100 win teams bounced in the Division Series

100 wins is still a magical mark for a season. It means you are an elite team and chances are one of the great teams in your franchise’s history.

And when a team wins 100 in the regular season, there is no doubt they are thinking beyond the Division Series. They are thinking they are a legit World Series contender… a pennant will have to be beaten from them.

But there have been teams that have won 100 games that were cruelly bumped out of the playoffs early and shown the exit in the Division Series.

The staff at Sully Baseball has compiled a list of the teams that reached the century mark but couldn’t make the LCS… and also listed the players on those teams who remain ringless and probably thought that was their year.

There have been 9 different teams… a few franchises have multiple entries.

And one year, 2002, saw three (count em, THREE teams!) that fell short.

1998 HOUSTON ASTROS
102-60 regular season record.
Lost Division Series 3-1 to San Diego Padres. (98-64).

Manager:
LARRY DIERKER

Ringless Veterans Include:
BRAD AUSMUS
JEFF BAGWELL
CRAIG BIGGIO
MIKE HAMPTON
DOUG HENRY
RICHARD HIDALGO
JOSE LIMA
SHANE REYNOLDS
BILLY WAGNER

1999 ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
100-62 regular season record.
Lost Division Series 3-1 to New York Mets. (97-66)

Manager:
BUCK SHOWALTER

Ringless Veterans Include:
OMAR DAAL
BERNARD GILKEY
GREGG OLSON

2001 OAKLAND A’S
102-60 regular season record.
Lost Division Series 3-2 to New York Yankees (95-65)

Manager:
ART HOWE

Ringless Veterans Include:
CHAD BRADFORD
ERIC BYRNES
ERIC CHAVEZ
RON GANT
JASON GIAMBI
TIM HUDSON
TERRENCE LONG
MARK MULDER
F. P. SANTANGELO
MIGUEL TEJADA
BARRY ZITO

2002 ATLANTA BRAVES
101-59 regular season record.
Lost Division Series 3-2 to San Francisco Giants (95-66)

Manager:
BOBBY COX (Won Ring as manager in 1995)

Ringless Veterans Include:
HENRY BLANCO
DARREN BRAGG
VINNY CASTILLA
JULIO FRANCO
MATT FRANCO
RAFAEL FURCAL
CHRIS HAMMOND
ANDRUW JONES
KEVIN MILLWOOD
B. J. SURHOFF

2002 NEW YORK YANKEES
103-58 regular season record.
Lost Division Series 3-1 to Anaheim Angels (99-53)

Manager:
JOE TORRE (Won Rings as manager in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000)

Ringless Veterans Include:
RON COOMER
JASON GIAMBI
NICK JOHNSON
STEVE KARSAY
RAUL MONDESI
MIKE MUSSINA
JUAN RIVERA
ALFONSO SORIANO
ROBIN VENTURA

2002 OAKLAND A’S
103-59 regular season record.
Lost Division Series 3-2 to Minnesota Twins (94-67)

Manager:
ART HOWE

Ringless Veterans Include:
CHAD BRADFORD
ERIC BYRNES
ERIC CHAVEZ
RAY DURAM
MARK ELLIS
SCOTT HATTEBERG
RAMON HERNANDEZ
TIM HUDSON
BILLY KOCH
TED LILLY
JOHN MABRY
MARK MULDER
MIGUEL TEJADA
RANDY VELARDE
BARRY ZITO

2003 ATLANTA BRAVES
101-61 regular season record.
Lost Division Series 3-2 to Chicago Cubs (88-74)

Manager:
BOBBY COX (Won Ring as manager in 1995)

Ringless Veterans Include:
DARREN BRAGG
VINNY CASTILLA
ROBERT FICK
JULIO FRANCO
MATT FRANCO
RAFAEL FURCAL
MIKE HAMPTON
ROBERTO HERNANDEZ
ANDRUW JONES
RUSS ORTIZ
JARET WRIGHT

