Home Loss Streaks

The Royals every year are required to set a new record in futility of some sort.  This year it was in home losses.  Never before has a  Royals team lost 10 in a row at home all in one season.  Last year, the long losing streak beginning with Luke Hochevar‘s home opener gem, made for a wraparound home loss streak of 11 games that started in September of 2011.  That was the first ever double digit home loss streak for the franchise.  This year’s team has upped the ante by getting to double digits without aid of a prior season, and in their next home game against the Twins can tie the all-time streak length set last year.

Home double digit losing streaks are a rare beast.  Since 1916 only 80 such streaks have ever happened according to Baseball-Reference, and now the Royals have two of them…in back to back seasons.  This has been topped though by the ’39 Saint Louis Browns, ’62 Mets, and ’96 Tigers who all pulled off two such streaks in the same season!  I’m sure going to the ballpark was quite a thrill for their home team fans.  The Browns also have the longest home losing streak of all time at 20 games, but that was in 1953, so the Browns are probably the most accomplished franchise in history at running together home losing streaks.  They don’t exist anymore.  The three teams that pulled off two streaks of ten in one season went 43-111, 40-112, and 53-109 respectively.  That is a combines 136 wins and 332 losses or a .291 winning percentage.  That almost makes me feel better.  The Philladelphia A’s are the overall leader though with 9 streaks total.  They don’t exist anymore either.