Heading into tonight’s only Game 5 of the MLB Playoffs 1^st round, a rare and unique occurrence has created some added excitement.

The perennial playoff stalwarts we have come to expect in mid/late October are not in the League’s final five contenders this season.  The Giants eliminated a few nights ago after an unspeakable 9^th inning collapse.  The Red Sox shocking sweep at the hands of the Tribe, and consequently, the end of Big Papi’s career in rather anti-climatic fashion.

The Mets and Orioles were eliminated in the wild card games.  Other playoff regulars like the Tigers, Yankees, Angels, Athletics, and Braves all failed to qualify for the postseason in 2016.

So we are left with some of Major Leagues Baseball’s ‘loveable losers’ in the final five teams, and now guaranteed that a few fanbases will see a World Series appearance by their team for the first time in a long time.

Interestingly, of the 5 teams remaining, the Indians were the last to appear in the World Series back in 1997, and the Blue Jays were the last to win the Championship way back in 1992 and 1993.

The Chicago Cubs

Being hailed as the favorite to win the World Series….but I’ve seen enough over the years to believe the curse is real. The Cubs have not won the Championship since 1908- but that’s just the beginning.

What is less known is that the Cubs’ last N.L. Championship and World Series Appearance came in 1945- a season that was one of 3-4 seasons thoroughly compromised by World War 2.  During these years, fans were distracted by the war, and more importantly, about 70-80% of the League’s players were off participating in the war effort.  The quality of play was significantly diminished during this war-torn era.  In short, the seasons 1943, 1944, and 1945 should all have a major asterisk attached to them.

The Cubs last ‘true’ World Series appearance was in 1938, when they were swept by the New York Yankees 4 games to none.

The Washington Nationals

The ‘Nats’ franchise has never been to the World Series.  As a matter of fact, this franchise has only won 1 playoff series in its existence- (which began in 1969). That one playoff victory came back in 1981 when they were still the Montreal Expos.

There were two franchises that pre-dated the Nationals in Washington- (Now the Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers). The last time a Washington team appeared in the World Series was in the 1933 season.  The last Championship for a MLB team in Washington was in 1924. Back then, the Washington baseball team was known by a duel nickname- the Nationals/ Senators.

Los Angeles Dodgers

You wouldn’t think of the Dodgers as a franchise with a major championship drought because of their consistently massive payrolls, star players, and sustained success. The Dodgers have been really good in recent years, and have qualified for the playoffs 8 times since 2004.

However, they last won the World Series in 1988, and have not won the National League Title since then.

They also won the World Series in the whacky 1981 season, which consisted of 2 mini-seasons due to a mid-season strike. That was the year of “Fernando-Mania” in Los Angeles. 

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays have been a very solid franchise since debuting in 1977. They were great during the 1980s, but playing in the League’s best division, the American League East, has limited the success the Jays may have otherwise had.  They’ve appeared twice in the World Series, winning both in back-to-back fashion in 1992 & 1993.

Interestingly, because the 1994 Playoffs were cancelled due to the infamous strike, the Blue Jays were actually still defending their Championships through the 1995 season.

Cleveland Indians

The Indians were the most recent of the final five teams to reach the World Series.  They lost baseball’s Championship Series in both 1995 and 1997. The Game 7 loss to the ‘expansion-phase’ Florida Marlins in 1997 seems to be a lasting memory in the minds of baseball fans.

As a sport city, Cleveland finally broke through with the Cavaliers’ Championship back in the spring, and perhaps championships will happen in bunches now.  However, the Indians have not been World Champions since the 1948 season.

Regardless of the World Series matchup, and the winner, we are assured that a few fanbases will be rewarded after a long wait.  Baseball’s playoffs have been great so far and it’s refreshing to see some new franchises in the mix for the Fall Classic’s greatest prize.