I’m not a baseball expert and, even if I were, I’m afraid I’m not awake enough to give you statistics like some you’ve seen. Instead I’ll give you just one. The Pittsburgh Pirates are 16 and 33, and that’s just because they won their last two games, although I’m not sure how. That gives them a winning percentage of 32.65%. I admit Kansas City’s worse at 23.4%, but the Pirates are giving them a run for the money. They’ve also been struggling to do better than .500 for the past decade or so, and there’s been at least one year when the entire team’s payroll was less than that of one of the game’s highest-paid players. Changes have been made, including getting rid of Jim Leyland, who’s now doing a terrific job for Detroit. We’ve even changed owners and built a beautiful new stadium. The new stadium’s great, but I’m afraid I’ve given up on the Pirates. They bring to mind the song, “There Used to Be a Ballpark.”
I used to love baseball, but I’d like to think the team I’m rooting for has a better chance of winning than the Pirates have had recently. Kansas City fans, I’ll join you in crying in my beer, if I were a beer drinker.
In 1982, my 6th grade class had a baseball pool, we were supposed to be tracking the runs scored by our chosen teams. Naturally, everyone wanted the Mets or Yankees, so the only fair thing to do was to have everyone pick a team out of a hat. I picked the Royals. I rooted for the Royals. I stuck with them after the pool ended.
I knew there had to be a good story there! And for what it’s worth, no, I don’t think the Royals are the worst team in history. They’re not going to the Series, but they’re not the '62 Mets, either.
But the 1962 Mets were an expansion team. I don’t know off the top of my head what the average first-season record for expansion teams is, but it can’t be better than about 64-98. So the Mets were awful, but you had to expect them to be at least really bad.
Tampa Bay 1998: 63-99
Arizona 1998: 65-97
Colorado 1993: 67-95
Florida 1993: 64-98
Toronto 1977: 57-104
Seattle 1977: 64-98
Montreal 1969: 52-110
San Diego 1969: 52-110
Kansas City 1969: 69-93
Seattle Pilots 1969: 64-98
New York 1962: 40-120
Houston 1962: 64-96
Los Angeles 1960: 70-91
Washington 1960: 61-100
So the average record, including the Mets, is 61-101. If I added that up right.
Excluding them makes it 62-100, not much different. We were about equidistant from the truth.
14 expansion Teams: Angels had the most wins for an Expansion team with 70 and the Average is 60.64285714
Angels 1961: **70-91 ** (.435)
Texas 1961 American Lg 61-100 (.379) as the Wash Senators
Houston 1962 National Lg 64-96 (.400)
Mets 1962 National Lg **40-120 (.250) **
KC 1969 AL West 69-93 (.426)
Mil 1969 AL West 64-98 (.395) as Seattle Pilots
SD 1969 NL West 52-110 (.321)
DC 1969 NL East 52-110 (.321) as Montreal Expos
Seattle 1977 AL West 64-98 (.395)
Toronto 1977 AL East 54-107 (.335)
**Colorado ** 1993 NL West 67-95 (.414)
Florida 1993 NL East 64-98 (.395)
Arizona 1998 NL West 65-97 (.401)
Tampa Bay 1998 AL East 63-99 (.389)
Jim {Yes, I am a complete baseball nut, I am Watching Moose shutout Detroit as I built the data and calculations}
The Royals scared me by winning a couple of games, but they’re back into form, losing 12-1 last night to the horrible Mariners. Seth Etherton was threatening to become the competent starter who would ruin the R’s chances at immortality, but he was in fine shape last night, getting pounded for seven in lkess than three innings. Fortunately, the offense was its customarily inept self.
At 13-40, the Royals are now back under the Throneberry Line (.250) and on pace for a 40-122 season.
Well, we’re about to commence the second half of the season, and not only aren’t the Royals looking like the worst baseball team ever, they’re not looking like the worst baseball team this year!
Well, who could have forseen the Pirates’ collapse over the past couple of weeks? I know I didn’t, and I see them pretty often. I really thought they were going to be better this season, with a new manager and a core of young but talented players.
Sorry for the resurrect - I know it’s usually frowned upon - but I thought it made sense to put a “capper” on this thread by pointing out that not only are the 2006 Royals not the worst team ever in all of baseball (something I should have posted after their 41st win), but with their 57th win last night, they will not be the worst Royals team ever either (last year’s squad finished the season 56-106).
