Keeping Score – San Diego Padres Win and Lose With the Best – NYTimes.com
Posted by Sean Forman on September 10, 2010
Only two teams have qualified for the playoffs after losing 10 consecutive games: the 1951 New York Giants and the 1982 Atlanta Braves, each of whom also enjoyed long winning streaks during the season to offset the losing stretches.
via Keeping Score - San Diego Padres Win and Lose With the Best - NYTimes.com.
This week's missive from Sports Reference's Neil Paine.
September 10th, 2010 at 11:39 am
After the Padres lost to the Giants last night, I'd say anything is possible at this point.
September 10th, 2010 at 11:44 am
I'm just guessing that the advent of the Wild Card might allow a team boasting a 10-game losing streak to squeak in these days, whereas it would be much more difficult prior to its inception.
No research was done in formulating this hypothesis and I fully endorse this message.
September 10th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Sadly, the Padres can't even turn to Gary Coleman (aka J.R. Cooper) for guidance at this point.
September 10th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
I can remember calculating the Padres' "pace" on August 25 — 76 wins in 125 games is equivalent to 98.5 wins in 162 games. That pace would have put the aught-ten Padres right up there with the '98 club, whose 98-64 record is the best in team history. I thought to myself, "This year's Padres don't seem anywhere near as strong as the 1998 club." Then came the losing streak.
From a fan's standpoint, there's still a hold-your-breath quality to this team's success. It has a lot to do with how unexpectedly good their starting pitching has been.
September 10th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
@4 Tuna, it seems to the casual observer that the Padre's lack of offense, particularly power, even by NL standards, doesn't auger well for their division title prospects. People have discussed it in other posts but before the losing streak ended.
If the Giants can get Zito pitching consistently, then the Padres are in real trouble. Not to mention the Rockies lurking in the weeds. It seems unlikely with their unreliable hitting right now that San Diego can go on a winning streak comparable to the 1951 Giants or 1982 Braves.
September 10th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
@2
Yeah, the extra postseason spots lend itself to that sort of thing. The '06 Tigers were on a tear, 76-36 after 112 games. They then went 19-31 to finish the season to not only lose the division crown and instead finish as the wild card, but also earn the distinction of being the first postseason team to have lost thirty or more of its final fifty games.