The Most Brutal Moments in Each MLB Franchise's History

With such a longstanding history, baseball's many franchises have all had their shares of ups and downs throughout the years.

Since every fan has a different view on the history on their favorite teams, it's nearly impossible to pinpoint what could actually be called the worst of the worst.

Some moments I've included are more tragic, while others are actually humorous. Some highlight the game's best, others, the game's worst. In some cases the curses have since been broken, but in others, the curses live on.

That said, here are some of the lowest points (or maybe not so much) from the history of each MLB franchise.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Sticking with Byung-Hyun Kim in 2001 World Series

The Arizona Diamondbacks may have won the 2001 World Series title over the New York Yankees, but relief pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim sure tried to lose it for them.

Kim recorded the loss in Game 4 and blew the save opportunity in Game 5. A 13.50 ERA with a blown save in those two appearances was enough for the Diamondbacks to learn their lesson and make sure he didn't take the mound again that fall.

Atlanta Braves: Eddie Mathews Lets Down Braves in 1958 Fall Classic

Eddie Mathews is a Hall of Fame infielder who was a part of two World Series championship-winning teams. That number might have been three had he not had such a dismal postseason in 1958.

The Braves were the defending world champions and were led by Mathews (an All-Star) and Hank Aaron. With a 3-1 lead in the series, they'd ultimately fall to the Yankees as Mathews went just 4-for-25 during the series with 11 strikeouts (then a record for strikeouts in a World Series).

Baltimore Orioles: Jeffrey Maier Gives Yankees Added Home-Field Advantage

Twelve-year-old Jeffrey Maier became an unsuspecting star in 1996 when his deflection of a ball during the ALCS would give his Yankees a boost after the ball would be ruled a home run despite Maier clearly reaching into fair territory.

The home run tied the game and the Yankees would ultimately go on to defeat the Baltimore Orioles en route to a World Series appearance.

Boston Red Sox: Selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees

On December 26, 1919, the Curse of the Bambino was born.

According to "Ruth Demands $20,000; Business Manager Says Home-Run King Has Returned Contract." from the New York Times, after demanding that his salary be doubled following the 1919 season, Boston Red Sox ownership decided they'd need to unload Ruth, taking a $200,000 payment and $300,000 loan from the Yankees to complete the sale.

The rest is history.

Chicago Cubs: Steve Bartman Gets in Moises Alou's Way

The curse of the Billy Goat is definitely a sore spot in Chicago Cubs history, but Steve Bartman became the most hated human in the Windy City in the fall of 2003 when he would interfere with a foul ball during Game 6 of the NLCS.

The Cubs had a 3-0 lead at the time but would end up falling at the hands of the Florida Marlins, and the curse lived on.

Chicago White Sox: Wearing Shorts During Games

Yes, the Black Sox scandal definitely put a black eye on the Chicago White Sox organization, but when White Sox owner Bill Veeck had his players wearing shorts during Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals in 1976, everyone had to wonder what he could've possibly been thinking.

Cincinnati Reds: Pete Rose Bets on Baseball

In early 1989, Cincinnati Reds great Pete Rose was questioned on multiple occasions by MLB commissioners Peter Ueberroth and Bart Giamatti on the accusations that he had been betting on games.

Rose denied the accusations for quite some time, although in August of 1989 he would agree to a ban from baseball in exchange for the league not releasing official findings surrounding the gambling allegations.

Whether or not Rose deserves this ban is a hotly debated topic, but no matter how you look at it, it's certainly a shame to see one of baseball's most prolific offensive players of all time on the outside looking in.

Cleveland Indians: Ray Chapman Loses Life After Taking a Spitball to the Head

In what was one of the most noteworthy incidents leading up to the outlawing of the spitball, Ray Chapman was beaned by a pitch from Yankees pitcher Carl Mays.

He was taken off the field and would later die from injuries sustained from the blow to his head. The very next season the league outlawed the spitball.

Colorado Rockies: Handing Mike Hampton a $121 Million Contract

Less than two years removed from a 22-win season, the Colorado Rockies handed Mike Hampton an eight-year, $121 million contract in hopes that he'd be the ace that Coors Field so desperately needed.

His first year with the Rockies was less than spectacular, as he went 14-13 with an ERA over 5.00. It wouldn't get any better from there on, as the following season he fell to 7-15 while his ERA ballooned to 6.15.

Detroit Tigers: Losing an Amazingly Bad 119 Games in 2003

Every team is bound to have a down season now and then, and when the Detroit Tigers did, they certainly went all out.

In 2003 the Tigers nearly set an all-time mark for futility, going 43-119 while finishing nearly 50 games out in the AL Central.

With the current makeup of the Tigers, fans in Detroit shouldn't have to worry about approaching a season like that any time soon.

