Bustillos: Why is it so hard for teams to repeat as World Series champions?

From Esteban Bustillos at WGBH.org on April 9, 2019, with SABR member Jay Jaffe:

Being a champion is hard. That’s a basic tenet of sports, and that’s why there’s only one trophy handed out at the end of the season. Sure, the sports landscape is filled with dynasties like the UConn women’s basketball team, the Golden State Warriors and the New England Patriots.

But the reality is that winning it all and then having the guts and skill to go back out and do it again is next to impossible. Especially in Major League Baseball.

The last team to win back-to-back titles was the Yankees, back when the Bronx Bombers capped off a three-peat in 2000. There are several reasons baseball teams haven’t been able to get to the top of the mountain twice in a row since then.

Read the full article here: https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2019/04/09/why-is-it-so-hard-for-teams-to-repeat-as-world-series-champions



Originally published: April 11, 2019. Last Updated: April 11, 2019.