Ranking the Worst Moment in the History of Each MLB Team

Staying committed to any MLB team for a lifetime means enduring disappointment, on and off the field.

However, not every franchise's worst moment has provided equal devastation.

The magnitude of the following tragedies was gauged by considering both the immediate sentiment and long-term effects. The sudden deaths of icons, for example, were ranked higher than the much-anticipated trades of impending free agents.

While reliving these ugly events, let's hope that the worst is behind us.

*Embedded videos courtesy of MLB.com.

30. Colorado Rockies: Coors Field Introduces Humidor (2002)

Although the Colorado Rockies weren't particularly successful during their first decade of existence, at least their home games could be trusted to provide video game-like scoring. The offense regularly averaged better than six runs per night in the high altitude of Coors Field.

That's not quite the case anymore. By preserving balls at a certain temperature and humidity, pitchers can now get a better grip.

Rockies fans have expressed their displeasure by not attending.

Coors Field ranked second in National League attendance in 2001, the last summer prior to the humidor's introduction. This team hasn't cracked the top five since then.

29. Minnesota Twins: Missing out on Dave Winfield (1973)

Born and raised in the Twin Cities, Dave Winfield was a can't-miss prospect coming out of the University of Minnesota. The Twins surely aspired to select him with the 11th overall pick in the 1973 amateur draft.

They would instead settle for Eddie Bane, a replacement-level pitcher.

Winfield went on to enjoy a first-ballot Hall of Fame-caliber career, while the Twins didn't make the postseason until 1987. His bat probably would have changed that.

28. Toronto Blue Jays: John Gibbons-Shea Hillenbrand Fight (2006)

The 2006 Toronto Blue Jays were comfortably above the .500 mark through June of the 2006 season.

Then, manager John Gibbons lost momentum...and control of his temper.

From ESPN.com:

"

After Shea Hillenbrand wrote on the clubhouse bulletin board that the "ship was sinking," Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons challenged him to a fight.

"He challenged me to a fight, and wanted me to get up and punch him in the face," Hillenbrand told FAN 590 in Toronto.

"

That's certainly not the kind of interaction you see in healthy clubhouses. It was a pathetic development for a franchise so far removed from relevance.

27. Detroit Tigers: Tiger Stadium's Demolition (2009)

The Detroit Tigers called Tiger Stadium home from 1912 through 1999. They won four championships during that time and hosted the 1971 MLB All-Star Game, which is often considered one of the greatest ever.

No matter how much Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander and their other stars accomplish at Comerica Park, it will never quite be remembered with the same fondness.

26. Seattle Mariners: Ken Griffey Jr. Retires (2010)

The Seattle Mariners didn't shock anyone by announcing the retirement of the then-40-year-old Ken Griffey Jr. A brutal .184/.250/.204 batting line had relegated him to a reserve role, and with the Tacoma News Tribune reporting that Griffey was falling asleep in the clubhouse during games (h/t ESPN.com), it could be inferred that he wasn't satisfied with his role.

It still must've hurt fans to see the franchise's all-time home run leader give up on a talented team that had such high preseason expectations.

Already 10 games below .500 on June 2, 2010, the M's went on to lose 10 of their next 13 without Griffey, essentially destroying any hope of a turnaround.

Overall, baseball in Seattle has been a miserable experiment. Only 11 of 36 completed Mariners campaigns have ended with winning records.

Perhaps that's why no particular moment seems to truly sting.

25. Atlanta Braves: Babe Ruth Leaves the Boston Braves (1935)

The Boston Braves were a disgrace in 1935, awful both on the field and at the turnstile.

A 40-year-old Babe Ruth was acquired to generate some appeal. But aside from a strong performance on Opening Day and a three-homer game in late May, he didn't really help.

Ruth retiring on June 1 of that season represented rock bottom.

24. Baltimore Orioles: Rafael Palmeiro Suspended for Steroid Use (2005)

The Baltimore Orioles brought Rafael Palmeiro back for a second stint with the organization late in his career. They hoped for All-Star-caliber production, but would've settled for him inspiring fans with his pursuit of the 3,000-hit milestone.

He ultimately became an ugly distraction, beginning with the infamous 2005 Congressional hearing about steroid use, where he was asked to testify.

On August 1 of that year, the league suspended him for a positive test, which cast a shadow of doubt over all his accomplishments.

