The 1962 expansion club New York Mets lost 120 games. – Who could have dreamed back then that seven years later they (with different players, for sure) would reach and win the 1969 World Series?
The following chart displays the record of modern era expansion clubs in the World Series through 2014. Interesting to note too, no matter who wins the ALCS (which is now early in Game Six at this writing), is the fact that no matter who wins between two the battling AL former expansion teams, that 2015 will mark the first time in modern World Series history that two contemporary expansion clubs shall meet in World Series play. As you know the NL Mets are already there – and awaiting either the Royals or Blue Jays. – Up until now, it’s always been one of the “since 1961” clubs versus one of the original turn of the century 16 clubs that were the MLB for slightly better than the first fifty years of the 20th century.
The Modern Era Expansion Club Record in the World Series, 1969-2014:
| YEAR | CLUB | FOE | RESULT | SCORE |
| 1969 | METS | ORIOLES | WON | 4-1 |
| 1973 | METS | ATHLETICS | LOST | 3-4 |
| 1980 | ROYALS | PHILLIES | LOST | 2-4 |
| 1982 | BREWERS | CARDINALS | LOST | 3-4 |
| 1984 | PADRES | TIGERS | LOST | 1-4 |
| 1985 | ROYALS | CARDINALS | WON | 4-3 |
| 1986 | METS | RED SOX | WON | 4-3 |
| 1992 | BLUE JAYS | BRAVES | WON | 4-2 |
| 1993 | BLUE JAYS | PHILLIES | WON | 4-2 |
| 1997 | MARLINS | INDIANS | WON | 4-3 |
| 1998 | PADRES | YANKEES | LOST | 0-4 |
| 2000 | METS | YANKEES | LOST | 1-4 |
| 2001 | D’BACKS | YANKEES | WON | 4-3 |
| 2002 | ANGELS | GIANTS | WON | 4-3 |
| 2003 | MARLINS | YANKEES | WON | 4-2 |
| 2005 | ASTROS | WHITE SOX | LOST | 0-4 |
| 2007 | ROCKIES | RED SOX | LOST | 0-4 |
| 2008 | RAYS | PHILLIES | LOST | 1-4 |
| 2010 | RANGERS | GIANTS | LOST | 1-4 |
| 2011 | RANGERS | CARDINALS | LOST | 3-4 |
| 2014 | ROYALS | GIANTS | LOST | 3-4 |
Obviously, no true expansion club ever had the talent to reach a World Series in their first year of existence. The “Amazin’ Mets” of 1962 needed seven additional seasons to evolve into the first of their kind to reach a World Series – and then to become the first to win the 1969 reiteration of our big moment in every baseball season with a collection of incredible plays and “amazin” good fortune that were straight out of a classic early 1950s baseball movie starring Paul Douglas. – Remember “Angels in the Outfield”?
Here’s a link that will allow you to play with the data to your individual heart’s delight:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_Series_champions
There are still a handful of clubs awaiting their first turn at the big wheel – and you may also wish to use the linkage data to chart how long it took each of the clubs who did get there to reach baseball’s Valhalla the first or only time.
Allow me to make an amendment to that Valhalla metaphor from an Astros fan perspective. It’s not “Valhalla” if your club lost its only time there – and didn’t so much as win a single game in the process.
Have fun!
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The Pecan Park Eagle 
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