The last sustained stretch of non-pennants, which was from the early 80s to the mid 90s, they slipped behind the Mets in popularity for a while. If you want to say 2001- 2008 was no WS win, they still were popular because of their star line up, two world series, and a hyped up rivalry. Winning is part of the formula for their following, and when they do not win, then they substitute a "galactico" line up.