Second Bananas: Power Ranking the World Series Losers of the 2000s

Ah, what could have been?

This season marks the start of a new decade in Major League Baseball history, and who doesn’t enjoy taking a look back at what was—or in this case, what almost was?

Losing in the World Series is one of the most bittersweet accomplishments in sports.

On one hand, it's hard to ignore the fact that it is a huge accomplishment and that it signifies a successful season.

On the other hand, it's a tough pill to swallow. Getting that close to living out a dream, then having to watch someone else celebrate is simply heart-breaking.

Which of the World Series losers of the 2000s do you think was the greatest?

10. They’rrrrre Great?

2006 Detroit Tigers

95-67
AL Wild Card Winners
Lost 4-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals

C Ivan Rodriguez
1B Chris Shelton
2B Placido Polanco
SS Carlos Guillen
3B Brandon Inge
LF Craig Monroe
CF Curtis Granderson
RF Magglio Ordonez
DH Marcus Thames

Rotation
1. Jeremy Bonderman
2. Nate Robertson
3. Kenny Rogers
4. Justin Verlander
5. Zach Miner

Closer
Todd Jones

Of all of the World Series losers of the 2000s, the 2006 Tigers are probably the last team most baseball fans would name off the top of their head.

Perhaps it’s because no one really expected the Tigers to make a run to the World Series. Perhaps it’s because their roster lacked star power. Perhaps it’s because they played in a less than competitive World Series.

Whatever the reason, the 2006 Tigers are one of the more forgotten World Series second bananas.

The 2006 Tigers hit a lot of home runs and counted on getting production from every spot in the order. They weren’t an especially frightening offensive force, but there were no easy outs in the lineup. Their rotation was solid, but lacked a shutdown ace.

9. B-B-B-B Benny and the Mets!

2000 New York Mets

94-68
NL Wild Card Winners
Lost 4-1 to the New York Yankees

C Mike Piazza
1B Todd Zeile
2B Edgardo Alfonzo
SS Mike Bordick
3B Robin Ventura
LF Benny Agbayani
CF Jay Payton
RF Derek Bell

Rotation
1. Mike Hampton
2. Al Leiter
3. Glendon Rusch
4. Rick Reed
5. Bobby Jones

Closer
Armando Benitez

The Mets were clearly outmatched by the powerhouse Yankees, and will best be remembered for pulling up some upsets on their way to making the Subway Series a reality.

The Mets won the Wild Card, and managed to get by the Giants and Cardinals on their way to the fall classic. They were considered to be the underdog in each of the series they played.

Despite a balanced offensive attack, led by Mike Piazza and Edgardo Alfonzo, and the great one-two punch of Mike Hampton and Al Leiter at the top of the rotation, the 2000 Mets will never be regarded as one of the great World Series losers.

8. Rocky Mountain High

2007 Colorado Rockies

90-73
NL Wild Card Winners
Lost 4-0 to the Boston Red Sox

C Yorvit Torrealba
1B Todd Helton
2B Kazuo Matsui
SS Troy Tulowitzki
3B Garrett Atkins
LF Matt Holliday
CF Willy Taveras
RF Brad Hawpe

Rotation
1. Jeff Francis
2. Aaron Cook
3. Josh Fogg
4. Jason Hirsh
5. Ubaldo Jimenez

Closer
Brian Fuentes

The Rockies won 13 of their final 14 games, and still needed to beat to Padres in a one-game playoff to secure the NL Wild Card birth.

However, after sweeping Phillies and D-Backs in the first two rounds, there was no question that they were the best club in the National League. Then after winning 21 of their last 22 games, they were swept by the Red Sox in the World Series.

The Rox were an explosive offensive club. Taveras and Matsui used their speed to cause havoc on the base paths, while Atkins, Tulowitzki, Helton, and Hawpe collected hits in bunches.

The rotation was better than their numbers indicated, largely due to the Coors Field effect, and was anchored by 17-game winner Jeff Francis. Fuentes and Miguel Corpas effectively shared closer duties for much of the season.

