It's a zero-sum universe. That goes for baseball and, thanks to thermodynamics, whole systems, which move towards statis steadily, inexorably, placidly. One of the abiding alures of sport, baseball included, is measurable outcomes. Baseball is a count noun. The outs of the offense are gained by the defense. For every ying, a yang.
So it is that teams move towards .500, equilibrium. The longer the season, the more teams move towards .500, which is why perfect seasons don't happen in baseball and why even great pitchers lose. Moline ace Kevin Brown finally hit the monolithic truth of entropy July 21, losing 4-2 to Pennsylvania's Brian Moehler. The loss dropped Brown's season record to 15-1. Always a fierce competitor, Brown was livid, tearing up the clubhouse, throwing bats, cats, and party favors everywhere. Later, Brown faced the press with more equanimity. "That ride's over, and that's all I'll say about that," Brown declared. One old scribe asked Brown about parallels with Lefty Grove, who tore apart the Athletics' clubhouse when his 16-game winning streak was broken in 1931. "Never heard of him," growled Brown. "Go talk with [team archivist] Shirley Johnson if you want history."