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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) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 25, 1987: Outfielder Dan Gladden No. 32 of the Minnesota Twins lifts teammate Steve Lobardozzi No. 4 in the air with jubilation aftre they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in game seven of the world series October 25, 1987 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins won the Series 4 games to 3. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 25, 1987: Outfielder Dan Gladden No. 32 of the Minnesota Twins lifts teammate Steve Lobardozzi No. 4 in the air with jubilation aftre they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in game seven of the world series October 25, 1987 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins won the Series 4 games to 3. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

108. 1987 Minnesota Twins

85-77, AL West Champions, Won World Series 4-3 Over St. Louis

The Washington Senators had a long history of mediocrity with only one World Series title before moving to Minnesota in 1961. Renamed the Twins, Minnesota won the AL pennant in 1965, and won the AL West in 1969 and 1970, but didn’t appear in another postseason game until an 85-77 regular season record was good enough to win the West by two games over the Kansas City Royals.

Despite a powerful trio of Kirby Puckett (.332/.367/.534, 28 HR, 99 RBI as the team’s lone All-Star), Kent Hrbek (.285/.389/.545, 34 HR, 90 HR) and Tom Brunansky (.259/.352/.489, 32 HR, 85 RBI), the Twins featured a below average lineup that finished tenth in the American League in batting average (.261), ninth in on-base-percentage (.328), 13th in hits (1,422), and eighth in runs scored (786).

The pitching staff wasn’t much better, and posted a 4.63 ERA that ranked tenth in the American League despite a terrific season from Frank Viola (17-10, 2.90) and a Hall of Fame ace in Bert Blyleven (15-12, 4.01).

Minnesota was also dreadful on the road (29-52 in the regular season). Still, with a victory over the Detroit Tigers in five games in the ALCS, and a dramatic seven-game World Series win over the St. Louis Cardinals (all four wins coming at the Metrodome), the Twins won it all for the first time since moving to Minnesota in the first world title for the franchise since 1924.

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