2003 SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
100-61 regular season record.
Lost Division Series 3-1 to Florida Marlins (91-71)

Manager
FELIPE ALOU

Ringless Veterans Include:
EDGARDO ALFONZO
RICH AURILIA
BARRY BONDS
JOSE CRUZ, Jr.
RAY DURHAM
ANDRES GALARRAGA
JEFFRYE HAMMONDS
JOE NATHAN
SIDNEY PONSON
KIRK RUETER
BENITO SANTIAGO
JASON SCHMIDT
J. T. SNOW
TIM WORRELL

2008 LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM
100-62 regular season record.
Lost Division Series 3-1 to Boston Red Sox (95-67)

Manager:
MIKE SCIOSCIA (Won Ring as manager in 2002)

Ringless Veterans Include:
VLADIMIR GUERRERO
TORII HUNTER
HOWIE KENDRICK
GARY MATTHEWS, Jr.
KENDRY MORALES
DARREN OLIVER
ERVIN SANTANA
JERED WEAVER

There are some heart breakers on this list… and a few players who might have a more compelling Hall of Fame resume if they lead these teams to October glory.

Right now, no teams in baseball are on pace to win 100. (The Rays and Yankees are on pace to win around 97 or 98 wins.) If they win 100, that is a great achievement. But don’t think you are guaranteed a spot even in the LCS. Just ask the teams above.

It’s your move, Giants

In a very twisted way, I felt the Padres victory over the Rockies last night was the best thing to happen to the Giants.

Hear me out.

The Rockies were on fire on their 10 game winning streak and closing in on both the Giants and the Padres for the NL West.

Now of course if the Rockies had won, the Giants would be in first place by themselves going into tonight’s game with Los Angeles.

I am less concerned with where the Giants are on September 14th than where they will be on October 3rd.

And I would rather have the Giants going toe to toe with a wobbly Padres team than a confident “remembering 2007 and 2009” Rockies team. Call me crazy.

I also want that last weekend between the Giants and Padres to be for all the tuna fish.
I don’t want any scoreboard watching or have BOTH teams fall short.

So the Padres won last night.
The Giants are playing the Dodgers for the last 3 times of the season.

Focus on winning… and know there is also a series head to head with Colorado as well.

Worst case scenario if you win? You’ll be a game out in the loss column.

Earn your money, Zito.

The Last Stand for an A.L. Division Race is in Chicago

There are plenty of legit playoff races happening in the National League right now. The Phillies currently have the National League’s best record and would have home field advantage through the World Series… and yet are only 2 games in the loss column away from missing the playoffs all together. The Braves, Phillies, Padres, Giants and Rockies are all within 4 games of each other and 2 will be playing golf in October.

That’s suspense.

In the American League? Not so much.

The Yankees/Rays series looks like a potential great one… but they are both making the playoffs. Not a lot of suspense other than posturing.

The Rangers have opened an 8 game lead with their recent 5 game winning streak. They could cut their magic number to single digits by the weekend.

The only hope for any suspense in the American League playoff picture is happening tonight in Chicago… and the White Sox need to sweep the Twins to make it interesting.

Taking 2 of 3 isn’t going to cut it. That would give the Twins a 5 game lead with 16 to play…

But a White Sox sweep could make things interesting.

A sweep would mean the White Sox would be only 3 games back of the Twins and the rest of their schedule would be against no legit contenders. The Tigers, the A’s, the Angels my Red Sox and the Indians will all (barring a miracle) be playing out the string.

Then again, the Twins would also be playing teams without much to play for (including Toronto and Kansas City.)

But 3 games can be made up in a weekend… and there are three weekends left.

A White Sox sweep could mean they would need to make up a game a week and have a shot.

Now the Twins are only 2 games behind the Rays for the best record in baseball and could take home field advantage through the ALCS if they make up those two games.

But I don’t want playoff posturing. I want a pennant race.
So let’s go White Sox. Redeem the American League regular season!!!