The World Series as a modern concept began in 1903, when the season winner of the newly formed American League challenged the season winner of the National League to a series for overall supremacy. Not played the following year, it was revived in 1905 and the game has been played annually ever since, except the 1994 strike-shortened season.
There had been championship series prior to 1903, of course, and they were often referred to as “The Championship of the United States”, “World’s Championship Series”or “World’s Series” for short, pocket they were sporadic and disorganized, with the number of games played ranging from as few as three to as many as fifteen. Two of the 19th century series actually ended in ties!
Once the National Association became the National League and the old American Association folded, there was no need for a championship series, the team with the most wins during the regular season was simply crowned champion.
The American League formed in 1901 and the two leagues refused to play each other that year, opting in 1902 to play a football match between the two teams to determine a champion. Finally, with the obvious staring them in the face, they put aside their differences and began playing a baseball series the following year.
After the scandalous accusations that the 1919 Series had been thrown by the Chicago White Soxthe office of the commissioner was created, along with broad powers. Eight of the players, including Buck Weaver who everyone agreed took no part in the scandal, were banned for lifea ban that still resonates in the baseball world.
The original format of having each league represented by the team with the best record continued until 1969, when the post season was expanded to include four divisions. 1994 saw a restructuring into three divisions, leading to the creation of a third champion and a Wild Card slot.
World Series winners by year
1903 Boston Americans
1904 No World Series
1905 New York Giants
1906 Chicago White Sox
1907 Chicago Cubs
1908 Chicago Cubs
1909 Pittsburgh Pirates
1910 Philadelphia Athletics
1911 Philadelphia Athletics
1912 Boston Red Sox
1913 Philadelphia Athletics
1914 Boston Braves
1915 Boston Red Sox
1916 Boston Red Sox
1917 Chicago White Sox
1918 Boston Red Sox
1919 Cincinnati Reds
1920 Cleveland Indians
1921 New York Giants
1922 New York Giants
1923 New York Yankees
1924 Washington Senators
1925 Pittsburgh Pirates
1926 St. Louis Cardinals
1927 New York Yankees
1928 New York Yankees
1929 Philadelphia Athletics
1930 Philadelphia Athletics
1931 St. Louis Cardinals
1932 New York Yankees
1933 New York Giants
1934 St. Louis Cardinals
1935 Detroit Tigers
1936 New York Yankees
1937 New York Yankees
1938 New York Yankees
1939 New York Yankees
1940 Cincinnati Reds
1941 New York Yankees
1942 St. Louis Cardinals
1943 New York Yankees
1944 St. Louis Cardinals
[1945DetroitTigers
1946 St. Louis Cardinals
1947 New York Yankees
1948 Cleveland Indians
1949 New York Yankees
1950 New York Yankees
1951 New York Yankees
1952 New York Yankees
1953 New York Yankees
1954 New York Giants
1955 Brooklyn Dodgers
1956 New York Yankees
1957 Milwaukee Braves
1958 New York Yankees
1959 Los Angeles Dodgers
1960 Pittsburgh Pirates
1961 New York Yankees
1962 New York Yankees
1963 Los Angeles Dodgers
1964 St. Louis Cardinals
1965 Los Angeles Dodgers
1966 Baltimore Orioles
1967 St. Louis Cardinals
1968 Detroit Tigers
1969 New York Mets
1970 Baltimore Orioles
1971 Pittsburgh Pirates
1972 Oakland Athletics
1973 Oakland Athletics
1974 Oakland Athletics
1975 Cincinnati Reds
1976 Cincinnati Reds
1977 New York Yankees
1978 New York Yankees
1979 Pittsburgh Pirates
1980 Philadelphia Phillies
1981 Los Angeles Dodgers
1982 St. Louis Cardinals
1983 Baltimore Orioles
1984 Detroit Tigers
1985 Kansas City Royals
1986 New York Mets
1987 Minnesota Twins
1988 Los Angeles Dodgers
1989 Oakland Athletics
1990 Cincinnati Reds
1991 Minnesota Twins
1992 Toronto Blue Jays
1993 Toronto Blue Jays
1994 No World Series due to a players’ strike
1995 Atlanta Braves
1996 New York Yankees
1997 Florida Marlins
1998 New York Yankees
1999 New York Yankees
2000 New York Yankees
2001 Arizona Diamondbacks
2002 Anaheim Angels
2003 Florida Marlins
2004 Boston Red Sox
2005 Chicago White Sox
2006 St. Louis Cardinals
2007 Boston Red Sox
2008 Philadelphia Phillies
2009 New York Yankees
2010 San Francisco Giants
2011 St. Louis Cardinals
2012 San Francisco Giants
2013 Boston Red Sox
2014 San Francisco Giants
2015 Kansas City Royals
2016 Chicago Cubs
2017 Houston Astros
2018 Boston Red Sox
2019 Washington Nationals
2020 Los Angeles Dodgers
2021 Atlanta Braves