Hot News : Worst Back-to-Back Seasons in MLB History - update.
In 2011, the Houston Astros finished with their worst record ever, going just 56-106. In 2012 they broke that record by going 55-107. Few teams have had their two worst seasons consecutively, and the combined record of 111-213 is awfully ugly. Obviously it's the worst back-to-back stretch in their franchise history*, but how does it stack up with the worst back-to-back campaigns by other teams? Here's a look at each franchise's very worst consecutive seasons, along with other info on bad back-to-back records in baseball history.*This post was written before the start of the 2013 season, but has been update to include that season, in which the Astros broke their franchise record for worst season for the third straight year.
This is the second entry in my look at the worst records in modern history (from 1901). The first entry looked at the worst single seasons. Some teams played in different cities or under different names at other times in history, so I've made note of those things where applicable. Also, ties used to be a semi-regular occurrence in baseball, teams in early 20th century would often finish with 3 or 4 of them. I'm ignoring all ties for this series, for what that's worth. The sixteen "original" teams (the teams that played in 1901) are starred in the chart below, other franchises are listed with their first year of play.
Each Franchise's Worst Back-to-Back Records:
Team | Seasons | W-L (W%) | Notes |
Baltimore Orioles* | 1910-11 | 92-214 (.301) | St. Louis Browns |
Boston Red Sox* | 1925-26 | 93-212 (.305) | |
Chicago White Sox* | 1931-32 | 105-199 (.345) | |
Cleveland Indians* | 1914-15 | 108-197 (.354) | Cleveland Naps |
Detroit Tigers* | 2002-03 | 98-225 (.303) | |
Houston Astros (1962) | 2012-13 | 106-218 (.327) | |
Kansas City Royals (1969) | 2004-05 | 114-210 (.352) | |
Los Angeles Angels (1961) | 1968-69 | 138-186 (.426) | California Angels |
Minnesota Twins* | 1903-04 | 81-207 (.281) | Washington Senators |
New York Yankees* | 1912-13 | 107-196 (.353) | Highlanders/Yankees |
Oakland Athletics* | 1915-16 | 79-226 (.259) | Philadelphia Athletics |
Seattle Mariners (1977) | 1977-78 | 120-202 (.373) | |
Tampa Bay Rays (1998) | 2001-02 | 117-206 (.362) | Tampa Bay Devil Rays |
Texas Rangers (1961) | 1972-73 | 111-205 (.351) | |
Toronto Blue Jays (1977) | 1978-79 | 112-211 (.347) | |
Arizona Diamondbacks (1998) | 2004-05 | 128-196 (.395) | |
Atlanta Braves* | 1911-12 | 96-208 (.316) | Boston Rustlers/Braves |
Chicago Cubs* | 1980-81 | 102-163 (.385) | |
Cincinnati Reds* | 1933-34 | 110-193 (.363) | |
Colorado Rockies (1993) | 2004-05 | 135-189 (.417) | |
Los Angeles Dodgers* | 1904-05 | 104-201 (.341) | Brooklyn Superbas |
Miami Marlins (1993) | 1998-99 | 118-206 (.364) | Florida Marlins |
Milwaukee Brewers (1969) | 2001-02, 2002-03 | 124-200 (.383) | |
New York Mets (1962) | 1962-63 | 91-231 (.283) | |
Philadelphia Phillies* | 1941-42 | 85-220 (.279) | |
Pittsburgh Pirates* | 1952-53 | 92-216 (.299) | |
San Diego Padres (1969) | 1969-70 | 115-209 (.355) | |
San Francisco Giants* | 1901-02 | 100-173 (.366) | New York Giants |
St. Louis Cardinals* | 1907-08 | 101-206 (.329) | |
Washington Nationals (1969) | 2008-09 | 118-205 (.365) |
The Angels and Rockies have the "best" bad back-to-backs, which is especially impressive for the Angels, because they've been around since 1961 and their worst consecutive seasons aren't particularly bad. Would you believe that among the sixteen original teams, the Cubs have the best mark? And among the American League teams, it's the Indians who hold that distinction. Those franchises may not have won a World Series in decades and decades (1908 for the Cubs, 1948 for the Indians), but they've got this.
Among the sixteen original teams, only the Cubs and Tigers have had their worst back-to-back records since expansion began in 1961. In fact, nine of the sixteen teams had their worst marks by 1916. Teams just don't lose like they used to. For further evidence of that, take a look at the next chart.
