Revisiting the Astros and Three Straight 100-Loss Seasons

In March, I wrote about the Astros' "pursuit" of baseball history and a potential third consecutive 100-loss season.

Lo and behold, Houston has been dismal this year, with the worst pitching staff in the majors and a defense that is battling it out with the White Sox for the most-errors trophy*.

* This trophy, awarded yearly to the team that makes the most errors in baseball, is a pewter figurine depicting the home run bouncing off Jose Canseco's head. On the base of the trophy is a hologram of this gif playing endlessly. 

Where was I? Oh yes, rejoice baseball fans! With Houston's 10-0 loss to Cincinnati, the Astros have clinched their third straight 100-loss season! They are the 17th team to hit triple-digits three years in a row, however if you look at the list below it's really more like 12 teams:

Team	From	To	Losses
Houston Astros	2011	2013	313**
Kansas City Royals	2004	2006	310
Toronto Blue Jays	1977	1979	318
*New York Mets	1963	1965	332
*New York Mets	1962	1964	340
*Washington Senators	1962	1964	307
*Washington Senators	1961	1963	307
Pittsburgh Pirates	1952	1954	317
*Philadelphia Phillies	1940	1942	323
*Philadelphia Phillies	1939	1941	320
*Philadelphia Phillies	1938	1940	314
Boston Red Sox	1925	1927	315
Boston Braves	1922	1924	300
Philadelphia A's	1919	1921	310
St. Louis Browns	1910	1912	315
*Boston Braves	1910	1912	308
*Boston Braves	1909	1911	315

I've included asterisks for teams like the 1962-1965 Mets, who had four straight seasons and make the list twice (for years 1-3 and for years 2-4). They are joined by the 1909-12 Doves/Rustlers/Braves, the 1961-64 Senators 2.0, and the 1938-42 Phillies. The Phils hold the distinction of losing 100 games in five consecutive seasons.

Houston is only the second team since the original Blue Jays to go 100-100-100. Even with the slightly longer season, the list is dominated by teams from the days when there was less parity in the game.

Nine Astros saw action in all three seasons and they are: Jose Altuve, Carlos Corporan, Lucas Harrell, Jordan Lyles, J.D. Martinez, Bud Norris, Jimmy Paredes, Brett Wallace and Wesley Wright. Norris and Wright were dealt up in the standings earlier this year (to Baltimore and Tampa Bay, respectively) and were not present for the 100th loss, but they were there in spirit. They're all well behind Hall of Famer Chuck Klein, who was the only player to spend time with the Phillies during all five seasons of their record streak.

Here are the same teams listed by total losses in their three-year span:

Team	From	To	Losses
New York Mets	1962	1964	340
New York Mets	1963	1965	332
Philadelphia Phillies	1940	1942	323
Philadelphia Phillies	1939	1941	320
Toronto Blue Jays	1977	1979	318
Pittsburgh Pirates	1952	1954	317
Boston Braves	1909	1911	315
St. Louis Browns	1910	1912	315
Boston Red Sox	1925	1927	315
Philadelphia Phillies	1938	1940	314
Houston Astros	2011	2013	313**
Kansas City Royals	2004	2006	310
Philadelphia A's	1919	1921	310
Boston Braves	1910	1912	308
Washington Senators	1961	1963	307
Washington Senators	1962	1964	307
Boston Braves	1922	1924	300

The Astros will likely jump half of the remaining teams ahead of them and reach that upper (lower?) echelon of truly wretched clubs by season's end. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, as the rebuilding effort has gone well. Their six highest minor league affiliates all made the postseason and their farm system is regarded as one of the best in the game. Come 2014 I don't think they'll become the fifth team to drop 100 in four straight seasons.

Here is the list one more time with each team's seasonal loss total:

Team	Year	Losses
Boston Doves/Rustlers/Braves	1909	108
	1910	100
	1911	107
	1912	101
Boston Braves	1922	100
	1923	100
	1924	100
Boston Red Sox	1925	105
	1926	107
	1927	103
Kansas City Royals	2004	104
	2005	106
	2006	100
Houston Astros	2011	106
	2012	107
	2013	**100
New York Mets	1962	120
	1963	111
	1964	109
	1965	112
Philadelphia A's	1919	104
	1920	106
	1921	100
Philadelphia Phillies	1938	105
	1939	106
	1940	103
	1941	111
	1942	109
Pittsburgh Pirates	1952	112
	1953	104
	1954	101
St. Louis Browns	1910	107
	1911	107
	1912	101
Washington Senators	1961	100
	1962	101
	1963	106
	1964	100
Toronto Blue Jays	1977	107
	1978	102
	1979	109