Los Tres Triste Tigres

    So maybe it's unfair to compare the 2013 Marlins, a team that has been developing (?!) for 20 years with the 1962 Mets, an expansion team just getting their feet on the ground with ol' Casey as their character-manager.
 
    Maybe the 2013 Marlins should be compared with the losing-est team in baseball that was NOT an expansion team. That would be the 2003 Detroit Tigers, which lost 119 games, one fewer than the '62 Mets.
   
     In an article on the worst teams in baseball history, Bleacher Report notes of the '03 Tigers: “Only designated hitter Dmitri Young had a good season with the bat as this team … were last in the American League in every batting category. Their pitching was slightly better being only near the bottom in every category, but having the last 20 game loser over the last 30 years in Mike Moroth. Ironically, Maroth led the 2003 Tigers starters in wins (9) and winning percentage (.300)!”
    
     Worse, the Tigers farm system was developing a pattern of with what we might call “just-miss” prospects.
    
     Only a miracle – a savior coming out of nowhere – could resurrect the Tigers system. And that's what they got, several years later, starting them down the road to the highly competitive team they are today. More about that later.

    After Wednesday night's loss to the Nats, again managing only one run, the 2013 Marlins are 3-12. The 2003 Tigers at this point were 1-14, the '62 Mets were 3-12.

      As of Thursday morning, Marlins have scored 32 runs in 15 games, or 2.13 runs a game. The record for lowest number of runs/season is held by the 1908 St. Louis Cards, during the “dead ball era.” Those Cards average 2.42 runs per game.