Terry Felton now has company with 0-16 mark

This article was taken from The New York Times - Monday, December 29, 2008...

The coaches and players with this season’s 0-16 Detroit Lions will always be associated with the worst season in N.F.L. history, but at least they can share in the blame. Terry Felton, a pitcher with the Minnesota Twins from 1979 to 1982, holds a dubious record all by himself.

Felton was 0-16 in his career. That is the most losses by a pitcher without a victory since 1900. In 1982, at age 24, he broke a record that had stood since 1914 when he lost his 14th straight decision, the most from the start of a career. Guy Morton was the previous record-holder with the Cleveland Indians.

Felton did retire all six batters he faced in his major league debut in 1979, and he saved three games in his career, but he finished with an earned run average of 5.53 in 55 games and was plagued by control issues.

In an interview with The New York Times after a loss in 1982 in which he made a throwing error, Felton said: “I messed up again. It’s not funny anymore. When I first heard about the record, it was funny and I didn’t really think I’d ever do it.

“I thought I’d get a win before now. It doesn’t happen to everybody. It only happened to two people.”