So, before I start all of this, I'm just going to give you a little more detail than I gave last time, because I think there are some things peoples might be fuzzy about right from the get-go.
So, how did I score the teams/leagues/states, etcetera? Glad you asked, but I'm not going to tell you. Well, not specifically, at least, because I prefer criticism of my posts to be superficial and argumentative, rather than being scientific even in the slightest way. First I will say that yes, the longer your team has been around, the more likely it is to be ranked highly. I thought this was a fair effect of the scoring system, since, frankly, even the worst of long-running franchises (like the Phillies - although one of MLB's best of late, they spent 100 years playing baseball before getting a World Series) still have more prestige than recent expansion teams like the Marlins, or even the Astros.
So what gets you points? Well, a good regular season record is a good start. So, the higher your winning percentage, the more points you got. It was also much easier to get points than to lose points. I didn't really want long-running teams breaking even and being behind a young team that's won a lot. That just didn't make sense to do, from my pov. Then, the obvious BIG bonus points for a championship, less for being runner-up, less still for winning your division and a real small bonus for a wild-card birth. Bonus points also came in for award winners: MVP, Cy Young, and starters on the All-Star team (again, I know it isn't quite what it used to be, but you also get a free All-Star every year, so I thought starters was a better representation of the truly exceptional players). Lastly, a rather large bonus for a HOFer. How did I determine who they played for? Well, for MLB it was easy - I went with whatever cap you're wearing on your plaque. As for the other sports, I've only done NFL so far, and for that, I went with the NFL's HOFer website - the bold guys who had extended runs with a team. So for the NFL there's some doubling-up, but we won't tell anyone about that.
So, without further ado, Franchise Rankings 30-21 (the rest will come later, and I will also have top city rankings to follow those, and then, finally, state rankings, which I've decided will include colleges, because college allegiances do heavily depend on state geographies - WVU/Pitt being a demonstration of just that).
30. TAMPA BAY RAYS - 37 Points
Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998-2007) (Tampa, FL)
Tampa Bay Rays (2008- ) (Tampa, FL)
Clearly, God loves baseball, and didn't approve of the word "Devil" in the team's name, finally allowing the Bay to have its first winning season. Really, though, 10 straight losing seasons to start your existence makes it tough to rank high on this list. They're one of the two newest franchises, and the least successful of the 4 post-1980 expansion teams. But they're definitely moving up, and appear to be perennial AL East underdog favorites. Nonetheless, an easy pick for #30.
Seasons: 11
World Series Champ.: 0
AL Champ.: 1
Division Champ.: 1
Total Playoffs: 1
Winning Seasons: 1
HOFers: 0
Points Per Year (PPY): 3.36
PPY Rank: 30th
29. Colorado Rockies - 136 Points
Colorado Rockies (1993- ) (Denver, CO)
Again, what have the done? Like the Rays, they have one WS appearance to their credit, but are lacking in consistent success. They've also had a handful of exceptional players, but their stadium may be working against them as well, deadening any statistical momentum as the thin air seems to lead to inflated hitting stats.
Seasons: 17
World Series Champ.: 0
NL Champ.: 1
Division Champ.: 0
Total Playoffs: 2
Winning Seasons: 5
HOFers: 0
Points Per Year (PPY): 8.50
PPY Rank: 28th
28. Florida Marlins - 295 Points
Florida Marlins (1993- ) (Miami, FL)
They already have two World Series titles to their credit, but they also have a bad track record of scrapping the team as soon as they win one. Their successful seasons have been wildly successful, but they've also missed the playoffs during the other 15 seasons.
Seasons: 17
World Series Champ.: 2
NL Champ.: 2
Division Champ.:
Total Playoffs: 2
Winning Seasons: 5
HOFers: 0
Points Per Year (PPY): 18.44
PPY Rank: 21st
27.Washington Nationals - 313 Points
Montreal Expos (1969-2004) (Montreal, Quebec)
Washington Nationals (2005- ) (Washington, DC)
The previous incarnation of this franchise was killed by the 1994 strike, when they fielded the best team in the league, only to see the season ruined by a work stoppage. Another team stacked with talent, they boasted such stars as Moises Alou, Larry Walker, Pedro Martinez, and John Wetteland.
Alas, it was not to be, and the team that fled Canada is now looking to pick 1st for a second year in a row.
They only lead the Marlins by the slightest of margins - the Marlins do have 2 championships.
