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Gifts for all occasions in the Galleria! Subscribe to the "What is the Deal?" mailing list. September 7, 2003 What is the Deal with 20 Game Losers? By Jan A. Larson Former major league pitcher Brian Kingman holds the distinction of being the last major league pitcher to lose 20 games in a single season. Kingman, in just his second major league season, compiled a record of 8 wins and 20 losses for the 1980 Oakland Athletics. Kingman pitched in only three more seasons, being forced to retire from the game with arm problems. He finished with a career record of 23 wins and 45 losses. Kingman has capitalized on this bit of notoriety with a website and by becoming the answer to a trivia question in every season in which a pitcher approaches the dubious figure. There are two "contenders" to knock Kingman off his perch this season, both of whom pitch for the woeful Detroit Tigers. The Tigers are threatening the modern major league record of 120 losses in a season, set by the 1962 New York Mets. In the process, the Tigers' Mike Maroth and/or Jeremy Bonderman might knock Kingman off the trivia lists. Maroth, 26, with a record of 6-19 as of this writing, is in his second season in the major leagues after compiling a 6-10 record in 2002. Bonderman, a youngster at 20, in his first major league season, stands at 6-18. There has been talk in the sporting press about whether the two Tiger pitchers should be spared the indignity of 20 losses. Kingman, for his part, has resorted to voodoo dolls in hopes of warding off the threat to his notoriety. There are three issues at play here. The first is Kingman's attempt to grab the few remaining rays of the fading limelight of a mediocre career. He didn't make headlines for winning 20 games, winning a World Series or being an all-star or Hall of Famer. The name "Brian Kingman" would not be a topic of discussion for the vast majority of baseball fans without the number 20 in the "L" column by his name in the record books. The second is apparently the result of the politically correct society in which we live. Taking the position that no one should be a "loser," it has been asserted by some that losing 20 games would somehow scar Maroth and/or Bonderman for life. One must be a pretty good pitcher in order to lose 20 games in a season. Pitchers without major league skills are either be toiling in the minor leagues our out of baseball entirely, not on a major league pitching mound 25 or 30 times per year. Twenty Hall of Fame pitchers, including Walter Johnson, Steve Carlton and Phil Niekro all had seasons in which they lost 20 games. The third issue is the respect for the game. It has been said that statistics are for losers. Despite the Tigers' horrendous season, by all accounts the young team has played hard and given their best effort. What kind of message would it send to their teammates if Maroth or Bonderman decided to sit out because they feared losing? That is not what professional sports or sports in general are about. It is about taking the ball, giving it your best and letting the chips, and statistics, fall where they may. To their credit, neither pitcher has suggested that he would decline to take the mound solely to avoid taking a loss. ** Update: Mike Maroth started the game for the Tigers against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, September 5. He was the losing pitcher, charged with eight runs in three innings dropping his record to 6-20. Jeremy Bonderman has been removed from the Tigers' pitching rotation after three poor games. His status as a starting pitcher for the remainder of the season is unknown. -- Send feedback to the author. The "What is the Deal?" column will appears weekly on the Pie of Knowledge website. Guest submissions are welcome and encouraged. To submit an article to "What is the Deal?" click here. To subscribe to the "What is the Deal?" mailing list and receive early notification when a new column is available, click here. The Pie of Knowledge will never, ever divulge email addresses to any third party for any reason unless so ordered by a court of law. Contributions to the Pie of Knowledge are greatly appreciated. 
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