Ty Cobb played in three World Series by the time he was 22, lost them all, and never made it back.
Ted Williams played in one World Series, hit .200 in a seven-game defeat, and never made it back.
Ernie Banks never made one at all. Neither did Billy Williams or Ryne Sandberg or Andre Dawson.
Ken Griffey Jr. will be enshrined in Cooperstown this summer but he never played in a World Series. Torii Hunter just retired without playing in one. Ichiro Suzuki and Rod Carew. Frank Thomas was on the 2005 White Sox, but was injured and didn't actually play in the World Series, his only opportunity.