An Obscure Moment
Posted: August 22nd, 2009 | Filed under: Baseball | 46 Comments »
I’ve long thought that if I owned a sports team, I would probably be an absurd meddler — more Steinbrenner than Rooney, more Cuban than Hunt. I’d probably fire coaches at halftime and managers after their first bad intentional walk. I’d probably trade players who went 0-for-5 and cut receivers who dropped two passes in a game. Hey, you have to know yourself. And if I actually OWNED one of these teams, I’m quite certain that I would not be able to hold back. Heck, even now my wife knows better than to let me loose in the Apple Store with a credit card.
But, today I found myself wondering what kind of baseball manager would I be? I mean, yes, I would be a BAD baseball manager. That goes without saying. But what kind of bad? Would I rely too heavily on the advanced stats? Would I find myself ignoring them? Would I put too much emphasis on small sample sizes — a bad habit already? Or would I stew every day while waiting for the numbers to even out? Would I have to guts to be unconventional, to follow the quirky but brilliant instincts of the smart people I’ve come to know in this game? Or would I succumb to the intense daily pressure to just do it the way it’s always been done?
Mostly, I wonder: Would I be more of a sit back and let things happen kind of manager or more of an in-your-face, you make your own luck kind of manager? Would I be more like Cox or La Russa? More like Torre or Scioscia? More like Herzog or Howser? More like Corrales, Garcia, Doc Edwards or Ken Aspromonte?
I dunno.
I do know this: I about had a conniption watching the Kansas City Royals Saturday night. Again. For one thing … it occurred to me several times during the game that I really don’t have to watch the Royals quite as much as I have the last dozen years. I’m about to begin as Senior Writer at Sports Illustrated. As I may have mentioned, I was just in New York, and I got my very own employee badge with my picture on it and everything — apparently they seem serious about giving me this job.
And not only that: A big excerpt from 09/09/09 is scheduled to run in the magazine this coming week. I mean, it’s exciting stuff. Sure, we’re staying in Kansas City, and I’ll still be writing for the Star but … I could definitely cut back on the Royals watching. It really isn’t all that healthy.
Still … old habits and all that. I was watching the game, and it was the ninth inning, and the Royals were down two runs. They were not facing Joe Nathan because he had thrown a half billion pitches the night before and was unavailable.* So the Royals were facing Matt Guerrier, a Cleveland guy who has pitched quite well this year but doesn’t have either the aura or the track record or the stuff of Joe Nathan. The Royals had to feel like they had a chance.
*The Royals — and I’ve noticed that a lot of local baseball channels do this — have a poll every night where they ask the fans some kind of question and ask them to text in one of the four multiple choice answers. I always wish they would ask really fun questions like “Which Royals player do you think could eat the most hot dogs without getting sick?” or “Which Royals player do you think has an actual superpower?” or “Which Royals player do you honestly believe you could beat out in a fair tryout?” But no, the questions tend to be quite sensible and this night’s question was, “Who is the best closer in the American League Central?”
Now, you knew that the viewers — the overwhelming majority of them being Royals fans — would probably pick Joakim Soria, and he’s certainly a defensible choice. I don’t think he’s the RIGHT choice, and I say that as a huge Soria fan. I mean, Joe Nathan — since he became closer of the Twins — is 22-11, 1.81 ERA, a .923 WHIP, 491 Ks in 398 innings, I mean, this is a pretty serious body of work. But Soria has been mostly sensational in his two years as the Royals closer and he gets the hometown discount. Fine.
And Soria did get the most votes. But here’s the thing: Detroit’s Fernando Rodney finished second. Fernando Freaking Rodney. I mean no offense — Rodney can look dazzling at times, and he has great stuff, and he’s had a pretty nice year — but honestly, best closer? Would you trust him to close your car windows in case of a surprise rainstorm? The Tigers have been trying for YEARS to keep him away the closer’s role — they just kept bringing in pitchers like Ugueth Urbina and Troy Percival and Kyle Farnsworth and that guy who is just about MY AGE and throws only slightly harder than me, Todd Jones. Anyone. If Joel Zumaya could stay healthy for more than four innings at a time, he would be the closer.