Houston Astros: Nolan Ryan Blows Game 5 of 1980 NLCS

He's known as one of the best pitchers of our time, but Nolan Ryan experienced one of the low points of his career in October of 1980.

With a 5-2 lead through seven innings of Game 5 of the NLCS, Ryan had the Philadelphia Phillies all but beaten.

The Phillies wouldn't be turned away though, loading the bases on three singles, scoring on infield hits and a walk by Ryan, taking a 6-5.

The Astros would tie the game back up, but would ultimately fall in extra innings, seeing their season come to a heartbreaking end.

Kansas City Royals: 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006

After making multiple postseason appearances in the 1980s, including a World Series championship in 1985, the Kansas City Royals hovered around .500 for the most part during the 1990s.

Things got much worse in 2002, as the team lost 100 games for the first time in franchise history. They'd rebound to a winning record in 2003, but would lose at least 100 games in the next three seasons.

Los Angeles Angels: Handing Mo Vaughn an $80 Million Contract

After coming over from Boston, Mo Vaughn gave some early returns to the Angels, hitting 69 home runs and driving in 225 runs during his first two seasons on the West Coast.

He wouldn't play another game with the Angels after 2000, however, as they would eventually deal Vaughn to the Mets after he gained an extreme amount of weight after sitting out 2001 due to injuries.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Letting Ralph Branca Face Bobby Thomson

The Shot Heard 'Round the World is one of the most memorable moments in baseball history, as Bobby Thomson's home run pushed the Giants to a pennant in 1951.

Perhaps the most surprising element of the home run is the fact that the Dodgers actually let Ralph Branca enter the game in the first place. Thomson had already hit two home runs off of Branca that season, and the Giants as a team had actually beaten him on six occasions.

Miami Marlins: Staging Massive Sell-off After World Series Run

After the Florida Marlins reached baseball's pinnacle in the fall of 1997, winning the World Series over the Cleveland Indians, fans in Florida had something to cheer for.

They wouldn't be cheering for long, as the Marlins ownership ripped apart the team no sooner than the ticker tape had stopped falling, removing virtually all impact players from the 1997 team.

Just one year removed from a world championship, the Marlins would hit a new low, losing 108 games in 1998.

Milwaukee Brewers: Changing Logos

As a Minnesotan, I'm conditioned to hate everything that comes from Wisconsin. I do my best on many fronts, but I just can't bring myself to bash the Milwaukee Brewers glove logo—something that never should've been taken away.

Minnesota Twins: MLB Threatens Contraction

With an aging Metrodome as their home stadium, fans of the Minnesota Twins nearly had their hearts broken in 2002, when commissioner Bud Selig selected the Twins and Montreal Expos for contraction due to their inability to remain fiscally stable.

A court decision ultimately saved the Twins temporarily, as it was decided that the team would need to finish out its lease before anything else could happen.

When the reality of contraction or relocation set in, city and state leaders stepped in and ultimately worked out a deal to build the Minnesota Twins a new stadium, bringing baseball back outdoors to Target Field.

New York Mets: Horribly Botching the Bobby Bonilla Contract

The New York Mets thought they were making a brilliant move in making Bobby Bonilla the highest-paid player in baseball in 1992.

They didn't get the superstar they thought they would, as Bonilla's stats didn't match up and he failed to play well enough to earn MVP consideration as he had done in his last four seasons in Pittsburgh.

To make matters worse, the Mets are still paying deferred funds from his contract in excess of $29 million.

New York Yankees: Babe Ruth Ends 1926 World Series Attempting to Steal Second

As one of the best to ever set foot on a baseball field, Babe Ruth gave Yankee fans some of the most memorable moments in their franchise history.

The way he ended the 1926 World Series is just as memorable, even though it's for all the wrong reasons.

He thought he could catch the Cardinals off guard by stealing, and Ruth took off from first base in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 7.

Ruth certainly wasn't quick enough to beat out the tag, and to this date Ruth is the only player to end a World Series being caught stealing.

Oakland Athletics: Jeremy Giambi's Non-Slide During 2001 ALDS

After taking a 2-0 lead in the 2001 ALDS, the Oakland Athletics were poised to close out the series and move onto the ALCS, but the Yankees unfortunately had other plans.

Down just one run in the seventh inning, Jeremy Giambi rounded third in an attempt to score, and had he decided to slide (and would have if he had any idea what was going on) the game probably would've been tied up.

Instead, Giambi was tagged out, and the Yankees would come back to win the series.

Philadelphia Phillies: "Wild Thing" Sends Toronto into a Frenzy

Philadelphia Phillies closer Mitch Williams had a great 1993 campaign, earning 43 saves in 65 appearances.

