Beat the Mets, beat the Mets, head to the park and beat the Mets...

While all you Mets fans are out there wailing and gnashing your teeth over the demise of Pedro (and, let’s face it, your playoff hopes), I bring you this little blast from the past just to remind you that things could be (and have been) much, much worse.

On September 30th, 1962, in their very first year of existence, the Mets lost their 120th and final game of the season to set a mark for futility that stands to this day. What’s more, they ended the year with the same level of bizarre uselessness that they’d exhibited from day one, as backup catcher Joe Pignatano hit into a triple play to make the season’s last outs and seal up a 5-1 loss to the Cubs.

You’ll recall that the ’62 Mets modern-day record of 120 losses was recently challenged by the 2003 Tigers, who ended up a game shy of the mark at 119. Which brings to mind original Mets owner Joan Payson’s rallying cry before the team’s 1963 campaign – “"I simply cannot stand 120 losses this year. We are going to cut those losses down. At least to 119."

Here is the Mets lineup from opening day, 1962:

1. Richie Ashburn, CF
2. Felix Mantilla, SS
3. Charlie Neal, 2B
4. Frank Thomas, LF
5. Gus Bell, RF
6. Gil Hodges, 1B
7. Don Zimmer, 3B
8. Hobie Landrith, C
9. Roger Craig, SP

You believe that? Zim at third (he only played a total of 14 games in New York before getting dealt to the Reds), a 38-year-old Gil Hodges at first, major league grandfather Gus Bell in right, and a broken-down Whitey Ashburn in center, God rest his soul. With Roger Craig, future manager of the Padres and Giants (not to mention unstoppable 49ers tailback) on the mound. Craig would go on to lose 24 games that year, one of two pitchers on the team to lose 20 (the other was Al Jackson), with another, Jay Hook, losing 19. (Take a look at Hook’s career numbers. He had to have been one of the worst pitchers who ever lived.)

In short, this team was abominable. The only thing it had going for it was Casey Stengel, who was very close to senility and thus funnier than hell. Other than that, well, I think this summation from The Baseball Page says it best – “It could not be said that, at a major league level, the 1962 Mets were competent at any single aspect of the game. They could not run, they could not hit or field, and they certainly could not pitch.”

So there you go, Mets fans. Count your Carlos Beltrans. You have seen much darker days.