Ranking every World Series winners in history
By Staff
![UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 05: Brooklyn Dodgers president Walter O'Malley and his manager, Walter Alston, exchange hugs and grins after bringing Brooklyn its first World Series championship in history. Flock did it the hard way, winning the final game in Yankee Stadium. (Photo by NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images) UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 05: Brooklyn Dodgers president Walter O'Malley and his manager, Walter Alston, exchange hugs and grins after bringing Brooklyn its first World Series championship in history. Flock did it the hard way, winning the final game in Yankee Stadium. (Photo by NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/add426d52be48843746e52e8758f3037477e2c4d81c4932b9a59ccf8acad8ff9.jpg)
62. 1919 Cincinnati Reds
96-44, NL Champions, Won World Series 5-3 Over Chicago
Known primarily as the team on the winning end of the infamous “Black Sox Scandal,” the 1919 Cincinnati Reds were nevertheless a great ball club. The Reds cruised to the first National League pennant in franchise history with a record of 96-44, which was a full nine games better than second place New York.
The Reds posted a team ERA of 2.23 on the strength of a starting rotation that featured Slim Sallee (21-7, 2.06), Hod Eller (19-9, 2.39) and Dutch Ruether (19-6, 1.82), among others. Cincinnati also had one of the best lineups in the NL led by Heinie Groh (.310/.392/.431, 5 HR, 63 RBI), and Hall of Fame batting champ Edd Roush (.321/.380/.431, 4 HR, 71 RBI).
That strong core helped Cincinnati earn a date with the Chicago White Sox in the World Series, which the Reds won 5-3. Unfortunately, the favored White Sox – and specifically the eight players accused of throwing the Series that were subsequently banned from baseball – tainted the Reds’ first World Series title.