And more people really chose Fernando Rodney over Joe Nathan? It can only be two things. (1) It was an overreaction to Nathan’s struggles Friday night against the Royals. I suspect that’s what it is. Because if that’s not it, then the only other possibility is (2) …
Anyway … Alberto Callaspo led off the ninth against Guerrier with a single. Hey, tying run to the plate. Mark Teahen struck out, though, and, yes, things at that point did seem a bit bleaker. The next three scheduled hitters were:
1. Mitch Maier, who came into the game with a career .326 slugging percentage and zero career homers.
2. Yuni Betancourt, who has been written about enough in this blog.
3. Josh Anderson, who is on his third team this year and was traded to the Royals for the dreaded “cash considerations.”
Um. Yeah. So now you ask: Did Royals manager Trey Hillman have any options on the bench? Well, in a matter of speaking: Yes. He had Mike Jacobs. You might remember that Jacobs began the year as the Royals starting first baseman and biggest power threat. He did hit 32 home runs last year. Yes, Jacobs has been a grave disappointment this season — at least to those who expected him to match or improve upon last year’s numbers — but the Royals are still paying him a decent sum of money, and even this year he has been decent against right-handed pitchers, and he has actually been looking better lately, and the other day he hit this massive pinch-hit home run, and, anyway, he’s better than any of those guys. Quite a lot better.
I mean, seriously, at this point, this is why you still HAVE Mike Jacobs on your team. Semi-homer prone right-handed reliever on the mound and the tying run coming to the plate. This is the Jacobs moment. I mean — get ready for some obscurity — this is that time in Milles Bornes when you throw down your puncture proof tire and shout “Coup-Fourre!” Yes … ha ha … well … maybe you didn’t play Milles Bornes as a kid. Point is, this was the Jacobs moment.
Hillman promptly let Maier bat for himself. OK, maybe I can see that. Maier is a left-handed hitter (though, oddly enough, he has been miserable against righties and pretty good against lefties in his short big league career — probably just sample size). Maier has been swinging the bat pretty well the last month (more sample size stuff). And sure enough, Maier cracked a single to center — Callaspo ran to third. The strategy worked! Now you just send Jacobs up there for Yuni — the all-time no-brainer move of all-time — and now it’s game on, homer or double play, win or lose, right here, right now, you pull the slot machine lever, yes sir, you roll the dice, all right, you hit on 16 with the dealer showing jack, OK, you betcha, you …
Of course, you know that Trey Hillman sent Yuni up to the plate at this point. And I just don’t have the strength to rehash how poorly Yuniesky Betancourt has been hitting or how utterly hopeless he looks at the plate or how certain I was that he would hit into the game-ending double play. I really don’t. All I will tell you is Betancourt hit the expected double play ground ball to Alexi Casilla — only a minor miracle happened. Maier stopped on the play and actually took a step back to second base. This seemed to confuse Casilla (not an uncommon event, apparently) and so instead of throwing to first and then getting Maier into the rundown, he hesitated and threw to second for the force out. By then it was too late to double up Betancourt. The inning was still alive! You could see Gardy in the Twins dugout just turning all shades of red. The Twins season is teetering on the brink — lose this game and they might as well just pack it in.
And the Royals had that chance! Now, of course, Hillman would send Jacobs to the plate because there were two outs and Anderson was basically released by the Tigers and … oh, what’s the use? Sure, Hillman let Josh Anderson hit for himself. And on the first pitch — Josh is no believer in building tension — Anderson hit a routine ground ball to second base to end the game.
I’ve gone over this in my mind again and again … and I still don’t get it. But in a way, this has left me feeling oddly good about baseball. Look at the end of the day nobody should care about this stuff. And, mostly, nobody does. The Royals are now on pace to lose 100 games. Mike Jacobs is having a lousy year. Josh Anderson … Yunieksy Betancourt … Mitch Maier … so what? What difference does it make if you do or do not pinch-hit a guy with a 91 OPS+ in the ninth inning of a late August game against Minnesota’s backup closer? Maybe he’s hurt or in the doghouse or afraid of pitchers who went to Kent State? And who really cares anyway?
But that’s the beauty of baseball. Even in these obscure moments, someone does care. Someone is watching. And at the end, someone is out there second-guessing you every step of the way. That’s baseball. That’s life.
