Hot and Cold
|
|
|
|
Hot and Cold |
|
|
|
Early in the 1998 baseball season, the defending champion Florida
Marlins suffered through an 11-game losing streak. Which sent me
running to my data base to discover the best teams of the 20th century
(at least according to their winning percentage) to suffer through long
losing streaks the following year. Here they are:
Team Year W L Pct Fin Strk Start Lost W L Pct Fin
BRO N 1942 104 50 .675 2 7-28-1943 10 81 72 .529 3
PHI A 1914 99 53 .651 1 9-20-1915 11 43 109 .283 8
CHI A 1920 96 58 .623 2 9-14-1921 11 62 92 .403 7
STL N 1928 95 59 .617 1 6-23-1929 11 78 74 .513 4
PHI A 1907 88 57 .607 2 9-20-1908 10 68 85 .444 6
DET A 1946 92 62 .597 2 6-11-1947 10 85 69 .552 2
BRO N 1924 92 62 .597 2 9-13-1925 12 68 85 .444 6
CHI N 1984 96 65 .596 1 6-12-1985 13 77 84 .478 4
BOS A 1975 95 65 .594 1 4-29-1976 10 83 79 .512 3
CHI A 1955 91 63 .591 3 7- 7-1956 11 85 69 .552 3
CIN N 1956 91 63 .591 3 8-13-1957 10 80 74 .519 4
Most of the headings are obvious. "Fin" is their final place in the
standings. "Strk Start" is the date of the first loss in the streak.
The big collapses here are not too surprising. Connie Mack held a
fire sale after his 1914 pennant winners dropped the World Series.
The White Sox in 1920--well, I'd rather not get into all that. Still,
six of these eleven teams managed to post winning records the next
season despite their losing streaks--something few other clubs with
these lapses have be able to accomplish. Of the 318 such strings of
losses between 1901 and 1997, only 28 were posted by teams finishing
over .500. The best of them:
Team Strk Start Lost W L Pct Fin
NY N 4-19-1951 11 98 59 .624 1
PHI A 8-24-1925 12 88 64 .579 2
LA N 8-14-1961 10 89 65 .578 2
PHI N 9-21-1964 10 92 70 .568 2
MIL A 5- 3-1987 12 91 71 .562 3
One other team reached the post-season despite a long losing streak:
the 1982 Atlanta Braves, who won 13 straight in April only to give back
10 consecutive in August.
I guess we should take a quick look at the other side of the coin; here
are the worst teams to win at least ten in a row:
Team Strk Start Won W L Pct Fin
CHI A 5-18-1976 10 64 97 .398 6
HOU N 4-21-1965 10 65 97 .401 9
BAL A 7-12-1987 11 67 95 .414 6
CHI N 9- 5-1953 10 65 89 .422 7
KC A 7-19-1959 11 66 88 .429 7
PIT N 9-12-1996 11 73 89 .451 5
MIL A 6- 8-1973 10 74 88 .457 5
SF N 7-20-1991 11 75 87 .463 4
ATL N 4-26-1970 11 76 86 .469 5
MIN A 4-21-1985 10 77 85 .475 4
Only 24 of the 285 winning streaks of ten or more between 1901 and 1997
were fashioned by teams ending up under .500.
Here are the teams with back-to-back streaks of eight games or more:
Streaks Team Strk Start W L Pct Fin
9W-10L CHI N 5-22-1920 75 79 .487 5
13W- 8L DET A 8-10-1927 82 71 .536 4
9L- 8W CHI N 8-30-1931 84 70 .545 3
8L- 8W BOS A 6-28-1949 96 58 .623 2
8L- 9W CIN N 4-20-1961 93 61 .604 1
8L-12W PIT N 5-12-1965 90 72 .556 3
8W- 9L MIN A 7- 2-1978 73 89 .451 4
9L-10W MIN A 4-11-1985 77 85 .475 4
8W- 8L BAL A 8- 2-1993 85 77 .525 3
Other random notes on streaks:
On June 7, 1913, the Yankees beat the White Sox 3-2, ending a string of
13 straight losses. They have not lost ten in a row since. During that
time, they have had 24 long winning streaks.
