2012 was an abominable season for the Boston Red Sox – 69 wins, the worst season since 1965 (a season in which the team lost 100 games). That’s bad. The 16th worst team in franchise history in winning percentage. To put that in a little context, this is a franchise with 112 seasons of baseball in the record books – 86% of its seasons have been better. The only other time the Sox had a worse record in a 162-game season was 1965, going 62-100.
This team gets a bit of a pass however because there have been some truly abhorrent teams in the franchise’s history – the 111-loss 1932 squad; the 107-loss 1926 team; and 105-game losers in 1906 and 1925. And those were years in which 154-games made up a season. Exceptionally bad teams, 1906 especially so considering two years previous they had won the American League and three years previous the World Series.
All of which said, let’s mitigate the mitigation: While over the existence of the franchise 86% of it’s seasons have been better, its the worst season in the last 42% of its existence. Of the 11-seasons in team history that were worse, 10 occurred in the first 50% of the teams history, from 1901-1956. Only 2 have occurred in the second 50% of the teams history.
The first year manager of the 1965 squad, Billy Herman, got another year to manage. The 1966 Sox managed to lose only 90-games – the same number as the 1964 team. Despite the disappointing September of 2011, the Sox finished with a 90-72 record – a far higher perch from which to fall in one season. Which makes the 2012 squad that much more disappointing. Before the crash of September 2011, the Sox looked like a 100+ game winner. First year manager Bobby Valentine was clearly not coming back for a second bite of the apple.
Going back, the closest drop of that magnitude I can see between two seasons is 1953 (84 wins) to 1954 (69 wins) and then into the 1940’s for an even worse set of contiguous season pairings – 1942 (93 wins) to 1943 (68 wins) unless you want to include the drop between 1946 (104 wins) and 1947 (83 wins). What makes 1946 so remarkable, and what mitigates 1954 and 1943 somewhat, is that those were 154-game seasons, so the win/loss % is better for 1954 and 1943 than for 2012.
Very disappointing year indeed.
| 1932 | 43 | 111 | 0.279 | 64 | Did not make playoffs | Last place in American League |
| 1926 | 46 | 107 | 0.300 | 44½ | Did not make playoffs | Last place in American League |
| 1925 | 47 | 105 | 0.309 | 49½ | Did not make playoffs | Last place in American League |
| 1906 | 49 | 105 | 0.318 | 45½ | Did not make playoffs | Last place in American League |
| 1927 | 51 | 103 | 0.331 | 59 | Did not make playoffs | Last place in American League |
| 1930 | 52 | 102 | 0.337 | 50 | Did not make playoffs | Last place in American League |
| 1928 | 57 | 96 | 0.372 | 43½ | Did not make playoffs | Last place in American League |
| 1929 | 58 | 96 | 0.376 | 48 | Did not make playoffs | Last place in American League |
| 1965 | 62 | 100 | 0.382 | 40 | Did not make playoffs | 9th place in American League |
| 1907 | 59 | 90 | 0.395 | 32½ | Did not make playoffs | 7th place in American League |
| 1922 | 61 | 93 | 0.396 | 33 | Did not make playoffs | Last place in American League |
| 1923 | 61 | 91 | 0.401 | 37 | Did not make playoffs | Last place in American League |
| 1931 | 62 | 90 | 0.407 | 45 | Did not make playoffs | 6th place in American League |
| 1960 | 65 | 89 | 0.422 | 32 | Did not make playoffs | 7th place in American League |
| 1933 | 63 | 86 | 0.423 | 34½ | Did not make playoffs | 7th place in American League |
| 2012 | 69 | 93 | 0.426 | 26 | Did not make playoffs | 5th place in American League East |
| 1924 | 67 | 87 | 0.435 | 25 | Did not make playoffs | 7th place in American League |
| 1966 | 72 | 90 | 0.444 | 26 | Did not make playoffs | 9th place in American League |
| 1964 | 72 | 90 | 0.444 | 27 | Did not make playoffs | 7th place in American League |
| 1943 | 68 | 84 | 0.447 | 29 | Did not make playoffs | 7th place in American League |
| 1954 | 69 | 85 | 0.448 | 42 | Did not make playoffs | 4th place in American League |
| 1992 | 73 | 89 | 0.450 | 23 | Did not make playoffs | Last place in American League East |
