Led by those Yankees, the American League has won the World Series 61 times, while the National League has prevailed on 41 occasions. In all, 27 different franchises have finished the season on a happy note.

Here’s a list of the most World Series winners ever, with league and championship years:

27 — New York Yankees, AL: (1923, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1977, 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009)
10 — St. Louis Cardinals, NL (1926, 1931, 1934 ‘42, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006)
7 — Boston Red Sox, AL (1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004, 2007)
5 — New York Giants, NL (1905, 1921, 1922, 1933, 1954)
5 — Philadelphia Athletics, AL (1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, 1930)
5 — Pittsburgh Pirates, NL (1909, 1925, 1960, 1971, 1979)
5 — Los Angeles Dodgers, NL (1959, 1963, 1965, 1981, 1988)
5 — Cincinnati Reds, NL (1919, 1940, 1975, 1976, 1990)
4 — Detroit Tigers, AL (1935, 1945, 1968, 1984)
4 — Oakland Athletics, AL (1972, 1973, 1974, 1989)
3 — Baltimore Orioles, AL (1966, 1970, 1983)
3 — Chicago White Sox, AL (1906, 1917, 2005)
2 — Chicago Cubs, NL (1907, 1908)
2 — Cleveland Indians, AL (1920, 1948)
2 — Florida Marlins, NL (1997, 2003)
2 — Minnesota Twins, AL (1987, 1991)
2 — New York Mets, NL (1969, 1986)
2 — Philadelphia Phillies (1980, 2008)
2 — Toronto Blue Jays, AL (1992, 1993)
1 — Anaheim Angels, AL (2002)
1 — Arizona Diamondbacks, NL (2001)
1 — Atlanta Braves, NL (1995)
1 — Boston Braves, NL (1914)
1 — Brooklyn Dodgers, NL (1955)
1 — Milwaukee Braves, NL (1957)
1 — Kansas City Royals, AL (1985)
1 — Washington Senators, AL (1924)

Source: MLB.com

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Here’s the short list of players with the most consecutive 200-hit seasons, with the years they accomplished the feat and the number of hits each season:

9 – Ichiro Suzuki, 2001-09 (242-208-212-262-206-224-238-213-200-x)

8 – Willie Keeler, 1894-1901 (219-213-210-239-216-216-204-202)

7 – Wade Boggs, 1983-89 (210-203-240-207-200-214-205)

Source: Associated Press

To date, 26 players have earned membership in the 3,000 Hits Club. By passing Gehrig’s mark of 2,721 hits, the 35-year-old Jeter is on pace to crash the party some time during the 2011 season.

Here’s a list of the players who finished their careers with 3,000 hits or more:

Pete Rose: 4,256
Ty Cobb: 4,189
Hank Aaron: 3,771
Stan Musial: 3,630
Tris Speaker: 3,514
Carl Yastrzemski: 3,419
Honus Wagner: 3,415
Paul Molitor: 3,319
Eddie Collins: 3,315 9
Willie Mays: 3,283
Eddie Murray: 3,255
Nap Lajoie: 3,242
Cal Ripken, Jr.: 3,184
George Brett: 3,154
Paul Waner: 3,152
Robin Yount: 3,142
Tony Gwynn: 3,141
Dave Winfield: 3,110
Craig Biggio: 3,060
Rickey Henderson: 3,055
Rod Carew: 3,053
Lou Brock: 3,023
Rafael Palmeiro: 3,020
Wade Boggs: 3,010
Al Kaline: 3,007
Roberto Clemente: 3,000

Source: baseball-almanac.com

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Which rank among America’s worst baseball towns?

Here’s our list:

Washington — There’s a reason baseball was absent from the Nation’s Capital for more than 30 years. NO ONE CARES. Much was made of the Montreal Expos’ move to D.C in 2005, and fans showed some interest for a while, but the bloom clearly is off the rose.  The team is awful, and even a brand new stadium hasn’t spurred interest. Withering summer heat and humidity that make the area one of the most miserable places on the planet in the middle of the season don’t help.  The Nationals were 25th in attendance among the 30 Major League Baseball teams as August began, and the prospects for another last-place finish won’t help brighten those dog days on the Potomac.

Oakland – When the Raiders moved back to the Bay Area, a refit of the Coliseum turned the place from passably attractive (due mainly to the view of the nearby hills) to concrete tomb. Much as the city suffers comparison to cross-bay San Francisco, the A’s home digs pale when rated against the Giants’ cozy and atmospheric AT&T Park. The fan base has grown weary of seeing tightfisted management trade good players for prospects in an endless rebuilding cycle, and a mid-week night at the Coliseum can be a quiet, lonely experience for all concerned.

Arlington — You can’t say Rangers fans aren’t patient. Since the club arrived from Washington in 1972, it has made just three playoff appearances (1996, 1998 and 1999), winning just one game and losing the next nine. Since then, the Rangers have posted just one winning season. It’s hot out there, and it isn’t particularly cheap, either. Rangers fans are generally regarded among the least passionate and least knowledgeable in the game, though you can hardly blame them. Players often admit that they like playing in Texas because the customers aren’t as demanding as they are in places like New York or Boston — an indictment if we’ve ever heard one.

Pittsburgh – An old-line baseball stronghold fallen on hard times. The Pirates haven’t been relevant since the early 1990s, and the city has pretty much turned its back on the club. Even when the team seems to be building something, management cries the small market blues and ships talent off for less expensive prospects. The likes of Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell — or even Barry Bonds — still conjure up fond memories, but they’re seeming more distant by the day.

Miami — When the Marlins haven’t been in the process of tearing the team down and selling off the spare parts like so much scrap metal, they’ve managed to win the World Series — twice (1997 and 2003). So why don’t people come? It’s hot and humid, for one thing, and maybe fans don’t know what to look for, since the stadium changes names about as often as Tyra Banks changes wardrobes. (The current monniker: Land Shark Stadium.) Things might improve when the Marlins move into a new park (with a retractable roof) on the site of the old Orange Bowl in 2012. For now? Forget it, as most South Florida fans have already done. Through early August, the Marlins were one of only three MLB teams averaging fewer than 20,000 fans per home game (Pittsburgh and Oakland were the others.)

Which are the best of the best? It’s an open debate, but someone needed to stick his neck out.

Here’s our take on America’s best baseball towns:

Chicago — Cubs fans disdain the White Sox. White Sox fans don’t care much for their neighbors from the northside, either. While a 2005 World Series title brought joy to Sox fans, it was a dagger in the heart to Cubs loyalists, who have not tasted the champagne since 1908. (Don’t get us started…) Two leagues, two very different teams, two passionate fan bases. Summers in the Windy City can be long and hot, but they are rarely dull.

New York — Yankees ownership may have pressed the envelope with $2,000 box seats in the new Yankee Stadium, but for the most part, the faithful remain as supportive as they are restless. With 39 American League pennants and 26 World Championships under their belts, fans ask only one question: How long will it be before those numbers are 40 and 27? It has been a seeming eternity since the Bombers beat their crosstown rivals, the Mets, to win their last World Series in 2000. For the Mets, however, the drought is even longer, stretching back to 1986. Both teams opened new parks this year, only adding to the local buzz. Can the pair pull off another Subway World Series to commemorate the occasion?

Boston — New England fans wear the hair shirt like few others, but they’ve had quite a bit less to pout about this decade. When the apocalypse didn’t follow in the wake of their long-awaited 2004 World Series championship, the Red Sox celebrated by doing it again three years later. Red Sox nation fills Fenway Park to overflowing and boosts attendance figures in stadiums all across America. The passion is real, and it is passed on through generations. It’s not just a game, it’s a religion…or something awfully close.

St. Louis – Old-timers can regale you with tales of listening to Cardinals games all through the Midwest, and a National League-best 10 World Championships (the most recent in 2006) have only served to fuel the fire. Cardinals fans are considered among the most knowledgeable in baseball, and Busch Stadium (new or old) is a red-clad sight to behold.

Philadelphia – The City of Brotherly Love has a complicated relationship with its sports teams, but all is good in the baseball world these days as the Phillies try to defend their 2008 World Series title. A move from the cavernous Veterans Stadium to the more cozy Citizens Bank Ballpark has helped improve the game atmosphere, although Philadelphia fans will still turn on you at the drop of a hat (or, worse yet, a fly ball). Through early August, the Phillies’ average attendance of 44,135 was about 500 more than CNB’s listed capacity of 43,647. Hard to argue with that.

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The last-minute frenzy of activity can create big winners and even bigger losers. Some deals that seem fair enough at the time become skewed when the “sure thing” fails and the “no-name” prospect blossoms into an All-Star.

When it comes to bad trades, everyone has a personal favorite. Here, in no particular order, is our list of the worst trade deadline deals ever:

Red Sox trade Jeff Bagwell to Houston for reliever Larry Andersen (Aug. 31, 1990): Andersen was a respectable big league pitcher, but at the time of this deal he was 37 and went on to blow three of four saves for his new club. Bagwell went on to play 15 seasons and hit 449 home runs for the Astros before shoulder injuries ended his career.

A’s ship Mark McGwire to Cardinals for pitchers T.J. Mathews, Eric Ludwick and Blake Stein (July 31, 1997): The low-budget A’s didn’t think they could sign McGwire after the season, so their bargaining position was limited. Still, they got almost nothing out of this trade. Before his inglorious appearance before Congress, McGwire broke Roger Maris’ single season home run record and was an enormously popular player in St. Louis.

Tigers deal John Smoltz to Braves for Doyle Alexander (Aug. 12, 1987): Alexander helped Detroit win the AL East that year, but pitched only two more seasons before retiring. Smoltz went on to become part of Atlanta’s fabled Maddux-Smoltz-Glavine starting staff and has enjoyed a likely Hall of Fame career spanning more than 20 years.

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No one has done it more than once.

Here’s the list:

American League

Mark Buehrle (07-23-2009):  Chicago 5, Tampa Bay 0
David Cone (07-18-1999): New York Yankees 6, Montreal 0
David Wells (05-17-1998): New York 4, Minnesota 0
Kenny Rogers (7-28-1994): Texas 4, California 0
Mike Witt (09-30-1984): California 1, Texas 0
Len Barker (05-15-1981): Cleveland 3, Toronto 0
Catfish Hunter (5-08-1968): Oakland 4, Minnesota 0
Don Larsen (10-08-1956): New York 2, Brooklyn 0*
Charlie Robertson (04-30-1922): Chicago 2, Detroit 0
Addie Joss (10-02-1908): Cleveland 1, Chicago 0
Cy Young (05-05-1904): Boston 3, Philadelphia 0

* World Series

National League

Randy Johnson (05-18-2004): Arizona 2, Atlanta 0
Dennis Martinez (07-28-1991): Montreal 2, Los Angeles 0
Tom Browning (09-16-1988): Cincinnati 1, Los Angeles 0
Sandy Koufax (9-09-1965): Los Angeles 1, Chicago 0
Jim Bunning (06-21-1964): Philadelphia 6, New York 0
Monte Ward (06-17-1880): Providence 5, Buffalo 0
Lee Richmond (06-12-1880): Worcester 1, Cleveland 0

Source: mlb.com

Sometimes, the winning candidate is obvious. Often, the recipient identifies himself late in the game with a stage-seizing moment. One year (2002), no one was named MVP, because no one won the game. (That was the year of the embarrassing tie in Milwaukee.)

Who has walked away with a cool statue and the admiration of his peers?

Here’s the list:

2009 — Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay

2008 — J.D. Drew, Boston

2007 — Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle

2006 — Michael Young, Texas

2005 — Miguel Tejada, Baltimore

2004 — Alfonso Soriano, Texas

2003 — Garret Anderson, Anaheim

2002 — (Award not given)

2001 – Cal Ripken, Jr., Baltimore

2000 — Derek Jeter, New York Yankees

1999 — Pedro Martinez, Boston

1998 — Roberto Alomar, Baltimore

1997 — Sandy Alomar, Jr., Cleveland

1996 — Mike Piazza, Los Angeles Dodgers

1995 – Jeff Conine, Florida

1994 — Fred McGriff, Atlanta

1993 — Kirby Puckett, Minnesota

1992 — Ken Griffey, Jr., Seattle

1991 — Cal Ripken, Jr., Baltimore

1990 — Julio Franco, Texas

1989 — Bo Jackson, Kansas City

1988 — Terry Steinbach, Oakland

1987 – Tim Raynes, Montreal

1986 — Roger Clemens, Boston

1985 — LaMarr Hoyt, San Diego

1984 — Gary Carter, Montreal

1983 — Fred Lynn, California

1982 — Dave Concepcion, Cincinnati

1981 — Gary Carter, Montreal

1980 — Ken Griffey, Sr., Cincinnati

1979 — Dave Parker, Pittsburgh

1978 — Steve Garvey, Los Angeles Dodgers

1977 — Don Sutton, Los Angeles Dodgers

1976 — George Foster, Cincinnati

1975 — Bill Madlock, Chicago Cubs; and Jon Matlack, New York Mets

1974 — Steve Garvey, Los Angeles Dodgers

1973 — Bobby Bonds, San Francisco

1972 — Joe Morgan, Cincinnati

1971 — Frank Robinson, Baltimore

1970 — Carl Yastrzemski, Boston

1969 — Willie McCovey, San Francisco

1968 — Willie Mays, San Francisco

1967 — Tony Perez, Cincinnati

1966 — Brooks Robinson, Baltimore

1965 — Juan Marichal, San Francisco

1964 — Johnny Callison, Philadelphia

1963 — Willie Mays, San Francisco

1962 — * Maury Wills, Los Angeles Dodgers

1962 — * Leon Wagner, Los Angeles Angels

* Two games were played in 1962

Source: MLB.com

Historically, the National League holds a 40-37-2 margin in the series, but that edge has been eroded significantly by the AL’s 12-0-1 record over the last 13 years. (The teams played to that much-ridiculed 7-7 tie in Milwaukee in 2002 when each ran out of pitching and Commissioner Bud Selig called it a draw after 11 innings.)

How have the Americans done it?

Here’s a list of the last 13 All-Star Game outcomes, with a brief note about each:

2009 — AL 4-3, MVP Carl Crawford’s home run-saving catch helped the American escape with a hard-fought win in St. Louis.

2008 — AL 4-3, Yankee Stadium, New York: Michael Young’s sacrifice fly in the 15th wins it.

2007 — AL 5-4, AT&T Park, San Francisco: Ichiro Suzuki hits the first inside-the-park home run in All-Star history.

2006 — AL 3-2, PNC Park, Pittsburgh: Michael Young hits a two-out, two-run triple in the bottom of the ninth.

2005 — AL 7-5, Comerica Park, Detroit: Miguel Tejeda homers has two RBI, and is named MVP.

2004 — AL 9-4, Minute Maid Park, Houston: Alfonso Soriano hits a three-run home, and Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz also homer.

2003 — AL 7-6, U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago: Hank Blalock hits a two-run homer off Eric Gagne in the eighth inning. For the first time, the win clinches home field advantage in the World Series.

2002 — 7-7 tie, Miller Park, Milwaukee: Only the second tie in All-Star Game history. The first came in the second game (who were held back then) in 1961, when the game was called after a 30-minute rain delay.

2001: AL 4-1, SAFECO Field, Seattle: Cal Ripken, Jr., homers and is named MVP in his final All-Star Game.

2000: AL 6-3, Turner Field, Atlanta: Derek Jeter goes 3-for-3 and becomes the first Yankee ever to be named All-Star MVP.

1999: AL 4-1, Fenway Park, Boston: Pedro Martinez of the Red Sox sets an All-Star Game record by striking out the first three hitters and fans five in two innings, earning the MVP Award.

1998: AL 13-8, Coors Field, Denver: The 21 runs scored breaks the previous All-Star Game record of 20, set in 1954.

1997: AL 3-1, Jacobs Field, Cleveland: The Indians’ Sandy Alomar hits a two-run homer in the seventh inning and is named MVP.

Source: MLB.com

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