11/05/24
September 07, 2003
For the Tigers, historic disgrace now looks inevitable.: With 104 losses and 21 games left to play, the Detroit Tigers are on a pace to lose the most games and post the lowest winning percentage in their 103-year history and surpass the post-1900 record of 120 losses by the 1962 New York Mets. They have the first pitcher to lose 20 games in 23 years and they benched another pitcher with 18 losses. They suck so bad they're a topic on an NHL discussion board. Sports Illustrated looks at their competition for Worst Team Ever. Me, I'm rooting for them to lose at least 121. If you're going to be this bad, why not just be the Worst Ever?
posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 01:49 AM - 11 comments
This is the ultimate rebuilding year, right?
posted by billsaysthis at 12:15 PM on September 07, 2003
The problem is, they really have NOTHING to rebuild with. They have some decent young pitchers, but there is no such thing as a pitching prospect (due to injuries and various problems with pitching at each level of the minors). It's the hitting...oh lord, do they have bad hitters. Majors, minors...it doesn't matter, they stink. And I heard the announcers on today's game say that they might be in the market for some free agent hitters in the off season. That's the WORST way to go about fixing things. What they should do is try and draft/deal for young hitters (college, not high school) and just tough it out.
posted by grum@work at 06:01 PM on September 07, 2003
I disagree, they really need to go after a few veteran bats this winter. No they wont get a superstar slugger, but they have basically fielded a minor league team this year. You need to mix a blend of veterans and young players. If you just have young players, they have no one to learn from.
posted by Fluxcore at 07:53 PM on September 07, 2003
there is no such thing as a pitching prospect In the minors, maybe. However, Bonderman and Maroth seem like solid prospects to me. Remeber each of those guys should probably be dominating in AA or AAA rather than facing major league hitters right now.
posted by yerfatma at 06:16 AM on September 08, 2003
Yeah, but won't that hurt their development? At least, that's the theory about bringing pitchers up to quickly - they get shattered confidences. There appears, short of an act of God, no way these guys won't lose 100 games next year, either. AL Cy Young debate - Loaiza shouldn't win it - he's faced the Tigers 6 firggin' times this year. Only 12 of his starts have come against teams with winning records. I'd rather give it to Halladay. 2nd in strikeouts (behind Pedro), 2nd in walks (benhind Boomer), 6 in ERA, 2 in complete games, T-1 wins, 1 in innings pitched - though if Tim Hudson had any more wins (if he could get to 18 or so) it would be his. I just don't see any clear cut winners - it's almosst by default.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 11:37 AM on September 08, 2003
The Tigers may break the Mets' record, but the Mets will always be the worst team in my heart.
posted by Joey Michaels at 02:58 PM on September 08, 2003
Joey Michaels, Watch a Tigers game...it might just change you mind...
posted by MeatSaber at 12:17 PM on September 09, 2003
Deal. I'll report back once I've caught one.
posted by Joey Michaels at 06:52 PM on September 09, 2003
(Sorry - I am using 'Deal' in the archaic 'It's a deal' sense, not in the modern 'deal with it' sense - just to clarify!)
posted by Joey Michaels at 06:53 PM on September 09, 2003
This is why American sport needs promotion and relegation. If the worst teams in the NL and AL were to be relegated to AAA, and the best teams in the minors promoted to the majors, then you wouldn't get teams like the Reds or Pirates offloading their rosters after the All-Star break, knowing that they might get something out of the draft next season. (It's interesting that the Durham Bulls -- a Tampa Bay affiliate -- won the International League playoffs this year...) And yes, I know that the minor league teams are almost all affiliates, but how about creating actual disincentives for self-destructive failure?
posted by etagloh at 10:57 AM on September 13, 2003
Tough loss against the Jays yesterday by the sounds of it. 1-0 in 10 innings. Halladay only had to make 99 pitches in a complete game 3 hitter. When the Tigers starter throws a 5 hitter through 9 shutout innings and the team can't score a run that must be very disappointing when Tigers pitching efforts like that must be in very short supply this year.