| 1945 | 71 | 83 | 0.461 | 17½ | Did not make playoffs | 7th place in American League |
| 1994[d] | 54 | 61 | 0.469 | 17 | Playoffs cancelled. | 5th place in American League East |
| 1961 | 76 | 86 | 0.469 | 33 | Did not make playoffs | 6th place in American League |
| 1920 | 72 | 81 | 0.470 | 25½ | Did not make playoffs | 5th place in American League |
| 1963 | 76 | 85 | 0.472 | 28 | Did not make playoffs | 7th place in American League |
| 1962 | 76 | 84 | 0.475 | 19 | Did not make playoffs | 8th place in American League |
| 1997 | 78 | 84 | 0.481 | 20 | Did not make playoffs | 4th place in American League East |
| 1987 | 78 | 84 | 0.481 | 20 | Did not make playoffs | 5th place in American League East |
| 1983 | 78 | 84 | 0.481 | 20 | Did not make playoffs | 6th place in American League East |
| 1936 | 74 | 80 | 0.481 | 28½ | Did not make playoffs | 6th place in American League |
| 1919 | 66 | 71 | 0.481 | 20½ | Did not make playoffs | 6th place in American League |
| 1959 | 75 | 79 | 0.487 | 19 | Did not make playoffs | 5th place in American League |
| 1921 | 75 | 79 | 0.487 | 23½ | Did not make playoffs | 5th place in American League |
| 1908 | 75 | 79 | 0.487 | 15½ | Did not make playoffs | 5th place in American League |
| 1993 | 80 | 82 | 0.493 | 15 | Did not make playoffs | 5th place in American League East |
| 1952 | 76 | 78 | 0.493 | 19 | Did not make playoffs | 6th place in American League |
| 1985 | 81 | 81 | 0.500 | 18½ | Did not make playoffs | 6th place in American League East |
| 1944 | 77 | 77 | 0.500 | 12 | Did not make playoffs | 4th place in American League |
| 1934 | 76 | 76 | 0.500 | 24 | Did not make playoffs | 4th place in American League |
| 2001 | 82 | 79 | 0.509 | 13½ | Did not make playoffs | 2nd place in American League East |
| 1911 | 78 | 75 | 0.509 | 24 | Did not make playoffs | Tied for 4th place in American League |
| 1935 | 78 | 75 | 0.510 | 16 | Did not make playoffs | 4th place in American League |
| 1989 | 83 | 79 | 0.512 | 6 | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League East |
| 1976 | 83 | 79 | 0.512 | 15½ | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League East |
| 1958 | 79 | 75 | 0.512 | 13 | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League |
| 1905 | 78 | 74 | 0.513 | 16 | Did not make playoffs | 4th place in American League |
| 1991 | 84 | 78 | 0.518 | 7 | Did not make playoffs | 2nd place in American League East |
| 1980 | 83 | 77 | 0.518 | 19 | Did not make playoffs | 5th place in American League East |
| 1974 | 84 | 78 | 0.518 | 7 | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League East |
| 2000 | 85 | 77 | 0.524 | 2½ | Did not make playoffs | 2nd place in American League East |
| 1996 | 85 | 77 | 0.524 | 7 | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League East |
| 1971 | 85 | 77 | 0.524 | 18 | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League East |
| 1937 | 80 | 72 | 0.526 | 21 | Did not make playoffs | 5th place in American League |
| 1913 | 79 | 71 | 0.526 | 15½ | Did not make playoffs | 4th place in American League |
| 1910 | 81 | 72 | 0.529 | 22½ | Did not make playoffs | 4th place in American League |
| 2006 | 86 | 76 | 0.530 | 11 | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League East |
| 1984 | 86 | 76 | 0.530 | 18 | Did not make playoffs | 4th place in American League East |
| 1968 | 86 | 76 | 0.530 | 17 | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League |
| 1957 | 82 | 72 | 0.532 | 16 | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League |
| 1940 | 82 | 72 | 0.532 | 8 | Did not make playoffs | 4th place in American League |
| 1981[c] | 59 | 49 | 0.535 | 2½ | Did not make playoffs | 5th place in American League East |
| 1970 | 87 | 75 | 0.537 | 21 | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League East |
| 1969 | 87 | 75 | 0.537 | 22 | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League East |
| 1947 | 83 | 71 | 0.538 | 14 | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League |
| 1990 | 88 | 74 | 0.543 | — | Lost ALCS to Oakland | 1st place in American League East |
