There’s a reason sports fans love record books. They’re filled with championships, astonishing streaks, and numbers that can make even longtime followers stop and look twice. But not every statistic is worth celebrating. Some of the most memorable records involve missed shots, bad turnovers, overwhelmed defenses, or losses that got completely out of hand.
Of course, a rough number doesn’t always mean the athlete was bad. Sometimes a pitcher stayed in too long, a quarterback played behind an inexperienced line, or a star kept shooting because his team needed him to. A few of these performances even came in games the player’s team managed to win. Context matters, especially when you’re looking back across decades of very different rules and playing styles.
These 24 entries revisit some of the least desirable records and most notorious statistical performances in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and Major League Baseball, including the AFL and predecessor BAA where noted. We’ve updated the figures through the completed 2026 MLB season and the latest available league record books. Where an older record has been surpassed, or a claim applies only to the modern era or a specific minimum, we’ve made that distinction clear.
The Quarterback Sacked 76 Times in One Season
- Record: 76 sacks taken
- Player: David Carr
- Team: Houston Texans
- Season: 2002
David Carr was supposed to become the face of a new franchise when the Houston Texans selected him first overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. Instead, his rookie season became a weekly exercise in getting up off the turf. Opposing defenses sacked Carr a record 76 times over 16 games, a figure that says as much about an expansion team’s growing pains as it does about its quarterback. Carr stayed on the field for every game despite the constant punishment. He was sacked another 68 times in 2005, one of the highest single-season totals in league history. It’s difficult to build a passing offense when the quarterback spends so much time trying to avoid the next hit.
The Miami Heat's Former NBA Blowout Record
- Current record: 73-point loss, Oklahoma City Thunder (2021)
- Previous record: 68-point loss, Miami Heat (1991)
- Previous game: Cleveland Cavaliers 148, Miami Heat 80
- Current game: Memphis Grizzlies 152, Oklahoma City Thunder 79
For nearly 30 years, the Miami Heat were attached to the worst loss in NBA history. On December 17, 1991, Cleveland beat Miami 148-80, a 68-point rout that became shorthand for a thoroughly one-sided night. That was finally surpassed on December 2, 2021, when Memphis defeated Oklahoma City 152-79 by 73 points. The original photograph accompanies Miami’s former mark; the current record belongs to the Thunder. Both games illustrate how quickly a bad night can turn into an unforgettable one when one team can’t slow the other down. The record here has been updated rather than leaving Miami incorrectly listed as the current holder.
Five Balks in One Baseball Game
- Record: 5 balks
- Pitcher: Bob Shaw
- Team: Milwaukee Braves
- Date: May 4, 1963
Pitchers usually learn to avoid a balk, an illegal move that can allow baserunners to advance. Bob Shaw managed to commit five of them in less than five innings against the Chicago Cubs on May 4, 1963. It was a period when National League umpires were enforcing balk rules aggressively, but Shaw’s five calls still stood apart. At one point, a Cubs runner advanced around the bases largely because of Shaw’s repeated violations. Milwaukee lost 7-5, although Shaw recovered well enough over the full season to finish with a 2.66 ERA. The original account listed four balks in its stat box; the verified figure is five.
Tim Hardaway Goes 0-for-17 From the Field
- Record: 17 field-goal attempts without a make
- Player: Tim Hardaway
- Team: Golden State Warriors
- Date: December 27, 1991
Tim Hardaway had a shooting night that most players would rather forget when Golden State played Minnesota in December 1991. He attempted 17 field goals and missed every one, the most attempts in a recorded NBA game without a made basket. There was a catch, however: Hardaway wasn’t entirely absent from the offense. He made both free throws, handed out 13 assists, and helped the Warriors win in overtime. His final line was two points, three rebounds, and 13 assists in 44 minutes. Even a terrific playmaker can have a night when the basket seems to shrink every time he shoots.
The Rangers Beat the Orioles by 27 Runs
- Modern-era MLB record: 27-run margin of defeat
- Losing team: Baltimore Orioles
- Winning team: Texas Rangers
- Date: August 22, 2007
Baltimore appeared to have a normal afternoon ahead when it took a 3-0 lead over Texas in the first game of an August 2007 doubleheader. Then the Rangers took over. Texas scored nine runs in the sixth, 10 in the eighth, and six in the ninth, eventually winning 30-3. The 27-run difference remains the largest margin in Major League Baseball’s modern era, defined here as 1900 onward. It is not the all-time mark: nineteenth-century teams produced even larger routs, including a 31-run Chicago victory in 1882. As if a 30-3 defeat wasn’t enough, the Orioles still had to return to the field for the second game of the doubleheader. They lost that one, too.
