Team: Los Angeles Stars
Division: West
League: America
Date Added Into League: 1962
World Series Titles: 6
World Series Appearances: 6
Division Titles: 15.
Brief History:
Founded in 1962, the Los Angeles Stars are one of baseball's newest, most successful franchises. They have won a World Series in every decade of their existence, not losing once, and have dominated their division, due to the lack of competition out West.
The Stars were began in 1962, led by famed country singer Gene Autry. They began play in the beautiful Star Stadium, where they still play today. Notorious as a pitcher's park, Star got it's first big showing when Sandy Koufax pitched the Star's to their first World Series win in 1965, a sweep against the Iowa Pioneers. Koufax would claim his 1st-and only-World Series title, retiring two years later(Koufax had come over from the Brooklyn Blues, where he had pitched a perfect game, and won the first of his 3 Cy Young Awards-He would also be named MVP of the Series).
The Stars would fall back to normalcy until 1974, when they would return to the World Series, facing the St. Louis Steamers. In a brutal 7-game struggle, the Star's and Steamers fought to the last inning, when eventual MVP Steve Garvey laced a double that brought in the winning run. The Star's also got a new manager in 1976-Former pitcher Tommy Lasorda.
The Star's would claim another title against the National League Champion Texas Pistols, in 1988. The most dramatic moment of the Series came in the 1st game, when injured star outfielder Kirk Gibson came to bat against Pistols star pitcher Nolan Ryan(Who was pitching a complete game). On a full-count, Gibson rocketed the ball out of the park, to claim a walkoff, 2-run homer. AL Cy Young winner Orel Hershiser wiped the floor with the Pistol's hitters, claiming 2 complete game wins and striking out 17 for MVP. The '88 Stars are considered as the best star team of all time, winning the World Series, and having the MVP-Gibson-and Cy Young on one team.
The Star's continued their cycle of mediocrity in between great seasons, winning division crowns, but being eliminated in the 1st round of every playoff until 1996, when they faced off against the Colorado Majesty. In 6 games, the Star's claimed the title, with catcher Mike Piazza winning his 1st title, as well as MVP honors for his 3 home runs, all of which came with someone on-base. Sadly, this would be Lasorda's last title as Manager-He had suffered a heart attack, and would retire.
Two years later, the Star's would lose their biggest supporter-Their owner, Gene Autry, died of lymphoma. With cries of "Win it for Gene!" ringing around, the Star's won 101 games, and blew out the Omaha Cavalry, before losing a heartbreaking ALCS, 4-3, to the Manhattan Imperial Cadets.
In 2003, the Stars were the best team in the American League. They easily won their division, and swept the Blues and Cadets in the postseason, to meet the Chicago Hawks in the World Series. The defending Champions, the Hawks were not going down without a fight, as they claimed the 1st game of the Series in Star Stadium. The Angels won the next 2, evening the home score and winning at AON Park, the first visiting team to do so in the playoffs. The Hawks struck back, winning 2 again. With 2 games to go, the Star's fought back once more, claiming victories away and at home to win the Series, where Troy Glaus won the MVP, in what announcers called "One of the greatest World Series ever.