MLB's October Madness: The 10 Greatest Cinderella Runs in Postseason History
March Madness is the talk of the sports world right now, and rightfully so, as college basketball's annual tournament provides some of the most memorable moments in all of sports year in and year out, most often stemming from unexpected teams making improbable runs.
While this is certainly more prevalent in college basketball, baseball has had its fair share of Cinderella teams make their own runs at titles through the years.
So here is a look at the 10 greatest Cinderella runs in MLB postseason history, in honor of this March Madness season.
2004 Boston Red Sox
1 of 10
Record: 98-64
Previous season's record: 95-67
Pitching leaders
Wins: Curt Schilling - 21
ERA: Curt Schilling - 3.26
Ks: Pedro Martinez - 227
Saves: Keith Foulke - 32
Batting leaders
BA: Manny Ramirez - .308
HR: Manny Ramirez - 43
RBI: David Ortiz - 139
SB: Johnny Damon - 19
All-Stars
SP Curt Schilling
1B David Ortiz
LF Manny Ramirez (Starter)
The 2004 Red Sox make this list, and not because they were a sub-par team. Far from it in fact, as they were one of baseball's most dynamic teams and winners of an impressive 98 games during the regular season.
No, they make this list because of what it took for them to reach the World Series once they made it to the playoffs. After falling behind three games to none, the Red Sox accomplished something no other team in baseball history had. They rattled off four straight wins, all while facing elimination, to knock off their rivals, thanks in large part to the heroics of David Ortiz.
From there, the Sox rolled over the Cardinals in a four-game sweep, as they broke the Curse of the Bambino in the most dramatic of fashions.
1991 Minnesota Twins
2 of 10
Record: 95-67
Previous season's record: 74-88
Pitching leaders
Wins: Scott Erickson - 20
ERA: Scott Erickson - 3.18
Ks: Jack Morris - 163
Saves: Rick Aguilera - 42
Batting leaders
BA: Kirby Puckett - .319
HR: Chili Davis - 29
RBI: Chili Davis - 93
SB: Chuck Knoblauch - 25
All-Stars
SP Jack Morris (Starter)
SP Scott Erickson
RP Rick Aguilera
CF Kirby Puckett
Coming off of a World Series title in 1987, the Twins seemed to be heading in the wrong direction as they entered the 1991 season, having seen their record decline each of the previous three seasons.
However, the offseason addition of grizzled veterans Chili Davis and Jack Morris along with the emergence of Scott Erickson and Rookie of the Year Chuck Knoblauch made the Twins an entirely different team in 1991.
After rolling over the Blue Jays, the Twins met up with the Braves in what would go down as one of the greatest World Series of all-time.
After falling behind 3-2, the Twins forced a Game 7 when Kirby Puckett hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th in Game 6. The deciding game was one for the ages, as Jack Morris out-dueled John Smoltz and threw 10 innings of shutout ball before the Twins squeaked out a 1-0 win.
1993 Philadelphia Phillies
3 of 10
Record: 97-65
Previous season's record: 70-92
Pitching leaders
Wins: Curt Schilling & Tommy Greene - 16
ERA: Terry Mulholland - 3.25
Ks: Curt Schilling - 186
Saves: Mitch Williams - 43
Batting leaders
BA: John Kruk - .316
HR: Darren Daulton - 24
RBI: Darren Daulton - 105
SB: Lenny Dykstra - 37
All-Stars
SP Terry Mulholland (Starter)
C Darren Daulton (Starter)
1B John Kruk (Starter)
3B Dave Hollins
A season removed from 92 losses and a last-place finish, and with essentially the same team, the Phillies made it to the World Series in 1992 before falling to the Blue Jays on Joe Carter's legendary walk-off home run off of closer Mitch Williams.
The Phillies were a rag-tag group full of eccentric personalities, with Kruk and Dykstra leading the way in that department. Still, they were a fun team to watch and to root for.
This World Series run was followed by one of the worst stretches in Phillies history until they were able to right the ship and put together another title-contending team in recent years, good news for what may be baseball's most rowdy fanbase.
