Spankees losing 4 straight to Bos, Bos blowing a 14 game lead in August in 1978, but the 1964 Phillies is probably bigger than this Mets collapse:
However, from a 6½-game lead on the Cincinnati Reds with 12 games remaining in the season, Philadelphia collapsed in a 10-game losing streak (the first seven played at home). The crucial series came when the now second-place Phillies traveled to St. Louis to play the Cardinals after their losing home stand. They dropped the first game of the series to Bob Gibson by a 5-1 score, their eighth loss in a row, dropping them to third place. The Cardinals would sweep the three-game set and assume first place for good.
However, from a 6½-game lead on the Cincinnati Reds with 12 games remaining in the season, Philadelphia collapsed in a 10-game losing streak (the first seven played at home). The crucial series came when the now second-place Phillies traveled to St. Louis to play the Cardinals after their losing home stand. They dropped the first game of the series to Bob Gibson by a 5-1 score, their eighth loss in a row, dropping them to third place. The Cardinals would sweep the three-game set and assume first place for good.
First of all, the stakes were higher in the Yankee choke, and all other things being equal, the greater the stakes, the worst the choke is looked at for blowing it, but secondly, it's not at all clear that the Red Sox were the better team-and this comes from a Yankee hater. The Yanks not only took a 3-0 lead, they also fininshed ahead of the Red Sox for the umpteenth consecutive time in regular season that year. Those two things don't exactly scream overwhelming superiority on the part of the Red Sox. Finally, trying to compare having to win one game out of four-the final two of which were at home-to having to win, what 7 out of 17, isn't really close, no matter WHO you're playing.
arty:
Here's a good article on that...if NYM misses the playoffs this would put them at #2 as far as having the playoffs in hand and then blowing it, behind the '95 Angels:
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=6764
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=6764
Yes, the biggest
No major league team had owned a lead of seven games or more with 17 to play, or been up by at least seven on Sept. 12 or later, and failed to finish in first place.
<TABLE cellPadding=1 align=left border=0 hspace="10" vspace="5"><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
<!-- /SIG=12kv3jv0c/M=542848.11522180.12021202.11122678/D=sports/S=95861688:LREC/_ylt=AqAQXhZoZQI7dJ15.E46upG4u7YF/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1191192516/A=4324646/R=0 --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><SCRIPT language=javascript>if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object();window.yzq_d['aip2ONgnMuQ-']='&U=13ccjdqe7%2fN%3daip2ONgnMuQ-%2fC%3d542848.11522180.12021202.11122678%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d4324646';</SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>New York's meltdown also matched the blown largest in September. The 1938 Pittsburgh Pirates (Sept. 1) and 1934 New York Giants (Sept. 6) also led by seven games in the final month only to tailspin.
No major league team had owned a lead of seven games or more with 17 to play, or been up by at least seven on Sept. 12 or later, and failed to finish in first place.
<TABLE cellPadding=1 align=left border=0 hspace="10" vspace="5"><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
<!-- /SIG=12kv3jv0c/M=542848.11522180.12021202.11122678/D=sports/S=95861688:LREC/_ylt=AqAQXhZoZQI7dJ15.E46upG4u7YF/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1191192516/A=4324646/R=0 --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><SCRIPT language=javascript>if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object();window.yzq_d['aip2ONgnMuQ-']='&U=13ccjdqe7%2fN%3daip2ONgnMuQ-%2fC%3d542848.11522180.12021202.11122678%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d4324646';</SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>New York's meltdown also matched the blown largest in September. The 1938 Pittsburgh Pirates (Sept. 1) and 1934 New York Giants (Sept. 6) also led by seven games in the final month only to tailspin.