An NHL Player Finishes a Season at Minus-82
- Record: Minus-82 plus/minus
- Player: Bill Mikkelson
- Team: Washington Capitals
- Season: 1974-75
The expansion Washington Capitals had a miserable debut in 1974-75, winning only eight of 80 games while allowing 265 more goals than they scored. Defenseman Bill Mikkelson finished with a minus-82 plus/minus rating, the lowest single-season individual figure in NHL records. Plus/minus tracks even-strength and certain shorthanded goals scored or allowed while a player is on the ice; it isn’t a direct measure of one skater’s ability. Mikkelson was playing for a team that struggled everywhere, and the number reflects that context. Still, minus-82 is the kind of statistic that can follow a player long after his career ends.
Seven Pick-Sixes Thrown in One NFL Season
- Record: 7 interceptions returned for touchdowns
- Quarterback: Jameis Winston
- Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Season: 2019
Jameis Winston’s 2019 season was almost impossibly contradictory. The Tampa Bay quarterback threw for 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns, but he also led the NFL with 30 interceptions. Seven of those picks were returned for touchdowns, a single-season league record for a passer. The seventh came on the first play of overtime in Tampa Bay’s season finale, when Atlanta’s Deion Jones returned a Winston interception for the winning score. Winston could move the offense down the field with the best of them; he also gave opposing defenses plenty of opportunities to score without using their own offense. Few seasons better capture the extremes of aggressive quarterback play.
Caught Stealing Four Times in One Game
- Record: 4 caught-stealing plays
- Player: Robby Thompson
- Team: San Francisco Giants
- Date: June 27, 1986
Robby Thompson had a remarkable afternoon on the bases against Cincinnati in June 1986, and not in the way a rookie hopes. The Giants second baseman was caught stealing four times in a 12-inning game, a record in the available modern play-by-play data. Thompson’s manager said several of the plays were intended as hit-and-runs, in which a runner breaks as the batter attempts to put the ball in play. Regardless of how the signs were understood, the outs piled up. Fortunately for Thompson, he also drove in two runs, and the Giants pulled out a 7-6 victory. Baseball can be generous enough to let a player have his worst baserunning day and still celebrate a win.
34 Minutes Without a Point, Rebound, or Assist
- Mark: 34 minutes, 3 seconds
- Player: Derek Fisher
- Team: Los Angeles Lakers
- Game: November 4, 2009, at Houston Rockets
Derek Fisher played more than 34 minutes against Houston without scoring, grabbing a rebound, or recording an assist. He missed all five of his field-goal attempts, an especially strange box score for a veteran starter on a championship-caliber team. But calling his night completely useless would miss a key detail: Fisher had two steals, including a crucial late takeaway as the Lakers escaped with a 103-102 overtime victory. Statistics can tell you what did not happen, but they do not always capture every important defensive play. Fisher also went on to win another NBA title with Los Angeles that season.
The Rangers Lose an NHL Game 15-0
- Record: 15-goal margin of defeat
- Losing team: New York Rangers
- Winning team: Detroit Red Wings
- Date: January 23, 1944
The New York Rangers’ 1943-44 season was grim even by the standards of wartime hockey, but their January trip to Detroit produced a new low. The Red Wings scored 15 unanswered goals on January 23, 1944, as New York suffered a 15-0 defeat, the largest margin in NHL history. Detroit’s Syd Howe collected three goals and two assists. Rangers goaltender Ken McAuley was credited with 43 saves despite allowing 15 goals, which tells you how relentless Detroit’s attack was. A final shot reached the net just after time expired, narrowly sparing New York an even more lopsided score.
Daunte Culpepper's 23-Interception, 23-Fumble Season
- Season totals: 23 interceptions and 23 fumbles
- Actual turnovers: 32: 23 interceptions plus 9 lost fumbles
- Quarterback: Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota Vikings
- Year: 2002
Daunte Culpepper could make plays with his arm and his legs, but ball security was a major problem in 2002. The Minnesota quarterback threw 23 interceptions and was credited with 23 fumbles across 16 games. Importantly, a fumble is not automatically a turnover: NFL statistics show that nine of those fumbles were lost. That makes 32 actual turnovers when added to the interceptions, not the 40 claimed in some older summaries. Culpepper also passed for 3,853 yards and rushed for 609, so this wasn’t simply a season of ineffective football. It was a season in which major production came with far too many chances for the other team.