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2007 Colorado Rockies
4 of 10
Record: 90-73
Previous season's record: 76-86
Pitching leaders
Wins: Jeff Francis - 17
ERA: Aaron Cook - 4.12
Ks: Jeff Francis - 165
Saves: Brian Fuentes - 20
Batting leaders
BA: Matt Holliday - .340
HR: Matt Holliday - 36
RBI: Matt Holliday - 137
SB: Willy Taveras - 37
All-Stars
RP Brian Fuentes
LF Matt Holliday
With 14 games to play, the 2007 Rockies were sitting on a 76-72 record and they were 6.5 games out of first in the NL West, all but out of playoff contention.
That was until they won 13 of their final 14 games, forcing a one-game playoff with the Padres for the NL Wild Card. They won that game in the bottom of the 13th with a three-run inning off of closer Trevor Hoffman after the Padres tallied two runs in the top of the inning.
From there, the Rockies rolled in the first two rounds of the playoffs, sweeping the Phillies and Diamondbacks to reach their first World Series in franchise history. They were eventually swept by the Red Sox to fall short of the title, but their run was an impressive one nonetheless.
2010 San Francisco Giants
5 of 10
Record: 92-70
Previous season's record: 88-74
Pitching leaders
Wins: Tim Lincecum - 16
ERA: Jonathan Sanchez - 3.07
Ks: Tim Lincecum - 231
Saves: Brian Wilson - 48
Batting leaders
BA: Aubrey Huff - .290
HR: Aubrey Huff - 26
RBI: Aubrey Huff - 86
SB: Andres Torres - 26
All-Stars
SP Tim Lincecum
RP Brian Wilson
There is no denying that the Giants had a rotation that could rival any in the league in 2010, with Lincecum joined by Matt Cain, Sanchez and rookie Madison Bumgarner. However, their offense left a lot to be desired, and for the bulk of the season it looked as though the NL West would belong to the Padres.
The call-up of Buster Posey, along with the acquisitions of Pat Burrell and Cody Ross, turned the offense around and helped the Giants sneak into the playoffs. Posey in particular was paramount in their success, as he hit .305, with 18 home runs and 67 RBI in just 406 at bats.
From there, the Giants were able to ride their stellar pitching to a World Series title, as they got timely hits from the unlikeliest of players, with Cody Ross and Edgar Renteria each taking home postseason MVP honors.
1987 Minnesota Twins
6 of 10
Record: 85-77
Previous season's record: 71-91
Pitching leaders
Wins: Frank Viola - 17
ERA: Frank Viola - 2.90
Ks: Frank Viola - 197
Saves: Jeff Reardon - 31
Batting leaders
BA: Kirby Puckett - .332
HR: Kent Hrbek - 34
RBI: Gary Gaetti - 109
SB: Dan Gladden - 25
All-Stars
CF Kirby Puckett
On paper, the 1987 Twins were perhaps the least impressive team to ever win a World Series. They didn't have a star player, their closest being Kirby Puckett who was in just his second full season in the league. Their pitching staff was led by Frank Viola, but aside from an aging Bert Blyleven, they didn't have much else.
However, they came together as a team and made an improbable run to give the franchise its first World Series title since their days as the Washington Senators, when they won back in 1924.
This Twins team laid the groundwork for the 1991 run, which was just as improbable after some surprisingly bad seasons in between the two World Series runs.
1997 Florida Marlins
7 of 10
Record: 92-70 (Wild Card)
Previous season's record: 80-82
Pitching leaders
Wins: Alex Fernandez - 17
ERA: Kevin Brown - 2.69
Ks: Kevin Brown - 205
Saves: Robb Nen - 35
Batting leaders
BA: Bobby Bonilla - .297
HR: Moises Alou - 23
RBI: Moises Alou - 115
SB: Edgar Renteria - 32
All-Stars
SP Kevin Brown
C Charles Johnson
LF Moises Alou
The fledgling franchise, having only been in existence since 1993, shocked the baseball world when the store-bought team turned into a title winner in a matter of years. However, just as quickly as the team was assembled, it was torn apart, as the Marlins traded away or failed to re-sign the vast majority of this group over the next couple seasons. Thus is the life of a small-market club.
