Jim Sankey: Extra Innings: Three post-season teams lost 100 games two years ago

Oct. 17—The Pittsburgh Pirates lost 101 games in 2021.

The Texas Rangers lost more, finishing 60-102. The Arizona Diamondbacks (52-110) and Baltimore Orioles (52-110) lost even more.

Yet two years later all three qualified for major league baseball's postseason party, with Baltimore seeded number one in the American League playoffs.

In 2019, the Miami Marlins went 57-105, yet four years later they also played in the opening round of the playoffs.

The Orioles also lost more than 100 games in both 2018 (47-115) and 2019 (54-108). That's more than 100 losses in three of four full seasons from 2018-22. (COVID-19 shortened the 2020 seasons to 60 games.)

From 61 games out of first and 110 losses in 2021 to 100 wins this year, the Orioles are the closest to the Pirates over the past 25 seasons.

The O's won their first division title since 2014, and just their second since 1997, with last or next-to-last place finishes in 17 of the last 25 seasons.

The Pirates have played in three postseasons in 30 years, and also finished last- or second-to-last-place finishes in 17 of the past 25 seasons.

Yet while perennial lovable last-place Orioles, Rangers, and D-Backs made the jump from worst to playoffs in two seasons and the Marlins in four seasons, the Pirates continue to wallow next the bottom.

Two first-year team managers led their teams to the 2023 playoffs: Bruce Bochy (Texas) and Skip Schumaker (Miami). Arizona's Tony Lovullo got his team to the postseason in his seventh season, Baltimore's Brandon Hyde in his fifth.

But back to the Bucs, who lost 93 games in 2019.

The Bucs were the only team in baseball not to win 20 games in 2020, limping into the offseason with a 19-41 record.

The Bucs lost 101 games in 2021.

The Bucs lost 100 games in 2022.

And although they shaved 14 games lost off their 2023 record, their 76-86 mark is still 10 games under .500.

Four teams lost more than 100 games this season: White Sox (61-101), Rockies (59-103), Royals (56-106) and Athletics (50-112).

And while these four teams can be said to be rebuilding, the success of cellar dwellers to playoff participants has not included the Pirates.

While new field managers have been able to lead rebuilding teams into the playoffs, a new manager doesn't always insure playoffs.

Bleacher report's Brian Graham listed Lloyd McLendon as the 13th worst major league baseball manager of all time, although he named John Russell as the 18th worst. In three seasons Russell oversaw a team that went 186-299 for a .384 winning percentage, the worst of any National League manager since 1970.

By comparison, current skipper Derek Shelton has a .399 winning percentage (218-328) in four seasons with the Bucs.

Unsurprisingly, success often depends on a willingness to spend money. But not every team is willing to spend for pro-rated $30-$43 million players at the trade deadline like Houston (Justin Verlander) and Texas (Max Scherzer) did. Then again, the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees and others have thrown oodles of cash at players who end up going home after the regular season.

Most teams fall in between mostly minimum pay and maximum overpay. Finally, the Pirates have started to sign their top players instead of trading them, but they must now also trade for or sign free agents whom they will plan to keep for multiple seasons, instead of inking athletes in the offseason who will be moved at the trade deadline.

This year's young Pirates should/could use 2023 as to springboard into contention in 2024.

Former baseball general manager Jim Bowden recently listed the Pirates as one of those teams.

However, he listed Cincinnati (number 2), the Cubs (7), and Cardinals (10) ahead of the Bucs (18).

It will be up to Pirates GM Ben Cherington and Shelton and his iffy coaches to guide the team to a winning record and a shot at being next year's poster child of teams with 100+ losses to the playoffs in two years.

While it's tough to be hopeful despite positive signs, it's good to remember that two of the final four teams in the League Championship Series accomplished that feat.

It can be done.

JIM SANKEY is the Pittsburgh Pirates columnist for Allied News. His work appears weekly during the baseball season.

JIM SANKEY is the Pittsburgh Pirates columnist for Allied News. His work appears weekly during the baseball season.