Major League Baseball Archives - The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

Mar182016 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

All-Time MLB Franchise Rankings, 2016 Edition

Sports

I've upped my game with franchise rankings and introduced some new technology to the process -- namely, Tableau. To see some other examples of me putting Tableau to good use, check out the Infographics section of my SportsPaper.info site. Other than making things look snazzy, however, the methodology behind how I'm ranking all MLB franchises remains pretty much intact. So for those who don't know the rules, here they are again: The Criteria The categories and point values are as follows: 20 points for a World Series title. Pre-1903 titles are not counted. 15 points for a league pennant. 6 points for a playoff series win (e.g. Division Series or Wild Card Game). 4 points for a division title. 3 points for a regular season winning percentage of .556 or higher, -3 points for ...

Apr232015 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

All-Time MLB Franchise Rankings, 2015 Edition

Listcruft, Sports

I wanted to get the latest list of Major League Baseball franchise rankings done before the start of the 2015 season, but obviously that didn't happen. But that's OK, right? Last year I split the list into two posts ranking the best and worst teams in MLB history, but in keeping with the other sports lists I maintain I'm putting all 30 active franchises in one place. So with that out of the way, here are how the rankings are compiled: The Criteria The categories and point values are as follows: 20 points for a World Series title. Pre-1903 titles are not counted. 15 points for a league pennant. 6 points for a playoff series win (e.g. Division Series or Wild Card Game). 4 points for a division title. 3 points for a regular season winning percentage of .556 or higher, -3 poi...

Feb252015 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Vintage MLB Spring Training Programs

Ephemera, Sports

Spring Training for the 2015 Major League Baseball season is upon us! So even if you're still sitting under a blanket of snow, you know that relief is on the way. To help you get warmed up and to take an excuse to look at some great vintage sports ephemera, here's a hand-picked gallery slideshow of some of my favorite Spring Training program and scorecard art from teams like the Dodgers, Red Sox, Angels, and Pirates. All of these and more are available for perusal at The Press Room, and clicking on any image will take you to its own page.

Oct172014 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

A Kansas City Royals/San Francisco Giants World Series Program Gallery

Sports

With San Francisco's thrilling victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the NLCS, we now await the start of the 2014 World Series. The Giants are back to their third Fall Classic in five years, while the Kansas City Royals are in it for only the third time ever -- and the first time since 1985. And so as I did for the four teams in the league championship series, I now present a gallery of selected vintage Giants and Royals World Series program covers, up through 1989. These are, as always, courtesy of the Press Room. Kansas City Royals San Francisco (New York) Giants

Oct102014 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

San Francisco Giants & St. Louis Cardinals NLCS Programs

Sports

The other day I shared a gallery of ALCS program covers for this year's teams, the Royals and Orioles. Now it's the National League's turn. Including this season, the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals have combined for 20 NLCS appearances since the format was established in 1969 (including the 1987 season, when the two teams faced each other). The Cards hold the record for most NLCS appearances (13), while the Giants are now tied with the New York Mets with seven. Here is a gallery of selected Giants and Cardinals NLCS game programs through the 1980s, courtesy the Press Room. San Francisco Giants St. Louis Cardinals

Oct72014 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Kansas City Royals & Baltimore Orioles ALCS Programs

Ephemera, Sports

The 2014 American League Championship Series kicks off Friday night as the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles face each other in the MLB postseason for the first time. Including this season, the two franchises have combined for 17 ALCS appearances since the format was established in 1969. Only four franchises -- the Tigers, Red Sox, A's, and Yankees -- have appeared in at least as many. Here is a gallery of selected program/scorecard covers for each Royals & Orioles ALCS series up through the '80s, as provided by my latest project, the Press Room. For some reason the Royals programs from 1984 and '85 have eluded me, so if someone can provide a scan please let me know. Baltimore Orioles Kansas City Royals

Apr142014 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

The 10 Best MLB Franchises (through 2013)

Sports

You wanted the best, you got the best! The hottest baseball teams ever... OK, sorry about that. I have Kiss on the brain for some reason. Back to baseball. Last week I published my first annual list of the ten worst franchises in Major League history, so if you haven't read that yet now's a good time. Either way, it's time to look at the teams that set the standard for all other baseball clubs to follow. Or that are, in the case of a few, still basking in past glories. To see my rankings for other leagues, as well as all mysports lists, check out this page. Before I get to the list, a few notes of explanation are needed. Rankings are based on average points per season, not total points. For the few franchises whose history stretches back to the 19th century (Braves, Cardina...

Apr82014 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

The 10 Worst MLB Franchises (through 2013)

Listcruft, Sports

I was hoping to get this done prior to the start of the 2014 Major League Baseball season, but such is life. Anyway, the title of this post should say it all. Just as I did for the NHL last year, I've devised a super-secret, proprietary system for ranking all current baseball franchises. To see my rankings for other leagues, as well as all my sports lists, check out this page. But before I get to the list of the ten worst MLB teams of all-time, a few notes of explanation are needed. Rankings are based on average points per season, not total points. For the few franchises whose history stretches back to the 19th century (Braves, Cardinals, Reds, etc.), I am only counting seasons played as members of the National League. I am awarding points for a playoff series win for teams that...

Oct222013 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Yer Out! The 10 Longest Active World Series Title Droughts in MLB History

Listcruft, Sports

The last edition of this post ran in October 2012. Given that the two teams in the World Series this year aren't on the list, I feel pretty safe running it now. The 2013 Major League Baseball season is down to its last series, and so I turn my attention once again to the unlucky ten -- the franchises that currently hold the longest streaks in baseball for years gone by without a World Series championship. Some of these teams have at least managed to reach the summit of the Major Leagues, while others have a sad empty spot in their trophy cases. Season totals are current through the end of the 2013 MLB season. For more fun and informative sporting lists, check out this handy dandy index page. #10 -- Kansas City Royals (28 seasons) Few teams have fared more poorly in the 21st cen...