The 2024 Chicago White Sox have made historical past, but it surely’s not the nice form.
They misplaced their one hundred and twentieth recreation of the season on Sunday, tying the 1962 New York Mets for essentially the most losses in a single season for the reason that trendy period of baseball started in 1900. With six video games left within the common season, it is greater than doubtless that the Sox will set a brand new document within the coming days.
The White Sox additionally now personal the document for many losses by an American League group, having surpassed the 2003 Detroit Tigers’ 119 defeats.
For the White Sox, it was a loss very like the 119 others they’ve skilled this yr, although it was nearer than some, as they fell to the San Diego Padres 4-2.
The White Sox can have an opportunity to interrupt the document on Tuesday at dwelling in opposition to the Los Angeles Angels.
First, let’s speak in regards to the group the White Sox simply tied. The 1962 Mets have been a brand-new group, having come into existence as an growth franchise after the Brooklyn Dodgers pulled up stakes and moved to Los Angeles and the New York Giants left for San Francisco. Enlargement groups draft gamers from different groups’ rosters, so they don’t seem to be anticipated to be good instantly. The Mets have been particularly unhealthy, however badness at some stage was anticipated.
The White Sox have existed in Chicago since 1900. Jerry Reinsdorf has owned the franchise since 1981. They misplaced 101 video games in 2023, then fired their normal supervisor and promoted farm director Chris Getz to the place. With the farm director changing the GM, there was some hope that the on-field product would possibly enhance or no less than not worsen. Badness was anticipated, however definitely not at this historic stage.
In a season stuffed with indignities, the previous two months have been particularly tough on the South Facet. Here is an outline of what has occurred to the White Sox since Aug. 1.
Monumental dropping streak. They misplaced 21 straight video games, one loss shy of the all-time American League document.
Supervisor fired. The day after they snapped their dropping streak, Getz and Reinsdorf fired embattled supervisor Pedro Grifol, who racked up a stunning 89-190 document in lower than two seasons on the helm. The White Sox have been 28-89 when he was fired.
Extremely early elimination. The White Sox have been eradicated from playoff competition on Aug. 17, the earliest any group has been eradicated for the reason that introduction of divisional play in 1969.
Misplaced 100 video games for third time in six years. The White Sox reached 100 losses on Aug. 25, the sixth time in franchise historical past that the group has misplaced that many regular-season video games.
Tied franchise loss document on Sept 1. The document for losses in a White Sox season was 106, set in 1970. The 2024 group tied that document with a full month left within the common season.
Acquired sympathy from surviving members of 1962 Mets. Three members of that notorious 1962 Mets group publicly expressed sympathy for the 2024 White Sox, together with pitchers Craig Anderson (who went 3-17 in 1962) and Jay Hook (who went 8-19). Late first baseman Ed Kranepool additionally felt unhealthy however had a barely completely different take: “Higher them than me.”
Jerry Reinsdorf “thinks he is aware of every part,” accused of main White Sox to wreck. The Athletic spoke to greater than 40 present and former White Sox staff, and the prevailing opinion was that Reinsdorf, along with his total refusal to modernize and settle for different opinions, is in charge for the 2024 White Sox’s traditionally terrible season.
With only one extra loss between them and historical past, the 2024 White Sox are about to tread on uncharted territory. As soon as they set the MLB loss document, they are going the place no trendy baseball group has ever gone earlier than. It is lonely on the market on the frontier of historical past.
