Fun, Non-Roto, Postseason History Stuff

Not including teams that were down 3-0 and Best of 8 series, entering this year 64 teams have entered a Game 5 in the postseason down 3-1.

The outcome in those 64 series:

• Thirty teams lost in 5.
• Seventeen lost in 6.
• Four lost in 7
• Ten won in 7

If you break this down for League Championship Series only:

• Thirteen teams lost in 5.
• Six teams lost in 6.
• Two teams lost in 7.
• Five teams won in 7
  

This is the eighth time in LCS history that two teams were down 3-1 and only the second time both teams forced a Game 6. In 1992, the A's won Game 5 but lost Game 6 to the Blue Jays. The Pirates won Games 5 and 6 but then lost Game 7 to the Braves.

The last National League team to reach the World Series three years running was the 1942-1944 Cardinals. The 2010 Phillies are the 10th N.L. team with a shot at the three-peat.

National League Attempts at a Three-Peat:
1954-Present

Year	Team	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Record	LDS	LCS
1954	Brooklyn Dodgers	Lost in 7	Lost in 6	2nd	92-52, .597, 5 GB
1957	Brooklyn Dodgers	Won in 7	Lost in 7	3rd	84-70, .545, 14 GB
1959	Milwaukee Braves	Won in 7	Lost in 7	2nd	86-70, .551, 2 GB
1967	Los Angeles Dodgers	Won in 7	Lost in 4	8th	73-89, .451, 28.5 GB
1969	St. Louis Cardinals	Won in 7	Lost in 7	4th	87-75, .537, 14 GB
1977	Cincinnati Reds	Won in 7	Won in 4	2nd	88-74, .543, 10 GB
1979	Los Angeles Dodgers	Lost in 6	Lost in 6	3rd	79-83, .488, 11.5 GB
1993	Atlanta Braves	Lost in 7	Lost in 6	1st	104-58. .642		Lost in 6
1997	Atlanta Braves	Won in 6	Lost in 6	1st	101-61, .623	Won in 3	Lost in 6
2010	Philadelphia Phillies	Won in 5	Lost in 6	1st-	97-65, .599	Won in 3	???

Meanwhile, eight American League teams have reached the World Series three times in a row since 1945, with the Yankees pulling off the feat on five separate occasions.

Below is the complete list, with results of each World Series in parenthesis.

1998-2001 Yankees (W, W, W, L)
1988-1990 A's (L, W, L)
1976-1978 Yankees (L, W, W)
1972-1974 A's (W, W, W)
1969-1971 Orioles (L, W, L)
1960-1964 Yankees (L, W, W, L, L)
1955-1958 Yankees (L, W, L, W)
1949-1953 Yankees (W, W, W, W, W)
1942-1944 Cardinals (W, L, W)
1941-1943 Yankees (W, L, W)
1936-1939 Yankees (W, W, W, W)
1929-1931 A's (W, W, L)
1926-1928 Yankees (L, W, W)
1921-1924 Giants (W, W, L, L)
1921-1923 Yankees (L, L, W)
1911-1913 Giants (L, L, L)
1907-1909 Tigers (L, L, L)
1906-1908 Cubs (L, W, W)