Did the Miami Marlins just have their worst road trip ever?

What a difference a couple weeks has made for the Miami Marlins.

Back on May 27th, despite a pair of brutal injuries earlier in the week, Miami was poised to win a series against division rival Philadelphia and reach the .500 mark for the first time in 2021. Even after dropping that game, the Fish sat only three games out of first place in a crowded NL East race.

And then they took a little road trip.

The trip was, it is fair to say, a disaster for these 2021 Marlins. They lost multiple starting pitchers to injuries. They scored 3 runs or less in six out of nine contests. The bullpen blew three leads. All good enough for a 1-8 record that dropped Miami to a head spinning nine games under .500 on the season.

Certainly, recency bias is real when it comes to perception of team and player performance. Still, it seems fair to ask the following in the aftermath of such a bleak stretch of games:

Was that the worst road trip in Miami Marlins history?

Dramatically depressing topic to be sure. But one needs something to do to fill the time now that the trade deadline looks like it’s going to be more foreboding than immediately helpful for Miami. Plus, I wanted to see if the past nine days really was as bad as it looked. Because it definitely felt like it might have been historically bad while it was happening.

In terms of straight wins and losses, the answer is no. That dubious honor goes to the defending but defrocked world champions in 1998, who did manage to pull off an 0 for 9. In twenty-nine seasons, so far, that was the only time a Marlins team managed to go completely winless on a road trip longer than seven games (On six occasions, they have gone either 0 for 6 or 0 for 7).

However, it’s not just about the wins and losses when it comes to making this call.  Miami went 4-7 on an eleven game all-California trip back in 2014. Not bad…until you throw in that Jose Fernandez injury that knocked him out of action until mid-2015. September of that same season, they went 5-5 on another road trip….that cost them their MVP slugger, and consequently, their chance at a winning season.

Bottom-line, context matters here. I can tell you that the 1999 Miami Marlins went both 2-10 and 1-9 on a road trip at one point, but considering how terrible that team was, you’re probably just surprised they didn’t have a more awful trip. Ditto for the 1998, 2013, and 2019 clubs.

What follows then are, between context and record, the contenders for the worst road trip in Miami Marlins history. The trip that just happened does indeed crack the Top 5. Where does it fall though? Let’s find out.

1993 Miami Marlins: 6/14 to 6/20 (1-6 record)

Really more of an honorable mention here for the 1993 Miami Marlins than anything else. Obviously, expectations were low for the inaugural edition of the Fish. However, that didn’t stop them from battling back to one game under .500 and a 30-31 record after sweeping the Pirates during a brief four game homestand.

Then came the 1-6 record on the road against the Cubs and Phillies, and they were never even within five games of breaking even the rest of the way. Even with the addition of the mighty Gary Sheffield not long after that 1-6 road trip was concluded.

Just another reminder that this isn’t just about most losses on a trip (see 1998), most singularly damaging injury (see 2014). This is about impact on the overall season. Even that lowly, OG Marlins team can earn a spot here.

2001 Miami Marlins: 6/28 to 7/8 (2-9 record), 8/14 to 8/19 (0-6 record)

The 2001 Miami Marlins make the list twice, and almost advanced to the next round of this bleak exercise. Much like an awards race featuring two teammates though, the split vote proved too much to overcome.

That first rough trip came at a time that the young Marlins roster was riding high. Winners of ten of their last thirteen games, which included three straight series wins against NL East opponents, Miami had climbed above .500 for the first time that season. Their record stood at an impressive 41-36….and then Miami hit the road for an eleven game trip. They dropped nine of those games, crashing back to Earth as quickly as they had taken off.

However, they actually recovered somewhat, staying just above or right around .500 until mid-August. Then came a six game trip out west, all losses, against the Giants and the Rockies. After that, that 2001 squad never climbed any higher in the standings than five games under .500 the rest of the way.

This roster featured plenty of talent to be excited about, with the core of that 2003 championship club already in the majors and producing. Unfortunately, they were just horrific on the road, with a 30-52 record overall when away from Pro Player. These two trips represent the low points for a team whose Pythagorean projection actually had them as a .500 team, despite finishing the season ten games under that mark.

2003 Miami Marlins: 8/19 to 8/28 (1-8 record)

Okay, things did eventually work out just fine for the 2003 Miami Marlins.

But that doesn’t mean that the sky wasn’t showing all kinds of signs of falling as August started to wind down for the soon to be world champions.

By mid-August, the Marlins were 69-55, had added talent at the trade deadline, and looked like they could just maybe be pretty special. Yet even despite having just about the best record in the majors since the end end of May, the Braves were still miles in front of Miami for first place, and the NL Wild Card race was a tight one. The slightest of speed bumps could be a problem.

And then the Marlins proceeded to have their worst run of games since Jack McKeon first took over the manager’s job.

The last time Miami had lost three games in a row or more? That would be May 22nd. Miami did it twice on a 1-8 road trip against the Rockies, Giants, and Pirates. The Giants, at least, were one of the best teams in baseball. The Rockies and Pirates? Not so much. Worse, rookie sensation Dontrelle Willis lost two games on the trip, and had lost three of his last four starts. Rookie wall concerns were definitely surfacing.

Such was the mood heading into the last series of the month…during which All-Star third baseman Mike Lowell broke his hand, knocking him out for the rest of the season.

If Lowell had broken his hand in Pittsburgh, and not at home against the Expos, this trip probably takes the top spot. As he didn’t, and as they did rally with an 18-8 September to make the playoffs, two other miserable road trips beat this one out.

2002 Miami Marlins: 7/12 to 7/18 (0-7 record)

For me, the real test of a true Miami Marlins fan is a simple one: do you remember Jeff Torborg?

If you do, you have some fond memories of the 2002 team that was supposed to pick up where that aforementioned 2001 squad left off the previous summer. First baseman Derrek Lee was hitting home runs left and right, before dropping off in the second half. The Marlins found themselves in first place as late as May, and took a 45-43 record into the All-Star Break. The team had definitely had some frustrating losses, but also boasted enough talent that a run felt possible.

At which point new owner Jeffrey Loria traded then franchise wins leader Ryan Dempster and arguably the most popular player on the team in Cliff Floyd. The staff ace and best offensive weapon were out the door. Okay, much of the return in those trades was MLB ready talent, including 2003 stars Juan Encarnacion and Carl Pavano. Retooling was the phrase used, and Dempster was having a rather unspectacular season. Still, at the time, it felt more like giving up than digging in. It didn’t help that the new owner had just completed a trade with the team he used to own either, at least not in the mind of one annoyed seventeen year old.

Technically, all that awesomeness happened the day before the road trip started. A technicality which keeps it in second place on this rundown of road trip horror shows.  Then again, it didn’t happen during a homestand either, and it absolutely set the tone for what was about to happen.

The trip itself? A delightful 0-7 swing through Chicago, New York, and Atlanta during which the Marlins were outscored 55 to 18. 55-18.

Really bad. Yet not the worst. That dubious honor goes to the…