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Well I played Milles Bournes as a kid. I actually played it last week with my wife and son. Great game.
Great post. I’m a Twins fan who reads this blog regularly. I often have wondered why I even care about watching Twins games especially when they have shown no signs of putting together a string of wins to get into the playoffs. I mean, did you see the Twin’s bullpen tonight? Awful. Your entry made me realize why I watch games that don’t really matter. It’s the little moments that I watch the games for….and the big ones like whenever Joe Mauer bats.
P.S. I am one of those Twins fans who is not a big fan of Gardy, so your love affair with him is humorous and always makes me re-examine why I get frustrated with him!
Friday’s game was the capper for me. Moore’s need to carry eight relievers and three catchers cost the Royals a chance to keep the game going. A slightly above average baserunner makes it to third on Bloomquist’s single, and scores on Callaspo’s fly to center. Instead, Butler holds at second and watches the next two outs to end the game.
I can’t imagine the mental energy it takes to screw up in so many interesting ways.
For some reason, a lot of AL managers will not use a pinch-hitter unless he plays the same position as the guy he is replacing. Maybe it’s because they have 12 or 13 man pitching staffs.
I really love to read articles which are very informative and the topics are based or concerned with the current issues in our society. I admire these writers in sharing their views and or opinions that can enlighten the mind of the readers. Great job!
From the post game:
Anyway, Hillman was asked if he’d thought about having Mike Jacobs, his left-handed slugger, come off the bench in the ninth inning to bat for Anderson, the ninth-place hitter.
“I got a lot of thoughts about it,” Hillman said. “You’ve got a guy up there that’s got a couple hits, he’s a plus runner and his swing looked better today than it has, and he doesn’t strike out a whole lot.”
So, I guess Jacobs just sucks that much. If they had Trey wired during the game, his discussions in the dugout would probably indicate how much he believes next time will be better. He’s the Pollyanna Manager.
Joe, I feel for you. I really do. I mean, unless he’s injured (which history tells us management would hide) Mike Jacobs has an OPS this season of .791 versus RHP, and (taking walks out of the equation, although a walk would put the winning run on base) has about a 1:16 chance of winning the game batting for Anderson. Anderson’s got a .601 OPS versus RHP (much better than his .397 versus LHP) but with zero HR. And Betancourt this season only has .569 versus RHP, with one homer in 266 PA. So yes, Hillman’s just a bad manager. Unless he’s got other issues we don’t know about. Like maybe nobody left on the bench. Or nasty photos of Dayton Moore.
But I would like to tell you of some good, no, better than good managing that went on today. In the 8th inning of the Dodgers Cubs game, after having thrown 110 scoreless pitches, knuckler Charlie Haeger was relieved after walking the leadoff hitter. No problem, I agree with that move. Coming up were Milton Bradley, who was batting rightie versus the knuckler; Derrek Lee, a RHB; and Aramis Ramirez, another RHB.
Traditional baseball wisdom these days say to bring in the setup man. But the Dodgers’ setup man, George Sherrill, is a lefty who is particularly tough on LHB. Not the kind of guy you want to throw at three guys who eat LHP, especially Ramirez. Plus you almost always want to turn around the switch hitter. So Torre brought in Broxton, his closer, to face the #3-4-5 hitters.
I’d like to say it was a total success. It probably would have been if Torre had also double switched Pierre or Manny out of the game, put Ethier in right field (the sun field), and Kemp back in center. It started okay, with a strikeout on what probably was a ball. But when Broxton’s following a 97 mph fastball with an 89 mph slider breaking down and in, how can Bradley hold up? Then Lee lofted a high fly ball near the right field foul line, short of the warning track. Kemp has played all of three games in right this season. He had his sunglasses down, but still lost the ball in the sun, flinched away (when he was within at most two steps of catching it) for a gift double.
Aramis Ramirez was 4 for 4 lifetime against Broxton. Whoops! Torre yawned. Ramirez stung the ball right at Loretta. Two down. Three strikes later, and Broxton had his hold. So it worked out.