A Pitcher Allows 16 Earned Runs in One Game
- Record: 16 earned runs allowed
- Pitcher: Howard Ehmke
- Team: Boston Red Sox
- Date: September 28, 1923
Howard Ehmke experienced both extremes of pitching during the 1923 season. Earlier in September, the Red Sox right-hander threw a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Athletics. Three weeks later, the Yankees battered him for 21 hits and 17 runs, 16 of them earned, during a 24-4 Boston loss. Ehmke stayed in long enough to absorb a record-setting amount of damage before the game finally ended. Pitchers today are rarely left in under those circumstances, making the figure especially hard to imagine now. The season wasn’t a complete disaster for Ehmke, who finished with 20 wins, but this outing was certainly one he would have preferred to erase.
Four Grounded Double Plays in One Game
- Record: 4 grounded-into double plays, tied
- Player: Joe Torre
- Team: New York Mets
- Date: July 21, 1975
Long before he managed the Yankees to four World Series titles, Joe Torre endured a spectacularly frustrating afternoon with the Mets. On July 21, 1975, he came to bat four times against Houston and grounded into four double plays. Teammate Felix Millan reached base ahead of him with four singles, only to see each opportunity erased. Torre became the first National League player to do it, but not the first major leaguer: Goose Goslin in 1934 and Mike Kreevich in 1939 had already hit into four double plays in American League games. It’s a record that requires an unlucky combination of runners on base and ground balls hit exactly where the defense wants them.
Four Shorthanded Goals Against One Team
- Record: 4 shorthanded goals allowed in one game
- Team: Vancouver Canucks
- Opponent: Winnipeg Jets
- Date: April 7, 1995
A power play is supposed to give the team with an extra skater the advantage. Vancouver found out how badly that plan can go wrong in a 1995 game against Winnipeg. The Jets scored four shorthanded goals, meaning they found the net four times while playing with fewer skaters because of penalties. Winnipeg won 7-4, and the four shorthanded goals remain the NHL single-game team record. For Vancouver, the embarrassment came from being punished repeatedly during situations when its offense was supposed to be pressing the attack. It’s one of those scores that makes you double-check the special-teams column.
Mark Reynolds' Strikeout Mark Falls in 2026
- Current record: 227 batting strikeouts
- Current holder: Colson Montgomery, Chicago White Sox
- Year: 2026
- Previous record: 223, Mark Reynolds (Arizona Diamondbacks, 2009)
For 17 seasons, Mark Reynolds was the name attached to baseball’s least desirable single-season batting record. The Arizona third baseman struck out 223 times in 2009, though he also hit 44 home runs and batted .260. That mark finally fell in September 2026, when Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery passed it on his way to 227 strikeouts. Montgomery also hit 31 home runs, illustrating the trade-off that can come with an aggressive approach at the plate. The photograph here shows Reynolds, the former record-holder, whose 2009 season remains a reminder that big power and an enormous number of strikeouts can go hand in hand.
A 30.4% Free-Throw Season
- Mark: 30.4% on at least 100 attempts
- Player: Ian Mahinmi
- Team: Indiana Pacers
- Season: 2014-15
An NBA player can be useful around the basket and still struggle mightily at the foul line. Indiana center Ian Mahinmi made just 31 of his 102 free-throw attempts in 2014-15, good for 30.4%. Among seasons with at least 100 attempts, that is the lowest percentage in NBA records. Mahinmi was considerably better from the field, shooting 55.2%, which made the contrast all the more noticeable. He was a career 61% free-throw shooter, so this particular season was an unusually rough outlier. The minimum-attempt qualifier matters here: plenty of players have shot worse in much smaller samples.
A Goalie Gives Up 15 Goals in One Game
- Mark: 15 goals allowed, tied for second-most in NHL history
- Goaltender: Doug Soetaert
- Team: Winnipeg Jets
- Date: November 11, 1981
Doug Soetaert faced 51 shots when the Winnipeg Jets visited the Minnesota North Stars on November 11, 1981. He stopped 36 of them. Unfortunately, the other 15 went in, and Winnipeg lost 15-2. Minnesota scored eight times in the second period alone, with Bobby Smith finishing the night with four goals and three assists. It is one of the bleakest goaltending box scores of the modern game, although it is not the NHL’s all-time record: Quebec’s Frank Brophy allowed 16 in 1920, and Ken McAuley gave up 15 for the Rangers in 1944. Soetaert’s outing remains tied for second-most goals allowed by a goaltender in a single NHL game.
