104 Games Behind

[phenom]

Doing a historical replay and the St. Louis Browns just completed their second straight 15-win season, finishing 104 GB the 119-win New York Yankees.

Ever had a team that terrible, or finish that far behind?

Here's the Browns' from 1930-1936:

1930: 44-110 .286 51 GB
1931: 51-103 .331 46 GB
1932: 53-101 .344 43 GB
1933: 33-121 .214 64 GB
1934: 17-137 .110 94 GB
1935: 15-139 .097 86 GB
1936: 15-139 .097 104 GB

[Oriole66]

It'll take a world war to right that ship...

[Raidergoo]

Originally Posted by Oriole66

It'll take a world war to right that ship...

Here's a tip, don't relocate the Browns to Hiroshima.

[Le Grande Orange]

Wow, even the Cleveland Spiders managed to win 20 games...

[Afino]

Originally Posted by Raidergoo

Here's a tip, don't relocate the Browns to Hiroshima.

Maybe that's what they're TRYING to do!

[Assos]

Very sweet, no more Mets!

[BMW]

That is some awesome futility. Nothing matches 30 wins over two consecutive 154 game seasons, but here are some teams that ranked in with sub-.200 winning percentages.

Many of them are from the early days of baseball in the National Association and American Association when the quality control for letting teams enter the league was non-existent. Teams would drop out after only a few games, or be kicked out for just stealing gate revenue with their putrid rosters. Some, when faced with a road trip at the end of a losing season, would opt just not to show up to save money on train fare.

1871 Rockford Forest Citys (4-17 .190)
Pretty much played a full season sitting out only about 4 games. Their games were at the "Agricultural Society Fair Grounds." Hall of Famer Cap Anson was on this team.

1872 Washington Nationals (0-11 .000)
Stopped competing after their 0-11 start. Manager Joe Miller was only 21 years old and also appeared in one game as a 1B. 1800s slugger Paul Hines got his start on this team (career 399 doubles, 93 triples 57 homers). Backup OF Seem Studley wasn't studly, batting .095 for his career with a .571 fielding percentage.

1872 Brooklyn Eckfords (3-26 .103)
Played most of the season, sitting out just 3 games. Famous NA pitcher and hometown boy George "Charmer" Zettlein pitched a few games for the Ecks, going just 1-8. Four different pitchers got considerable starting time for the Ecks, which is not a good sign in 1872. Their team .797 fielding percentage was worst in the league if you don't count the Nats and Olympics, who both competed for under a dozen games.

1873 Baltimore Marylands (0-6 .000)
Least committed team of all time. They were outscored 152-26. Only 3 of their 19 players committed less than error a game. Their hitting and pitching was so bad that there wasn't a single walk taken or issued in any of their games.

1873 Elizabeth Resolutes (2-21 .087)
Played only half the season. IF/P Frank Fleet was also a part of the Ecks the year prior. Fleet would actually lead the NA in strikeouts in 1875 with 26 over 42 innings. Which is impressive considering that he was competing with players who threw 200-600 innings. Their starting 1B, Mike Campbell, hit .145 and committed 18 errors in 18 games.

1874 Baltimore Canaries (9-38 .191)
Finished the season early. Played in the same park as the Marylands. Their starting pitcher was the great "Count" Asa Brainard, who was the starter for the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first all-pro team that went 57-0. The former-cricketer spun a 5-22 record for the Canaries though.

1875 Philadelphia Centennials (2-12 .143)
Dropped out of the ailing NA early, one of many teams to do so, and force a more professional National League to be established in 1876. Catcher Tim McGinley committed an astonishing 70 errors in 44 games, 68 of them at catcher. 29 of those catching errors came with Philly.

1875 Keokuk Westerns (1-12 .077)
Former 1872 Nats manager Joe Miller played for the Westerns. 1800s slugger OF Charlie Jones got his start on this team. Charley held the single season HR record with 9, from 1879-1882. He was the career leader in 1880, 1881, 1883 and 1884 (with 40 in 1884) before Stovey, Dan Brouthers and Roger Conner overtook him for good.

1875 Washington Nationals (5-23 .179)
This club saw a number of repeat offenders. OF Arthur Algernon Allison played for '73 Elizabeth. P William E. Stearns, D.C. native and perhaps one of the worst pitchers ever (12-64 career record and he averaged giving up 11.9 runs a game) pitched for the '72 Nats. IF Frank Selman played for both the '73 Marylands and the '74 Canaries. OF Holly Hollingshead, another D.C. native played 2B for the '72 Nats. Holly also managed.

1875 New Haven Elm Citys (7-40 .149)
They tried. They had three managers: Charlie Gould (2-21), Juice Latham (4-14) and Charlie Pabor (1-5). Catcher Tim McGinley had the rest of his errors for the New Haven Club. Sam Wright, the brother of the legendary George and Harry Wright (both Hall of Famers), played for this club. He hit .189 and never started regularly for a club again. Oddly enough, he had a few at bats in 1880 and 1881, where he was one of the oldest players in the league. At just 31 and 32 years old!

1875 Brooklyn Atlantics (2-42 .045)
A real contender for the worst team ever, based on their record and that they nearly played 50 games. Charlie Pabor played here before moving to New Haven that season. Starters John Cassidy and Jim Clinton were 1-20 and 1-14 respectively. There was a flat-out air of desperation here. They fielded 35 different players on the season. Aside from New Haven, every other club fielded only 11-19 players over the year.

