Bad Vs Bad: 1962 Mets and 2009 Nationals
With their horrible performance this year, the Washington Natinals Nationals have drawn comparisons to the worst modern baseball team ever, the 1962 New York Mets. That Mets team was graced with just bona fide player, left fielder Frank Thomas, Thomas hit .266/.329/.496, 69 R, 34 HR, 94 RBI, carrying the decrepit team on his back. The Nationals are similarly carried by left fielder Adam Dunn.
- The 1962 Mets’ record was 40-120. The 2009 Nationals are on pace to go 47-115.
- The 1962 Mets scored 617 runs. The 2009 Nationals are on pace to score 699 runs.
- The 1962 Mets gave up 948 runs. The 2009 Nationals are on pace to give up 906 runs.
- The 1962 Mets starters combined to hit .254/.324/.398. The 2009 Nationals’ starters are on pace to hit .272/.347/.424.
- The 1962 Mets team ERA was 5.04. The 2009 Nationals are on pace to have a team ERA of 5.19.
- The 1962 Mets had a team fielding percentage of .967. The 2009 Nationals are on pace for a fielding percentage of .975.
All the talk about the Nationals being the worst team in baseball history is baloney. The 1962 Mets will always hold that honor.
As outlined in my Keys To Success/Failure: Washington Nationals entry, the Nats have their glaring issues, and a great strength. They have good hitters, led by Adam Dunn, Ryan Zimmerman, and Josh Willingham. They’re weaknesses are numerous, but they do have a strength, something the 1962 Mets did not have. The Nationals are certainly the worst team in a while, but the Mets still hold the record for mediocrity.
Painting The Black 
The bizarre part – is that the Nats have what it takes to beat the best teams in the league! The problem seems to be consistency; how do they keep it together day after day. Will they be as bad as the ’62 Mets? I don’t know.
Julia
http://werbiefitz.mlblogs.com/
I like the joke in the first sentence. I watched that game vs the Nats and thought it was just a trick of the eyes. Nope. They really misspelled the name of the team. Amazing.
Maybe it is very appropos, considering that this is a team with no identity. They aren’t a great offensive team, they are just ok defensively, and they are poor pitching-wise. Their management is a mess. Where do they go from here?
They have a long way to go before you can even consider them as a “rebuilding” team!
http://raysfanboy.mlblogs.com/
The Nationals are certainly not a “rebuilding team”. Most of the mess in Washington is the fault of ex-GM Jim Bowden. It will take a while, but Mike Rizzo seems to be running this team better than Bowden, and he could “rebuild” them effectively.