 1970, and won their second World Championship in the period of four years.
Next: 2001 Seattle Mariners