23. Kansas City Royals: Midseason Roster Shake-Up (2004)

The Kansas City Royals were seemingly headed in a great direction when Tony Pena took over as manager.

In 2003, his first full season, the team saw a 21-win improvement. Angel Berroa was the American Rookie of the Year, Carlos Beltran was a superstar and the AL Central division was vlunerable.

Alas, once the Royals had high expectations, they couldn't live up to them. In the span of just a few days in June 2004 (although it felt like a blink of an eye), the front office unloaded Carlos Beltran, Jason Grimsley and other impact veterans.

This club hasn't achieved more than 75 victories in any season since then.

22. Arizona Diamondbacks: The Randy Johnson Era Ends (2005)

The Arizona Diamondbacks dealt Randy Johnson following a terrific comeback season in which he led the majors in strikeouts (again) and threw the first perfect game in franchise history.

It understandably wasn't a very popular decision.

A back-to-back-to-back-to-back NL Cy Young Award winner from 1999-2002, the Big Unit was also untouchable during the 2001 World Series run.

However, the D-Backs saw a 2004 last-place finish as an indication to rebuild.

21. Tampa Bay Rays: Abandon Plan for Open-Air Stadium (2009)

The newly revamped Tampa Bay Rays initially broached the subject of abandoning Tropicana Field following the 2007 season, according to MLB.com's Pete Williams. The suggested alternative, equipped with a retractable roof, was supposed to be constructed on the waterfront and seat 34,000 people.

Alas, following the franchise's most successful campaign ever, senior vice president Michael Kal told the St. Petersburg Times that their preferred location wouldn't work (h/t Alden Gonzalez, MLB.com). This admission came mere months after the Florida Marlins, a team with even less commercial appeal, received approval for their own ballpark.

Per ESPN.com, the Rays perennially draw one of baseball's 10 lowest attendance totals, and they ranked dead last in the American League in 2012. That's largely because Tropicana is situated a long drive away from most of the region's population.

Had the team received the necessary support, it would certainly be playing in the new facility by now (and profiting from it).

20. Washington Nationals: Jeffrey Loria Doesn't Sign English Broadcasting (2000)

When art dealer Jeffrey Loria bought the Montreal Expos in December 1999, they had Vladimir Guerrero and very little else. To his credit, he immediately spent on veteran talent to make the roster more marketable.

However, he did more to doom the Expos by failing to sign them to any television or English radio broadcasting deals for the 2000 season. Aside from obviously providing exposure, doing so might have produced enough revenue to keep the team north of the border.

The Expos quickly spiraled into bankruptcy and became the Washington Nationals in 2005.

As you'll learn later, Loria's track record as a franchise destroyer didn't end here.

19. Houston Astros: Brad Lidge Surrenders Game-Winner, Loses Mojo (2005)

Brad Lidge might have been the best relief pitcher in the National League when he came in to close Game 5 of the 2005 NLCS. That was no longer true minutes later, when he returned to the dugout after giving up a monstrous home run to Albert Pujols (via MLB.com).

Although the Houston Astros advanced to the World Series a few days later, Lidge evidently never moved on. The strikeout artist suffered two losses in the Fall Classic and the Chicago White Sox swept his team.

The rest of his Astros career would be an inexplicable struggle compared to high performance standard he had previously set:

• 2.71 ERA, 72 SV, 0.7 HR/9 in 259.0 IP from 2002-2005.

• 4.37 ERA, 51 SV, 1.2 HR/9 in 142.0 IP from 2006-2007.

He's already retired at age 36, while the franchise is totally noncompetitive.

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18. Oakland Athletics: Kirk Gibson's Unlikely Walk-Off (1988)

Kirk Gibson couldn't have looked less like a National League MVP when he stepped to the plate against Dennis Eckersley with Game 1 of the 1988 World Series hanging in the balance.

His legs were worn down, and he had been fighting a stomach virus. Oakland's best reliever seemingly had the advantage.

Gibby's home run and ensuing home run trot are images eternally imprinted into the memories of every Athletics fan.

ith the A's one out away from winning Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, the somewhat-injured, flu-stricken Kirk Gibson hobbled up to the plate.

After a long at-bat, Gibson took an awkward swing at a Dennis Eckersley slider and somehow punched it over the right-field wall. As Gibson limped around the bases, pumping his fists like a fool, Eck and the rest of the A's walked off the field (eventually leading to the coining of the term "walk-off").

The A's went on to lose the series to the underdog Dodgers, and it's all because of Kirk Gibson.