7. Swept Away

2005 Houston Astros

89-73
NL Wild Card Winners
Lost 4-0 to the Chicago White Sox

C Brad Ausmus
1B Lance Berkman
2B Craig Biggio
SS Adam Everett
3B Morgan Ensberg
LF Chris Burke
CF Willy Taveras
RF Jason Lane

Rotation
1. Roy Oswalt
2. Andy Pettitte
3. Roger Clemens
4. Brandon Backe
5. Wandy Rodriguez

Closer
Brad Lidge

The 2005 Astros are surefire proof that the old adage that pitching wins in the playoffs is true.

After sneaking into the playoffs, the Astros rode their stellar rotation before being outmatched and swept in the World Series by the White Sox.

Based on name recognition alone, the 2005 Astros offensive looks pretty mediocre. However, when one considers that Morgan Ensberg (36 home runs) and Jason Lane (26 home runs) both had great seasons, it was actually pretty good.

However, what made the Astros a truly good team was the three-headed monster at the top of their rotation.

6. Curses!

2004 St. Louis Cardinals

105-57
NL Central Winners
Lost 4-0 to the Boston Red Sox

C Mike Matheny
1B Albert Pujols
2B Tony Womack
SS Edgar Renteria
3B Scott Rolen
LF Ray Lankford
CF Jim Edmonds
RF Reggie Sanders

Rotation
1. Matt Morris
2. Jason Marquis
3. Woody Williams
4. Jeff Suppan
5. Chris Carpenter

Closer
Jason Isringhausen

Sometimes you’re just a victim of destiny. After winning 105 games and making a run to the World Series, the Cards ran into a team that simply couldn’t lose.

Fresh off of beating the Yanks in four straight games to win the AL crown in seven games, the Red Sox swept the Cards and broke the curse of the Bambino.

This team simply mashed. Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, and a young Albert Pujols formed a formidable middle of the order that were a headache for pitchers all season long.

However, pitching wins in the playoffs, and the Cards rotation was good, but far from great, and lacked a true ace.

5. Rally Monkeyed

2002 San Francisco Giants

95-66
NL Wild Card Winners
Lost 4-3 to the Anaheim Angels

C Benito Santiago
1B J.T. Snow
2B Jeff Kent
SS Rich Aurilia
3B David Bell
LF Barry Bonds
CF Kenny Lofton
RF Reggie Sanders

Rotation
1. Livan Hernandez
2. Russ Ortiz
3. Kirk Rueter
4. Jason Schmidt
5. Ryan Jensen

Closer
Robb Nen

After winning the Wild Card, the Giants beat up on the Braves and Cardinals to reach the 2002 World Series. Unfortunately, their season ended in disappointment when they suffered one of the greatest collapses in World Series history.

The Giants held a 5-0 lead, and were just eight outs away and from being crowned World Series champions in the sixth game of the 2002 World Series.

Then the rally monkey happened.

The Angels scored three runs in each of the eighth and ninth inning, won the game, and eventually the series.

The 2002 Giants were a solid club. They were led at the plate by “frenemies” Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent, and on the mound by workhouse Livan Hernandez and Russ Ortiz.

A strong pen lead by closer Robb Nen and Tim Worrell was amongst the best in baseball.

4. Exorcized

2008 Tampa Bay Rays

97-65
AL East Winners
Lost 4-1 to the Philadelphia Phillies

C Dioner Navarro
1B Carlos Pena
2B Akinori Iwamura
SS Jason Barlett
3B Evan Longoria
LF Carl Crawford
CF B.J. Upton
RF Gabe Gross
DH Eric Hinske

Rotation
1. James Shields
2. Andy Sonnanstine
3. Matt Garza
4. Edwin Jackson
5. Scott Kazmir

Closer
Troy Percival

Playing in their first season sans the Devil portion of their nickname, the Rays made a historic run to the World Series.

After beating out the mighty Yankees and Red Sox for the AL East pennant, they knocked off the White Sox and Red Sox to reach the World Series. Unfortunately, their dream season came to an end at the hands of the Phillies.

