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| Author |
Message |
| 25 new of 116 responses total. |
carson
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response 10 of 116:
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Aug 30 16:05 UTC 2003 |
([I've been informed that the '99 Cleveland Spiders lost their 100th
game on September 1st, 1899. they were in the National League, so it
looks as if there's still an American League record to be broken. the AL
didn't come into existence until after the turn of the century.)
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albaugh
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response 11 of 116:
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Aug 30 19:26 UTC 2003 |
Last night (Fri Aug 29) the Tigers doubled up the Chisox 8-4 at the COPA,
moving their record to 34-99, 9 wins away from "safety".
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carson
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response 12 of 116:
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Aug 31 03:06 UTC 2003 |
View hidden response.
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carson
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response 13 of 116:
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Aug 31 03:24 UTC 2003 |
(so the Tigers lost their 100th game tonight, making them the earliest AL
team to 100 losses ever. they're also the second team to lose 100 games
before September, joining the aforementioned 1962 New York Mets.)
(on the plus side, I've noticed that the local sportscasters don't even
bother with asking the Tigers why they lose after each game. in fact, I
remember one newscast where the sports guy really talked them up, focusing
on the home runs and double plays before closing with "but they lost
anyway.")
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albaugh
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response 14 of 116:
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Aug 31 18:18 UTC 2003 |
Yep, they now have the same record as the hapless Mets after 134 games:
34 wins, 100 losses. Need to go at least 9-19 the rest of the way...
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jep
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response 15 of 116:
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Sep 1 03:01 UTC 2003 |
This item is #184 in the Summer 2003 Agora, and #124 in sports.
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jep
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response 16 of 116:
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Sep 1 03:09 UTC 2003 |
I have been dreading the 120 game loss record since May. I kept
expecting they'd have a winning streak, but it hasn't happened. I
don't believe it will happen now.
The Tigers have a few abysmal records they can set:
* 120 losses is the most in modern baseball, as mentioned
* 40 wins is the least in modern baseball
& The .250 winning percentage of the Mets is another mark to avoid
The Cleveland Spiders were not part of "modern baseball". That began
in 1901 when the American League was started. This is why the 1962
Mets are cited in newspaper articles about "worst teams ever", and the
Spiders are occasionally mentioned as a footnote.
I think 120 losses is inevitable for this team at this point. There
is no hope for anyone in the organization to lead the team to 9 more
victories. They've all quite justifiably given up on the season.
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albaugh
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response 17 of 116:
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Sep 2 04:12 UTC 2003 |
The Tigers lost twice again this holiday weekend, 8-4 Sunday to the Chisox,
7-4 today to the Tribe (both at the COPA). With their now 34-102 record, the
Freep says that they will join the Philly A's as the only teams to have
clinched last place in their division as early as Sept. 1. Based on their
record so far this season, I don't see how they can achieve 9-19...
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gelinas
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response 18 of 116:
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Sep 2 04:32 UTC 2003 |
I'm kind of hoping they'll set all of those records: less than forty wins,
more than 120 losses, and worse than .250. That way, they'll have it all
behind them, with no where to go but up.
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albaugh
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response 19 of 116:
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Sep 2 04:54 UTC 2003 |
Dunno - we've been thinking for years that it couldn't get any worse! :-)
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carson
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response 20 of 116:
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Sep 2 15:52 UTC 2003 |
(I agree with #18 and #19.)
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jep
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response 21 of 116:
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Sep 2 15:58 UTC 2003 |
The Tigers have to play 28 games in September. As far as I know, none
are postponements which won't be made up.
Their remaining games are against:
Sep 2-4 Cleveland (next worst team in the AL Central)
Sep 5-7 at Toronto (68-69; middle of the pack and out of contention
in the AL East)
Sep 9-11 at New York (best record in the AL)
Sep 12-14 Kansas City (still contending for the division)
Sep 16-18 Toronto
Sep 19-21 at Minnesota (still contending for the division)
Sep 22-24 at Kansas City
Sep 25-28 Minnesota
So most of the teams we'll be playing have a reason to want to play
well. The Tigers don't really care, and haven't for a long time, aside
from a few guys like Dmitri Young and Bobby Higginson, who don't like
to quit, and some of the young guys who can play for next year or even
hope to get traded.
In my estimation, the Tigers are likely to win maybe 2-3 more games
this year. Three wins leaves them with a record of 37-125. I consider
the 120 loss season to be pretty well clinched at this point.
I *hate* the idea of the Tigers having these records for horrid
baseball. My earliest memories of baseball are Al Kaline, Norm Cash
and Mickey Lolich winning the 1968 World Series. I'm afraid my son's
are going to be of this year.
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krj
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response 22 of 116:
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Sep 2 22:16 UTC 2003 |
Is there any reason to expect much improvement for the 2004 season?
