MLB history: Ted Williams leads baseball's worst modern blowouts

Sometimes MLB fans complain they didn’t get their money’s worth at a game. On these five days in MLB history, that was not the case.

To sensible fans, “modern MLB history” usually means everything from the foul strike rule on (1901), but some might try to push things back into the 19^th century when the pitching distance became 60-feet-six inches (1893). In any event, the top five blowouts in MLB history followed the introduction of “live balls” in 1920. As Casey Stengel (or James Thurber) would say, “You could look it up.”

MLB History: Fifth worst – St. Louis 28, Philadelphia 6; July 6, 1929: The Cardinals’ Jim Bottomley and Chick Hafey added the padding in a 22-run win with a grand slam apiece. Between them, they drove in twelve runs on 4 for 5 and 5 for 7 days, respectively.

The first two Phillies pitchers, starter Claude Willoughby and Elmer Miller, departed from the contest without retiring a batter. Willoughby gave up six earned runs on three hits and three walks. The second of Philadelphia’s two “mop-up” men after Miller, June Greene, surrendered eleven earned runs on twelve hits and three walks.

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Two other games, both 22-0 affairs, occurred after the Cardinals rolled the Phillies. In 1975, the Pirates beat the Cubs like a big bass drum with Rennie Stennett gathering seven hits, the record for a nine-inning game. Also, in 2004, the Indians ambushed the Yankees.

MLB History: Fourth – Chicago 29, Kansas City 6; April 23, 1955: Seven Pale Hose hitters homered against the A’s as Chicago pulled away to a 23-length victory. Bob Nieman and Sherm Lollar each homered twice, and the Sox’ starting pitcher, Jack Harshman, also pounded out a long ball and drove in two. Walt Dropo, Chicago’s first baseman, homered in his second appearance among the top four games on this list! (See below.)

MLB History: Third – Cleveland 27, Boston 3; July 27, 1923: In a homerless game, Tris Speaker and Joe Sewell were 3 for 3 and 3 for 4, respectively, each scoring three times and driving in two. Boston’s Lefty O’Doul surrendered an eye-opening sixteen runs on eleven hits and eight walks, but because of errant fielding, only three of those runs were earned. This game is fifth on the all-time runs-scored list for single games, below the two games listed above here.

MLB History: Second – Boston 29, St. Louis 4; June 8, 1950: The Red Sawks bombed the lowly Browns, posting a 25-run differential. Boston had 58 total bases, and Clyde Vollmer went to bat eight times in eight innings, still a record in MLB history.

For Boston, Walt Dropo had two homers and seven RBI, Ted Williams, two and five. Dropo, a nearly forgotten player with a semi-comical name to people of a certain age, was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1950, driving in 144 runs while batting .322. His career fell off a cliff regarding numbers almost immediately.

Finally, the worst blowout was not so very long ago at all – Texas 30, Baltimore 3; August 22, 2007: As ESPN put it the next day, “At last, the last-place Rangers did something right,” becoming the first team in 110 years to score 30 runs.

The State Cops hit two grand slams, one each by Marlon Byrd and Travis Metcalf, the latter of whom had been called up from the minors earlier in the day, probably as bench insurance since the 30-3 win was the first game of a doubleheader. Somewhat oddly, Texas scored in only four innings of the contest: five runs in the fourth inning, nine in the sixth, ten in the eighth, and six more in the ninth.

Next: 2018 Brewers versus the franchise’s previous fast-starters

On these five days in MLB history, no one in attendance could complain about not getting their money’s worth.

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