As the Major League Baseball season nears its conclusion, the Chicago White Sox find themselves perilously close to setting a dubious record. Tying the 1962 New York Mets with 120 losses, the White Sox are on the brink of establishing a new low in franchise history. What's perhaps most troubling for White Sox fans is that this team, unlike the '62 Mets, has no excuse such as being an expansion team.
The season's miseries have been exacerbated by last year's change in the MLB schedule format, which reduced the number of intra-division games. Now, every team faces opponents from the other league annually, a change that seems to have provided minimal respite for the struggling White Sox.
Guardians and White Sox: A Tale of Two Teams
The Cleveland Guardians, one team that has capitalized on Chicago's woes, wrapped up the season with an 8-5 record against the White Sox. The Guardians even managed a 5-5 split before their most recent sweep of Chicago, a series victory that clinched the AL Central title for Cleveland.
Dominance by Division Rivals
However, it's not just the Guardians who have taken advantage of the White Sox's struggles. The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals have both posted 12-1 records against Chicago, using these victories to fuel their respective wild-card pursuits. The Tigers, 9-1 against the White Sox, are currently ahead of the Mariners and Red Sox in the wild-card race, thanks to their head-to-head series victories.
Meanwhile, Kansas City has also leveraged its dominance over Chicago to boost its postseason hopes, sitting comfortably in the No. 5 seed in the wild-card standings. The Minnesota Twins, who have similarly thrived against the White Sox this season, are close behind at the No. 7 seed.
Interleague Play and Cubs Rivalry
This season also saw every National League team, except the Chicago Cubs, play a three-game series against the White Sox. In a twist of irony that only deepens the pain for their fans, the Cubs swept a four-game series against their crosstown rivals. The Cub's sweep was part of a small bright spot otherwise dim season for the Chicago White Sox. They managed to win series against several teams, including the Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals, and Washington Nationals. The Braves, hindered by rain in their series, went 1-2 against Chicago.
End of a Challenging Season
As the season winds down, the Tigers are set to play the White Sox in a three-game series at Comerica Park this coming weekend. Based on their 9-1 record against Chicago this season, Detroit appears poised to further solidify its strong position in the wild-card race. Concurrently, the Twins will face the Baltimore Orioles, and the Royals wrap up their regular-season campaigns against the Braves. Altogether, these end-of-season games underline the dire state of Chicago's season, which has them closer than ever to an ignominious record.
While the White Sox stare down the barrel of history, their fans and organization must look to the future. The team will inevitably need to rebuild and reimagine its strategy to avoid repeating this dismal performance. There are no significant injuries or glaring reasons behind their collapse, making the need for introspection and strategic overhaul even more pressing.
The harsh reality is that the Chicago White Sox's 2023 season will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. As they prepare for a long offseason, lessons learned from this year must serve as the foundation for a resurgence that the fans so desperately crave.