Seasons: 40
World Series Champ.: 0
NL Champ.: 0
Division Champ.: 1
Total Playoffs: 1
Winning Seasons: 16
HOFers: 2
Points Per Year (PPY): 7.83
PPY Rank: 29th
26. Seattle Mariners - 371 Points
Seattle Mariners (1977- ) (Seattle, WA)
This team has over 30 years under its belt now, but still hasn't hoisted a championship. Their rankings are sure to rise in the near future, as possible HOFers from the 1990's become eligible. Remember, the '98 team had Griffey, A-Rod and Randy Johnson on the roster, not to mention Ichiro Suzuki who will also be a HOFer as soon as he's eligible. Still, before they drafted Griffey, could anyone have named a Seattle Mariner besides Harold Reynolds?
Seasons: 32
World Series Champ.: 0
AL Champ.: 0
Division Champ.: 3
Total Playoffs: 3
Winning Seasons: 9
HOFers: 0
Points Per Year (PPY): 11.59
PPY Rank: 25th
25. Milwaukee Brewers - 436 Points
Seattle Pilots (1969) (Seattle, WA)
Milwaukee Brewers (1970- ) (Milwaukee, WI)
The Brewers are great for a number of reasons - Robin Yount, the old baseball glove emblem that also made up the letters "M B". Awesome. With that said, they've never really been a perennial contender. That, again, may change in the future, but with only 3 playoff appearances in 40 years, they'll need a lot of action in the coming years to move up.
Seasons: 40
World Series Champ.: 0
AL/NL Champ.: 1
Division Champ.: 2
Total Playoffs: 3
Winning Seasons: 14
HOFers: 2
Points Per Year (PPY): 10.90
PPY Rank: 26th
24. Texas Rangers - 475 Points
Washington Senators (1961-71) (Washington, DC)
Texas Rangers (1972- ) (Dallas, TX)
Imagine if the new Cleveland Browns split too. That's basically how the Texas franchise came about. Similar to the Expos, they've had their share of talent, but very little success. In fact, they may be the worst franchise in all of baseball given Tampa's recent success. But the did give us George Bush as a sports owner and Nolan Ryan kicking Robin Ventura's ass.
Oh, and after I hated on the Brewers, it's worth noting that the Rangers have the same number of playoff appearances, but through 48 years...
Seasons: 48
World Series Champ.: 0
AL Champ.: 0
Division Champ.: 3
Total Playoffs: 3
Winning Seasons: 15
HOFers: 0
Points Per Year (PPY): 9.69
PPY Rank: 27th
23. Arizona Diamondbacks - 495 Points
Arizona Diamondbacks (1998- ) (Phoenix, AZ)
So, how are the D'backs so high, you may ask, when the Marlins (with twice as many titles) are lagging behind. That's easy - (1) the D'backs are only one WS behind, (2) they've had enough winning seasons/division championships to make up for it and (3) five Cy Young winners in 11 years. Five! Sure, a lot of that was Randy Johnson, but let's not forget that present-day ace Brandon Webb has chipped in, too.
Seasons: 11
World Series Champ.: 1
NL Champ.: 1
Division Champ.: 4
Total Playoffs: 4
Winning Seasons: 6
HOFers: 0
Points Per Year (PPY): 45.00
PPY Rank: 5th
22. San Diego Padres - 519 Points
San Diego Padres (1969- ) (San Diego, CA)
Another team with almost no success over the last 40 seasons. Just judging from the list, I would say that the expansion of the 1960's was largely a failure. But that aside, the Pads have Tony Gwynn to their credit, and a 1998 World Series run on the shoulders of Kevin Brown. Not much else, though...
Seasons: 40
World Series Champ.: 0
NL Champ.: 2
Division Champ.: 5
Total Playoffs: 5
Winning Seasons: 15
HOFers: 1
Points Per Year (PPY): 12.98
PPY Rank: 24th
21. Kansas City Royals - 792 Points
Kansas City Royals (1969- ) (Kansas City, MO)
Again, the Royals are another one of those 1960's teams with one HOFer (see Padres - Gwynn, Brewers - Yount), but minimal success. However, the Royals do have a WS ring and an appearance in addition to that. Zach Grienke seems to be about the only thing going for them at the moment.
Seasons: 40
World Series Champ.: 1
AL Champ.: 2
Division Champ.: 7
Total Playoffs: 7
Winning Seasons: 18
HOFers: 1
Points Per Year (PPY): 19.80
PPY Rank: 19th
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