His nickname "Wild Thing" indicated that while he had great stuff he had the potential to go off the handle. That's exactly what happened in the 1993 World Series. He made three appearances in the series against the Toronto Blue Jays, losing two of them.

The most notable of those losses was the series-clinching walk-off that Joe Carter coaxed over the Skydome's left field wall.

In just 2.2 innings pitched, Williams gave up six earned runs and walked four batters.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Roberto Clemente Dies During Humanitarian Mission

Roberto Clemente managed to reach a milestone few players have reached when he got his 3,000th hit during the last day of the regular season in 1972.

Clemente's life was tragically cut short just a few months later, as a plane headed to provide earthquake relief to an area of Nicaragua crashed off the coast of Puerto Rico.

San Diego Padres: Roseanne Tortures Fans at Jack Murphy Stadium

The San Diego Padres have had a number of disappointments throughout their franchise history, having made only five postseason appearances, never winning a World Series.

Their futility shouldn't be too surprising, as management has parted ways with a number of emerging stars like Roberto and Sandy Alomar, Joe Carter, Gary Sheffield, Fred McGriff and Benito Santiago.

Through all that, the Padres' biggest injustice to baseball was definitely allowing Roseanne to sing the National Anthem.

San Francisco Giants: Merkle's Boner

Fred Merkle's long career is probably now best remembered for an error committed in 1908 in the middle of a playoff race. As a member of the Giants, he went up to bat with the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth against the Cubs, singling a runner over to third base.

The next batter would single in the winning run and Merkle would head back to the dugout. Having failed to touch second base, the perceptive fielders touched the bag and Merkle was called out, meaning that the run that scored would be disallowed.

Due to the fans on the field, the game was called and later replayed. The Cubs would win it the second time around, forever placing Merkle's error in history.

Seattle Mariners: 2008 Mariners Become First $100 Million Team to Lose 100 Games

Shortage in funding was no issue for the Seattle Mariners in 2008, as the team was outspent by only eight other teams and boasted a payroll of nearly $118 million.

The season did prove that at times you really can't buy wins, as the Mariners would become the first team in league history to lose 100 games despite a payroll over $100 million, finishing with a 61-101 record.

St. Louis Cardinals: Cardinals Trio Experiences Power Outage at the Wrong Time

The St. Louis Cardinals won 105 games in 2004, thanks in no small part to their offensive weapons including Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds.

The fans wouldn't be thanking their stars for long, as the Boston Red Sox swept the Cardinals to win the World Series as they received virtually no help from Edmonds and Rolen, who went a combined 1-for-30 with seven strikeouts in the four-game series.

Tampa Bay Rays: Being Stuck in Tropicana Field

Despite having low payrolls on a yearly basis, the Tampa Bay Rays have managed to stay competitive and put a good brand of baseball on the field.

Even though they've made multiple postseason pushes, the Rays have failed to draw fans, finishing in the bottom three for attendance every season between 2001 and 2007.

There has been discussions surrounding the team's relocation to a new stadium (possibly in Tampa), but the mayor of St. Petersburg has halted any talks, stating that the team must honor its lease, which runs through 2027.

Texas Rangers: Fan Loses Life in Attempt to Grab Foul Ball

An immensely tragic incident occurred in Texas last summer, as Rangers fan Shannon Stone would lose his life after falling to the ground after reaching to grab a foul ball tossed into the stands by Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton.

The tragedy shook both Hamilton and the entire Rangers community, and the team went to great lengths to pay tribute to Stone, including having his 6-year-old son Cooper throw out the first pitch before Game 1 of the ALDS.

Toronto Blue Jays: Horribly Overpaying Alex Rios and Vernon Wells

Vernon Wells and Alex Rios' first few seasons in Toronto yielded magnificent results for the Blue Jays, as they'd both become a consistent hitters who showed promise in the outfield.

Wells had a brutal season in 2007 with an average nearly 40 points below his standard, and his power numbers were down. The Blue Jays did, however, still opt to give him a seven-year, $126 million contract and also handed a seven-year, $70 million contract to Rios. 

Rios was waived in August of 2009 and later claimed by the Chicago White Sox, and perhaps even more surprising, the Blue Jays got the Angels to take on the contract last offseason, a move the Angels have to be regretting as Wells batted only .218 in 2011 with Los Angeles.

Washington Nationals: Steve Rogers Sends Dodgers to World Series in 1981

During the fifth and decisive game of the 1981 NLCS, the Montreal Expos turned to Steve Rogers in the ninth inning to propel their team to a World Series berth.

The team's leading winner in 1981 would fail to live up to billing in front of the home crowd, giving up what would be the game-winning home run to Rick Monday in the top of the ninth inning.