The Orioles reached the 50 loss mark Sunday. The 2003 Tigers made it to 50 losses two games sooner, and were 17-52 after 69 games. Those Tigers were hitting .221/.286/.334 at this point, compared to the Orioles .249/.310/.362. Note that the Tigers and Orioles walked at about the same rate and collected extra base hits at about the same rate, the 2003 Tigers just knocked out fewer hits. On the pitching side, Orioles opponents posted a .284/.350/.461 slash line, while the Tigers gave up a .262/.330/.426 slash line. Again, the difference between the two teams is the number of hits they allow, although in this case the Orioles do allow a bit more power. The Orioles are scoring and allowing runs at a higher level, but the difference between offense and defense is about the same.
Note that Juan Samuel has not made a bit of difference yet. Baltimore is 4-11 under him, a .267 winning percentage. They are .275 over all. This team needs a lot more work than a new manager.
The only reason the O’s are chasing 2003 Tiger infamy is because they play in the 2010 AL East, where three teams are on a pace for 98 wins or better. Detroit lost 119 games in a very mediocre AL Central where the division leader only won 90 games.
Thanks to MLB’s unbalanced schedule Baltimore has played 46 out of 69 games so far where their opponents had winning records the day of the game. As a comparison The Royals and Astros have both faced winning teams in 38 of their 70 games, and the Pirates only 30 out of 69 games.
If Pittsburgh was in the AL East they’d lose 130 games this year easy.
Wonder if Samuel will be fired as well before the end of the season.
As a Tiger fan, all I can say is “I’m glad it’s them and not us”. We did our time in purgatory. Every now and then, the Tigers are playing one of the bottom feeders, and they walk a couple of guys, and then somebody boots a double play ball, and then Maggs or Cabrerra hits a shot to the fence, and the outfielder misses the relay man or throws it into the dugout and three or four runs score when there really should already have been three outs. . . . . and then I remember 2003 and I think that being a little frustratingly inconsistent or losing out to the Twins on the last day of the season really isn’t so bad.
“The only reason the O’s are chasing 2003 Tiger infamy is because they play in the 2010 AL East, where three teams are on a pace for 98 wins or better.”
Think you’ve got cause and effect backwards there.
He does have a point, though. The Orioles would have a better record if they weren’t playing in the AL East. I’m not sure Toronto couldn’t win the AL Central if they were in it, and they’re fourth in the East.
Baseball should just do away with the divisions, re-balance the schedules, and at the end of the season, the four teams with the best records go to the playoffs.
That said, the Orioles have a long way to go before anything in that regard is going to matter.