Most recent consecutive pennants for all franchises

Congrats to the Philadelphia Phillies, who just won consecutive pennants for the first time in their history. That brings up the question: what are the most recent back-to-back pennants for all 30 teams? Well, obviously not all 30 teams have done it, but which ones have?

Before checking, can you name:

– The only two pre-expansion teams who haven’t won consecutive pennants?

– The only expansion team to have ever done it?

Here they are: most recent repeat pennants from all the franchises who have done so, ordered from the present on backwards, broken up in groups of five to make it easier to read:

PHI 2008-2009
NYY 1998-2001
ATL 1995-1996
TOR 1992-1993
OAK 1988-1990

LAD 1977-1978
CIN 1975-1976
BAL 1969-1971
STL 1967-1968
NYG 1937-1938 (now SFG)

DET 1934-1935
WAS 1924-1925 (now MIN)
BOX 1915-1916
CHC 1906-1908
PIT 1901-1903

If you really want to go back, some now dormant teams like the 1890s Baltimore Orioles also won consecutive pennants, but how cares – they’re dormant now.

Cleveland and the White Sox have never done it. Blame the Yankees – both teams tallied up a slew of second place finishes during New York’s most dominant stretch, 1949-1964.

The Phillies were thus the last pre-expansion NL team to do it. Kudos to them.


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Eric J
14 years ago

The Cubs won the ‘38 pennant (Homer in the Gloaming).  The Giants’ consecutive wins were in ‘36 and ‘37.

Nasty Nate
14 years ago

Everyone else uses “BOS” instead of “BOX” nowadays. The Braves moved away like 50 years ago, no one will be confused by BOS.

Chris J.
14 years ago

Eric – thanks for the correction.  That was sloppy on my part.

Nate – I just like referring to them as “BOX.”  At any rate, given that the years under question came over 50 years ago, it actually helps to distinguish them. (That said, I’d refer to them as BOX anyway – I just like it better).

Tony A
14 years ago

You can not only thank the Yankees for the Chisox’s failure to do 2 in a row, but also Landis/Black Sox scandal.  The Chisox were shaping up as a pretty awesome team beginning in 1917, probably would have added ‘20 to ‘19 for 2 in a row, and might have contended thereafter…