Fifty Home Runs Allowed in a Season
- Record: 50 home runs surrendered
- Pitcher: Bert Blyleven
- Team: Minnesota Twins
- Season: 1986
Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven had already enjoyed a long career when the baseballs started flying out against him in 1986. The Minnesota right-hander allowed 50 home runs, a single-season major-league record that has held up despite later eras of increased power hitting. Blyleven wasn’t otherwise terrible: he made 35 starts, threw more than 270 innings, and finished 17-14 with a 4.01 ERA. His curveball and durability were still valuable, but too many mistakes ended up in the seats. The season is a good reminder that even excellent pitchers can hold records they would happily give back.
Jon Kitna Fumbles in Six Straight Games
- Streak: 6 consecutive games with a fumble
- Quarterback: Jon Kitna
- Team: Cincinnati Bengals
- Span: December 2002 to September 2003
The end of the Bengals’ 2002 season was rough on quarterback Jon Kitna. Game logs show that he fumbled in Cincinnati’s final five games that year, then had two more fumbles in the 2003 opener against Denver. That makes six consecutive appearances with at least one fumble. The streak is real, but the claim that Kitna was the only player in NFL history to do it is not supported by the available record books, so it should not be presented as an all-time league record. Kitna later delivered some good seasons, but this run of miscues makes for an uncomfortable stretch of box scores.
Twenty Free Throws Attempted, None Made
- Record: 0-for-20 at the free-throw line
- Player: Giff Roux
- Team: St. Louis Bombers
- Date: January 15, 1948
One of professional basketball’s strangest box scores dates to the Basketball Association of America, the league whose history is included in NBA records. On January 15, 1948, St. Louis Bombers player Giff Roux went to the free-throw line 20 times against the New York Knicks and missed every attempt. That 0-for-20 performance remains the most free-throw attempts in a game without a make. Roux did score six points from the field, so he wasn’t shut out entirely, but the foul line offered no help. His unusual record has survived dramatic changes in shooting technique and nearly eight decades of professional basketball.
Joe Namath Throws 36 Incomplete Passes
- Record: 36 incompletions
- Quarterback: Joe Namath
- Team: New York Jets
- Date: December 3, 1967
Joe Namath’s Jets were in a deep hole against the Denver Broncos on December 3, 1967, and he tried throwing his way out of it. Namath attempted 60 passes, completed 24, and finished with 36 incompletions, the highest single-game figure in recorded NFL/AFL history. He also threw three touchdowns and four interceptions. The numbers are an uncomfortable reminder that a quarterback can be asked to do almost everything once his team falls far behind. Namath would famously lead the Jets to an upset victory in Super Bowl III just over a year later, but this afternoon offered considerably less to celebrate.
Fourteen Turnovers in One NBA Game
- Record: 14 turnovers, tied
- Player: Jason Kidd
- Team: Phoenix Suns
- Date: November 17, 2000
Jason Kidd was one of the NBA’s finest passers, but his November 2000 meeting with the New York Knicks went badly wrong. The Suns point guard committed 14 turnovers as Phoenix lost 90-85, matching the NBA single-game mark also credited to John Drew of the Atlanta Hawks in 1977. Kidd averaged fewer than four turnovers per game that season, so the outburst was not representative of his usual play. It remains a reminder of the price aggressive playmakers sometimes pay: the same player who creates scoring chances can also give the ball away when passes and drives stop working.
Fourteen Carries and Minus-3 Rushing Yards
- Mark: 14 rushing attempts with no positive net yardage, tied
- Running back: Benny Malone
- Team: Miami Dolphins
- Date: December 15, 1974
Benny Malone carried the ball 14 times for Miami against New England in December 1974 and finished with minus-3 rushing yards. That’s an average of less than zero yards per attempt, despite being trusted with the ball again and again. He shares the 14-carry mark for games with zero or negative net rushing yards with Dexter Bussey and Clem Daniels. Malone’s Dolphins still pulled off a remarkable comeback, recovering from a 24-0 deficit to beat the Patriots 34-27. The result says something important about these record books: one player’s dreadful statistical afternoon does not always prevent his team from winning.
154 Shots on Goal Without Scoring All Season
- Record: 154 shots and 0 goals
- Player: Gilles Marotte
- Team: Chicago Black Hawks
- Season: 1967-68
Chicago defenseman Gilles Marotte recorded 154 shots on goal during the 1967-68 NHL season without putting one into the net. That remains the highest single-season shot total for a player who finished with zero goals. Defensemen often contribute by moving the puck and setting up teammates rather than finishing chances themselves, so the statistic needs a little context. Marotte collected 21 assists and posted a plus-4 rating that year, hardly evidence of a player who contributed nothing. Still, taking 154 shots and watching every one fail to become a goal is a streak few skaters would want to repeat.