Sponsored by The Ford Motor Company
Although it’s difficult to come up with a pinpoint definition of exactly what constitutes a ‘dynasty’ in sports, the word is usually applied to teams that see sustained success over a number of consecutive years. Though some believe the dynasty label should only come into play after an organization wins several championships within a short period of time, there are other who will argue that dominant teams don’t always have multiple championships to show for it.
Here are five MLB teams from the past 20 years that would be worthy of ‘dynasty’ consideration:
Atlanta Braves
Atlanta was consistently a National League powerhouse in the mid-to-late 1990s, winning three NL pennants from ’95-’00. Though they only won one World Series (in 1995) during that time, their two Series losses came at the hands of the Yankees, another fearsome dynasty.
St. Louis Cardinals
Since 2004, the Cardinals have won four NL pennants and two World Series titles and are considered to be one of the most consistently impressive franchises in baseball over the past few decades. The Cards continue to be perennial contenders and made their fourth consecutive NLCS appearance this postseason.
Boston Red Sox
After decades of disappointment (including their Game 7 collapse against the Yankees in the 2003 ALCS) the Red Sox finally managed to field a World Series winner in 2004, their first in 86 years. Since then, the Sox have had some trials and tribulations, but three World Series titles in 10 years is no small feat.
San Francisco Giants
With a victory over the Royals in this year’s Fall Classic, the Giants would capture their third World Series title in five years. Their on-and-off success (only the even-numbered years have been kind to them) is kind of mind-boggling, but their core group has remained intact and has been able to accomplish some very great things in the past handful of years.
New York Yankees
Though they’re currently a ways away from being the powerhouse we’re used to seeing in the AL East, the late ’90s Yankees fielded arguably the most dominant teams baseball has seen in the past few decades. They won four World Series from 1996-2000 (including a three-peat from ’97-’00) and captured two additional pennants in 2001 and 2003. Their latest championship came in 2009, giving them their 27th ring in franchise history.
