The man who couldn't win

By Adam Cancryn

Twenty-three starts, 14 losses, zero wins. Chris Volstad is the hardest of baseball's hard-luck stories.

Let's start with this: Chris Volstad is not the worst starting pitcher ever. He's not even the worst starting pitcher in the last 30 years.

That distinction would go to Matt Keogh, if you're judging by Wins Above Replacement. Or rather, lack thereof. The Oakland A's pitcher finished the 1982 season nearly two wins worse than the average replacement-level player.

If you want to judge by more traditional statistics, Volstad still doesn't factor into the conversation. Mike Maroth lost a whopping 21 games with the Detroit Tigers in 2003, and don't forget about Jim Abbott: 2-18 with a 7.90 ERA while pitching for the Angels in 1996.

By those measures, Volstad is damn near serviceable. And in fact, he might not even be having the worst season this year. Nick Blackburn (4-9, 7.39 ERA) and Hector Noesi (2-11, 5.77 ERA) certainly deserve some consideration.

But what Volstad is, however, is this: the rare combination of all the bad luck, mediocre skill and terrible timing that you can pack into a 6-foot 8 frame and push out onto a Major League mound.

In case you haven't heard, Volstad is 0-9 in 13 starts this year. That follows a 2011 season that he finished off with five straight losses in 11 starts. Which is to say, the Chicago Cubs starter hasn't won a game in a while. Twenty-three starts to be exact, dating back to July 10 of last season. That's one year, one month and 14 days (and counting) since "Chris Volstad, W" appeared in a box score. The baseball world has seen five no-hitters, including two perfect games, since Volstad last left the stadium with a simple victory.

He's come close. There was Aug. 31, 2011, when then-Marlins starter Volstad pitched into the seventh of a 2-2 ballgame against the Mets. After Jose Reyes reached second, he was pulled. Reliever Michael Dunn promptly gave up an RBI single. That was the seventh winless start.

There was Sept. 23, 2011, versus the Brewers, when Volstad went seven strong innings, allowing just one run. But his offense could only muster enough to match that lone tally, and he watched from the clubhouse as Milwaukee scored three runs in the eighth and won. That was the 11th winless start.

And then there was Aug. 4, just a few weeks ago. Volstad took the mound against the Los Angeles Dodgers and turned in a brilliant performance. He lasted seven innings, scattering six hits and making just one crucial mistake: a two-run home run to Matt Kemp. For many pitchers on many days, that's all it takes to escape with a win. But Volstad's opponent was Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, and Kershaw was on. He allowed just one run over seven innings, and Los Angeles rode to a 3-1 victory. That was the 22nd winless start.

How do you explain going a year without a win in your chosen profession? How do you explain it to Chris Volstad? The former first-round pick once ranked as high as 40th on Baseball America's list of the 100 top prospects. He burst into the Majors in 2008, finishing with a 6-4 record and a 2.88 ERA in 15 games. His next three years were less impressive, sure, but not terrible. And at 25 years old, he had plenty of potential. Perhaps moving to the Cubs this year would provide a refreshing change of scenery, the thinking went.

Take a look at Volstad's advanced statistics, and you'll come away even more puzzled. His xFIP, which isolates a pitcher's ERA from his team's defensive performance, is 4.37. That's more than two runs lower than his generic ERA, and in line with previous years. Walks and strikeouts per nine are relatively even with his career numbers as well. Peruse the stats designed to solve baseball's mysteries, and you'll find they come no closer to solving Chris Volstad.

The good news is this: Cliff Curtis, Matt Keogh and Jo-Jo Reyes, all of whom went a record 28 games without a win before Volstad's current streak, found jobs the following year. Volstad is not doomed. This will likely not be his legacy.

And there's also this, which is good or bad, depending on your general level of optimism: Volstad will continue to take the mound every five days this season. The Cubs believe in him, and committed to keeping him in the rotation as they play out the string on another disappointing year.

It will come to an end eventually. Maybe it will happen this Sunday afternoon against the Reds, or the start after that. Or three starts down the road. But it will happen. The penance will end, and Chris Volstad will wake up, open the newspaper and see a 'W' next to his name. Until that sweet moment, there's nothing to do but go out and pitch.

Adam Cancryn is an editor and co-founder of Began in '96.