Trying to perfect tanking: 2018 Chicago White Sox

hate to say it, but maybe TLR wasn't the biggest problem?

they are pretty depressing. the pitching is bad all-around, their best players are constantly injured, there's still a lot of rando chaff guys in the lineup. robert started the season off hot but cooled off quickly. they made no moves at all in the offseason aside from losing abreu and signing benintendi. mostly there just doesn't seem to be any energy or motivation among the players, they should probably just go into rebuild mode at this point.

Tim Anderson is a free agent in 2024 as well.

i think they are cursed for continuing to employ mike clevinger

though the braves seem to get away with continuing to employ marcell ozuna, so who knows

xp oh yeah forgot that

Absolutely cursed 2 of those 7 wins are his starts 😑

Are we *sure* the #whitesox fired La Russa?

— Joe Sheehan (@joe_sheehan) April 26, 2023

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-white-sox-are-utterly-terrible/

took a no-hitter into the 7th inning and ended up losing 12-3 (to the rays, to be fair)

also pedro grifol pulled luis robert from the game for not hustling out a ground ball

someone hire ashlyn burger

Jake Burger said his wife analyzed video of his stance yesterday and made a correction. ‘She drew a whole diagram and everything. She was really proud of it, so I have to give her credit.”

“There was definitely a little issue with how I was setting up.”

— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) July 3, 2023

i love it

i guess he's been hurt, but tim anderson is having an abysmal contract year

Off the field stuff too I think

not great

Filed to ESPN: Former White Sox reliever Keynan Middleton documents dysfunction as he saw it in Chicago. ‘No rules': Ex-White Sox pitcher rips club's culture https://t.co/Z03bbDpZE8

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) August 7, 2023

Williams and Hahn are out

i almost made this joke last night

The Chicago White Sox have brought back Tony La Russa as a consultant, per @BNightengale.

— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) August 23, 2023

OFFICIAL: Chris Getz has been named senior vice president/general manager of the Chicago White Sox. pic.twitter.com/MPjlDuI7p6

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 31, 2023

Ha

not much point in starting a new thread for the 2024 white sox. here is the expected rotation:

touki toussaint
garrett crochet
erick fedde
chris flexen
michael soroka

a real collection of "oh i think i recognize that name" guys
this team is going to be so depressing

have to say, crochet as the opening day starter does not bode well.

I hope his nickname is Needle.

this is getting very dark

currently on pace to be outscored by 550 runs

truly a dreadful team. they were going to be bad but then robert, jimenez and moncada all immediately got injured

I love following anything extreme, so glad you pointed this out--wow!

-- going into tonight's game, they'd hit eight home runs as a team; no one over two
-- seven of nine regulars between .069 and .222 (not much different than the Jays, actually)
-- .200/.273/.310 as a team
-- they look as hapless offensively as the '68 White Sox, who I often mention

This says as much about me as them, but of their 12 pictured WAR leaders on BRef, the only guy I know is Kevin Pillar. I see they have at least one good pitcher, Garret Crochet--maybe someone can nab him in a trade.

Tonight: shut out on four singles.

feel awful for (canadian!) RHP mike soroka

so many injuries, and now things are becoming brutal while playing for this awful team

43 runs scored in 20 games; the '68 White Sox (463 runs for the season) scored 45 in their first 20.

(Soroka deserved to win in one of his five starts; he's been pretty bad otherwise.)

Worst starts the past 100 years:

Baltimore Orioles (1988) - 2-23

CHICAGO WHITE SOX (2024) - 3-22

Cincinnati Reds (2022) - 3-22
Detroit Tigers (2003) - 3-22
St. Louis Browns (1936) - 4-21
Cleveland Indians (1969) - 4-21
Boston Red Sox (1932) - 4-21
Oakland Athletics (2023) - 5-20
Chicago White Sox (1948) - 5-20
Pittsburgh Pirates (1952) - 5-20
Kansas City Royals (2006) - 5-20
Kansas City Royals (2018) - 5-20
Philadelphia Phillies (1928) - 5-20
Houston Astros (1969) - 5-20
Montreal Expos (2004) - 5-20
Cincinnati Reds (2018) - 5-20
Chicago Cubs (1981) - 5-20
Milwaukee Brewers (1970) - 5-20
St. Louis Cardinals (1973) - 5-20
Chicago White Sox (1950) - 5-20
Kansas City Athletics (1965) - 5-20
Kansas City Royals (1992) - 5-20
Florida Marlins (1995) - 5-20

'62 Mets started 7-18.

I mentioned on another thread that the Astros (a consensus preseason top 3 pick to win the world series) are only 3.5 games ahead of the CWS... yikes.

#freedusty

Two of those teams, the '69 Astros and '73 Cards, managed to finish at 81-81. Farther down the list, the '86 Reds and '96 Red Sox started 6-19 and finished with 86/85 wins.

https://champsorchumps.us/records/worst-mlb-regular-season-records-through-25-games

The Astros this year are such a weird mix of extremes.