And that’s the thing. Torre had a good reliever in reserve. Sherrill had 20+ saves with the Os this season. And Torre could have used other guys in the 8th to set up Broxton. But Torre decided that he wanted his best pitcher to face those three tough tough outs. He liked Broxton versus those guys in the 8th inning and Sherrill versus weaker hitters in the 9th inning more than he liked anybody else in the 8th inning with Broxton in the 9th. That’s managing. And the Dodgers got the Win, and I really don’t think Broxton is upset about it. I mean, Broxton has stayed the closer even in his recent run of bad outings, and Torre made it clear in the interviews that he wanted his best pitcher against their best batters even if it wasn’t the ninth inning.
Yes, he bunts way too much. Yes, he overuses his hot relievers. But Torre is a *good* manager. His players play hard for him. He reminds me of Walter Alston, and that’s not a bad comp to have.
I enjoyed Pena’s 5th inning bunt with runners on 1st and 2nd, no outs, and the Royals down 3 runs. Why try to tie the game up when you can play little ball?
Been on the road and out of KC for 2 weeks. Nice to know I haven’t missed anything.
Royals, Chiefs, they’re just placeholders till college BB starts anyway.
I remember Mille Bornes! My first introduction to French pronunciations. Funny how ‘Coup Fourre’ sounds a lot like ‘Boo-Ya!’
Maybe that’s just me.
Joe, while I agree with you on not pinch hitting Jacobs for either Betancorpse or Josh Gathwhite, I am sorta surprised you didn’t call out the horrendous sac bunt in the 5th inning. Down THREE runs, still relatively early in the game, and no reason to think this would be a low scoring game, considering the state of both teams’ bullpens. Anyway, 1st and 2nd, no outs, 2-3-4 hitters coming up; B Pena is arguably our 3rd best hitter against LHP, and you bunt?
Apparently Hillman was born 100 years late – he manages like the deadball era is alive and well.
When is Dayton Moore going to come out and say that Trey Hillman’s job is safe through 2012?
As far as the bunt goes, the Twins announcers noticed Hillman talking to Pena afterwards and they were speculating that he might have done that on his own or missed a sign. I wouldn’t assume every bunt is called by the manager, especially when young players are involved.
I remember Milles Bournes! For some reason, at some point we lost our english version and replaced it with the french version, so Puncture Proof was replaced by “Impenetrable!” But yes, a successful coup forre might be the most satisfying move in all card based rally car games.
Joe, while I agree with you that Fernando Rodney being the second best closer in the AL Central is absurd (Nathan, Soria, debatably Jenks)…….I think you should give him a little break. Since he came back from T.J. in 2005 he has been a very effective reliever for the Tigers (when not battling intermittent bouts of tendinitis). In 2006 the Dominican Republic thought enough of him to make him their closer in the WBC, and he pitched eight scoreless innings in that tournament.
He struggles with command of his fastball at times, but I would argue that he’s the best closer the Tigers have had since the first era of Todd Jones. Of course, I would then go on to say that I’d rather use a lesser pitcher in the “closer” role, but that is a new argument altogether.
A longtime Tigers fan here. I read this entry and felt like I could’ve been reading about the Tigers until 2006, except that the Tigers had no pitching to speak of from 1994-2005.
You’re right about Fernando Rodney; there’s a reason he’s known as “Rodzilla” in Detroit, and it isn’t because he destroys other teams. He’s up for free agency after this season; I’d take most closers, including Soria, over him. As for Josh Anderson, his inability to hit in clutch situations, combined with his baffling inability to keep from getting caught stealing (or his ability to get picked off to end innings) killed his chances in Detroit. Looks like he’s showing that his Detroit performance wasn’t a fluke.
Oh man, Josh Anderson. I feel for you…in spring training, certain people would hop on the soapbox and talk about how Anderson should deserve to start in center (personally, I went with Gregor Blanco). Then he got sent to Detroit and popped up a BABIP-inflated batting average, Jordan Schafer had a bad 2 months, and these people felt vindicated or something…yeah, now Nate McLouth is shagging flies in center (when he’s not hurt that is), and Anderson has an OPS lower than Francoeur did last year. He’s a pinch runner at best, and dude has gotten 215 PA this year? Yeesh
Awesome play on Friday night too in right.
