FanPost

Seven Straight Losing "Half Seasons"


The Cubs finish up the mathematical first half of the season Tuesday night in Oakland playing their 81st game of the 2013 campaign. The record is 35-45, so the Cubs will finish the mathematical first half of the season with a losing record, regardless of the outcome of Tuesday evening's contest. Since the first 81 games of the 2010 season, the Cubs haven't had a winning "half season", which translates into seven straight losing "half seasons". The "half season" records since 2010 are as follows.

2010: 35-46, 40-41 (75-87)

2011: 33-48, 38-43 (71-91)

2012: 31-50, 30-51 (61-101)

2013: 35-45 (with 1 game remaining in mathematical first half)

I was very surprised to see that the last time the Cubs had seven straight losing "half seasons" was from the second half of the 1963 season through the second half of the 1966 season. It didn't happen in the early 1990's because the Northsiders managed to go 42-39 to close out the 1990 season. It wasn't in the mid-1970s because the Cubs went 41-40 during the second half of the 1976 campaign. Also, this didn't occur in the dreadful early-1980s because the team actually managed to post a 42-39 during the second set of 81 games in the 1982 season. The Cubs haven't had a streak of seven consecutive losing "half seasons" in 46.5 seasons.

The club had winning "first halves" during the 1955 and 1959 seasons during 154-game campaigns with 42-35 and 39-38 records during the first 77 games of those seasons, respectively. The last time the Cubs had at least eight losing "half seasons" in a row was from 1947-1951, when the Cubs had ten in a row with losing records in both halves of all five seasons. This whole "half season" stuff didn't really interest me much, until I realized how unusual this Cubs streak was.

Hopefully, the Cubs can begin a successful second half of the season on Wednesday and end this awful streak of seven straight losing "half seasons". Though, I don't think there will be any ticker tape parades for the Cubs, if they manage to go 41-40 during the mathematical second half of the 2013 season. This stuff is quite trivial, but I found these statistics interesting.

FanPosts are written by readers of Bleed Cubbie Blue, and as such do not reflect the views of SB Nation or Vox Media, nor is the content endorsed by SB Nation, Vox Media or Al Yellon, managing editor of Bleed Cubbie Blue or reviewed prior to posting.