Writer’s word: This can be a Bizarre and Wild scale down. To learn this day’s complete Bizarre and Wild column, progress right here.
For weeks now, months to be truthful, we’ve been spending means extra decent while making all-important comparisons between the 2024 White Sox and Casey Stengel’s legendarily hapless 1962 Mets. However now we all know: That was once if truth be told the improper comp.
Those White Sox (flow document: 33-114) would wish a awe to out-win the ones ’62 Mets (40-120). So it’s while to do one thing I by no means idea would occur: It’s while to show our consideration to these much more mythical 1899 Cleveland Spiders (horny ultimate document: 20-134).
I got here to that mind-blowing realization Thursday morning, when the truth of this nutty negligible quantity accident house:
81 Video games beneath .500!!!
As an established chronicler of the entirety Bizarre and Wild, I’ve viewable a quantity of stuff. However I assumed to myself as I stared on the standings: Have I ever viewable THAT? Have I ever viewable any crew that fell 81 freaking video games beneath .500?
Right here’s the reality: Nope. I. Have. Now not. And neither have you ever, until you’re a spritely 108 years used. And although you’re certainly 108 years used, your reminiscence of earlier 81-under-.500 historical past may well be a negligible opaque. So permit me to fill you in.
The ’62 Mets? Sorry. By no means were given to 81 beneath.
The 2003 Tigers? Sorry. They by no means made it both.
Either one of the ones groups were given to 80 beneath. But it surely takes a in reality particular team to sink underneath 80 video games beneath the ocean. So let’s salute those White Sox as a result of they’re a type of strange groups that took a improper flip and simply saved going.
And who’re the ones strange groups? Right here they arrive — the one groups in American League/Nationwide League/Nineteenth-century American Affiliation historical past that ever were given to 81 beneath or worse (in chronological line):
Whitey Witt’s 1916 A’s — Fell to 81 beneath at 33-114, identical to those White Sox, with the exception of it wasn’t till Sept. 27 and so they had handiest six video games left within the season … however they one way or the other gained 3 of them! (Ultimate document: 36-117.)
Harry Colliflower’s 1899 Spiders — There’s a reason why the Spiders are the poster boys for single-season futility, . They plummeted to 81 beneath on Aug. 31 (at 19-100). They nonetheless had 35 video games to play games … and so they misplaced 34 of them! (Ultimate document: 20-134.)
Kirtley Baker’s 1890 Alleghenys — Before, there was, sooner than the Spiders, those guys had been the usual for Nineteenth-century ineptitude. They descended to 81 beneath on Sept. 16 (at 21-102). They’d 14 video games extra … and gained two! (Ultimate document: 23-113, plus two ties.)
Toad Ramsey’s 1889 Colonels — The worst crew within the American Affiliation’s dazzling historical past, the Colonels tumbled to 81 beneath at 26-107. Thankfully, it was once Oct. 8, so that they had handiest 5 video games left … and gained one! (Ultimate document: 27-111.)
And that’s the entire 81-Underneath Membership. However should you had been paying consideration (in case we spring an end-of-season 2024 White Sox quiz on you), you may have spotted one thing. Simplest as soon as, in just about a century and a half of of major-league historical past, had any crew woke up this early in September and located itself 81 video games beneath .500 or worse. And it was once … the ones 1899 Spiders, as a result of path it was once!
But now the Spiders have corporate, in those 2024 White Sox? What a while to be alive.
GO DEEPER
White Sox would possibly crack document for losses. How will have to the 1962 Mets really feel about it?
Wednesday’s loss to the Guardians dropped the White Sox to 1-27 of their day 28 video games at house. (Kamil Krzaczynski / Imagn Photographs)
However in the meantime, in alternative most important White Sox information …
They may be able to’t progress house once more! Since the second one duel in their July 10 doubleheader with Minnesota, the White Sox are 1-27 once they play games baseball of their house soil. One and 27! Consistent with Baseball Reference, just one alternative crew within the fashionable time has ever had a 1-27 stretch at house (or worse). And it was once the ones 1916 A’s (additionally 1-27, in a messy 28-game span in July and August).
In order that way, simply since that duel in opposition to the Twins on July 10, 9 groups have extra wins at Assured Charge Farmland than the crew that performs half of its season on that farmland. There can be extra groups, in fact, however handiest 9 had been allowed to play games there by way of the schedule-makers of The usa.
2nd to none! This turns out inconceivable, however the White Sox are actually 6-43 in the second one half of. Six and 43! Does this appear sinister? How about traditionally sinister. For the reason that invention of All-Celebrity breaks, the fewest video games any crew has gained in the second one half of of a non-strike season is 15, by way of Orie Arntzen’s 1943 A’s (15-61). I’m inauguration to suppose the White Sox aren’t taking to catch them.
Overdue starters! In a alike building, White Sox starters are actually 2-30 in the second one half of. Two and 30! The document for the worst second-half successful proportion by way of any rotation is .167 (7-35), by way of Paolo Espino’s 2022 Nationals. I’m inauguration to suppose the White Sox would possibly now not catch that team, both.
Nobody will prevent! On the ones sporadic events when the White Sox remove a supremacy, they’ve been identified to name on their bullpen to offer protection to it. Right here’s how that’s long past:
After they deliver of their relievers in save statuses, their bullpen’s document is now 3-17. 3 and 17! Plus a 7.79 ERA, 31 blown saves and (one way or the other) extra house runs allowed (26) than saves transformed (18).
I rumbled in the course of the Baseball Reference recordsdata for means too lengthy. What number of alternative groups may I to find, because the crack of dawn of the trendy save rule in 1969, with extra gopherballs than saves in the ones statuses? That will be none!
I may secure going right here for hours. However do you know …
• This White Sox crew hasn’t began a tumbler with a successful document in over a time? Now not even some opener who was once 1-0. It’s 36 video games in a row now, the fourth-longest streak in franchise historical past.
• The White Sox have now misplaced their first duel of each and every time – April, Might, June, July, August and September? Can’t beat that roughly consistency.
• It’s Sept. 13 … and the White Sox have gained 33 video games! You already know when the Guardians gained their thirty third duel? How about Might 22! That’s 3 and a half of freaking months (and 111 days) in the past!
• And in the end, is it too past due to pray a cheerful a hundred and fifth birthday to Loyola of Chicago icon Sister Jean? As a pal of mine jogged my memory on Sister Jean’s birthday terminating time, she’s been gracing our planet for greater than a century now. And he or she has viewable the White Sox win a postseason line in precisely a type of 105 years (2005, clearly). I’m inauguration to suppose the probabilities of her ocular some other line win this October aren’t excellent.
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White Sox guard: Rally falls scale down in fifteenth consecutive house loss
(Manage picture of Luis Robert Jr.: Matt Krohn / Related Press)
