“I could not have done it without the players.”

— Casey Stengel, New York Yankees manager, after winning the 1958 World Series.

As I write this, the World Series could be over, or it might be going the full seven games. We do know that Tampa Bay is facing Milwaukee. The Brewers have appeared in only one World Series, in 1982, when the team featured Hall of Famer Robin Yount. Appearing in two World Series — 2008 and 2020 — the Tampa Bay Rays lost to the Phillies and then the Dodgers to remain winless on the big stage.

If anyone knows World Series play, it would be former Yankees manager Casey Stengel. “Old Case,” as he was often called, was part of nine World Series championship teams: seven as a manager and two as a player. Before you write him off as a comic and a destroyer of the English language, consider this: Stengel was a very good major league outfielder. He played in the big leagues for more than 14 seasons, posting a lifetime batting average of .284.

His World Series appearances as a player were with the Phillies, Dodgers and Giants. His batting average in 12 World Series games was .393. His winning percentage as a big-league manager was .508. During his seven World Series wins as the skipper of the New York Yankees, he accomplished the unthinkable: From 1949 through 1953, his teams captured five consecutive World Series titles. This had not been accomplished before and has not been matched since. Opponents hated to see names like Mantle, Maris, Berra, Ford, Skowron, Kubek, Richardson, Boyer, Bauer and Howard on the lineup card.

How hard is it to win a World Series? Former Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker said it is hard just to win a major league game, and much harder to win a World Series. The Yankees hold the record for the most championships with 27, followed by the St. Louis Cardinals with 11 and the Boston Red Sox with nine.

Remember the Oakland A’s in the 1970s when they were a dominant winning machine? Those teams won three straight titles from 1972 through 1974, led first by manager Dick Williams, and then by Alvin Dark in 1974. Manager Tony La Russa put together another championship team in 1989. Hall of Famers like Rickey Henderson, Dennis Eckersley and Rollie Fingers were among the standouts on those Oakland clubs.

Believe it or not, the Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers (formerly the Brooklyn Dodgers) have each lost 14 World Series. The Bronx Bombers have appeared in 41 Fall Classics, and the Dodgers have played in 23. The Dodgers have won nine titles, eight of them while based in Los Angeles. History tells us Brooklyn struggled to win its first crown. The “Bums” tried nine times before defeating the highly touted 1955 Yankees to claim the prize for Ebbets Field.

Think about the star-studded roster the 1955 Dodgers put on the diamond. Catcher Roy Campanella was a reliable backstop and a popular national figure. First baseman Gil Hodges provided power and defense. Second baseman Jim Gilliam was as steady as the sun. Paired with Hall of Fame shortstop Pee Wee Reese, they formed a formidable double-play combination. Move Jackie Robinson to third base, and you had an elite defensive infield that could also hit. In the outfield, Brooklyn had its answer to Mickey Mantle in Duke Snider, alongside solid outfielders Carl Furillo and Sandy Amoros.

Brooklyn’s pitching staff was impressive, too. Don Newcombe had a 20-win season in 1955. Hurler Johnny Podres was named the 1955 World Series MVP. Billy Loes, Carl Erskine, Clem Labine, Roger Craig and Sandy Koufax also took the mound for Brooklyn. Even Tommy Lasorda was on the roster with that pitching staff.

Sometimes these games finish quite differently from expectations, disappointing oddsmakers and experts alike. Take the 1914 World Series: Augusta native and Academy of Richmond County graduate George Stallings led the Boston Braves to a four-game sweep over Connie Mack’s heavily favored Philadelphia Athletics.

In 1960, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Yankees on a walk-off home run. In 1969, the “Miracle Mets” shocked the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles. In 1997, the Florida Marlins beat the Cleveland Indians, repeating their postseason magic in 2003 when they downed the Yankees. In 2019, the Washington Nationals upset the Houston Astros in seven games, with Stephen Strasburg named MVP.

It may be time for the Brewers to bring a championship home to Milwaukee for the first time. But you cannot count out a hungry Tampa Bay squad looking for its first title. We will know soon.

Lamar Garrard is a native of Augusta, Georgia, and a graduate of Richmond Academy and Georgia Southern University. He developed a passion for baseball history and after meeting and interviewing many former major league players began his writing. He has a permanent exhibit on baseball at the Augusta Museum of History. Email him at rlgarrard@nu-z.net.