YOU STINK! Major League Baseball's Terrible Teams and Pathetic Players
By Michael Aubrecht and Eric Wittenberg. Release date: 2012 (The Kent State University Press).

Over the years, there have been countless studies published celebrating the best teams in professional baseball. Unfortunately, winning represents only one side of the game. For every champion's record-setting season, there has been an equally memorable loser's defeat. These teams and their shameful contributions to America's national pastime have been a neglected topic in the annals of baseball history.

As a result, two fanatical fans (who also happen to be historians), Michael Aubrecht and Eric Wittenberg have decided to give credit where it is far overdue with a satirical look at the worst teams ever to set foot on a diamond. This study will include detailed franchise origins, complete statistics, player profiles, and more, as well as a collection of long-format essays in a 'Hall of Shame' that will recognize some of the worst moments ever witnessed at a ball field. Read the author's vision.


Foreword: Dave Raymond (The Philly Phanatic)

Monument to Mediocrity:

  • Introduction 1: Wittenberg
  • Introduction 2: Aubrecht
Terrible Teams:
  • 1889 Louisville Colonels
  • 1898 St. Louis Browns
  • 1899 Cleveland Spiders
  • 1904 Washington Senators
  • 1932 Boston Red Sox
  • 1935 Boston Braves
  • 1916 Philadelphia Athletics
  • 1942 & 1961 Philadelphia Phillies
  • 1950-1954 Pittsburgh Pirates
  • 1962 New York Mets
  • 1969 Seattle Pilots
  • 1973 San Diego Padres
  • 1988 Baltimore Orioles
  • 1991 Cleveland Indians
  • 2003 Detroit Tigers

Hall of Shame:

  • Worst Season: 1884 Wilmington Quicksteps
  • Worst Investment: $100M 2008 Seattle Mariners
  • Worst Ending: Bud Selig and the 2002 All-Star Game Tie
  • Worst Collapse: 2007 New York Mets
  • Worst Pitching Staff: 1930 Philadelphia Phillies
  • Worst Scandal: 1919 Black Sox
  • Worst Call: Maris' 61 Asterisk
  • Worst Team Year In and Year Out: Pittsburgh Pirates and 17+ Straight Losing Seasons
  • Top 10 Worst Plays:
    • Buckner's Blooper
    • Fred Merkle's Boner
    • Pete Rose Ruins Ray Fosse
    • George Brett's Pine Tar Incident
    • Cap Anson's Racist Reluctance
    • Player's Strike ('72, '81, '94)
    • Ken Caminiti: MVP Steroids
    • Babe Slugs Umpire Brick Owens
    • Disco Demolition Night Debacle
    • Brooklyn Dodgers Go West
      • Honorable Mentions:
        • Joba Chamberlain: Lord of the Flies
        • The Juicers & Congress
        • Pedro Vs. Zim
        • Mickey Owen's Passed Ball
        • Mike Kekich and Fritz Peterson Swap
  • Worst Players:
    • Batter: Bill Bergen
    • Pitcher: Jim Hughey
    • Catcher: John Humphries
    • Fielder: Tony Suck
    • Grand Champion: Clarence “Choo Choo” Coleman
    • Owners: The Not-So-Mighty Quinns
Disappointment on the Diamond: A Timeline of Terribleness

Notable Quotables: Lines about Losing...

 

 

 

 


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