Biggest baseball collapse

[PhilaYank36]

Sweet Jeebus, I'm surprised someone hasn't put something like this up already.

I know a ton of people are going to vote for the '04 Yanks, but I find that it's far easier (and more common) for a team to lose four straight games than it is to give away a seven-game lead with two-and-a-half weeks left to play. Just a win here or a win there, and the Mets would at least have a one-game playoff. I laugh a little bit at it, but at the same time, it sucks to see that happen.

 

[Armchair_QB]

I think you need to separate this into regular season and postseason because those are two different types of collapses.

Regular season has to be the '64 Phillies, with the '07 Mets a close second.

Postseason has to be the '04 Yankees.

 

[spnited]

Exactly what AQB said...

 

[boots]

That's because ESPN had it on their site but I could be wrong.
It's all subjective. If you're a Red Sox fan, you've had several moments to pick from. Same with the Phillies. The Mets meltdown may not be the greatest, but it is the latest.

 

[slappy4428]

Yeah, nothing extreme about 7 games with 17 to play... beats 6 with 12 any day...
Other than the Phils collapse, can you name one greater?

 

[boots]

Yeah, nothing extreme about 7 games with 17 to play... beats 6 with 12 any day...
Other than the Phils collapse, can you name one greater?

I lived through '64. It was a different time for MLB. Even the Yankees beating the Red Sox, thanks to homers by Bucky "****ing" Dent and Reggie Jackson, it was different era and climate. It depends on your perspective and which team do you root for etc. etc.

 

[MileHigh]

1964 Phillies beats the 2007 Mets for the regular season.
2004 Yankees for the postseason.

 

[boots]

1964 Phillies beats the 2007 Mets for the regular season.
2004 Yankees for the postseason.

Again, it's all perspective. If you're a New Yorker if you're close to the teams, etc.

 

[Elliotte Friedman]

87 Toronto.

 

[hockeybeat]

I voted for the 2004 Yanks' ALCS collapse. Up 3-0 in the series and having a lead and The Greatest Closer In History on the mound in the bottom of the ninth of Game Four is inexcusable.

If we're talking regular season, the 2007 Mets, 1995 Angels and 1964 Phillies have to be in the discussion.

 

[slappy4428]

87 Toronto.

Nah... while thoroughly enjoyable, the choke was only 3 1/2 games.


And they made up for it by George Bell screwing ALan Trammell out of the MVP

 

[Bubbler]

87 Toronto.

Nah... while thoroughly enjoyable, the choke was only 3 1/2 games.

Over four days. Still pretty major.

 

[Armchair_QB]

Elliotte, refresh my memory. Toronto had a 3.5 game lead with how many games left?

 

[slappy4428]

87 Toronto.

Nah... while thoroughly enjoyable, the choke was only 3 1/2 games.

Over four days. Still pretty major.

No... was the last week.
10 days actually, because if the Tigers had lost the last game in Toronto, they'd have been done.

The two teams would square off in seven hard-fought games during the final two weeks of the season. All seven games were decided by one run, and in the first six of the seven games, the winning run was scored in the final inning of play. At Exhibition Stadium, the Tigers dropped three in a row to the Blue Jays before winning a dramatic extra-inning showdown.

The Tigers entered the final week of the 1987 season 3.5 games behind. After a series against the Baltimore Orioles, the Tigers returned home trailing by a game and swept the Blue Jays. Detroit clinched the division in a 1-0 victory over Toronto in front of 51,005 fans at Tiger Stadium on Sunday afternoon, October 4. Frank Tanana went all nine innings for the complete game shutout, and outfielder Larry Herndon gave the Tigers their lone run on a second-inning home run. Detroit finished the season a Major League-best 98-64, two games ahead of Toronto.

 

[Cansportschick]

Still in absolute shock that the Mets fell apart in the fashion they did. I actually thought they would get in the post season. Absolutely awful! And thanks to their meltdown, I lost my baseball pool.

 

[93Devil]

Up 9 in mid-August to down 8.

The 1969 Cubs.

I think you have to factor how much the clutch-up hurt the franchise. The Cubs are still waiting to play in the WS. At least the other teams (Yanks, Mets, Phillies, Boston) all tasted some type of success prior to or after the collapse.

 

[boots]

What's that phrase, **** happens!

 

[slappy4428]

Please keep the language clean or take it to PM.

 

[Cansportschick]

Elliotte, refresh my memory. Toronto had a 3.5 game lead with how many games left?

Armchair, I believe it was 7 games left to play (If someone else can confirm this). I got the following from the Toronto Star:

"On the second last Saturday of the season, the Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead into the ninth, threatening to take
a 4 1/2 game lead on the Tigers with six to play. Instead Kirk Gibson tied it with a solo off Tom Henke-then won it with an RBI single in the 13th. Jays went on the lose their final seven, with Detroit clinching at home on the final day."

 

[Elliotte Friedman]

With 10 games to go, Toronto led by 1/2 -- as the two teams opened up a four-game series in Toronto.

The Blue Jays won the first three to go up by 3 1/2. In game four -- I can remember this as if it was yesterday -- Jim Clancy had thrown just 77 pitches over 7 innings, and led 1-0. He was dominant, but Jimy Williams took him out for Tom Henke to start the 8th. Kirk Gibson homered off him in the ninth to tie it. Darrell Evans hit another in the 11th; the Jays tied it before Fred McGriff flew out with two outs and the bases loaded.

Gibson's RBI single in the 13th won it.

So it was 2.5 with six games to go for Toronto, seven for the Tigers.

The Blue Jays had another problem: George Bell's protection in the lineup went down. Tony Fernandez -- who hit third -- fractured his elbow on a Bill Madlock takeout slide during the aforementioned Detroit series. Ernie Whitt -- who hit fifth -- suffered a rib injury breaking up a double play in the opening game of the Milwaukee series and didn't play again. By the end of the season, Sparky Anderson was rolling the ball to Bell knowing he would swing at it. And he did.

So, after that loss to the Tigers, the Blue Jays were swept by the Brewers. Detroit split four with Baltimore. So, when the final three-game series began in Motown, Toronto led by one. On Friday, with my buddy listening to his Walkman radio while we attending Yom Kippur services, the Tigers won 4-3. On Saturday, Manny Lee made the error (ruled a single by cheesy Tiger stadium scoring) that gave Detroit a 3-2 win in 12, ruining Mike Flanagan's 11-inning start.

Sunday was the 1-0 Frank Tanana over Jimmy Key gem, with Larry Herndon hitting the division-winning homer.

That's the biggest regular-season collapse I've seen in my lifetime.