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Time for "20 Questions." The theme for today's quiz is baseball teams with ugly, depressing, appalling numbers. Kind of like your last medical bill.
Each statistic is as woeful as the last. Take your time before answering.
(Hint: All numbers are through Wednesday's games.)
(Even better hint: The correct solution to each begins with the words "Kansas City," and ends with the word "Royals").
What team was already 20 games out of first place by May 26?
What team set the perfect tone for its imperfect season by losing 11-2 to Detroit on Opening Day, giving up three home runs to Dmitri Young, only the third three-homer Opening Day in baseball history? (Losing pitcher Jose Lima said that afternoon reassuringly, "We have 161 games left." Unfortunately, he was right).
What team has scored first in only 50 games this season, been behind 72 times going into the ninth inning, and lost all 72?
What team is 9-22 in one-run games, worse than any team in either league?
What team appears to be balanced in all aspects of the game — last in the league in pitching, next to last in fielding, next to next to last in hitting?
What team has only 19 saves, or 19 fewer than Washington's Chad Cordero has by himself?
What team — while losing its last 18 games in a row, the longest skid in the majors in 17 years — has given up 144 runs in 154 innings?
What team has allowed 25 home runs and 81 walks in those 18 games?
What team had a little trouble closing out a victory against Cleveland the other night and gave up 11 runs in the ninth inning?
What team lost 16-1 to Oakland, and improved enough the next night to lose only 11-0?
What team is 5-22 against the American League West?
What team is 1-12 on artificial turf?
What team is six games behind the Colorado Rockies, who have the second worst record in baseball?
What team started July by getting shut out three times in four days, and ended it by being swept four games by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays?
What team has already tried 21 different pitchers?
What team was beaten in a recent game largely by the three hits of Detroit catcher Vance Wilson, who had six hits the entire months of April, May and June?
What team just faced 19-year old Seattle pitcher Felix Hernandez, making only his third major league start, and had 16 of its first 17 batters retired in an 11-3 loss?
What team has misery so deep that location doesn't matter, having lost eight in a row at home and 12 straight on the road?
What team has been nationally seen less than the 17-year cicada, having last played in the postseason in Game 7 of the 1985 World Series?
Indeed, one poor and downtrodden team fits all answers. There is no misery so acute these days as the Royals, and no more forlorn baseball outpost than Kansas City, which deserves better.
Among the less well-heeled franchises, Kansas City has not had the surprising success of Minnesota and Oakland. It has not gotten the temporary (if extremely brief) boost from a new ballpark like Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. It has not changed countries like the Exponationals.
The Royals are just … there. Seemingly stuck in neutral, easy to forget, unless they are doing something notable, such as losing 18 straight. It's a hard way to get headlines.
Time for "20 Questions." The theme for today's quiz is baseball teams with ugly, depressing, appalling numbers. Kind of like your last medical bill.
Each statistic is as woeful as the last. Take your time before answering.
(Hint: All numbers are through Wednesday's games.)
(Even better hint: The correct solution to each begins with the words "Kansas City," and ends with the word "Royals").
What team was already 20 games out of first place by May 26?
What team set the perfect tone for its imperfect season by losing 11-2 to Detroit on Opening Day, giving up three home runs to Dmitri Young, only the third three-homer Opening Day in baseball history? (Losing pitcher Jose Lima said that afternoon reassuringly, "We have 161 games left." Unfortunately, he was right).
What team has scored first in only 50 games this season, been behind 72 times going into the ninth inning, and lost all 72?
What team is 9-22 in one-run games, worse than any team in either league?
What team appears to be balanced in all aspects of the game — last in the league in pitching, next to last in fielding, next to next to last in hitting?
What team has only 19 saves, or 19 fewer than Washington's Chad Cordero has by himself?
What team — while losing its last 18 games in a row, the longest skid in the majors in 17 years — has given up 144 runs in 154 innings?
What team has allowed 25 home runs and 81 walks in those 18 games?
What team had a little trouble closing out a victory against Cleveland the other night and gave up 11 runs in the ninth inning?
What team lost 16-1 to Oakland, and improved enough the next night to lose only 11-0?
What team is 5-22 against the American League West?
What team is 1-12 on artificial turf?
What team is six games behind the Colorado Rockies, who have the second worst record in baseball?
What team started July by getting shut out three times in four days, and ended it by being swept four games by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays?
What team has already tried 21 different pitchers?
What team was beaten in a recent game largely by the three hits of Detroit catcher Vance Wilson, who had six hits the entire months of April, May and June?
What team just faced 19-year old Seattle pitcher Felix Hernandez, making only his third major league start, and had 16 of its first 17 batters retired in an 11-3 loss?
What team has misery so deep that location doesn't matter, having lost eight in a row at home and 12 straight on the road?
What team has been nationally seen less than the 17-year cicada, having last played in the postseason in Game 7 of the 1985 World Series?
Indeed, one poor and downtrodden team fits all answers. There is no misery so acute these days as the Royals, and no more forlorn baseball outpost than Kansas City, which deserves better.
Among the less well-heeled franchises, Kansas City has not had the surprising success of Minnesota and Oakland. It has not gotten the temporary (if extremely brief) boost from a new ballpark like Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. It has not changed countries like the Exponationals.
The Royals are just … there. Seemingly stuck in neutral, easy to forget, unless they are doing something notable, such as losing 18 straight. It's a hard way to get headlines.
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