While [some] people wait for the Steroid King to break the Home Run King's record, sure to happen soon, another milestone was surpassed in the past week. Since the Philadelphia Phillies began play in 1883, they have lost a lot of games. Last week, they lost their 10,000th. So far, no team has sucked more, yet.
The Phillies have only one World Series Championship, which they won in 1980, although they have been to the series five other times (losing to the Red Sox in 1915, the Yankees in 1950, the Orioles in 1983, and the Blue Jays in 1993).
Closing in on the Phillies, albeit with some room to breathe, the Braves with 9,681 defeats. Over their history in three cities (Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta) the Braves have lost a lot of games all across the county. At least the Phillies never left Philly. Third place goes to the longtime bridesmaid, the Chicago Cubs, at 9,425.
If you are wondering, considering the season the Nationals are having, they have a ways to go before they reach the heights of the venerable Phillies. They hover around 7,400 losses. From 1886 to 1899, four DC teams (Nats, Senators, Statesmen) racked up 1,241 losses in three different leagues. The American League Washington Senators (1901-1960) ("first in our hearts, last in the American League") lost 4,864 before leaving for Minnesota. The expansion Senators (see: the Texas Rangers) lost just over 1,000 games before running for Texas. Losses by the current Nationals sits around 230 since the team arrived from Montreal. So we've got that going for us.
4 comments:
I guess it only feels like the Cubs have 20,000 losses. Ditto the Red Sox, if you listen to their tiresome and inferiority complex-riddled fans.
I had to stay up until midnight to watch my Phillies almost blow a game against the Nats, but thankfully they managed to win (otherwise I would have been too mad to sleep). How 'bout those relievers! (Grumble.)
I do hope the Phillies can win at least one more World Series before I die, but I'm certainly not holding my breath.
I too was up watching the Nats/Phillies. Unlike J, I'm not so happy about the outcome. I can't believe we lost that game, what, six times over. The error in the outfield was particularly painful.
But baseball is known for redemption. I'll take this afternoon's result. Nats 7 - Phillies 6.
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