Joe, while the Royals can be maddening and frustrating to watch, they are also making an absurd bit of history. After suffering this most recent nonsense, the question in my mind was, “We all know they’re bad. Very bad. Just how bad are they?” I too, used to be angered at the actual product on the field, but I am quite beyond that now. Focusing on last night is tantamount to the bedridden cancer patient ordering Proactiv for a couple of unsightly zits. After taking another deep breath, and doing a bit of half-hearted (and likely somewhat inaccurate) research, the results were as dismal as I suspected, and they could rapidly decline further.
Are the Royals ripping off the worst elongated stretch of baseball in MLB history? The answer: Not yet, but they have certainly forced themselves into the discussion. After looking up each team’s history seeking only to find stretches of horrendous futility, one franchise deserves special consideration, and even its own category: The 1921-45 Phillies were so bad they may not even be compared to the stench which follows. Over that 25-year stretch, they managed a 1394-2427 record and .355 winning percentage. This period includes all of World War II, a time when even the worst of teams could improve due to our armed forces being disinterested in the talent available on their rosters. In what were typically 154-game seasons, they lost 100 games twelve times. We will, for the moment, let these fools bask in their own special infamy.
The following list are the worst fifteen-year stretches in the modern era I was able to locate. If I have omitted your least favorite team, it was unintentional, and I apologize. I’m happy to give credit to any ship of fools that rams icebergs, and “repairs” the vessel to take on coral reefs. There is no claim to perfection being made with the list, nor of the performances indicated below:
1919-33 Boston Red Sox: 881-1409; .384
1935-49 Philadelphia A’s: 911-1397; .394
1953-67 Phil/K.C. A’s: 939-1397; .395
1901-15 Boston Braves: 916-1369; .400
1921-35 Boston Braves: 951-1359; .411
1961-74 Was/Texas Rangers: 935-1315; .415
1995-2009 Kansas City Royals; 1002-1366: .423
1989-2003 Detroit Tigers: 1004-1359; .424
1977-91 Seattle Mariners: 1020-1356; .429
Some interesting points of note regarding the above offenders: Two were expansion teams at the beginning of their spells. The Boston National League (Don’t know if they were calling themselves Braves–don’t care.) franchise was able to win a World Series in 1914 during their run of futility. A couple of teams have been run out of town during and after their stretch, and three cities have suffered through this type of nonsense with different franchises altogether. KC A’s fans take heart, as your team played .402 ball while polluting old Municipal Stadium. The Royals still have work to do.
Of particular note to me is that the Royals and Tigers of recent memory both appear on the list. Besides the ancient Phillies/Braves of the 20s/30s, and the Senators/A’s of the 60s, they are the only others competing in the same league at the same time of all the above offenders. Hell, they’re in the same division! Since the strike, these teams had the benefit of playing each other at roughly the same clip the original 16 teams did, with diluted talent, and THEY ARE STILL ON THIS LIST. Just how bad these modern-day nightmares actually were (and are) is almost unmeasurable.
It seems to me that barnyard animals could run a franchise on equal footing to any of the above examples. I’d trust Mr. Ed to approve a trade right now more than Mr. Glass. A lemur with a set of darts might eventually hit something appealing on the board on draft day. Chicken scratches in the dirt could signify minor league option opportunities. Hell, my cat could meow for a pitch out, and hiss for a bunt. Could we do any worse with such random guidance? I insist that it is almost what we have now.
I suppose it could be worse, but as I’m told the Lutherans sometimes say, “we don’t know how.”
One thing I am sure of. You would be a better manager than who the Royals are currently employing.
Found this gem in the Star this morning.
“Hosmer is awaiting a new pair of prescription glasses. Club officials say he can’t resume playing until they arrive.”
Has any organization had more issues with glasses than the Royals? Somewhere, Tony Pena Jr. is laughing.
Slade, that’s some impressive work you’ve put together there, but after checking two teams I’ve noticed you’ve made two omissions:
1948-62 Chicago Cubs: 980-1336 .423
1945-59 Pittsburgh Pirates: 977-1332 .423
I haven’t read all the comments, so maybe this has been mentioned already.
