Call to the pen
Fansided

Why the Baltimore Orioles are not beyond hope

By Bill Felber

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 21: Bench coach John Russell #77 and Manager Buck Showalter #26 of the Baltimore Orioles react at the top of the dugout steps with their team losing in an MLB baseball game against the New York Yankees on September 21, 2018 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Yankees won 10-8. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 21: Bench coach John Russell #77 and Manager Buck Showalter #26 of the Baltimore Orioles react at the top of the dugout steps with their team losing in an MLB baseball game against the New York Yankees on September 21, 2018 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Yankees won 10-8. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images) /
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Baltimore Orioles
MIAMI, : Florida Marlins mascot Billy the Marlin relaxes on an inflatable boat on the field before the game between the Marlins and the New York Mets 14 June at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, FL. The Marlins won in 10 innings 5-4. AFP PHOTO/Rhona WISE (Photo credit should read RHONA WISE/AFP/Getty Images) /

1998 Florida Marlins

You remember the 1998 Marlins? This was the famous dismantling job of the 1997 World Series winners that involved fire sale trades of such stars as Moises Alou, Robb Nen, Devon White, Jeff Conine, Al Leiter, Bobby Bonilla, Gary Sheffield, Charles Johnson, and Mike Piazza.

The Marlins fell from 92 wins in 1997 to 54 one year later, and from a +71 run differential to -256. That measured 1.92 standard deviations worse than the prevailing MLB standard at the time.

Yet within five seasons, the Marlins climbed back to a 91-71 record, a wild-card berth and a second World Series title, this time in six games over the Yankees.

2002-03 Detroit Tigers

In 2002, the Tigers were wretched, going 55-106 and being out-scored 575-864. In 2003 they were even worse, winning just 43 times and being outscored 591-928. That 337-run differential translated to 2.74 standard deviations behind the major league average, the worst performance gap by any team at least since inter-league play was initiated.

Yet just three seasons later, the Tigers finished second in the AL Central, winning 95 games and out-scoring their opponents 822-675. They advanced to the World Series before losing in five games to the St. Louis Cardinals.

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