17. Philadelphia Phillies: Joe Carter Walks off Against Mitch Williams (1993)

The historically inept Philadelphia Phillies won the 1980 World Series, but between then and 1992, they had more managerial changes than postseason victories.

Shockingly, coming off six straight sub-.500 campaigns, they cruised to the NL East title in 1993.

Some of their success that summer was attributable to erratic-yet-reliable closer Mitch Williams. He amassed 43 saves in 49 opportunities during the regular season, only surrendering three home runs.

Fast forward to Game 6 of the World Series, when "Wild Thing" entered in the ninth inning to protect a one-run lead. With Joe Carter stepping up to the plate, Williams just needed to induce a double play to extend the Fall Classic.

This happened instead (courtesy of MLB.com).

What an iconic call (or irritating, depending on who you root for).

16. Texas Rangers: Neftali Feliz Can't Seal Championship (2011)

Bottom of the ninth inning. Two outs. Closer Neftali Feliz on the rubber. The Texas Rangers leading the St. Louis Cardinals 7-5 in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series.

Those were the circumstances when David Freese stepped into the batter's box with the tying runs on base. After falling behind in the count, he extended the game and the Cardinals went on to win it against the softer arms in Texas' bullpen.

What a demoralizing moment for the Rangers, who, in their 53rd season, still yearn for their first championship.

15. San Francisco Giants: John McGraw Declines World Series Invitation (1904)

New York Giants manager John McGraw nearly ruined the World Series tradition in its infancy.

In 1903, the American and National Leagues agreed to have their champions faceoff at season's end. When McGraw's team won the NL pennant the following year, however, he showed no interest in competing against what he considered inferior competition.

The rules were tweaked after the 1904 debacle to make the matchup mandatory.

If not for the skipper's stubbornness, the Giants franchise might already have eight titles to their name.

14. New York Mets: Tom Seaver Traded to Cincinnati (1977)

Tom Seaver is the best player in New York Mets history. It was true back then and it's still is today.

As a durable rotation leader, he elevated the Mets from mediocrity to title contention. The right-hander amassed more than 2,400 regular-season strikeouts during his first 11 seasons in Queens and starred in both the 1969 and 1973 World Series, so he had slightly more history with them than Randy Johnson did with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

New York stumbled out of the starting gate in 1977 and never recovered. As the season wore on, the front office wouldn't consent to Seaver's contract extension demands, so the Mets began to shop him. Hours prior to the trade deadline, the Cincinnati Reds took advantage of the team's desire to sell and acquired him for a package of players who never amounted to much.

13. Milwaukee Brewers: Ryan Braun's PED Suspension and Weak Statement (2013)

Before there were any suspicions about Ryan Braun using performance-enhancing drugs, he was well on his way to becoming the best player in Milwaukee Brewers history.

He consistently ranked as one of the top offensive players in baseball, combining power-hitting, baserunning and clutchness with a tolerable strikeout rate. In 2011, he became just the third Brewer to win MVP honors, joining Hall of Famers Rollie Fingers and Robin Yount.

Even when MLB announced that Braun flunked a drug test, his strong denial and successful appeal persuaded many Milwaukee fans and members of the franchise to defend him. He seemingly put all the drama behind him with equally elite production in 2012.

Ultimately, no, the All-Star outfielder wasn't off the hook. Braun's doping was evidently excessive, as we can infer by his decision to accept a 65-game ban from the league. (Ordinary first-time offenders receive 50 games.) Considering that Biogenesis operated across the street from where he played college ball at the University of Miami, it's possible that he juiced throughout the past seven seasons.

Then, Braun had the nerve to release a "woe is me" statement, per USA Today, in which he thanked fans for their support, but didn't apologize for lying to them. He tried to insist that all this controversy was behind him, even though the rest of us have the common sense to recognize how awkward the reception will be when he's eligible to return in 2014.

Mid-market franchises cannot afford to make huge financial mistakes. Unfortunately for the Brewers, they still owe this fraud $117 million.

12. San Diego Padres: Tony Gwynn Reveals His Cancer Battle (2010)

They call Tony Gwynn "Mr. Padre," and for good reason.

The first-ballot Hall of Famer undoubtedly had more success with the franchise than any other player ever did. He won eight National League batting titles, came to the plate more than 10,000 times and led the San Diego Padres to a World Series berth. Gwynn even remained in Southern California after retirement to coach the San Diego State baseball team.