The Rays offense ran like a finely tuned machine. Only four players in their usual starting line-up collected double digit home runs, but they did what they needed to score runs, including bunting and stealing bases.

The rotation didn’t include anyone over 26 years old and got better and better as the season went on. By the time the World Series came around, they were a formidable group.

However, the Rays pen was perhaps its strongest feature. Vet Troy Percival held together the group, and the whole run to the Series never would have happened without phenom David Price.

3. Philly Pholly

2009 Philadelphia Phillies

93-69
NL East Winners
Lost 4-2 to the New York Yankees

C Carlos Ruiz
1B Ryan Howard
2B Chase Utley
SS Jimmy Rollins
3B Pedro Feliz
LF Raul Ibanez
CF Shane Victorino
RF Jayson Werth

Rotation
1. Cliff Lee
2. Joe Blanton
3. Cole Hamels
4. J.A. Happ
5. Jamie Moyer

Closer
Brad Lidge

The defending World Series champs looked like a good bet to win the whole thing again last season after taking the NL East pennant and beating the Rockies and Dodgers in the playoffs.

However, they couldn’t match the Yankees in the World Series and fell to the Bombers in six games.

The 2009 version of the Phils was very similar to the 2008 squad that took home the world championship. They boasted a fearsome lineup anchored by Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.

On the mound, Cliff Lee provided the Phils with a shutdown ace during his short stay in Philadelphia, but the rotation was inconsistent after Lee.

Hamels was the 2008 World Series MVP, but was not the same pitcher in 2009, and Blanton and Moyer were inconsistent at best. The holes in the rotation are what prevented the 2009 Phillies from repeating as World Series champs.

2. O’Neill’s Fail

2001 New York Yankees

95-65
AL East Winners
Lost 4-3 to the Arizona Diamondbacks

C Jorge Posada
1B Tino Martinez
2B Alfonso Soriano
SS Derek Jeter
3B Scott Brosius
LF Chuck Knoblauch
CF Bernie Williams
RF Paul O’Neill
DH David Justice

Rotation
1. Mike Mussina
2. Roger Clemens
3. Andy Pettitte
4. Ted Lilly
5. Orlando Hernandez

Closer
Mariano Rivera

One year after disposing of the Mets in the 2000 World Series, the mighty Yanks once again made a run to the World Series, disposing of the A’s and Mariners along the way.

However, they were dropped by the Diamondbacks in one of the better World Series in recent memory, and sent Yankee legend Paul O’Neill to a less than ideal retirement.

The 2001 Yankees were loaded. With seven players in the line-up hitting 18 plus home runs, 52 combined wins from Mussina, Clemens, and Pettitte, and Mariano at the back of the pen, it’s hard to imagine how these guys didn’t win it all.

Then you remember that the D-Backs had Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson at the top of their rotation and that Luis Gonzalez hit 57 home runs that season.

1. A Fish Out of Water

2003 New York Yankees

101-61
AL East Winners
Lost 4-2 to the Florida Marlins

C Jorge Posada
1B Jason Giambi
2B Alfonso Soriano
SS Derek Jeter
3B Robin Ventura
LF Hideki Matsui
CF Bernie Williams
RF Raul Mondesi
DH Nick Johnson

Rotation
1. Mike Mussina
2. David Wells
3. Roger Clemens
4. Andy Pettitte
5. Jeff Weaver

Closer
Mariano Rivera

The 2003 Bronx Bombers were another powerhouse Yanks squad the fell short in the World Series.

After steamrolling the Twins and squeaking by rival Red Sox in the AL playoffs, the high-favored Yanks couldn’t get it done against the upstart Marlins and had to watch the Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell, and friends celebrate on the field at Yankee Stadium.

The 2003 Bombers lineup was absolutely stacked. Soriano hit 38 homers and stole 35 bases that season, and Jason Giambi bashed 41 longballs. Mussina, Wells, Clemens, and Pettitte made up a phenomenal rotation, and of course there was Mariano.

It was difficult to compare the 2003 Yankees with the 2001 squad. I think any baseball fan would love to see these two great World Series losers go head-to-head for seven games!

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