Worst teams of 1991-1995
Cleveland and Pittsburgh experienced highs and (miserable) lows in the period
The Pirates were riding high in 1991.
Pittsburgh posted the best record in the National League (98-64) that year, powered by an imposing lineup anchored by sluggers Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla. The Pirates maintained their momentum against the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series, surging to a lead of three games to two.
The World Series appeared to be their next destination — until, that is, Atlanta’s pitchers fashioned a pair of shutouts in the final two games of the NLCS. The Pirates were forced to defer their dream.
The Indians, on the other hand, had absolutely nothing to dream about in 1991.
Cleveland was the only team to suffer more than 100 defeats that season, ending up with a miserable record of 57-105. That version of the Indians was the worst club to play in the major leagues between 1991 and 1995, based on my calculations of team scores (TS).
Circumstances would soon change dramatically in both cities. Pittsburgh would fail to qualify for the playoffs every year between 1993 and 2012, while Cleveland would boast the best record in the majors as soon as 1995, launching a streak of five straight playoff appearances.
I dealt with the 1995 Indians on May 15, as part of my series of stories about the best ballclubs during the Modern Era, the period between 1961 and 2022. But my focus has since shifted to the era’s worst teams, which I’m profiling every Monday at half-decade intervals.
That brings us to the aforementioned 1991 Indians, as well as the 1995 Pirates. They posted the worst team scores in the 1991-1995 period — 9.976 points for the former, 20.970 for the latter. All scores are plotted on an equalized 100-point scale, allowing fair comparisons of clubs from different seasons. (Click here to learn about the TS formula.)
Rounding out the list of the five worst teams in the 1991-1995 span are the 1991 Houston Astros and the 1995 and 1993 squads of the Minnesota Twins.
Scroll downward to see a list of the bottom 10 teams of the half-decade. Each is shown with its win-loss record and the percentage of Modern Era clubs that it outperformed. (A total of 1,656 big-league clubs played in the era.) Team scores and additional information are provided for the five squads that were the very worst.
If you’re curious about the previous rankings in this series, follow these links to see the lowest-rated teams from 1961-1965, 1966-1970, 1971-1975, 1976-1980, 1981-1985, and 1986-1990.
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1. Cleveland Indians (1991)
Record: 57-105
Team score: 9.976 points
Modern Era percentile: 0.5%
Manager: John McNamara and Mike Hargrove
Stars: Third baseman Carlos Baerga and left fielder Albert Belle respectively batted .288 and .282. Belle also led the club with 28 home runs and 95 runs batted in. Charles Nagy, with 10 victories, was the only pitcher to reach double digits in wins.
Bottom line: The 41-year-old Hargrove took over as manager after the Indians lost 52 of their first 77 games. He would lead Cleveland to five divisional titles before the end of the decade, but the short-term picture was dreary. The Indians finished 34 games out of first place in the American League East in 1991.
2. Pittsburgh Pirates (1995)
Record: 58-86
Team score: 20.970 points
Modern Era percentile: 5.9%
Manager: Jim Leyland
Stars: Pittsburgh’s chief power source was third baseman Jeff King, who had 18 homers and 87 RBIs. Right fielder Orlando Merced batted .300 in 487 at-bats. Pitcher Denny Neagle was surprisingly effective for such a bad team, running up a 13-8 record with a 3.43 ERA.
Bottom line: A labor dispute delayed the start of 1995’s schedule, which was cut to 144 games. The Pirates suffered five more defeats than any other club in the National League. A horrendous 8-19 record in September locked up their last-place finish in the NL Central.
3. Houston Astros (1991)
Record: 65-97
Team score: 21.015 points
Modern Era percentile: 6.0%
Manager: Art Howe
Stars: Catcher Craig Biggio, who was destined for the Hall of Fame, led the Astros with a .295 batting average. He would shift to second base the following year. Another future honoree in Cooperstown, first baseman Jeff Bagwell, was named the NL’s Rookie of the Year after driving in 82 runs.
Bottom line: The Astros fell into last place in the NL West in mid-July after losing 50 of their first 85 games. They remained in the basement for the rest of the season, winding up 29 games behind first-place Atlanta.
4. Minnesota Twins (1995)
Record: 56-88
Team score: 21.344 points
Modern Era percentile: 6.4%
Manager: Tom Kelly
Stars: Second baseman Chuck Knoblauch batted .333, the second-best average in the American League. He also placed fourth in the AL with 46 stolen bases. Right fielder Kirby Puckett swatted 23 homers and drove home 99 runs.
Bottom line: Minnesota’s pitchers posted the worst staff ERA in the big leagues in 1995 (5.76), and they surrendered the most homers (210). The inevitable destination was last place in the American League Central, 44 games behind divisional champion Cleveland.
5. Minnesota Twins (1993)
Record: 71-91
Team score: 21.567 points
Modern Era percentile: 6.6%
Manager: Tom Kelly
Stars: Catcher Brian Harper batted a solid .304. Kirby Puckett, a future Hall of Famer, hit .296 with 22 home runs and 89 RBIs. Three pitchers attained at least 11 wins: Kevin Tapani (12), Willie Banks (11), and Jim Deshaies (11).
Bottom line: The Twins were only two years removed from a world championship when they plummeted to 91 defeats in 1993. It was the start of a dark period in franchise history, with seven consecutive sub-.500 seasons on the horizon.
Next five
6. Seattle Mariners (1992), 64-98, 7.0%
7. California Angels (1994), 47-68, 7.9%
8. Oakland Athletics (1993), 68-94, 7.9%
9. Colorado Rockies (1993), 67-95, 8.0%
10. Detroit Tigers (1995), 60-84, 8.2%