Worst Back-to-Back Records in Modern History:
Rank | Seasons | Team | W-L (W%) |
t19 | 1909-10 | Boston Doves (Braves) | 98-208 (.320) |
t19 | 1911-12 | St. Louis Browns (Orioles) | 98-208 (.320) |
t19 | 1938-39 | St. Louis Browns (Orioles) | 98-208 (.320) |
18 | 1910-11 | Boston Doves/Rustlers (Braves) | 97-207 (.319) |
17 | 1964-65 | New York Mets | 103-221 (.318) |
16 | 1926-27 | Boston Red Sox | 97-210 (.316) |
15 | 1911-12 | Boston Rustlers/Braves | 96-208 (.316) |
14 | 1939-40 | Philadelphia Phillies | 95-209 (.313) |
13 | 1927-28 | Philadelphia Phillies | 94-212 (.307) |
12 | 1925-26 | Boston Red Sox | 93-212 (.305) |
11 | 2002-03 | Detroit Tigers | 98-225 (.303) |
10 | 1940-41 | Philadelphia Phillies | 93-214 (.303) |
9 | 1910-11 | St. Louis Browns (Orioles) | 92-214 (.301) |
8 | 1938-39 | Philadelphia Phillies | 90-211 (.299) |
7 | 1952-53 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 92-216 (.299) |
6 | 1916-17 | Philadelphia Athletics | 91-215 (.297) |
5 | 1919-20 | Philadelphia Athletics | 84-210 (.286) |
4 | 1962-63 | New York Mets | 91-231 (.283) |
3 | 1903-04 | Washington Senators (Twins) | 81-207 (.281) |
2 | 1941-42 | Philadelphia Phillies | 85-220 (.279) |
1 | 1915-16 | Philadelphia Athletics | 79-226 (.259) |
Of those, the 21 worst marks in modern history, only one took place in the last forty years. I hope that helps you appreciate how unique those awful Detroit teams from a decade ago were, no one under the age of fifty has seen baseball that bad in consecutive seasons. 17 of these 21 back-to-backs are from before the end of World War II, so let's take a look at only the more recent bad stretches.
Worst Back-to-Back Records of Expansion Era (1961-present):
Rank | Seasons | Team | W-L (W%) |
10 | 2004-05 | Kansas City Royals | 114-210 (.352) |
9 | 1972-73 | Texas Rangers | 111-205 (.351) |
8 | 1977-78 | Toronto Blue Jays | 113-209 (.351) |
7 | 1978-79 | Toronto Blue Jays | 112-211 (.347) |
6 | 2011-12 | Houston Astros | 111-213 (.343) |
5 | 2012-13 | Houston Astros | 106-218 (.327) |
4 | 1963-64 | New York Mets | 104-220 (.321) |
3 | 1964-65 | New York Mets | 103-221 (.318) |
2 | 2002-03 | Detroit Tigers | 98-225 (.303) |
1 | 1962-63 | New York Mets | 91-231 (.283) |
The Mets really were something in their first few seasons, weren't they? And there are the 2011-12 (and now 2012-13) Astros. The Astros have not only had their two three worst seasons, they had the very worst record in baseball in each of the last two three years too. How often has that trick been pulled off?
Worst Record in Baseball in Consecutive Seasons:
1903* and 1904: Washington Senators (Twins)
1915 and 1916: Philadelphia Athletics
1919 and 1920: Philadelphia Athletics
1925, 1926, and 1927*: Boston Red Sox
1927* and 1928: Philadelphia Phillies
1940, 1941, and 1942: Philadelphia Phillies
1944 and 1945: Philadelphia Phillies
1952 and 1953: Pittsburgh Pirates
1957, 1958, and 1959: Washington Senators (Twins)
1962, 1963, 1964, and 1965: New York Mets
1972 and 1973: Texas Rangers
1985 and 1986: Pittsburgh Pirates
2001* and 2002*: Tampa Bay Devil Rays
2002* and 2003: Detroit Tigers
2006 and 2007: Tampa Bay Devil Rays
2008 and 2009: Washington Nationals
2011, 2012, 2013: Houston Astros
*: Tied for worst record
The Astros have become the first team since those early Mets to finish with the very worst record in three consecutive seasons. I'll look at the worst three-season stretches in the next entry of this series.
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