Fansided

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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ST. LOUIS, MO – OCTOBER 9: Ray Sanders No. 5 of the St. Louis Cardinals scores as he slides across home plate as his teammate Danny Litwhiler No. 8 shows him to slide as catcher Red Hayworth No. 8 of the St. Louis Browns and umpire Bill McGowan look on during Game 6 of the 1944 World Series on October 9, 1944 at Sportsman’s Park III in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by B Bennett/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO – OCTOBER 9: Ray Sanders No. 5 of the St. Louis Cardinals scores as he slides across home plate as his teammate Danny Litwhiler No. 8 shows him to slide as catcher Red Hayworth No. 8 of the St. Louis Browns and umpire Bill McGowan look on during Game 6 of the 1944 World Series on October 9, 1944 at Sportsman’s Park III in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by B Bennett/Getty Images) /

26. 1944 St. Louis Cardinals

105-59, NL Champions, Won World Series 4-2 Over St. Louis

The teams of the mid-1940s are often considered relatively weak compared to other eras throughout Major League Baseball history because the rosters throughout baseball were weakened because of World War II, but it’s impossible to ignore how dominant the St. Louis Cardinals were during that period.

With a record of 105-59, the 1944 Cardinals won the National League pennant by an impressive 14.5 games over second place Pittsburgh, and earned a spot in the World Series for the fourth consecutive season. It was a crosstown affair with the St. Louis Browns and just the second Fall Classic to pit two teams from the same city against one another outside of New York. The Cardinals won 4-2 in six games.

Marty Marion (.267/.324/.362) was voted NL MVP, giving the Cardinals three consecutive award winners. Stan Musial (.347/.440/.549, 12 HR, 94 RBI), Ray Sanders (.295/.371/.441, 12 HR, 102 RBI) and Johnny Hopp (.336/.404/.499, 11 HR, 72 RBI) helped St. Louis outscore the rest of the league with 772 runs, and the Cardinals also hit .275/.344/.402 as a team (the top mark in each category) and led the NL with 100 home runs.

Mort Cooper (22-7, 2.46), Max Lanier (17-12, 2.65) and Ted Wilks (17-4, 2.64) anchored a pitching staff that posted the lowest ERA in the league (2.67) and allowed the fewest runs (490) with the most strikeouts (637).

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