What Is A Worse Way To Lose A Game In The 9th or Extra Innings?

[Mitchell]

Here's a question for all us baseball fans. If you had to pick a most frustrating way for your team to lose a game in the ninth, or extra innings, what would it be, a homerun ball, base hit, hit by pitch, balk, or bases loaded walk?
Of these, in person, with my Braves, I have only seen them lose a game in two of these ways. On two different occasions, once in May 1986 at Shea, and another time in June of 2003 in Philadelphia, they lost games on base hits in the bottom of the ninth.
Once, on the last day of the 1995 regular season, they lost their game in what I consider to be the most maddening of ways, a bases loaded walk. This to me is excruciating, because the pitcher should be able to throw the ball over the plate.
So, what do people think. Is there a worst, or most frustrating way for a team to lose a baseball game? I'll be interested to hear thoughts on this.

Mitch

 

[german]

I would have to say bottom ninth and pretty much anyway in the bottom of the ninth would hurt the most and piss me off. At least in an extra inning you have a shot to win with a tied game, and that would be the same in football losing late in 4th quarter sucks way more then extra time.

Kust

 

[ticklingfeet4fu]

Having Braden Looper on your team knowing you will lose that game.😛

 

[milagros317]

The most satisfying Dodger win I ever saw was game one of the 1988 World Series. With two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the 9th, Kirk Gibson hit a home run to turn a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 victory.

On the opposite side, for Oakland, that had to be the most frustrating way to lose, via a home run while one strike away from victory.

 

[leafstk]

It certainly hurts much more come playoff time. In the season, atleast you know you can go out and redeem yourself the next day... either way you slice it, its a tough pill to swallow. I have to say losing in the bottom of the ninth is far more disappointing. I remember on more than one occasion Dave Stieb had a no-hitter going into the bottom of the ninth with two outs for the Jays, only to give up a hit to that final batter. Ouch!

 

[lk70]

I once saw someone steal home against the Mets for the winning run. That hurt and I wasn't even particularly rooting for the Mets.

 

[Mitchell]

I think that of the ones I listed, the bases loaded walk irritated me the most. Granted, the game was meaningless that last day of the 1995 season, as Atlanta was already in the playoffs. Still, it was a game situation, in preperation for the playoffs. A pitcher in that case should be able to throw a strike. Lose on a base hit, even a homerun, but not a bases loaded walk. GRRRR!

Mitch

 

[leafstk]

Bases loaded walks, in key situations, certainly do suck.... its like handing the game away. If they hit the ball, atleast you can walk away knowing you were beat, you didn't beat yourself... I hear ya, Mitch.

 

[Goodieluver]

Good question, i dont know what would be worse, but i think the worse way for me personally not on your list is sitting through a horrendous blowout and just having that sap all your energy out of u

 

[leafstk]

Now that's always a drag....

 

[Mitchell]

Goodie, you're right, and I'm sorry that didn't make my list. Duh on me. I have sat through some very bad blowouts with the Braves over the years. The day before my college graduation in 1994, I saw Smoltz give up a Grand Slam to someone on the Mets at Shea, then a bench clearing brawl, and my Braves lost that day, 11 to 4. I have also sat through a few other blowouts, once seeing them lose 9-2, and also 8-3, and 8-2. Those sucked because they were out of all those games by the third inning. So, yes, point well taken, and thank you!

Mitch

 

[Knox The Hatter]

To me, the worst way to lose would be because of the carelessness of someone on the team I'm pulling for. It really doesn't matter whether it's within regulation or extra innings either.

The Pittsburgh Pirates once had a journeyman pitcher named Harvey Haddix, who pitched a perfect game into extra innings, and lost. I read that Bill Virdon, Pirates second baseman (and future Pirates, Yankees, and longtime Astros manager) said, "guy pitches a perfect game, and we can't even fucking win the game for him!" I imagine that must've been one hell of a "please shoot me" moment.

 

[Goodieluver]

Goodie, you're right, and I'm sorry that didn't make my list. Duh on me. I have sat through some very bad blowouts with the Braves over the years. The day before my college graduation in 1994, I saw Smoltz give up a Grand Slam to someone on the Mets at Shea, then a bench clearing brawl, and my Braves lost that day, 11 to 4. I have also sat through a few other blowouts, once seeing them lose 9-2, and also 8-3, and 8-2. Those sucked because they were out of all those games by the third inning. So, yes, point well taken, and thank you!

Mitch

Yeah thats how it was last sox game i went to which was hernandez' last start, he got shelled in the first 2 innings, yeah i got to see mccarthy shut out ball but still. Also a game i recall was the last game keith foulke closed for the sox. Manuel put him in for 2 innings and over the course of the 2 innings, the yankees scored like 5 runs, one of which was the highest and slowest hr i ever saw hit by Giambi

 

[giantfan121262]

One of the most thrilling victories I have ever seen was in 1986 when, with two out, the Mets staged a rally to come back and win game 6 of the 1986 WS. Every baseball fan in America knew how it ended, and I was on the good side of that.

Now, if I were to put myself in the shoes of Red Sox fans, I know that I will be majorly pissed off. That would be the most painful way to lose, especially when the stakes were so high.

To me, sitting through a blow out can become boring. I know if I were sitting through a blow out, even with the Mets, I would eventually say "OK lets save some runs for tomorrow". This is not to mention that the team being blown out might harbor a bit of hostility because they felt like they were being shown up.

 

[giantfan121262]

Having Braden Looper on your team knowing you will lose that game.😛

Man, am I glad he is history

 

[tulipangel]

I say extra innings IF (big if)... Lets say its team A 5-1 to team B....
Team B catches up in the 9th and ties it... then team B wipes the floor with team A! Bad way to go 🙂
Just my out look on it!