The fact that they even reached the World Series was impressive, but to beat the Indians—a team that featured the likes of Jim Thome, Albert Belle, David Justice, Manny Ramirez and Matt Williams—with one of the most intimidating lineups in recent memory, makes it even more impressive.
A lot of the thanks for the title can be given to Livan Hernandez, a then 22-year-old Cuban defector who was an impressive 9-3 in 17 regular-season starts, but he was otherworldly in the playoffs, taking home NLCS and World Series MVP honors.
2006 St. Louis Cardinals
8 of 10
Record: 83-78
Previous season's record: 100-62
Pitching leaders
Wins: Chris Carpenter - 15
ERA: Chris Carpenter - 3.09
Ks: Chris Carpenter - 184
Saves: Jason Isringhausen - 33
Batting leaders
BA: Albert Pujols - .331
HR: Albert Pujols - 49
RBI: Albert Pujols - 137
SB: So Taguchi - 11
All-Stars
SP Chris Carpenter
1B Albert Pujols (Starter)
3B Scott Rolen
SS David Eckstein
Had it not been for the incredible ineptitude of the NL Central division, the Cardinals would not have even made the playoffs in 2006, let alone made a title run.
With just two starting pitchers with double-digit wins, and only one with an ERA under 4.00, the Cardinals relied on a good enough offense led by Albert Pujols. However, even the offense left much to be desired, as Pujols was the only player to hit over .300.
When the playoffs rolled around, there was no mid-season acquisition of Larry Walker to pay off in October like the previous season, just a string of good pitching, timely hitting and the emergence of Adam Wainwright as a lights out closer, as the Cardinals beat out the heavily-favored Tigers for the title.
2008 Tampa Bay Rays
9 of 10
Record: 97-65
Previous season's record: 66-96
Pitching leaders
Wins: James Shields & Edwin Jackson - 14
ERA: Scott Kazmir - 3.49
Ks: Scott Kazmir - 166
Saves: Troy Percival - 28
Batting leaders
BA: Akinori Iwamura - .274
HR: Carlos Pena - 31
RBI: Carlos Pena - 102
SB: BJ Upton - 44
All-Stars
SP Scott Kazmir
C Dioner Navarro
3B Evan Longoria
They didn't have a player bat over .300, they didn't have a pitcher win 15 games, and their cleanup hitter was a 22-year-old rookie. What they did have was an undeniable team chemistry and one of the most perfectly balanced teams in recent memory.
The 2008 Rays eventually lost to the Phillies in the World Series, but to even advance out of the AL East and top mega-spenders New York and Boston when they had a payroll of just under $45 million, speaks volumes about what the Rays accomplished that season.
Those same payroll issues have left the Rays without many of the players from that team, but regardless, they showed that a small-market team is capable of putting it all together and making a run at a title.
1969 New York Mets
10 of 10
Record: 100-62
Previous season's record: 73-89
Pitching leaders
Wins: Tom Seaver - 25
ERA: Tom Seaver - 2.21
Ks: Tom Seaver - 208
Saves: Ron Taylor - 13
Batting leaders
BA: Cleon Jones - .340
HR: Tommie Agee - 26
RBI: Tommie Agee - 76
SB: Cleon Jones - 16
All-Stars
SP Tom Seaver
SP Jerry Koosman
LF Cleon Jones (Starter)
The Miracle Mets, as they have come to be known, are without a doubt the most surprising World Series team of all-time. Led by Cy Young winner Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman at the front of their rotation, the Mets found themselves well out of the playoff race as summer rolled around.
They trailed the Cubs by a full 10 games on August 13th, with a record of 62-51, but they closed out the season with a 38-11 run as they won the division by a full eight games and made the 1969 Cubs perhaps the most revered team to not reach the postseason.
After sweeping the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS, they topped the Orioles four games to one, winning the franchise's first World Series.
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