2001 to now. Where has the time flown? It seems not so long ago that Derek Jeter and his Yankees crew had just wrapped up their third straight World Series title in 2000. The very next year, the first Series in the 21st century, the Yankees were in the World Series again, but lost in seven games to the feisty Arizona Diamondbacks in a World Series classic.
Fast-forward to now.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays just wrapped up the 25th version of the Fall Classic in what many are calling one of the best World Series ever. And who can argue, especially when Game 7 goes 11 innings and the Game 6 winner is pitching in relief!
- The Dodgers became the first team to be back-to-back champions in 26 seasons. L.A. also won the 2020 World Series, making it three titles in six years.
- This year’s World Series marks the first this century for the Blue Jays. They were last in the Series in 1993 and ’92, when they won consecutive titles.
Let’s take a look at what’s happened from the 2001 World Series till now…
There were some new faces in the winner’s circle.
Immediately, the World Series winner went from the mega-multi-winners—the Yankees—to the newcomers.
- In 2001, the Arizona Diamondbacks won their first-ever World Series, defeating the mighty New York Yankees in seven games. With that victory, the D-Backs became the team to win their first title the quickest: They’d been in existence only four years.
- In 2002, the Anaheim Angels made their first trip to the Fall Classic and defeated Barry Bonds’ Giants in a seven-game Series. The Angels haven’t been back or been close since.
- The Miami Marlins (formerly, the Florida Marlins) returned in 2003 for just their second trip and won their second title. They’d been around only since 1993.
Curses no more! Boston and Chicago celebrate.
The new century was good news for franchises that had been seemingly cursed for decades and hadn’t won a title for their die-hard fans.
- The Boston Red Sox in 2004 finally broke the 86-year-old “Curse of the Bambino” and took home their first Championship since 1918. That Series came about only