New England sports activities followers will always remember the 2004 Purple Sox, the crew that secured Boston’s first World Sequence title because the finish of World Warfare I — and thereby extinguished an 86-year jinx.
These Sox not solely reigned as the most effective crew of their specific season, however additionally they outperformed each different big-league membership throughout the half-decade from 2001 to 2005.
That’s in accordance with my calculations of crew scores, that are plotted on a 100-point scale. (Click here to read about the TS formula.) The 2004 Purple Sox completed with a rating of 84.936 factors, almost three factors higher than the runner-up for the interval, the 2001 Seattle Mariners at 81.959.
I’m unveiling my five-year rankings of the Trendy Period’s greatest groups on successive Mondays. Click on right here to see the earlier rankings: 1961-1965,1966-1970,1971-1975,1976-1980,1981-1985,1986-1990,1991-1995, and 1996-2000.
Third by way of fifth locations on at the moment’s listing are occupied by the 2004 St. Louis Cardinals, 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, and 2002 San Francisco Giants.
Scroll under to see the listing of the ten greatest groups from 2001 to 2005. Every is proven with its win-loss file and the share of all 1,656 Trendy Period golf equipment (1961-2022) that it outperformed, based mostly on TS comparisons.
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Report: 98-64
Group rating: 84.936 factors
Trendy Period percentile: 98.7%
Supervisor: Terry Francona
Stars: Curt Schilling paced the pitching workers with a 21-6 file, complemented by Pedro Martinez at 16-9. Left fielder Manny Ramirez and designated hitter David Ortiz hit 43 and 41 dwelling runs, respectively.
Backside line: This model of the Purple Sox introduced Boston its first world championship since 1918, although it was a detailed factor. The Sox famously trailed the New York Yankees by three video games to none within the American League Championship Sequence, solely to rebound for a seven-game triumph. The World Sequence was a breeze by comparability, a four-game sweep over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Report: 116-46
Group rating: 81.959 factors
Trendy Period percentile: 97.9%
Supervisor: Lou Piniella
Stars: Proper fielder Ichiro Suzuki led the American League in hits (242), stolen bases (56), and batting common (.350). He was rewarded with the Rookie of the 12 months and Most Precious Participant Awards. Three different batters topped .300: second baseman Bret Boone (.331), designated hitter Edgar Martinez (.306), and first baseman John Olerud (.302).
Backside line: The Mariners appeared unbeatable. The second-place Athletics racked up 102 wins, but Seattle nonetheless completed 14 video games forward of Oakland within the American League West. However the playoffs had been an enormous disappointment, with the Mariners falling meekly to the Yankees within the AL Championship Sequence.
Report: 105-57
Group rating: 81.249 factors
Trendy Period percentile: 97.5%
Supervisor: Tony La Russa
Stars: First baseman Albert Pujols smacked 46 homers, drove dwelling 123 runs, and batted .331. He completed third within the balloting for the Nationwide League’s MVP Award. Third baseman Scott Rolen drove in 124 runs and received a Gold Glove.
Backside line: The Cardinals breezed by way of the Nationwide League, profitable the Central Division by 13 video games, then defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros within the playoffs. However St. Louis had the misfortune of operating into the red-hot Purple Sox within the World Sequence, which Boston received simply.
Report: 92-70
Group rating: 81.168 factors
Trendy Period percentile: 97.5%
Supervisor: Bob Brenly
Stars: Arizona depended closely on its pitching workers, particularly its two aces, Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, who completed first and second within the voting for the NL’s Cy Younger Award. Johnson went 21-6 with a league-leading 2.49 ERA, whereas Schilling completed at 22-6 and a couple of.98.
Backside line: The Diamondbacks had been solely 4 years previous, so it appeared loopy to anticipate them to contend in 2001. But they outdueled the San Francisco Giants for the NL West title, then dispatched the Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, and Yankees within the postseason, the latter in a seven-game World Sequence.
Report: 95-66
Group rating: 77.832 factors
Trendy Period percentile: 96.3%
Supervisor: Dusty Baker
Stars: Left fielder Barry Bonds received his second consecutive MVP trophy (and the fifth of his profession). He batted .370, hit 46 homers, and piled up 110 RBIs. Second baseman Jeff Kent chipped in with 108 RBIs and a .313 common.
Backside line: The Giants duplicated their 2001 common season by once more ending second to Arizona within the NL West in 2002. However the playoffs went considerably higher, with San Francisco defeating St. Louis within the Championship Sequence, solely to lose to the Anaheim Angels within the World Sequence.
6. Anaheim Angels (2002), 99-63, 96.1%
7. St. Louis Cardinals (2005), 100-62, 95.6%
8. New York Yankees (2003), 101-61, 95.3%
9. Chicago White Sox (2005), 99-63, 94.8%
10. Atlanta Braves (2003), 101-61, 92.9%
