Teams that played only one home post season game

Reds fans have been waiting since 1995 to see a playoff game in their hometown.
And guess what? If they don’t win today, all they’ll get is a single playoff home game.

It seems almost unfair. A fan base gets pumped up and expects to have a ton of October memories… and then blink, it is over.

So I wondered how many teams made it all the way to October baseball and then gave their teams only one home game.

It has happened 21 times… Cincy had better hope they are not #22.

This is Sully Baseball… we do more than wonder about stuff like this.
The staff here finds it out and we list it.

ENJOY.

1969 MINNESOTA TWINS
Game 3, ALCS
11-2 loss. Baltimore sweeps 3-0.

1971 OAKLAND A’S
Game 3, ALCS
5-3 loss. Baltimore sweeps 3-0.

1975 OAKLAND A’S
Game 3, ALCS
5-3 loss. Boston sweeps 3-0.

1975 PITTSBURGH PIRATES
Game 3, NLCS
5-3 loss in 10 innings. Cincinnati sweeps 3-0.

1980 NEW YORK YANKEES
Game 3, ALCS
4-2 loss. Kansas City sweeps 3-0.

1982 ATLANTA BRAVES
Game 3, NLCS
6-2 loss. St. Louis sweeps 3-0.

1995 BOSTON RED SOX
Game 3, Division Series
8-2 loss. Cleveland sweeps 3-0.

1996 SAN DIEGO PADRES
Game 3, Division Series
7-5 loss. St. Louis sweeps 3-0.

1997 HOUSTON ASTROS
Game 3, Division Series
4-1 loss. Atlanta sweeps 3-0.

1997 SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Game 3, Division Series
6-2 loss. Florida sweeps 3-0.

1998 CHICAGO CUBS
Game 3, Division Series
6-2 loss. Atlanta sweeps 3-0.

1998 TEXAS RANGERS
Game 3, Division Series
4-0 loss. New York sweeps 3-0.

1999 TEXAS RANGERS
Game 3, Division Series
3-0 loss. New York sweeps 3-0.

2000 ATLANTA BRAVES
Game 3, Division Series
7-1 loss. St. Louis sweeps 3-0.

2005 BOSTON RED SOX
Game 3, Division Series
5-3 loss. Chicago sweeps 3-0.

2005 SAN DIEGO PADRES
Game 3, Division Series
7-4 loss. St. Louis sweeps 3-0.

2006 LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Game 3, Division Series
9-5 loss. New York sweeps 3-0.

2007 CHICAGO CUBS
Game 3, Division Series
5-1 loss. Arizona sweeps 3-0.

2007 LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM
Game 3, Division Series
9-1 loss. Boston sweeps 3-0.

2009 BOSTON RED SOX
Game 3, Division Series
7-6 loss. Los Angeles sweeps 3-0.

2009 MINNESOTA TWINS
Game 3, Division Series
4-1 loss. New York sweeps 3-0.

2009 ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Game 3, Division Series
5-1 loss. Los Angeles sweeps 3-0.

Jim Thome and Kenny Lofton’s post season luck

So it goes for the Twins… their post season losing streak at 12 and they have been swept out of the playoffs again.

Homefield advantage?
New ballpark?

No difference.

And it also goes for Jim Thome, who in his 20 seasons, is still in search of his first World Series ring.

His luck has been truly rotten.

He’s appeared in 9 post seasons, including 2 trips to the World Series (1995 and 1997 with Cleveland.)

He’s been in the last 3 post seasons with three different franchises.

And of course he was part of that magical Cleveland Indians squad that, for at least a few seasons, made the Indians a fun powerhouse in the late 1990s.

Among his teammates was Kenny Lofton… the only guy with WORSE luck than Thome in the post season.

Lofton, a 6 time All Star, played in 11 different post seasons with 6 different franchises.

And somehow made it through without a ring.

Lofton was part of some classic near miss teams.

Besides the 1995 squad that played the Braves so closely n the World Series…

Lofton and Thome were on the 1999 and 2001 Indians teams that won 2 games in the Division Series and had a lead at home in a potential clinching game… and lost.

Lofton, the hero of the 2002 NLCS with a walk off clinching hit, was part of the San Francisco Giants team that lost the World Series despite having a 5-0 lead in a potential clinching game.

Lofton was on the 2003 Cubs squad that blew a 3-1 NLCS lead (and gave too much grief to Steve Bartman.)

Lofton was on the 2004 Yankee squad that blew the 3-0 lead to the Red Sox. (Not sure I remember that.)

And was on the 2007 Indians squad that blew a 3-1 series lead to the Red Sox.

(Before anyone tries to correct me, Lofton and Thome were NOT teammates on the 1997 Indians team. That one season Lofton played for Atlanta before coming back to the Indians.)

So Lofton and Thome played in 8 series over 5 different post seasons as teammates.

Lofton played in 12 more series over 6 different post seasons on his own.
Thome played in 7 more series over 4 different post seasons on his own.

So if you are keeping score, over the last 16 years, 15 different post season teams had either Jim Thome or Kenny Lofton on their roster.

And somehow NONE of those teams won the World Series.

That is some bad luck.

I often wonder what guys like Thome and Lofton think about guys like Francisco Cervelli who win a World Series ring in their rookie year.

Maybe Thome and Lofton will win a ring as a coach.

Nobody focuses on the Giants like my dad

My dad (aka Poppy) can tell you anything you want to know about the Giants.
He can casually rattle off the 1954 Giants’ roster…
He can give you a scouting report on the current team…
When new players come up from Fresno, he is anticipating their arrival…
When prospects are tearing up San Jose, he has his eye on them.

He is NOT a casual baseball fan. Far from it.

But he is unique.
He has Giants tunnel vision.
I used to think he only knew about the National League.

But he really only knows the Giants and whomever they are playing THAT DAY.

A case in point.
Today the Yankees clinched the Division Series as the Twins did a brilliant impersonation of the Polish Army circa 1939.

The Yankees of course are chocked full of Superstars and many played today.

A-Rod, Jeter, Teixeira, Cano and Rivera all played.

So did All Stars Swisher and Hughes.

And former All Stars Posada and Hughes.

They had a GALAXY of stars… and stormed into the ALCS with the biggest marquee names in the show.

I got an e mail from my dad tonight.

“The Yankees
I hardly know who most of the players are!!
Should I?”

No you shouldn’t Poppy… not until they play the Giants in the World Series.
(And if that happens, nobody will be able to tell you more about the Yankees than my dad.)