5th inning down 3 runs, 1st and 2nd, nobody out, and we have the guy that hit the game tying homer the night before, from the same side of the plate, lay down a sacrifice?!?!?!?!?!
Then to make matters worse, 6th inning we repeat the same sequence, except we ask Yuni to sacrifice this time (only we are down 4 runs) and he can’t put down the bunt, so he strikes out. I guess we stayed out of the double play?????
WE WERE BUNTING/SACRIFICING ONE OF OUR LAST 12 OUTS SO ANDERSON CAN HIT WITH TWO RUNNERS IN SCORING POSITION DOWN 4 RUNS!!!!
Is this even real? Are we actually watching/living in a bizarro universe?
At what point does the leadership decide that our bullpen of the 6+ era and 100 gallon gas can start making some changes? When do we see Disco et al on a regular basis?
I know this is historically bad baseball. Heck I actually got to witness it last night along with 33k+ others who plunked down good money. But something has to change, right????
Thanks to Corms for pointing out a couple more depths of incompetence. I’m sure there are probably more in the same range, but I certainly wasn’t going to burn an entire weekend on it. I’ve spent far too much time and money out at the K already. I now elect to enjoy the rest of my weekend, and encourage any readers who wish to delve further into the depths of baseball ineptitude to please continue to do so. I’m curious as to what else might compare…
“You would be a better manager than who the Royals are currently employing.”
No slight to Joe, but I think my 12 year old son who’s only experience is playing “Slugfest ‘04″ on the PlayStation 2 would be a better manager than what we have now….
Increvable!!
[...] Joe Posnanski: Quote: [...]
18 Slade, the ‘95-’09 Pirates just missed your list with a 1027-1341 .434 record.
Bravo, Slade. Brav-friggin-O.
Wait, so what’s #2? Royals fans are idiots?
If there is the opposite of the puncture proof tire (the Ever-Flat?), the Royals seem to have it.
I agree with many other posters commenting about the Pena bunt(s). I like him batting second, putting one of our best hitters (small sample size noted) at the top of the order; but what’s the point if you’re not going to let him swing the bat?
So what’s the state of Royals’ fans? What feedback is the head office getting?
I ask that seriously because I’m sitting here in Houston and reading your blog and Rany’s and Royals Authority regularly, and you guys make it sound so obvious about how awful Hillman and Moore have done. (By the way, I hear that Moore keeps saying to “trust the process,” but has he explained what his process is that he’s referring to?
But back to my question. What’s the general reaction outside of the blogs? Are the general fans ready to run these guys out of town, or are they nodding their heads like zombies when Moore tells them that it’s all because of bad look on injuries and look how well the Royals started?
Man I love Milles Bournes. I played that throughout elementary school in the early 90s. Great game. You made me laugh out loud with that reference. If only we could transfer those cards to the Royals somehow.
In a black comedy sort of way, the Royals have become funny. I did not see Hillman’s explanation for letting Anderson hit, but I bet he said it in his normally insufferable highly confident way, like he actually thinks it was a good reason — after all, like Hillman said, he has “plus speed.” I was in favor of putting Anderson in center field every day (and it still probably makes sense), but really, what’s the use?
It also was stupid tactically to let Yuni hit, but somehow he did hit a ball high off the left center field fence on Friday and come within three or four feet of a walk off home run off Joe Nathan. So maybe, in an effort to see what we got in Yuni, you might understand Hillman letting him hit. The guy is supposed to be our shortstop for the next two years.
In any event, Royal fans need to hope the Royals lose every game the rest of the way (except for a few wins for Zach and maybe some games against pennant contenders that mean something), so they can get the first draft pick.
KC Refugee:
I think it is pretty clear that Hillman has lost the fans. He even is sometimes booed, which is unusual for KC crowds.
Moore probably has another year before he is done in terms of fan support, although he greatly hurt himself with the Yuni trade. He has made so many bonehead trades and signings, and now is so limited on what moves he can make this off season (budgetary reasons and not much talent to trade) that his only hope is to hit it big on a couple minor leaugers next year so he can claim that his drafts and farm system are producing results.
The Pirates went 977-1332 (.421) from 1945-1959, and the Brooklyn Dodgers went 970-1285 (.425) from 1904-1918. That one gives another sub-.430 club to put with the 1901-15 Braves in the NL.
