I’m fond of mentioning the 2008 Giants around here. It’s my scarecrow, a bogeyman to remind you youngsters of just how bad teams can get. Jose Castillo started at third base. The Giants decided they didn’t need a proper backup for their 41-year-old shortstop, which means they were caught off guard when Brian Bocock was the Opening Day starter. They employed Eugenio Velez, Emmanuel Burriss, and Ivan Ochoa, and the team hit even fewer home runs than this year’s team, with just 94. Their cleanup hitter had 16 homers and a .322 on-base percentage.
The 2008 Giants didn’t lose 100 games, though.