Will the Royals Ever Get It Turned Around?
5th June 2006
If Dayton Moore left the Braves so he could face a challenge, I’d say he picked a good one. In leaving his assistant GM position with the Braves for the uncomfortable chair of General Manager of the Royals, he may well be joining the worst organization in baseball.
The Royals are bad, horrible, appalling …We’ve simply run out of adjectives to describe just how truely bad they are.
And, not just worst today; the Royals are on track to be one of the worst in history.
As it stands, the Royals (currently 14-40) could very easily wind up with the worst single season record in the history of baseball. That means they are within striking distance of the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics.
Here’s some examples of baseball futility over the past century:
|
Year
|
Team
|
W-L
|
|
2003
|
Detroit Tigers
|
43-119
|
|
1962
|
NY Mets
|
40-120
|
|
1935
|
Boston Braves
|
38-115
|
|
1904
|
Washington Senators
|
38-113
|
|
1916
|
Philedelphia Athletics
|
36-117
|
Here’s what Moore is up against historically in terms of prior Royals GMs(courtesy of Bob Dutton’s article, Moore up for Challenge in the KC Star):
CEDRIC TALLIS
Jan. 16, 1968- June 10, 1974
|
Year
|
W-L
|
Division Finish
|
| 1969 | 69-93 | 4th |
| 1970 | 65-97 | 4th |
| 1971 | 85-76 | 2nd |
| 1972 | 76-78 | 4th |
| 1973 | 88-74 | 2nd |
| 1974 | 26-28 | (did not finish season) |
Totals 409-446 .478
JOE BURKE
June 11, 1974-Oct. 1981
|
Year
|
W-L
|
Division Finish
|
| 1974 | 51-57 | 5th * |
| 1975 | 91-71 | 2nd |
| 1976 | 90-72 | 1st |
| 1977 | 102-60 | 1st |
| 1978 | 92-70 | 1st |
| 1979 | 85-77 | 2nd |
| 1980 | 97-65 | 1st (AL) |
| 1981 | 50-53 | 1st ** |
Totals 658-525 .556
*77-85 overall record
**Second-half division champion in strike-shortened season
JOHN SCHUERHOLZ
Oct. 8, 1981-Oct. 1990
|
Year
|
W-L
|
Division Finish
|
| 1982 | 90-72 | 2nd |
| 1983 | 79-83 | 2nd |
| 1984 | 84-78 | 1st |
| 1985 | 91-71 | 1st (WS) |
| 1986 | 76-86 | 3rd |
| 1987 | 83-79 | 2nd |
| 1988 | 84-77 | 3rd |
| 1989 | 92-70 | 2nd |
| 1990 | 75-86 | 6th |
Totals 754-702 .518
HERK ROBINSON
Oct. 10, 1990-June 17, 2000
|
Year
|
W-L
|
Division Finish
|
| 1991 | 82-80 | 6th |
| 1992 | 72-90 | 5th |
| 1993 | 84-78 | 3rd |
| 1994 | 64-51 | 3rd |
| 1995 | 70-74 | 2nd |
| 1996 | 75-86 | 5th |
| 1997 | 67-94 | 5th |
| 1998 | 72-89 | 3rd |
| 1999 | 64-97 | 4th |
| 2000 | 33-32 | (did not finish season) |
Totals 683-771 .470
ALLARD BAIRD
June 17, 2000- May 31, 2006
|
Year
|
W-L
|
Division Finish
|
| 2000 | 44-53 | 4th * |
| 2001 | 65-97 | 5th |
| 2002 | 62-100 | 4th |
| 2003 | 83-79 | 3rd |
| 2004 | 58-104 | 5th |
| 2005 | 56-106 | 5th |
| 2006 | 13-37 | (did not finish season) |
*77-85 overall record
Totals 381-576 .398