Overall with those and the additions from Corms, we seem to be looking at this so far
(that horrific 25-year Phillies run)
1919-33 Boston Red Sox: 881-1409; .384
1935-49 Philadelphia A’s: 911-1397; .394
1953-67 Phil/K.C. A’s: 939-1397; .395
1901-15 Boston Braves: 916-1369; .400
1921-35 Boston Braves: 951-1359; .411
1961-74 Was/Texas Rangers: 935-1315; .415
1945-49 Pittsburgh Pirates: 977-1332; .421
1995-09 Kansas City Royals; 1002-1366: .423
1948-62 Chicago Cubs: 980-1336 .423
1945-59 Pittsburgh Pirates: 977-1332 .423
1989-03 Detroit Tigers: 1004-1359; .424
1904-18 Brooklyn Dodgers: 970-1285; .425
1977-91 Seattle Mariners: 1020-1356; .429
Its growing! Lol
In fact, if you truly want to feel better, chew on this. If you look around that Phillies streak, you will actually notice they werent much “better” even when they were “better”. Well, specifically you can see this horrific 50(!) year stretch
1918-67 Philadelphia Phillies 3220-4445 (.420 Win percentage)
I noticed two more 50-year runs fairly close to it as well
1900-49 Boston Braves 3275-4257 .(435)
1915-64 Philly/KC A’s went 3298-4346 (.431)
Those Phillies, their long-time rival Braves and city-mate A’s take the cake for the most amazingly inept franchises in history I believe.
And here you all thought you were doing bad with 15 years of a .423 win percentage! Keep it up for another 35 years and then get back to us
Hillman HAS to be gone next year. There is no way they can bring him back, his decisions are absolutly horrible. Everyone always says a good manager can’t make a bad team good, but I disagree.
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I loved playing Milles Bornes! Haven’t thought of it in many years, although oddly i’ve kept the phrase “Coup-Fourre!” without recalling why. Now I need to order a copy of the game; my own kids should be ready for it in a few years….
Mille Bornes…haven’t thought of that for 20, maybe 30 years, which makes it a brilliant reference.
KCRefugee, this is the process, as best as I can understand it:
Step 1: Acquire mediocre/bad, overpaid, older players
Step 2: ????
Step 3: Hold parade (because Dayton knows where he is going to hold it already)
Yes, Joe, I’d trust him to close my car windows if it was going to rain. This year, Rodney has become a true closer. Not last year, but this year.
Yeah, yeah, but I wasn’t being sarcastic.
Seriously, Drayton keeps asking us to trust the process. Has he given any interviews or anything where he said what the process is, what his philosophy is? (And I know he’s famous for saying that he’s an advocate of OBP — but based on who he acquires, I don’t know if he’s lying to throw people off or … come on, I refuse to believe that he doesn’t know what it is.)
Thanks to Slade, Corms and JohnnyO for redefining futility. Wow. Just look at what Boston fans had to put up with all through the ’20s and halfway into the ’30s:
1919-33 Boston Red Sox: 881-1409; .384
1921-35 Boston Braves: 951-1359; .411
I’m amazed that Fenway Park and Braves Field weren’t razed by mobs armed with pitchforks and torches, or that our grandfathers never warned us away for Boston baseball. Of course, although I don’t go back that far, I am old enough to remember Curt Gowdy advising (pleading with) radio listeners in the second inning that there were still good seats available if they were close to Fenway. It wasn’t always beer and skittles in the Hub.
KC (and Pirates) fans, you are not alone. Conscientious New Englanders feel your pain.
Hey, Joe.
I wouldn’t get too worked up over Rodney finishing second in that poll. Seems to me that in a poll of Royals fans, Soria just siphoned off too much of the smart/knowledgable vote from Nathan, such that what little was left of that voting bloc was not enough to overcome the spiteful/ignoramus voting bloc, which went for Rodney.
Nathan’s six-season stretch has got to be one of the best five or six ever for a reliever. It’s pretty unbelievable, right up there with anything Mo Rivera has ever done if not better.
I loved Milles Bournes as a kid, too. Trey Hillman is no driving ace.