The Milwaukee Braves won their tenth game in a row on May 28, 1954, and
while the fans in Milwaukee hadn't waited too long for one, it was the
first such streak for the franchise in the 20th century.
The Phillies had a similar dry spell. They started a ten-game winning
streak on August 28, 1901. They wouldn't start another until July 19,
1955.
In early 1953, the New York Yankees won 18 straight games. Most of
these wins were very impressive, as they outscored their opponents by
a combined score of 129 to 44. That got me to wondering if any other
team since 1901 had done even better over a similar period. Well, the
short answer is yes. The 1939 Yankees, from August 12 to 28, scored
126 more runs than they allowed despite dropping two decisions. Here's
a log of those games:
Date Away Home Score
08-12-39 NY A PHI A 18 4
08-13-39(1) NY A PHI A 9 12
08-13-39(2) NY A PHI A 21 0
08-15-39 WAS A NY A 2 3
08-16-39 WAS A NY A 0 4
08-17-39 WAS A NY A 8 9
08-18-39 PHI A NY A 0 5
08-20-39(1) PHI A NY A 5 4
08-20-39(2) PHI A NY A 1 5
08-22-39 NY A CHI A 14 5
08-23-39(1) NY A CHI A 7 2
08-23-39(2) NY A CHI A 16 4
08-24-39 NY A STL A 11 5
08-25-39(1) NY A STL A 11 0
08-25-39(2) NY A STL A 8 2
08-26-39 NY A STL A 6 1
08-27-39 NY A DET A 13 3
08-28-39 NY A DET A 18 2
A list of the teams with the largest combined margin of victory over
18 games:
Team Starting W L T RS RA +/- W L Pct
NY A 8-12-39 16 2 0 182 56 126 106 45 .702
WAS A 6- 8-33 16 2 0 163 58 105 99 53 .651
NY N 6-18-04 17 1 0 143 43 100 106 47 .693
PIT N 7-20-11 17 1 0 140 42 98 85 69 .552
NY A 6-29-38 15 2 1 159 69 90 99 53 .651
PHI A 8- 9-02 16 2 0 131 42 89 83 53 .610
NY A 7-31-53 14 4 0 130 42 88 99 52 .656
PIT N 9- 4-01 15 3 0 148 61 87 90 49 .647
DET A 4-10-93 14 4 0 150 64 86 85 77 .525
NY A 5-27-53 18 0 0 129 44 85 99 52 .656
RS = runs scored, RA = runs allowed.
I've eliminated overlapping periods in this list. The 1939 Yankees
during mid-August, for example, would've had 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th and
7th place on the list.
So as impressive as the 1953 Yankees were during their winning streak,
they had an even more dominant stretch (at least as far as runs scored
and allowed) later on in the same year.
The worst teams over the same period:
Team Starting W L T RS RA +/- W L Pct
CIN N 6- 9-01 2 15 1 61 157 -96 52 87 .374
PHI A 8- 8-39 4 14 0 61 153 -92 55 97 .362
NY A 6-20-12 2 16 0 58 150 -92 50 102 .329
BOS N 7-15-40 2 16 0 62 154 -92 65 87 .428
PHI A 7- 4-54 2 16 0 45 134 -89 51 103 .331
BOS N 7-17-11 1 17 0 54 142 -88 44 107 .291
COL N 5-12-93 3 15 0 52 140 -88 67 95 .414
DET A 5-16-96 1 17 0 65 152 -87 53 109 .327
BOS N 7- 2-35 1 17 0 65 151 -86 38 115 .248
ATL N 4-22-77 1 17 0 52 138 -86 61 101 .377
A few oddities:
Team Starting W L T RS RA +/- W L Pct
WAS A 6-24-27 15 3 0 95 100 -5 85 69 .552
NY A 6-25-39 8 10 0 110 53 57 106 45 .702
BOS A 8-10-85 3 15 0 82 82 0 81 81 .500
The Senators took a 10-game winning streak into Yankee Stadium for
a double-header on July 4th, 1927. They dropped both ends with a
vengeance, losing 12-1 and 21-1, in what I would guess is the most
resounding end to a victory streak in modern times.
