Are the 2013 Marlins the Worst Team in Baseball History?

Their record is now 1-8, putting them on path for an 18 victory season, meaning they would lose 144 games, far beyond the present record holder, the hapless 1962 Mets, which lost an astonishing 120 games. My buddy R predicted last December the 2013 Marlins would win 39 and lose 123 – a prediction that now seems highly optimistic. But note this: Game by game, they're still doing better than the '62 Mets, a spanking new expansion team. The Mets went 0-9 before they won a game.

And now comes the bad news ...

My buddy, H, commented this morning: "Give it up for the only 0-3 team in baseball. This is inept franchise management at its worst. No long-term plan. This isn't rebuilding. With rebuilding, you develop young players over a period of time. And you don't look this hopeless. Only one player on this team would scare any pitcher. And none of our pitchers scares anyone." My response: "I agree completely. Tampa and Washington methodically built up solid teams. Upper management for Marlins is just clueless: Bad drafts, bad plans or no plans, bad trades. The scary thing is that the Washington series showed the Marlins at their best. In NY, we are going to see two pitchers who are the minor league subs for two pretty awful pitchers who are injured. Now things could get really bad. I am thinking of myself as Joe Boyd, the hero of The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, who listened to the Washington Senators year after year on his radio in the 1950s. The Senators finished first in the AL in 1933. They finished second in 1945. But for most of the rest of the time until they left Wash in 1960, they were at the bottom of the AL. But, uh, Joe had a dream as he listened to those games ... And they can't take 1997 and 2003 away from us. So take that, Cub fans."

Now We're Getting Historic

Remember how bad the Marlins in 2011 were? Rivaling Bums of Brooklyn, Washington Senators, the Philly teams of earlier eras, not to mention the St. Louis Browns. They were so laughably bad that ....

BY CLARK SPENCER

CSPENCER@MIAMIHERALD.COM

SEATTLE -- In what has become a month of endless defeats, the Marlins discovered a new way to lose on Sunday. While in the process of intentionally walking a batter in the 10th inning, rookie reliever Steve Cishek uncorked a wild pitch that enabled the deciding run to score in a 2-1 loss to the Mariners.
It’s becoming that kind of season.
“There can’t be too many other ways (to lose), right?” said catcher John Buck, who was behind the plate when Cishek’s third pitch to Carlos Peguero with one out in the 10th sailed past him. “We got that one crossed off the list, so hopefully that’ll be it.”
Said manager Jack McKeon, who has managed in five different decades in the majors: “I have never had it happen to me, in all my years – 60 years. I’ve seen it on television. I’ve never had it against me or for me. Tough.”


Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/26/2286186/florida-marlins-june-slump-continues.html#ixzz1Qf5UuVKk

Dem Bums

So my friend French, who used to post on this blog, has given up on the Fish. "Boring," he calls them. Says he'll probably never go to another game at the stadium formerly known as Joe Robbie. This came up when I invited him to come with me to the Angels game last Monday night. I went. One hour, 43 minute rain delay. I decided to go before I knew Jack would be managing his first game in his second stint. I entered the parking lot even as rain drops fell on the windshield. They lost. I went again Wednesday night with my friend Orlando. They lost. On Friday, I was talking to Richie, the world's greatest auto mechanic. He grew up in Brooklyn. People supported the Dodgers through thick and thin. "They were our team." A lot of awful years they had, and then the heartbreaking Series losses to the Yankees. But people showed up to see their beloved Bums, and that's why I'm showing up for these miserable Fish.

Clutch ?

Cody Ross never had a great batting average with Fish, but somehow fans chanted his name in the late innings, because he seemed to come through. Now, in this dismal month of June with its record losses, look at these performances with runners in scoring position and two outs (for 2011, according to sports illustrated stats): LoMo is 0 for 11, Helms 1 for 8 (.125), Buck is 5 for 27 (.185), Stanton .189, Dobbs and Bonifacio are .240 (6 for 25), Gabby at .281, Hanley at .296 and Brett Hayes at .333 (3 for 9). Hanley, for his miserable at bats is the leading starter when it comes to the clutch.

Andrew Miller RIP

On Wednesday, Andrew Miller pitched three innings against the Atlanta Braves, giving up four hits, four bases on balls, four runs. He was the loser. It was probably his last start of the year, leaving him with a record of 1-5 with an ERA of 8.54. He is out of options, meaning he cannot be sent to the minors next year against his will.

An informative blog, mlbcontracts.blogspot.com, reports that from his 2006 contract, Miller is receiving $1,790,219 this year. And get this: He has a clause where he can opt out of his contract and go to arbitration if he so chooses. Whatcha wanna bet?

Pinch hitting

Wes Helms, Hector Luna ... pinch hitters and miserable at it... that's what was happening in ninth tuesday night against Marlins. So I looked it up at espn.com -- Marlins pinch-hitting batting average is next to last in the National League. Another measure of failure in clutch hitting.