[Neopet_Girl]

The legend of the Cleveland Spiders.

Yes, I know, it looks like the Yankees suck this year. But suck (at least in baseball terms) is a relative thing.

Long ago. Way before I was born. Way, way, before, there was a team in Cleveland (does anything good come from Cleveland? I mean they had Drew Carey, enough said) which was not the team in Cleveland we all think of. It was a bad, bad team. Think of the Royals only like a million times less talented. Well, a million is harsh. Think of the Royals only 100 times less talented. Okay, now you get the picture. They were called the Cleveland Spiders.

A local sports writer once wrote the following good points of following the Mighty Spiders:

There is everything to hope for and nothing to fear.

Defeats do not disturb one's sleep.

An occasional victory is a surprise and a delight.

There is no danger of any club passing you.

You are not asked 50 times a day, "What was the score?" People take it for granted that you lost.

Were the Spiders really that bad? Yes, they were! They won all of 20 games out of 154 total games they played in 1899. Twenty! Imagine how the other team felt to lose to the Spiders?

Okay, you know why they sucked so badly, because of St. Louis. That's right, St. Louis. It seems that team owner Frank Robison bought the St. Louis Browns as well as the Spiders. Then the big boss had an even bigger idea. He took all his star players in Cleveland and sent them to St. Louis. Having little players left, he then replaced the Spiders with minor league guys and worse semi-pro guys. Guys who probably drank better than they hit (but I am only guessing, since I was not around to watch the Spiders play and ESPN was not around to capture them in all their glory).
So, okay, that is the history lesson for today. You have all been a nice class. Hey does anyone know if you can still buy a Cleveland Spider jersey?

Next week, we will take a look at the mighty St. Louis Perfectos (aka, where the Spider stars all went).

That's all I got.

This is Neopet_Girl signing off (aka Marc's understudy...LOL)

[Lefty Noob]

Good stuff, Neopet_Girl!

Yes, the 1899 Cleveland Spiders are generally considered the worst team in baseball history. With all of their talented players gone, the team lost 40 of their last 41 games. Not only were they 84 games out of first place, they were 35 games behind the team in from of them. Other NL teams refused to use their stadium because they averaged less than 200 in per game attendance, so they were forced to play 36 straight road games to end the season. They never won more than two games in a row that season.

Of course, the team was contracted at the end of the year, and has no official ties to the Indians franchise. Just thought I should note that.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

There was this little known pitcher for the Spiders...a real nobody named Denton True Young...he was sent to the Perfectos as well. You guys might know him by the award they now give in his name.

[Neopet_Girl]

Originally Posted by Gotham Dark Knight

There was this little known pitcher for the Spiders...a real nobody named Denton True Young...he was sent to the Perfectos as well. You guys might know him by the award they now give in his name.

That's so next week! Can't you read GDK! The Perfecto article is next week. Hold your comments until then! LOL.