One Hundred Losses Do Not Equal Lack of Talent

Could the 1962 Cubs Have Been the Most Under performing Team of All Time?

While researching in preparation for writing my 2012 contributions to “Astros Insider”—the weekly Astro wrap co-hosted by Bart Enis and Patti Smith on Fox Sports Houston--I spent some time investigating the first year of Houston baseball in the National League. The team was known as the Colt 45’s that year and with the New York Mets were an expansion team.


The Colt 45s were built mainly with untested players drafted off other National League rosters and rookies. The Mets, perhaps in part due to the market they were playing, elected to go with more veterans and names recognizable to sophisticated baseball fans. They had players like Charlie Neal, the original Frank Thomas, Richie Ashburn, Gene Woodling, Gil Hodges and Roger Craig. All were on the downside of 30…some pretty far on the downside.


The Colt 45s, though full of mostly unknowns, were much better than the Mets. Their 8th place finish was 24 games ahead of Casey Stengel’s team even though the final record was only 64-96. They beat the Mets in 13 of 16 meetings including sweeps of three double headers.


The Mets finished in tenth place--last place in the 10 team loop, but their plan may have paid off at the gate. They drew 922,530, good for 7th in the NL. Even so, the Astros out did them with an average of 924,456 and the 6th best spot in the league.


Now, you may wonder if the Colt 45s finished 8th and the Mets tenth who was 9th?


It was the Chicago Cubs. In those days not many fans were making it out to Wrigley Field to see them play. Stuck with only day games the Cubs attracted just 609,802 fans which was the lowest total in the league. And the team was 59-103 as owner Philip Wrigley continued his infamous “college of coaches” throughout the season. There was never one manager, but a rotating leader.


The reality is, however, that the Cubs should have been a contender in the NL and not hanging around with the Colt 45s and Mets. The Cubs had four future hall of famers in their regular everyday lineup. And while they may have been ahead of their primes they were not past them.


Ernie Banks as the senior citizen was only 31 years old and playing first base. Twenty three year old Ron Santo was on third and two of the outfielders were named Billy Williams and Lou Brock. Has any other team ever had four future hall of famers in the regular ineup and lost 100 games? The answer after some research is, “No.” Ironically, the Cubs of 1966 had five future hall of famers in uniform, but only two were every day starters and only three could be considered regulars. Ferguson Jenkins was a rotation starter. He was joined by Santo and Williams plus Robin Roberts for part of the season and manager Leo Durocher.


The 1917 Pirates had a four future hall of famers on a 100 loss team, but only Honus Wagner and Max Carey were regulars. Burleigh Grimes, later famed for being the last legal spitball pitcher, and George Kelly were the other two. Kelly only played in eight games.


Admittedly, and as expected, the downfall with the 1962 Cubs was the pitching staff. The team ERA was 4.54. In 1962, though, that was not really that far from the league average of 4.48. Factoring in the four future hall of famers and a team pitching ERA not so far off the league average the suggestion the 1962 Cubs may have been the most under performing club of all time has real merit.


By the way, the Colt 45s in that 1962 season had a 3.83 team earned run average. They led the league in fewest home runs allowed and second in most strikeouts.


But they only hit .246 which was 9th in the league and their runs and home run totals were dead last. They still finished ahead of the Cubs who had those hall of famers!