News that he was scheduled for radiation and chemotherapy to vanquish a malignant growth at just 50 years of age, as first reported by Bill Center of the Union-Tribune, predictably left plenty of fans with teary eyes.

11. Miami Marlins: MLB Approves Outrageous Salary Dump (2012)

There's a right way to rebuild, and then there's a way to do it that totally alienates local fans and humiliates the entire sport.

Look at the names involved in this blatant salary dump and come to your own conclusion about the intentions of Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria:

Toronto Blue Jays get: Emilio Bonifacio, John Buck, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, Jose Reyes and cash.

Marlins get: Henderson Alvarez, Anthony DeSclafani, Yunel Escobar, Adeiny Hechavarria, Jake Marisnick, Jeff Mathis and Justin Nicolino.

This deal was approved in November 2012, just one year after Loria opened up the checkbook to construct a competitive roster. He inked Buehrle and Reyes to long-term contracts and even pursued other big-name free agents.

Such a penny-pinching move made no sense whatsoever for a recently rebranded franchise with new revenue streams, like merchandise and a half-billion dollar stadium. Miami made the inexplicable mistake of loading up on one-dimensional players like Hechavarria and Mathis rather than demanding top Blue Jays prospects.

Superstar outfielder Giancarlo Stanton instantly saw through the crap. So did most of South Florida, according to Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald.

10. Boston Red Sox: Ball Sneaks Through Bill Buckner's Legs (1986)

The Boston Red Sox had a golden opportunity to break an insufferable championship drought. They could taste the champagne, leading the New York Mets by two runs entering the bottom of the 10th inning in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.

First baseman Bill Buckner was already struggling, hitless in six plate appearances that night and responsible for driving in just one run since the Fall Classic began. Moreover, as a 36-year-old with a poor defensive reputation, it didn't surprise anyone to see him removed for Dave Stapleton in the later innings of Games 1 and 2.

On this unforgettable night, however, manager John McNamara wanted him on the field until the very end.

A quarter-century later, he insisted to Tyler Kepner of the New York Times that "it was not any sentimental thing." Maybe, but in hindsight, it was definitely the wrong thing.

9. Chicago Cubs: Steve Bartman Does His Thing (2003)

Steve Bartman's infuriating catch attempt edges out the Bill Buckner error considering that the Chicago Cubs were more desperate for a championship.

They were 95 years removed from hoisting the World Series trophy and 58 years from from even experiencing the Fall Classic. If not for one overeager fan, at least one of those dry spells would have come to an end.

The Cubbies led the Florida Marlins in Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS, and Mark Prior was just five outs away from sealing the National League pennant. He induced a fly ball down the left-field line that Moises Alou came ridiculously close to securing.

Everything unraveled from there, and a decade later, the franchise has yet to win another postseason contest. The curse of the Billy Goat lives on.

8. Cincinnati Reds: Pete Rose Banned for Life (1989)

Major League Baseball's all-time hits leader is not in the Hall of Fame, nor is he working in the sport, despite expressing a desire to do so. Moreover, his uniform number is not retired with the franchise with whom he recorded 3,358 of those hits and helped win two World Series.

Pete Rose gambled on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds, and the moment when he was officially disciplined understandably stings for many fans.

7. Los Angeles Dodgers: Roy Campanella's Car Accident (1958)

Although Brooklyn Dodgers fans were outraged to learn that the franchise was moving west, they could still identify with the talented players making the transition. (The announcement itself was arguably the second-worst moment in Dodgers history.)

Gil Hodges, Sandy Koufax, Don Newcombe and Duke Snider would continue sporting the same laundry. MVP-caliber catcher Roy Campanella was supposed to accompany them, but his life abruptly changed on January 28, 1958.

Slipping on an icy patch, Campanella's car collided with a telephone pole. The accident paralyzed him from the shoulders down, ending his playing career.

Aside from being extraordinarily productive, the veteran backstop also had a major leadership role within the organization prior to that unfortunate night.

6. St. Louis Cardinals: Darryl Kile Dies of a Heart Attack (2002)

Right-hander Darryl Kile rose to prominence with the Houston Astros, but he pitched surprisingly well for the St. Louis Cardinals across two-and-a-half seasons prior to passing away.

The Cards were preparing for an afternoon matchup with the Chicago Cubs on June 22, 2002, but Kile didn't show up for pregame warm-ups. He was discovered at the team hotel, deceased on his bed after suffering a heart attack.

