04/16/24
April 24, 2007
Nobody's better at losing than the Phillies.: Join in the fun and help them celebrate 10,000 losses as a franchise.
posted by mr_crash_davis to baseball at 03:43 PM - 13 comments
Real phans, baby. Real phans. It's easy for you toolbags to root for the Yankees or to whine about the Red Sox. But not everyone has what it takes to root for the losingest franchise in sports. (Well, Red Sox fans might. And Cubs fans might understand too. The Devil Rays fan probably does too, but I can't get in touch with him.) Back in '93, I was a freshman at the University of South Carolina, which is Braves country. Someone called me a front-runner. By the time my laughing fit calmed to the point where I could speak, they'd already wandered off.
posted by SummersEve at 04:11 PM on April 24, 2007
Congrats Phillies, thats a very inspiring milestone. I'll cherish it and tell my kids and grandkids how i was alive when it happened. " Ahhhh have i ever told you little runts that i was fifteen when the the Phillies notched thier 10,000 loss, touched my heart.......Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z."
posted by TelamarketersBeware at 04:16 PM on April 24, 2007
Looking here, the Phils have some clubs nipping at their 5-digit heels. Braves: 9646 losses Cubs: 9394 Pirates: 9301 Reds: 9296 Cardinals: 9121 And the Phillies' winning percentage (.468) is not the worst ever: Rangers: .468 Rockies: .464 Padres: .462 Devil Rays: .398 And none of those latter teams have a World Series win to brag about. (Amazingly, the Florida Marlins -- with 2 championships -- are barely better with a .473 mark.) I have always been of the opinion that five-digit losers are better than four-digit losers. It's like a pitcher who loses 20 in a season -- you had to have something going on to have the opportunity to get there at all. One city, one nickname (I don't count their flirtations with "Quakers" or "Blue Jays"), 125 seasons, 10,000 losses. Congratulations, Phillies. You, uh... earned it?
posted by The Crafty Sousepaw at 04:40 PM on April 24, 2007
Looking at Crafty's link I have just realized that there are only eight teams with more World Series wins than the Tigers. Who would've thought. Props to the Phillies I guess. All those years and only one championship. Such a shame.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 05:16 PM on April 24, 2007
As a born and bred Philadelphian, home for vacation in the City of Brotherly love, I am usually filled with angst and regret over my beloved Phightin Phils. Heck, at least they won something!!(insert tongue in cheek) We also have a World Series ring, only a meager 27 years ago. I went to that parade as a six year old, saw Tug McGraw and Schmidtty and the rest of the gang, with my hat and glove on. Went to a game in '83 and another in '93(damn Mitch Williams...and Joe Carter) and the feeling in the Vet was palpable electricity. WHEN they win it this year(casual grin with underlying Philly doubt) you can bet yer britches I will be at that one too, sans mitt of course, I'm not that pathetic.
posted by GoBirds at 06:30 PM on April 24, 2007
I went to NLDS Game 5 between the Yankees and the A's in 2001. Sat in the upper deck, near the foul pole in right field. Talking to the guy in front of me. He says, "Wait if you're not a Yankees fan, who do you like?" I said the Phillies. He looked at me as though I was messing with him, realized I was serious and said, "Wow. That's admirable."
posted by SummersEve at 07:08 PM on April 24, 2007
I went to NLDS Game 5 between the Yankees and the A's in 2001. Wouldn't that be the ALDS Game 5?
posted by tommybiden at 07:54 PM on April 24, 2007
Obviously.
posted by SummersEve at 03:08 AM on April 25, 2007
Surely there's a soccer team somewhere on this planet that has lost 1,000 games.
posted by Newbie Walker at 02:14 PM on April 25, 2007
And your point would be...?
posted by The_Black_Hand at 04:42 PM on April 25, 2007
Looking here, the Phils have some clubs nipping at their 5-digit heels. Braves: 9646 losses Cubs: 9394 Pirates: 9301 Reds: 9296 Cardinals: 9121 We're 33 games shy. The next closest is 354 games shy. "nipping"? See you in six years, winners.
posted by ssflanders at 08:40 AM on April 26, 2007
That in the world's biggest sport there is an equivalent loser. When the obsessives at Yahoo Answers get back to me I'll let you know. Or maybe I'm just trying to get over the Dodgers losing their 8,900th game on opening day.
posted by Newbie Walker at 04:21 AM on April 27, 2007
/Opens lawn chair. /Pours beer. /Waits for awkward segue to Santa Claus. (Oops. Was that it?)