It would probably be hard to get to 120 losses again, but 100 losses
would seem to be well within grasp. :/
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jep
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response 23 of 116:
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Sep 3 02:08 UTC 2003 |
The Tigers need better players. They don't have them inside the
system, for sure, with maybe one or two exceptions, so if they're to
improve for next year, they need to bring in good free agents.
They've dumped (or certainly will dump) $17 million in salaries this
year; Damion Easley, Dean Palmer, Shane Halter and Craig Paquette.
The hope would come from the possibility that Mike Ilitch will use
some of that money to improve the ball club.
$17 million could bring a fair amount of improvement. Look a year
down the road, dump Bobby Higginson's $12 million salary, and a total
of $29 million could bring a *lot* of improvement. Baseball salaries
are depressed right now. You don't need to pay $25 million per year
(Alex Rodriguez money) to bring in a star.
Even so, it might be a vain hope. Ilitch invested a ton of his own
money to build Comerica Park, and his investment has not paid off in
attendance. He's losing money, but doesn't say how much he's losing.
The reason for the lack of attendance is lack of a quality ball team.
This team was, I believe, 2nd in total wins for the first 90 years of
it's existence. Detroiters are used to winning, or were 15 years
ago. And they *support* their winning baseball teams. The 1984-87
Tigers set records for attendance in baseball.
When he bought the Red Wings, Ilitch didn't start paying for salary
until they showed signs of becoming a good team. Obviously the Tigers
are not showing such signs.
Still, the hope exists that he'll get some better players. Ilitch is
a former Tiger minor league ballplayer, and the belief exists that he
loves baseball more than hockey. Also, he might be getting
embarrassed enough to do something. Baseball is not hockey; he's not
going to bring in surprise foreign player as he did in hockey and turn
the franchise into a world-beater.
I think we'll see maybe a 70 win team next year. It'll seem like a
huge improvement; it'll *be* a huge improvement. But 70 win teams are
still in last place in baseball.
I'm looking ahead to 2006. Building a baseball team takes time. We
could be watching a 90 game winner by then. Or not; so far Ilitch has
not achieved a winner in Detroit and so there's really no reason to
assume he ever will.
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albaugh
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response 24 of 116:
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Sep 3 20:24 UTC 2003 |
The Tigers beat Cleveland 8-6 last night (Tue Sept 2) at the COPA. Their
record is now 35-102. Before that game, I was thinking they would go 6-20
the rest of the way, to finish up 40-122, setting the loss anti-record.
What's *your* prediction?
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jep
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response 25 of 116:
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Sep 4 02:32 UTC 2003 |
I expect them to finish with 125 losses, so if they play all their
games, that's 37-125.
They won again tonight, in 12 innings, on a home run by Shane Halter.
6-5. So they're 36-102. I wrote the 125 game prediction before I
looked at the score for tonight's game, but I'm going to stick with it.
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albaugh
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response 26 of 116:
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Sep 4 17:04 UTC 2003 |
Only 7 wins away now from "safety", with 24 games in which to accomplish that.
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jep
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response 27 of 116:
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Sep 4 22:45 UTC 2003 |
They won again today. Hey, three in a row! It's looking possible
they'll win 40 games (they're at 37 now), and maybe even 43 -- the
number they'd have to win to avoid the 1962 Mets' record of 120 losses.
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albaugh
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response 28 of 116:
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Sep 5 18:19 UTC 2003 |
Yes, though they did try to give away the game with a 2-base error with 2 outs
in the 9th, they hung on for the win. They start a 3-game series in Toronto
this weekend. At 37-102, it looks like going at least 6-17 the rest of the
way is feasible, which would be fine with me.
Keep in mind that being regarded "the worst" is something you don't want.
Notice how everyone mentions the '62 Mets, not the 2nd or 3rd worst teams,
whoever they might be.
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albaugh
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response 29 of 116:
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Sep 8 16:43 UTC 2003 |
Just when you thought there was "hope", the Tigers lost all 3 at Toronto over
the weekend: 8-6, 1-0 (10), 8-0. That makes 'em 37-105 with 20 games to go.
That's 6 series, where they'll need to average 1 win per series for "safety".
Meanwhile, some coincidental humor:
http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/arlonjanis/archive/arlonjanis-20030906.ht
ml
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tod
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response 30 of 116:
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Sep 8 16:48 UTC 2003 |
This response has been erased.
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janc
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response 31 of 116:
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Sep 10 04:15 UTC 2003 |
No relation.
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carson
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response 32 of 116:
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Sep 10 05:49 UTC 2003 |
(son and dad, unless you meant "no relation to the comic strip.") ;)
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bruin
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response 33 of 116:
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Sep 10 13:30 UTC 2003 |
In the "Arlo & Janis" comic strip, Arlo and Janis are husband and wife.
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albaugh
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response 34 of 116:
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Sep 10 16:50 UTC 2003 |
The Tigers lost 4-2 to the Yankees last night in NYC (Tue Sept 9).
That makes 'em 37-106 with 19 games to go.
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