Curiousity got the better of me today.

After watching last night's stirring comeback by the Royals, I started thinking about the worst teams in baseball history. My criteria to be included in the "worst of the worst" was this: Either the team lost over 100 games or their winning percentage was .333 or lower.

My way of thinking about a 162 game season is this. You'll most likely win 54, and lose 54, so that means the other 54 is where you really make your season, which coincidentally enough, matches up with the .333 winning percentage criteria!

Most people think that the 1962 New York Mets (40-120 .250 60.5 games behind San Francisco) were the worst team in history, well that's not entirely true. At least, not if you go entirely by winning percentage. In my research(thanks baseball-reference.com) I found a couple teams since the 1901 season that could certainly lay claim to the worst of all time.

The 1916 Philadelphia Athletics were a horrific 36-117 for a .235 winning percentage while finishing 54.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox.

The 1935 Boston Braves were 38-115 for a .248 winning percentage while finishing 61.5 games behind the Chicago Cubs.

Let's take a look at some corresponding categories, shall we?

Runs per game
1935 - Lge Avg - 4.71
Boston's - 3.76 Sc0red - ranked last 5.57 Allowed - ranked last
1916 - Lge Avg - 3.68
Philly's - 2.90 Scored - ranked last 5.04 Allowed - ranked last
1962 - Lge Avg - 4.48
NY's - 3.83 Scored - ranked next to last 5.89 Allowed - ranked last

Error/Fielding Pct
1935 - Boston 197 total errors - Fielding PCT .967 - ranked third to last
Top Fielding team in 1935 - St Louis 163 total errors - .972 Fielding PCT
1916 - Philly 312 total errors - Fielding PCT .952 - ranked last
Top Fielding team in 1916 - Boston 183 total errors - .972 Fielding PCT
1962 - NY 210 total errors - Fielding PCT .967 - ranked last
Top Fielding team in 1962 - Milwaukee 123 total errors - .980 Fielding PCT

What does this prove? Not much. While the Mets lay claim to having the most losses in history, I think there's at least two other teams that can certainly contend for the crown of "worst" team in major league baseball history.

The list of worst teams ever (since 1901 & using AL, NL and Federal League info):
1903 NL St Louis 43-94 .314
1903 AL Washington 43-94 .314
1904 AL Washington 38-113 .252
1905 NL Boston 51-103 .331
1905 NL Brooklyn 48-104 .316
1906 AL Boston 49-105 .318
1906 NL Boston 49-102 .325
1907 AL Washington 49-102 .325
1908 AL New York 51-103 .331
1908 NL St Louis 49-105 .318
1909 AL Washington 42-110 .276
1909 NL Boston 45-108 .294
1910 AL St Louis 47-107 .305
1911 AL St Louis 45-107 .296
1911 NL Boston 44-107 .291
1912 AL New York 50-101 .329
1914 AL Cleveland 51-102 .333
1915 AL Philadelphia 43-109 .289
1915 FL Baltimore 47-107 .305
1916 AL Philadelphia 36-117 .235
1917 NL Pittsburgh 51-103 .331
1919 AL Philadelphia 36-104 .257
1920 AL Philadelphia 48-106 .312
1921 NL Philadelphia 51-103 .331
1923 NL Philadelphia 50-104 .325
1925 AL Boston 47-105 .309
1926 AL Boston 46-107 .301
1927 AL Boston 51-103 .331
1927 NL Philadelphia 51-103 .331
1928 NL Boston 50-103 .327
1928 NL Philadelphia 43-109 .283
1932 AL Chicago 49-102 .325
1932 AL Boston 43-111 .279
1935 NL Boston 38-115 .248
1937 AL St Louis 46-108 .299
1938 NL Philadelphia 45-105 .300
1939 AL St Louis 43-111 .279
1939 NL Philadelphia 45-106 .298
1940 NL Philadelphia 50-103 .327
1941 NL Philadelphia 43-111 .279
1942 NL Philadelphia 42-109 .278
1943 AL Philadelphia 49-105 .318
1945 NL Philadelphia 46-108 .299
1946 AL Philadelphia 49-105 .318
1949 AL Washington 50-104 .325
1952 AL Detroit 50-104 .325
1952 NL Pittsburgh 42-112 .273
1953 NL Pittsburgh 50-104 .325
1954 AL Baltimore 54-100 .351
1954 AL Philadelphia 51-103 .331
1954 NL Pittsburgh 53-101 .344
1955 AL Washington 53-101 .344
1956 AL Kansas City 52-102 .338
1961 AL Washington 61-100 .379
1961 AL Kansas City 61-100 .379
1961 NL Philadelphia 47-107 .305
1962 AL Washington 60-101 .373
1962 NL Chicago 59-103 .364
1962 NL New York 40-120 .250
1963 AL Washington 56-106 .346
1963 NL New York 51-111 .315
1964 AL Washington 62-100 .383
1964 AL Kansas City 57-105 .352
1964 NL New York 53-109 .327
1965 AL Boston 62-100 .383
1965 AL Kansas City 59-103 .364
1965 NL New York 50-112 .309
1966 NL Chicago 59-103 .364
1967 NL New York 61-101 .377
1969 NL Montreal 52-110 .321
1969 NL San Diego 52-110 .321
1970 AL Chicago 56-106 .346
1971 AL Cleveland 60-102 .370
1971 NL San Diego 61-100 .379
1972 AL Texas 54-100 .351
1973 AL Texas 57-105 .352
1973 NL San Diego 60-102 .370
1974 NL San Diego 60-102 .370
1975 AL Detroit 57-102 .358
1976 NL Montreal 55-107 .340
1977 AL Toronto 54-107 .335
1977 NL Atlanta 61-101 .377
1978 AL Toronto 59-102 .366
1978 AL Seattle 56-104 .350
1979 AL Toronto 53-109 .327
1979 AL Oakland 54-108 .333
1980 AL Seattle 59-103 .364
1982 AL Minnesota 60-102 .370
1982 NL Cincinnati 61-101 .377
1983 AL Seattle 60-102 .370
1985 AL Cleveland 60-102 .370
1985 NL Pittsburgh 57-104 .354
1985 NL San Francisco 62-100 .383
1987 AL Cleveland 61-101 .377
1988 AL Baltimore 54-107 .335
1988 AL Atlanta 54-106 .338
1989 AL Detroit 59-103 .364
1991 AL Cleveland 57-105 .352
1993 NL New York 59-103 .364
1993 NL San Diego 61-101 .377
1996 AL Detroit 53-109 .327
1998 NL Florida 54-108 .333
2001 AL Tampa Bay 62-100 .383
2001 NL Pittsburgh 62-100 .383
2002 AL Tampa Bay 55-106 .342
2002 AL Kansas City 62-100 .383
2002 AL Detroit 55-106 .342
2002 NL Milwaukee 56-106 .346
2003 AL Detroit 43-119 .265
2004 AL Kansas City 58-104 .358
2004 NL Arizona 51-111 .315
2005 AL Kansas City 56-106 .346