Josh Hamilton (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog focusing on stats that go beyond the numbers.

The Texas Rangers have a five-game lead in the American League West with a 69-50 record. Unless we see a monumental collapse in these last six weeks of the season, the Rangers should be making their third straight postseason appearance in 2012.

It has been well-documented that Texas last season became the 10th team in major league history to lose back-to-back World Series. As the Rangers try to get back to the Fall Classic to win that elusive title, it’s interesting to note how the other nine teams did that third season after consecutive World Series defeats. Of the nine, three made it to the World Series in the third year after two consecutive losses. In addition, of the previous nine prior to the Rangers, seven had a winning record in the season after their two World Series losses.

Following is a summary of how well the teams that lost two consecutive World Series did in that third year after their previous two title losses.

Detroit Tigers, 1907, 1908, (1909): The Tigers got back to the World Series for a third straight season in 1909 after consecutive losses in ’07 and ’08. They had a 98-54-6 record (.645 winning percentage) in 1909. They became the first team to lose three consecutive World Series when they lost four games to three to Pittsburgh. The Tigers streak of consecutive World Series appearances ended in 1910 when they finished third in the American League race.

New York Giants, 1911, 1912, (1913): The Giants became the second team to lose three straight World Series when they lost in 1911, 1912 and 1913. They were 101-51-4 (.664 winning percentage) in ’13 and lost four games to one to the Philadelphia A’s in the Series. A second-place finish in the National League in 1914 ended their World Series streak at three straight appearances.

New York Yankees, 1921, 1922: The Yankees in 1923 became the only team in MLB history to win a World Series after losing two straight the previous two years. The Yanks were 98-54 (.645 winning percentage) in 1923. They defeated the New York Giants in the ’23 World Series four games to two.

New York Giants, 1923, 1924: The Giants went 86-66 (.566 winning percentage) in 1925 finishing second in the N.L. race. They did not make it back to the World Series until 1933 when they won the championship.

New York Giants, 1936, 1937: The third time this franchise lost two consecutive World Series. In 1938 they finished in third place in the N.L. with a 83-67-2 record (.553 winning percentage). It would not be until 1951 that the Giants made it back to the World Series, a series they lost to the Yankees.

Brooklyn Dodgers, 1952, 1953: After World Series defeats in ’52 and ’53, the Dodgers in 1954 finished in second place in the N.L. with a 96-62 record (.597 winning percentage). The Dodgers got back to the Series in 1955 and won their first-ever title by beating the Yankees four games to three.

New York Yankees, 1963, 1964: The Yankees won only 77 of 162 games in 1965 (.475 winning percentage) and finished in sixth place in the A.L. after a pair of World Series appearances. The Yankees went on to have losing seasons in four of their next five seasons and did not return to the Fall Classic until 1976 when they were swept by the Cincinnati Reds.

Los Angeles Dodgers, 1977, 1978: After losing consecutive World Series to the Yankees in 1977 and 1978, the Dodgers went 79-83 the next season, taking third place in the N.L. West. The franchise made it back to the World Series in 1981 defeating the Yankees four games to two.

Atlanta Braves, 1991, 1992: After losing in the World Series in ’91 and ’92, the Braves in 1993 went 104-58 (.642 winning percentage, which ironically was a better record than their two previous World Series season records). They lost to the Phillies in the 1993 N.L. Championship Series. The Braves made it back to the World Series in 1995, winning the title that year. From 1991-1996, the Braves played in four World Series.

Texas Rangers, 2010, 2011: What will happen to the Rangers this year?

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