Chicago White Sox followers have gone by quite a bit of their lifetimes, irrespective of their age.
Profitable seasons have been few and much between. The one 12 months the Sox have received a postseason collection since their 1917 championship was 2005, after they received the World Sequence underneath supervisor Ozzie Guillén.
If profitable all of it is the one actual measure of success, they’ve had three profitable seasons because the franchise started in 1901 — a mean of 1 each 41 seasons.
So if anybody ought to be proof against the overall ineptitude of knowledgeable baseball staff, it’s Sox followers. They’ve seen all of it earlier than, they usually know they’ll most likely see it once more within the not-too-distant future.
It’s simply the dumb luck of rising up a Sox fan, understanding you’re doomed to cope with adversity from the day you climb out of the crib on the lookout for bother.
Because the Sox ready for Tuesday night time’s potential appointment with future, normal supervisor Chris Getz addressed the elephant within the room — the major-league document for losses in a season, set by the expansion New York Mets 62 years in the past.
The Sox tied that record Sunday in San Diego with No. 120, they usually have been scheduled to take the sphere Tuesday towards the Los Angeles Angels with an opportunity to be all alone among the losingest losers in baseball historical past.
Are the Sox in any respect embarrassed by this?
“It’s not one thing we’re pleased with,” Getz stated.
Effectively, let’s hope not.
“There’s a myriad of the explanation why we stand right here at this time with the document that now we have,” he continued. “With that being stated, personally I view this as an amazing alternative to construct one thing. We’ve recognized areas within the group the place we have to enhance.
“I’ve by no means been energized greater than I’m now, and I do know I can converse for our group. Is it a humiliation? We’re not pleased with this. Nobody needs to be related to it, however we’re definitely up for the problem.”
Sox gamers ready for Tuesday’s sport like regular. The media contingent was a lot bigger than traditional with historical past on deck, so it was too crowded for a pregame pingpong sport. However in any other case it appeared like an extraordinary day.
Catcher Korey Lee, one of many few gamers who’ve been right here since opening day, stated the upside for him is he has his “dream job,” which counts for one thing.
“And irrespective of in the event you win or in the event you lose, you continue to get to do what you’re keen on, and I’m lucky to try this day by day,” he stated.
The 2024 Sox are so unhealthy, they might wind up because the second staff in historical past to not win a sport when trailing after the sixth, seventh or eighth innings. The one different staff was the 2020 Washington Nationals, who performed an abbreviated 60-game schedule due to the pandemic.
The Sox bullpen has blown an MLB-high 36 saves. The Sox have misplaced 56 video games after holding a lead. The very fact they’ve been shut and fallen aside on the finish of so many video games has been heartbreaking.
“Clearly you possibly can take the great out of it,” Lee stated of the Sox competing. “It means we’re in good video games, we’re taking part in powerful opponents. The staff over there, they drive good vehicles, they receives a commission actually, rather well additionally.
“Typically you’ve received to tip your cap, however clearly you’ve received to take the great generally out of the unhealthy.”
Gavin Sheets, who performed on the 2021 Sox staff that received the American League Central, has seen his share of highs and lows the final 4 years. He stated the Sox haven’t any excuse for the destructive consideration they’ve acquired on their highway to 120.
“It’s introduced on by us,” he stated. “It’s introduced on by a protracted season, introduced on by our efficiency. It’s the place we’re at proper now, sadly. … Clearly this isn’t the sort of consideration we wish. It’s my fourth 12 months, and we’ve had the actually good consideration and now the unhealthy consideration.
“Hopefully that is one thing we transfer on from. The largest factor for us is getting over this 12 months and ensuring it by no means occurs once more.”
Getz stated it’s the entrance workplace’s job to “focus extra so on the long run, study from the previous and begin constructing to the place the White Sox need to be for our followers and everybody that works right here.” He introduced Tuesday that interim supervisor Grady Sizemore can be a candidate for the job in 2025, reversing his authentic assertion that the Sox would go outside the organization for his or her subsequent skipper.
Whether or not the Sox actually can study from their previous is a query followers is likely to be questioning to themselves. This isn’t the primary rebuild they’ve been by, simply the worst begin to a rebuild. The distinction between this one and former GM Ron Schueler’s rebuild in 1999 and Rick Hahn’s in 2017 is we don’t know whether or not it’ll result in higher days forward.
The Sox received a division title in 2000 and a World Sequence 5 years later after Ken Williams changed Schueler. They made the postseason in 2020 and ’21 underneath Hahn earlier than things went south in a hurry, resulting in their present state of affairs.
Even the darkest days finish in some unspecified time in the future.
“I feel there’s quite a bit left within the tank in there,” Sizemore stated. “There’s numerous hope. I feel we’re not that far off. We nonetheless have numerous work to do and there’s numerous growth that should go on. However I see the promise.”
Getz didn’t have a timeline for when the present rebuild would possibly flip the nook, however he stated they’d spend cash in free company this winter, albeit not for the costliest gamers.
The bottom line is how a lot persistence Sox followers have for ready out this one.
“Our followers definitely don’t need to undergo something like this,” Getz stated. “I do know they pay cash to return to video games and watch video games, they usually look to observe the Sox as a constructive outlet. We haven’t been capable of present too many constructive outcomes all through the season.”
That was apparent to anybody who sneaked a peek on the Sox, whether or not from the largely empty higher deck of Assured Fee Area or the consolation of a simple chair whereas watching on TV at residence.
Nobody stated it was simple being a White Sox fan, a degree the staff appears intent on proving 12 months after 12 months.
Initially Revealed:
