There are five teams at the top of each league and two at the bottom, here's where they were fifty years ago:
TORONTO BLUE JAYS (Toronto Maple Leafs-International League) Currently, the Toronto Blue Jays sit atop the AL East with a pretty 66-51 record, but fifty years ago, they ended their final International League season in Toronto with an 82-65 record and the Governors' Cup. Back then, they were the Triple A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Famous graduates of that team are Reggie Smith and Billy Rohr, as well as their manager, Hall of Famer, Dick Williams. Billy Rohr, not a great player, only 3-3 in his career, but in his Major League debut, he pitched a one-hitter. With two strikes on the last batter for the New York Yankees, Rohr had a no-hitter, until a base hit to right changed that. The Toronto Maple Leafs in '68 moved to Louisville, Kentucky to become the Louisville Colonels, but five years later they moved to Pawtucket, Rhode Island and they've been there ever since as the Pawtucket Red Sox, otherwise known as the Paw Sox. WASHINGTON NATIONALS and TEXAS RANGERS (Washington Senators-Major Leagues) The Nationals lead the NL East and the Rangers lead AL West. There was no team near Arlington in '66, but the Senators would move there in '72. Since they were based in DC and the predecessor to the Rangers this particular faction of the article will be dedicated to both teams. 71-88, they finished 8th in the American League. CLEVELAND INDIANS At a .500 record (81-81) the 5th place Cleveland Indians were not the team they now are. Leading the AL Central by five games over the Detroit Tigers, they will have an interesting postseason run. CHICAGO CUBS Only 58 years into the curse the Cubbies would have an unsavory '66 season. Fifty years ago they stood "strong" at 59-103, tenth in the National League. The ivy in the outfield is seeing better days this year. Maybe in 2016, 108 years since their last World Series win, they'll win, they do stand at the top of the NL Central. Will the show Parks And Recreation be right when in the show's last season, they talk about the Cubs winning the Series? Despite having Hall of Famers Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, Ron Santo, and Ernie Banks they still managed to be even lower than subpar. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS Now one game ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers, fifty years ago they finished 1.5 games behind them (back then rain-outs would be played at the end of the season, but if they made no impact on the final standings the game would not be played). With the stars of Willie McCovey, Willie Mays, and Juan Marichal it's no wonder that the team of San Francisco Bay won a dominant 93 games. BALTIMORE ORIOLES Currently only a half game out of first in the AL East, the Baltimore Orioles had an even more dominant 1966 season. Finishing 97-63 (they had two rain-outs, but were nine games above the second-place Minnesota Twins, so the two make-up games were not needed), Baltimore boasted an impressive crew including Luis Aparicio, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, and Jim Palmer. I wonder who they'd start at third, between Brooks Robinson and Manny Machado, I think it would be a tough choice that we luckily do not have to make. Later that year, with Frank Robinson as the series' MVP, the Baltimore Orioles would claim the title of "World Champions." LOS ANGELES DODGERS They're the first Wild Card spot, half a game out of first place in the NL West, and the National League champion of fifty years ago. That's right, beating out their rivals from San Francisco Bay, the Los Angeles Dodgers faced off for the World Series with the Baltimore Orioles, losing four straight. Despite, in Game 2, Sandy Koufax giving up four runs in six innings, and eventually the team losing 6-0, the Dodgers picked up, only letting up to the O's 1-0 in the next two games. Claude Osteen pitched a wonderful Game 3, only faltering to Paul Blair in the fifth for a home run. Don Drysdale lost Game 4 only on a third inning Frank Robinson home run. LA is hoping to make it back to the series this October, but they're also hoping for a different result. BOSTON RED SOX Currently one and a half games ahead of the Detroit Tigers for the second Wild Card spot, the Boston Red Sox have higher hopes than they did fifty years ago. Fifty years ago they boasted an "impressive" 72-90 record in 9th place in the American League. Despite having Jim Lonborg in their starting rotation and having a masterful lineup including Tony Conigliaro and a Hall of Fame left fielder, Carl Yastrzemski, the BoSox were a disappointment to their fans, the Fenway Faithful as they're often called. Only 48 years into the 86 year curse that would end in 2004, Fenway Park, only 54 years old at the time (currently 104 years old, the oldest Major League ballpark), had seen better days... Those days are being seen this year. In contrast to Lonborg, Conigliaro, and Yastrzemski, Beantown now is happy to show off David Ortiz, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Mookie Betts, Hanley Ramirez, Andrew Benintendi, Brad Ziegler, David Price, and Craig Kimbrel. Boston's chances at the playoffs this year, in 2016, are optimistic. MIAMI MARLINS (Miami Marlins-Florida State League) Operating at 61-56, the name of Miami Marlins baseball is known nationwide, but fifty years ago it was barely known outside the state of Florida. Affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles, the Miami Marlins finished fourth in the entire Florida State League with a 75-63 record. While they have Dee Gordon, Adeiny Hechavarria, Marcell Ozuna, Christian Yelich, Ichiro Suzuki, and Jose Fernandez on the 2016 team, only five of the '66 Miami Marlins ever made to the Major Leagues. TAMPA BAY RAYS (Tampa Tarpons-Florida State League) Second to last in the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays are terrible, however fifty years ago, the Tampa Tarpons of the Florida State League finished dead last. The Cincinnati Reds Single A affiliate had a 47-94 record. Their current record is not much to brag over, though: a "strong" 47-69. Jake Odorizzi, Kevin Kiermaier, Evan Longoria, and Chris Archer are the most impressive names on the Rays roster, but there were no future Major Leaguers on the 1966 Tampa Tarpons. They haven't been impressive this year, nor were they fifty years ago. CINCINNATI REDS 48-68 in 2016, the Cincinnati Reds have not been much to look at, but back in '66 they were only 7th in the National League, not 14th, with a 76-84 record. They still had in their bullpen Joe Nuxhall and Milt Pappas, Pappas who the team got for Frank Robinson. They also had these two young, kind of okay players, one at first base, one at second, their names were Tony Perez and Pete Rose. Of course now, the Cincy Red Legs are rebuilding their team, yet not around Pete Rose and Tony Perez, but Adam Duvall and Billy Hamilton. MINNESOTA TWINS At 89-73, the Minnesota Twins trailed the first place Baltimore Orioles by nine games in 1966. If the '66 team's star, Harmon Killebrew, was still alive, he'd probably be horrified by the current team! Last in the American League, the Twins somehow are chasing the 14th place Tampa Bay Rays and still behind them by over one game! The 2016 team is nothing to look at, but their farm system is hoping to amend that in coming years. ATLANTA BRAVES Last place in all of baseball, the Atlanta Braves stink. They made a rather confusing trade at the deadline with the San Diego Padres to trade their outfielder, Hector Olivera, for Padres' outfielder, Matt Kemp. Both players are the same age and they hit roughly the same, however I guess the plan is for the Braves to rebuild their team around Kemp. That's their only glimmer of hope for the future, but back to the past, in 1966 they were fifth place in the National League with an 85-77 record. They had stars like Phil Niekro, Sandy Alomar, Felipe Aloud, Joe Torre, Eddie Mathews, and the Not-On-Steroids Home Run King, Henry "Hank" Aaron. Despite what their placing may say about them, not a bad team, eh? Atlanta's experienced quite a change over the last fifty years. As you can plainly see, the league was a very different place fifty years ago, but this season will be one for the books. Jesse Cook Crazy Cook "August 13, Division Leaders, Where Were They Fifty Years Ago?" August 14, 2016
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AuthorJesse Cook: High school junior. Does play-by-play for the Sharon Varsity Eagles softball, soccer, volleyball, basketball, and football teams. Fanatic of the Boston and Cincinnati teams in the Big Four sports. Designs graphics of athletes, politicians, and musicians at Picsart.com. Archives
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