A look back at the worst team in Pirates History
Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Harv Aronson. Check out more of his great work at totalsportsrecall.com
While the Pittsburgh Pirates have won five World Series throughout their history, there have been plenty of losing seasons along the way. In fact, before 2013 there were 20 consecutive losing seasons. 10 times since professional baseball has been played in Pittsburgh, the team lost 100 or more games.
The first version of the Pirates came in 1882 simply known then as Allegheny City. The team was renamed to the current nickname of Pirates in 1895. That very first team in 1882 played in 79 games and finished an even .500 at 39-39-1. The first 100 loss season came in 1890 before the team was the Pirates and the club lost an incredible 113 games while winning just 23 games. In 1962 the New York Mets lost 120 and finished 60 games behind first place. But Pittsburgh in 1890 finished an unthinkable 66 ½ games behind the National League Champion Brooklyn Bridegrooms.
Pittsburgh would lose 20 games in 1917 (103), 1952 (112), 1853 (1040), 1954 (101), 1985 (104), 2001 (101-the year they opened PNC Park), 2010 (105), 2021 (101), and 2022 (100). But the 1952 team may be the worst in Pirates history. The 1952 team was managed by Billy Meyer who had been directing the team since 1948. The results of that 1952 season cost him his job and was replaced the following season with Fred Haney.
The team that lost the most games in history was the 1890 Allegheny City club that lost 113 and the manager was Guy Hecker. That team played home games at several venues, Mahaffey Park, Recreation Park, and Island Grounds in Pittsburgh. That very well may be the worst team ever but given they played before the turn of the century, since 1900 that 1952 version is arguably the worst.
In 1952 the Brooklyn Dodgers won the National League pennant, and the Dodgers were a powerhouse team at that time. They won 96 games against 57 losses that season 4 ½ games better than their bitter rivals, the New York Giants. The Pirates with their 112 losses finished far back in last place incredibly 54 ½ games out of first place.
The team was playing at Forbes Field and of the eight National League teams, the Bucs had the fifth worst attendance with a final mark of 686,673. The General Manager of the team was Branch Rickey who would give way to Joe L. Brown three years later. Billy Meyer’s roster looked like this (showing position and age in 1952):
The Pirates that season were pathetic on offense and defense. The player with the most runs scored was no surprise as Ralph Kiner, who was a home run smasher scored 90 times with 37 home runs. That was the only bright spot at the plate with Gus Bell next in runs scored nearly half of what Kiner had with 53. Kiner led the team not just in home runs and runs scored, but also hits with 126 as he batted just .244 striking out a team-leading 77 times.
The stolen base leader for Pittsburgh was Brandy Davis with only nine thefts. The most triples on the team belonged to Bell with five. He also led in doubles with 21. Dick Groat, normally an exceptionally fine shortstop led the team in batting with an average of .284.
When it came to the pitching staff, when a team loses 112 games there is going to be plenty of losing records from the mound. Murry Dickson lost 21 times but won a team-best 14 games. Howie Pollet was 7-16. Bob Friend had a bad year, but he was an outstanding pitcher throughout his career. In 1952 he did not help his career stats with a final record of 7-17. Woody Main went 2-12. No relief pitcher had more than four saves.
Dickson surrendered 26 home runs with Pollett giving up another 22 and Friend 15. Main yielded 14 round trippers. Unlike himself, in 1952 Bob Friend threw seven wild pitches while hitting three batters. Ron Kline topped that with six hit batters. Strangely enough, the Pirates lost 112 games that matched the team leader on the pitching staff in strikeouts who was Murry Dickson. Bob Friend was also the leader in walks with 84.
With a 1-6 record, pitcher Ron Necciai had a terribly high ERA of 7.08 although he only played in 12 games. As a staff Pirates pitchers only threw four shutouts all season long. The bottom line is that this team was terrible. The following season in 1953 was not much better as the team lost 104 games and then 101 a year later. It was not until 1959 that the team climbed above .500 with a 78-76-1 record.
Then in 1960 the Pirates finished 95-59 and shocked the world with a seventh game walk off home run that won the World Series over the heavily favored New York Yankees as Bill Mazeroski with one swing of the bat became an instant lifetime hero. I seriously doubt the Pirates will ever be as bad as that 1952 team and they will go down in Pittsburgh Pirates history as the worst modern-day team ever that played in the ‘Burgh.
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