More Meaningless Examples From The Past Offered (I Suppose) To Give You Hope, Though You Shouldn't Actually Be Worried

Peter Abraham, Globe:

• No 0-4 team has ever won the World Series.

• Only one 0-4 team made it to the World Series — the 1985 Cardinals.

• According to the Elias Sports Bureau, since 1995 only two out of 128 playoff teams reached the postseason after an 0-4 start — the 1999 Diamondbacks and the 1995 Reds.

I'm not sure what any of that really means. Usually an 0-4 team is a lousy team that didn't have much of a chance to win the World Series in the first place. ...

I would bet every World Series champion probably had a four-game losing streak at some point. The problem is that streak looks worse when it comes right away.

In the last 50 years, only two World Series champions have not had a losing streak as long as four games. The last team to do it, the 1988 Dodgers, had 10 separate three-game losing streaks.

WS Winners And Longest Losing Streak Of That Season
2010 Giants       - 7
2009 Yankees      - 5
2008 Phillies     - 6
2007 Red Sox      - 4 (3 times)
2006 Cardinals    - 8 (twice)
2005 White Sox    - 7
2004 Red Sox      - 5
2003 Marlins      - 6 (twice, both in May!)
2002 Angels       - 6
2001 Diamondbacks - 5
2000 Yankees      - 7
1999 Yankees      - 5
1998 Yankees      - 4
1997 Marlins      - 5
1996 Yankees      - 5
1995 Atlanta      - 5
1993 Blue Jays    - 6
1992 Blue Jays    - 5
1991 twins        - 7
1990 Reds         - 8
1989 A's          - 4
1988 Dodgers      - 3 (10 times)
1987 Twins        - 6
1986 Mets         - 4 (twice)
1985 Royals       - 5
1984 Tigers       - 4 (three times)
1983 Orioles      - 7 (twice)
1982 Cardinals    - 4
1981 Dodgers      - 4
1980 Phillies     - 6
1979 Pirates      - 6
1978 Yankees      - 4 (twice)
1977 Yankees      - 5 (twice)
1976 Reds         - 4
1975 Reds         - 6
1974 A's          - 4
1973 A's          - 5
1972 A's          - 4 (twice)
1971 Pirates      - 4 (twice)
1970 Orioles      - 3 (twice)
1969 Mets         - 5
1968 Tigers       - 4
1967 Cardinals    - 4
1966 Orioles      - 4 (four times)
1965 Dodgers      - 4
1964 Cardinals    - 5 (twice)
1963 Dodgers      - 5
1962 Yankees      - 6
1961 Yankees      - 4
1960 Pirates      - 4 (twice)

All of these lists mean absolutely nothing in terms of the 2011 Red Sox, but here's another one: a few teams that began the year 0-4 and their eventual record:

1928 A's          -  98-55  2nd in AL
1969 Twins        -  97-65  Won AL West
1977 Phillies     - 101-61  Won NL East
1977 Red Sox      -  97-64  2nd in AL East
1985 Cardinals    - 101-61  Won NL East and Pennant
1999 Diamondbacks - 100-62  Won NL West

Of course, there are examples in the other direction. In 1966, Cleveland began the year 10-0 and 14-1, and finished 81-81. So, look out, Baltimore.