1876 Cincinnati Reds (9-56 .138)
The mighty had fallen, just seven years after the 57-0 season. Charley Jones had 25 XBH, but his co-outfielders hit .161 and .151. Charlie Gould was given the managerial job and played 1B, despite his accomplishments with the '74 Canaries and '75 Elm Citys.

1883 Philadelphia Quakers (16-81 .165)
P John Coleman set the single season record for most losses, going 12-48. Manager Bob Ferguson (4-13) was ousted after seventeen games and 3B Blondie Purcell was named manager for the rest of the season (13-68).

1884 Wilmington Quicksteps (2-16 .111)
The worst club in the Union Association, which is today barely considered a major league. The Only Nolan pitched here while trying to return to the major leagues.

1884 Washington Nationals (12-51 .190)
A terrible team in the American Association, following in the footsteps of other Washington clubs. Edgar Eugene "EE" Smith was on this club, fresh from the mess of the '83 Quakers. Holly Hollingshead continued his resume of awful clubs managing here after playing and managing the '75 Nats and playing on the '72 Nats.

1889 Louisville Colonels (27-111 .196)
The last place team in the '89 American Association, they finished first (88-44) just a season later, despite losing their best hitter, Pete Browning (.341 career average) to the Players League. Browning's nephew, Tod Browning, directed Dracula (1931) with Bela Lugosi.

1890 Pittsburg Alleghenys (23-113 .169)
They fielded an astounding 46 players, while the rest of the league averaged 19 players. John Coleman was on this team and lost both games that he started. The roster had some of the best names of all time. Doggie Miller, Billy "The Evangelist" Sunday (who was an actual Evangelist and a famous one of the era), Ducky Hemp, Michael Jordan, Henry Youngman, Peek-A-Boo Veach, Crazy Schmit and Phenomenal Smith.

1899 Cleveland Spiders (20-134 .130)
The legendary Spiders. They have an interesting story, because they weren't bad by mistake. Their owners bought the St. Louis club and proceeded to send every good player on Cleveland to St. Louis, including Spiders pitcher Cy Young. When they got off to a horrid start, they even shipped the Cleveland manager and one of the remaining good players, Lave Cross to St. Louis. In the end, St. Louis only finished fifth.

[bubba22plus]

Originally Posted by BMW

1890 Pittsburg Alleghenys (23-113 .169)
They fielded an astounding 46 players, while the rest of the league averaged 19 players. John Coleman was on this team and lost both games that he started. The roster had some of the best names of all time. Doggie Miller, Billy "The Evangelist" Sunday (who was an actual Evangelist and a famous one of the era), Ducky Hemp, Michael Jordan, Henry Youngman, Peek-A-Boo Veach, Crazy Schmit and Phenomenal Smith.

I knew MJ had to have his roots somewhere, but he's not THAT old, is he?

[Left-handed Badger]

Originally Posted by Oriole66

It'll take a world war to right that ship...

Nah, all the players will be 4-F'ed. And everyone else's replacements will still be better.

[Left-handed Badger]

Well, I have seen that 1883 Quaker team credited with a 17-81 record (come on give a win they need it. ). Coleman I believe was turned into an OF.


Also I believe this was the inaugral year of the team that would be known as the Phillies. Given they were the first 10,000 loss team it was appropriate they got to the worst (winning %) start of them all.

[Left-handed Badger]

Well, I am preparing several years in the future, for a dynasty. Basically creating one player a year just to see how they do. Anyhow: For the final season before I start the Rays are epic-level bad. At mid-season 23-58 (not too bad considering they started out 4-27)

Their current rotation includes

1. 5-9, 4.03
2. 5-8, 4.76
3. 1-6 6.43
4. 0-1 11.93 (8 games so far, 1 start)
5. 1-2 7.98 (3 starts so far, had an ERA over 4.00 in AA prior to callup )


Other guys, now in minors

1-2 9.50 (5 starts)
2-4 6.13 (14 games, 8 starts)

Plus some veteran guy they cut sometime in June and I cant find. After May he had 7.70 or so ERA in 8 or 9 starts.

The first guy I have created is kind of a Stephen Strasburg-lite guy. Think it might be wise to pick him next draft? (I am betting they pick an 18-year old that needs 5 years of minor league ball to develop )

Oh and the bullpen aint much better.

[Left-handed Badger]

Shucks! As soon as I post, they decide to play .500 ball in JUne which was enough to avoid 62 Mets bad and pull of 49 wins. I also simmed to the draft next season and what do they pick

Not the Stephen Strasburg wannabe. Though considering that 4 of the 5 mainstays in the current rotation were part of the disaster of the previous year. (Though at least those 4 were young and developed but the others arent ready and one still the #4 guy (who was the #4 of the previous post still needs some serious development).

Anyhow, of the other 2 considered Top level guys at least they didnt go for the other pitcher. Who was already 22, and whose attributes suggested he was still 3 or 4 years away (3 or 4 years away is something you better here out of your high school prospect #1 not college) But, went after some guy whose build and game was David Ortiz like.

THough, I think they drafted the David Ortiz guy because of his nickname "Tumbleweed". A nickname relates to the their current fans (as the only thing currently in the stands )


I guess I thread jacked a little sorry about that.

Note: Anyhow, my creation went #2 to Baltimore.