Peterson Sorenson
Baseball’s long history includes moments of triumph and seasons best left in the rearview mirror. These 10 tough years showcase how even the most storied franchises have faced their share of setbacks and revealed the challenges and resilience required in America’s favorite pastime.
1899 Cleveland Spiders
Imagine a team doing so badly that opponents stopped showing up. The Spiders’ 20-134 record was a comedy of errors, literally. With a .130 winning percentage, they hold the dubious honor of MLB’s worst season ever after owners moved all their best players to another team they owned.
1916 Philadelphia Athletics
This season saw the Athletics achieve a grim 36-117 record, the worst in American League history. As for manager Connie Mack, he sold star players to cut costs, leaving fans to endure a lineup of inexperienced rookies. The result was an offense as lifeless as the Dead Ball Era itself.
1932 Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox failed utterly at a 43-111 record. Fans had little to cheer about as the team struggled in almost every part of the game. Ironically, this season paved the way for the acquisition of Ted Williams a few years later—so maybe it wasn’t all bad.
1935 Boston Braves
Amid the Great Depression, the Braves mustered a feeble 38-115 record. Financial woes forced star players to leave, which left a roster full of rookies and has-beens. Notably, their attendance dipped so low that games felt like secret meetings rather than public events.
1942 Philadelphia Phillies
Even the global turmoil of the time couldn’t overshadow the Phillies’ disastrous 42-109 season. In this season, many top players were drafted into army service, and the team relied on teenagers and aging veterans. The result? It was one of the worst offenses in MLB history and a season best forgotten.
1952 Pittsburgh Pirates
With a 42-112 record, the Pirates delivered a painful reminder that rebuilding takes time. Followers endured sloppy defense and an offense incapable of driving in runs. There was only one upside: they laid the groundwork for a brighter future.
1962 New York Mets
In their debut season, they set a modern-era record with 120 losses. Manager Casey Stengel famously asked, “Can’t anybody here play this game?” Fans saw comical fielding errors and pitchers who couldn’t find the strike zone. Somehow, this disaster grew into a franchise icon.
1965 New York Mets
Three years after their infamous debut, the Mets were still comically bad. Their 50-112 record featured moments so absurd fans nicknamed them the “Amazin’ Mets”—ironically, of course. It was a slow march to competence. But at least people got plenty of free entertainment from the blunders.
2003 Detroit Tigers
At a 43-119 record, the Tigers narrowly avoided tying the 1962 Mets for most losses. They hit rock bottom in nearly every statistical category. It prompted desperate trades and managerial changes. On the bright side, fans got discounted tickets. Misery loves company, after all.
2024 Chicago White Sox
A shiny new ballpark couldn’t distract from their 121-loss nightmare, breaking the Mets’ record. Players seemed stuck in a never-ending slump, and fan attendance hit historic lows. That season became the textbook example of how not to rebuild a franchise in modern baseball.