| 1956 | 84 | 70 | 0.545 | 13 | Did not make playoffs | 4th place in American League |
| 1955 | 84 | 70 | 0.545 | 12 | Did not make playoffs | 4th place in American League |
| 1941 | 84 | 70 | 0.545 | 17 | Did not make playoffs | 2nd place in American League |
| 1972 | 85 | 70 | 0.548 | ½ | Did not make playoffs | 2nd place in American League East |
| 2010 | 89 | 73 | 0.549 | 7 | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League East |
| 1988 | 89 | 73 | 0.549 | — | Lost ALCS to Oakland | 1st place in American League East |
| 1982 | 89 | 73 | 0.549 | 6 | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League East |
| 1973 | 89 | 73 | 0.549 | 8 | Did not make playoffs | 2nd place in American League East |
| 1953 | 84 | 69 | 0.549 | 16 | Did not make playoffs | 4th place in American League |
| 2011 | 90 | 72 | 0.556 | 7 | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League East |
| 1902 | 77 | 60 | 0.562 | 6½ | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League |
| 1951 | 87 | 67 | 0.564 | 11 | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League |
| 1998 | 92 | 70 | 0.567 | 22 | Lost ALDS to Cleveland | 2nd place in American League East (Wild card) |
| 1967 | 92 | 70 | 0.567 | — | Lost World Series to St. Louis | 1st place in American League |
| 1979 | 91 | 69 | 0.568 | 11½ | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League East |
| 2002 | 93 | 69 | 0.574 | 10½ | Did not make playoffs | 2nd place in American League East |
| 1999 | 94 | 68 | 0.580 | 4 | Lost ALCS to New York | 2nd place in American League East (Wild card) |
| 1901 | 79 | 57 | 0.580 | 4 | Did not make playoffs | 2nd place, behind the Detroit Tigers |
| 1909 | 88 | 63 | 0.582 | 9½ | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League |
| 2009 | 95 | 67 | 0.586 | 8 | Lost ALDS to Los Angeles | 2nd place in American League East (Wild Card) |
| 2008 | 95 | 67 | 0.586 | 2 | Lost ALCS to Tampa Bay | 2nd place in American League East (Wild Card) |
| 2005 | 95 | 67 | 0.586 | —[e] | Lost ALDS to Chicago | 2nd place in American League East (Wild card) |
| 2003 | 95 | 67 | 0.586 | 6 | Lost ALCS to New York | 2nd place in American League East (Wild card) |
| 1939 | 89 | 62 | 0.589 | 17 | Did not make playoffs | 2nd place in American League |
| 1986 | 95 | 66 | 0.590 | — | Lost World Series to New York | 1st place in American League East |
| 1916 | 91 | 63 | 0.590 | — | Won World Series | 1st place in American League |
| 1938 | 88 | 61 | 0.591 | 9½ | Did not make playoffs | 2nd place in American League |
| 2007 | 96 | 66 | 0.592 | — | Won World Series | 1st place in American League East |
| 1917 | 90 | 62 | 0.592 | 9 | Did not make playoffs | 2nd place in American League |
| 1975 | 95 | 65 | 0.593 | — | Lost World Series to Cincinnati | 1st place in American League East |
| 1914 | 91 | 62 | 0.594 | 8½ | Did not make playoffs | 2nd place in American League |
| 1918 | 75 | 51 | 0.595 | — | Won World Series | 1st place in American League |
| 1995 | 86 | 58 | 0.597 | — | Lost ALDS to Cleveland | 1st place in American League East |
| 1977 | 97 | 64 | 0.602 | 2½ | Did not make playoffs | Tied for 2nd place in American League East |
| 2004 | 98 | 64 | 0.605 | 3 | Won World Series | 2nd place in American League East (Wild card) |
| 1978 | 99 | 64 | 0.607 | 1 | Did not make playoffs | 2nd place in American League East |
| 1950 | 94 | 60 | 0.610 | 4 | Did not make playoffs | 3rd place in American League |
| 1942 | 93 | 59 | 0.611 | 9 | Did not make playoffs | 2nd place in American League |
| 1904 | 95 | 59 | 0.616 | — | World Series canceled[b] | 1st place in American League |
| 1948 | 96 | 59 | 0.619 | 1 | Did not make playoffs | 2nd place in American League |
| 1949 | 96 | 58 | 0.623 | 1 | Did not make playoffs | 2nd place in American League |
| 1903 | 91 | 47 | 0.659 | — | Won World Series | 1st place in American League |
| 1915 | 101 | 50 | 0.668 | — | Won World Series | 1st place in American League |
| 1946 | 104 | 50 | 0.675 | — | Lost in World Series to St. Louis | 1st place in American League |
| 1912 | 105 | 47 | 0.690 | — | Won World Series | 1st place in American League |
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