In scores that look like something out of the 1960 World Series,
the Yankees between June 25th and July 9th, 1939, won 8 games by
scores of 11-2, 23-2, 10-0, 7-0, 10-2, 9-3, 11-1 and 6-4, while
dropping 10 by scores of 3-2, 2-1, 5-3, 7-3, 3-2, 4-3, 3-1, 3-2,
4-3 and 5-3.
The 1985 Red Sox only won 3 games between August 10th and 29th, but
those were by scores of 16-3, 8-4 and 17-2. Over the same period they
dropped 5 games by 1 run, 5 games by 2 runs, 3 games by 3 runs and 2
games by 4 runs.
And some more odds and ends I noticed while looking at streaks:
The longest series. On August 19, 1945, the Philadelphia Athletics
arrived in Detroit and proceeded to play the Tigers eight times over
the next five days. It was the last of 11 eight-game series played this
century. There have been 39 seven-game series since 1901, but only
one (the Mets at Chicago from August 31st to September 3rd, 1967) since
the end of 1945. Of those 11 eight-game series, two ended in 8-0
sweeps; none of the 39 seven-game series were swept.
The most lopsided series. When most people in the Northeast think
about this, the famous (or infamous) Fenway Massacre comes to mind.
Arriving in Boston four games behind their division rival, the Yankees
proceeded to win four straight from the Red Sox by a combined score
of 42-9. This was not, however, the most lopsided series. That
distinction goes to the Pirates-Giants series toward the end of
1901. The game log:
Date Away Home Score
9- 4-01(1) PIT N NY N 12 6
9- 4-01(2) PIT N NY N 10 3
9- 5-01(1) PIT N NY N 15 1
9- 5-01(2) PIT N NY N 15 7
9- 6-01(1) PIT N NY N 15 2
9- 6-01(2) PIT N NY N 13 4
In six games, the closest the Giants came to a victory was a 12-6
loss in the opening game. Here is the most lopsided series of each
length:
Games #Series Date Away Fin Home Fin Score(s)
1 2682 5- 6-03 NY N (2) BRO N (5) 20- 2
5-11-30 PHI A (1) CLE A (4) 7-25
4-13-55 WAS A (8) NY A (1) 1-19
2 10040 9-10-24 BOS N (8) NY N (1) 1-22 0- 8
3 21501 9-23-01 BRO N (3) CIN N (8) 25- 6 16- 2 9- 2
4 11503 5-23-36 NY A (1) PHI A (8) 12- 6 15- 1 25- 2 7-10
6-23-49 STL A (7) BOS A (2) 0- 7 2-21 2-13 3- 5
5 1849 7-28-11 BOS N (8) PIT N (3) 4- 9 2-17 2-10 1- 8
2-10
6 365 9- 4-01 PIT N (1) NY N (7) 12- 6 10- 3 15- 1 15- 7
15- 2 13- 4
7 39 7-21-04 BOS N (7) CIN N (3) 1- 2 4- 2 3- 4 7-12
3- 1 1-15 4-11
7-18-23 BOS A (8) CHI A (7) 6- 3 3-11 3- 8 5- 4
1- 8 1- 2 2- 9
8 11 9-10-28 NY N (2) BOS N (7) 4- 1 11- 0 11- 6 7- 6
12- 2 7- 6 6- 2 5- 1
The visiting team score is given first and the numbers in parenthesis
following each team is their eventual finish in the standings.
My definition of a series is a string of consecutive games played by
the same teams at the same park. Before Sunday baseball came to
Pennsylvania, it was not uncommon for teams to play Friday and
Saturday in Philadelphia, for example, travel to New York for a Sunday
contest, before returning to Philly for a Monday game. No doubt the
participants thought of this as a four-game series, but by reckoning
it was a two-games series following by a pair of one-gamers.