Although initially shaken by the 33-year-old's death, his teammates rallied to post a 57-34 record for the remainder of the season and clinch the NL Central title.

5. Cleveland Indians: Ray Chapman Dies from a Spitball (1920)

To this day, former shortstop Ray Chapman remains the only major league player to ever die on the field during a game.

Credit the league for taking the appropriate steps to ensure that.

After an errant fastball slipped out of Carl Mays' right hand on the afternoon of August 30, 1920, baseball officials decided pitchers shouldn't put their opposition at risk by throwing dirty balls. Now, there comes a point when umpires must provide clean equipment.

The tragedy led to an MLB ban of the spitball and, eventually, the adoption of helmets.

Despite all of the positive takeaways from the beaning, the Cleveland Indians were understandably devastated about losing an elite, selfless player in his prime. They won the World Series that fall, but didn't return to the playoffs until nearly three decades later. With Chapman around, that success surely would've been more sustainable.

4. Los Angeles Angels: Nick Adenhart's Death (2009)

The homegrown former 14th-round draft pick was finally making good at the major league level.

Nick Adenhart pitched the third game of the season for the 2009 Los Angeles Angels. He contributed six scoreless innings, albeit in a losing effort.

The team expected him to take the mound again the following week (and every five days for years to come), but fate had other plans. Adenhart was the passenger in a fatal car accident on his way home from that contest.

Halos rotation leader Jered Weaver was particularly close to the right-hander before he passed away, and he continues to find ways to remind us.

3. Pittsburgh Pirates: Roberto Clemente's Plane Goes Down (1972)

For those too young to remember, Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente was a player and human being in the mold of Andrew McCutchen.

Although slightly undersized, he spent his entire illustrious career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Clemente contributed plenty with his bat and glove, frequently representing the organization in MLB All-Star Games and major award races. But most importantly, he tried to improve the lives of those less fortunate.

Coming off of another strong season in 1972 (.312/.356/.479, 4.0 fWAR in 102 games), the Puerto Rican native didn't spend his New Year's Eve sipping champagne with the rich and famous. He boarded a plane en route to Nicaragua to deliver emergency aid to earthquake victims.

We later learned that the plane was actually overloaded with too many supplies. It didn't help that the aircraft had a history of mechanical problems.

Clemente was only 38 years old.

2. New York Yankees: Thurman Munson's Death (1979)

Coming off back-to-back World Series championships, the New York Yankees lost their captain, Thurman Munson, when he crashed his private plane. 

The team had an off-day on August 2, 1979, after just completing a six-day road trip, and Munson took the opportunity to practice his flying. The Ohio native wanted to visit his family in Canton. However, his aircraft began descending too soon, nipped a tree and crashed short of the runway. Munson was accompanied by his friend and an instructor, both of whom escaped safely.

Even at age 32, the veteran catcher was extremely valuable on the field, not to mention a role model in the clubhouse. Without his production and presence, New York failed to qualify for the postseason.

This tribute from immediately after the tragedy shows how deeply the fans and Yankees organization was affected.

1. Chicago White Sox: 8 Players Banned Following 'Black Sox' Scandal (1920)

It's painful for any team to reach the World Series, only to fall a couple wins short of a championship.

In the case of the 1919 Chicago White Sox, a handful of players came close to destroying the entire league by intentionally underachieving on the biggest stage.

They were unified by a disdain for team owner Charles Comiskey. He was notoriously cheap and unsympathetic. First baseman Chick Gandil, starting pitcher Eddie Cicotte and others conspired with gamblers to fix the Fall Classic in order to spite Comiskey and make good money from doing so. Ultimately, the Cincinnati Reds clinched in eight games (used to be a best-of-nine format).

Rumors engulfed the White Sox throughout the 1920 season as they fought for another American League pennant. A grand jury was finally convened to investigate in September.

As the first MLB commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned several of Chicago's stars, including Cicotte, Happy Felsch and Shoeless Joe Jackson. The most devastating loss was Jackson, a .356 lifetime hitter, who would later deny any involvement in the scheme. His stellar performance against the Reds in the series validates that claim.

What a brutal fallout. The White Sox spent the next 15 seasons as a second-division team, seldom finishing above the .500 mark, and didn't return to the World Series until 1959. Fans would have to wait until the new millennium to celebrate again.

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