The best offense is a good offense (and vice versa). If you like
to see runs scored, you should have been at Fenway Park from June
3rd to 10th, 1950. On the other hand, followers of the Cubs at the
end of June and early July in 1906 were treated to an unprecedented
string of pitching duels. The fewest and most combined runs scored
over an eight-game stretch, side by side:
Date Away Home Score Date Away Home Score
06-25-06 STL N CHI N 1 2 06-03-50 CLE A BOS A 9 11
06-26-06 STL N CHI N 0 1 06-04-50 CHI A BOS A 7 17
06-28-06 CIN N CHI N 2 1 06-05-50 CHI A BOS A 0 12
06-30-06 CIN N CHI N 1 2 06-06-50 CHI A BOS A 8 4
07-01-06 CIN N CHI N 0 1 06-07-50 STL A BOS A 4 20
07-02-06 CIN N CHI N 1 0 06-08-50 STL A BOS A 4 29
07-04-06(1) CHI N PIT N 1 0 06-09-50 STL A BOS A 12 7
07-04-06(2) CHI N PIT N 1 0 06-10-50 DET A BOS A 18 8
The worst offense is a.... In 1963, the Colt .45s were a team of
the future. That fall, they would field an all-rookie lineup and
their farm system was loaded. In June, however, they ran into a
record stretch of offensive futility. When it was all over, they
had scored a total of three runs in nine games:
Date Away Home Score
06-18-63 HOU N CHI N 1 3
06-19-63 HOU N CHI N 1 9
06-20-63 HOU N CHI N 0 5
06-21-63 HOU N CIN N 0 3
06-22-63 HOU N CIN N 0 3
06-23-63(1) HOU N CIN N 0 4
06-23-63(2) HOU N CIN N 1 8
06-24-63 HOU N MIL N 0 3
06-25-63 HOU N MIL N 0 4
The best defense. As good as the Cub pitchers were from June 25th to
July 4th, 1906, their crosstown rivals were even better in August of
that year, allowing only four runs in eight games. One other team has
matched that feat, but it isn't a team that's normally mentioned
when great pitching (or great anything, for that matter) is discussed.
Their records:
Date Away Home Score Date Away Home Score
08-07-06 PHI A CHI A 0 4 09-09-66 DET A KC A 1 2
08-08-06 PHI A CHI A 0 1 09-10-66 DET A KC A 0 5
08-09-06 PHI A CHI A 2 3 09-11-66 DET A KC A 1 5
08-10-06 NY A CHI A 1 2 09-13-66 KC A CLE A 3 1
08-11-06 NY A CHI A 1 8 09-14-66 KC A CLE A 3 0
08-12-06 NY A CHI A 0 3 09-15-66 KC A CLE A 1 0
08-13-06 NY A CHI A 0 0 09-18-66(1) KC A WAS A 3 0
08-15-06 CHI A BOS A 6 0 09-18-66(2) KC A WAS A 0 1
Consecutive one-run games. Here is a list of all the teams that have
played ten or more consecutive one-run games
# Team Starting W L T
11 CIN N 5-28-67 7 4 0
10 CHI A 6- 1-82 4 6 0
10 LA N 4- 7-86 3 7 0
10 SD N 4- 7-86 7 3 0
The ten between the Dodgers and Padres were from the start of the
season and, no, they didn't play each other in all ten.
Date Away Home Score Date Away Home Score
04-07-86 SD N LA N 1 2
04-08-86 SD N LA N 1 0
04-09-86 SD N LA N 0 1
04-10-86 SD N LA N 3 2
04-11-86 SF N LA N 9 8 04-11-86 CIN N SD N 3 4
04-12-86 SF N LA N 7 6 04-12-86 CIN N SD N 3 2
04-13-86 SF N LA N 2 3 04-13-86 CIN N SD N 6 7
04-14-86 LA N SD N 3 4
04-15-86 LA N SD N 1 2
04-16-86 LA N SD N 1 2
My program wasn't set up to look for streaks across season boundaries,
but the Dodgers did end 1985 with a one-run game, tying the 1967
Reds for the top spot. Of course, others may have bettered both marks
with, for example, a 6-6 split across seasons.
Complete data for all the streaks studied. |
|
Comments or SuggestionsThanks for visiting the BasebaLL Think Factory. For information about contributing, to make a comment or suggestion, or to report a problem at my WWW site, please complete my Feedback Form. If your browser does not support forms, send e-mail to webguru@baseballstuff.com. |
|
|
Original material Copyright © 1996-1999
BasebaLL
Think
Factory
|
|
Back to the top of page | Baseball Scholars | Baseball Think Factory | BaseballStuff.com |