The Chicago White Sox are on pace for their worst record – by far – in 123 years in the American League. Their current 17-52 (.246) record translates to 40-122 for the season – second-worst in history to the infamous 1899 Cleveland Spiders. They crawled to a 20-134 record.
While the Spiders never disgraced a field again, the White Sox have a much brighter future despite losing 101 games in 2023. Only the 1970 club at 56-106, 1932 squad (49-102) and 1948 team (51-101) lost that many in franchise history.
The Sox began their tear-down to build up last July and have unloaded seven veteran pitchers. Gone are Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Aaron Bummer, Gregory Santos, Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly and Dylan Cease.
In return, Chicago got pitchers Drew Thorpe, Ky Bush, Nick Nastrini, Jordan Leasure, Aldrin Batista, Michael Soroka, Jared Shuster, Riley Gowens, Jairo Iriarte, Prelander Berroa, Steven Wilson, catcher Edgar Quero, infielders Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake, outfielders Trayce Thompson, Zach DeLoach, Samuel Zavala.
Thompson, 33, was released. The 16 others figure prominently in White Sox plans.
Recent draft picks Colson Montgomery, Noah Schultz, Mason Adams and Jacob Gonzalez should provide more help. Other veterans could be dealt for more prospects this summer, theoretically putting the club on a faster course to success.
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Thorpe, 23, made his MLB debut on June 11, capping a whirlwind time with three organizations. A second-round pick by the New York Yankees in 2022, he got $1,187,600 to sign and went 14-2 with a 2.52 last summer in his first taste of the minors. He got 182 strikeouts, allowing 38 walks and 99 hits over 139 1/3 innings.
For that, he got traded to the San Diego Padres with four others in December for slugger Juan Soto. He hardly got his bags unpacked in spring training when he was dealt again on March 13 with Zavala and Wilson for Cease.
In 11 starts at Triple-A Charlotte, the right-hander was 7-1 with a 1.35 ERA.
Thorpe has an outstanding changeup with fade. It makes his ordinary fastball look better. He commands both pitches well along with a slider that has deep breaking action. Throwing strikes is key. He’s doing it.
Bush, 24, a lefty acquired from the Angels last July is doing well at Double-A Birmingham: 5-2, 1.98 ERA. A sharp slider tops his four-pitch mix. Right-handed teammate Adams, 24, has a 2.12 ERA, 65 strikeouts and only 10 walks in 10 starts.
Schultz, who got $2.8 million as Chicago’s first pick in 2022, is often compared to Hall of Famer Randy Johnson. The lefty stands 6-9 and has an elite slider. In 60 innings as a pro, he has walked 13, fanned 94 and yielded 40 hits with a 2.32 ERA.
Clearly, the White Sox have some serious pitching on the way. Infielders Montgomery, Shewmake, Gonzalez and catcher Quero are developing as hitters, too.
The Worst Teams Since 1900
1962 New York Mets: 40-120 (.250): The expansion Mets had a 5.04 ERA, made 210 errors and batted .240. No wonder manager Casey Stengel lamented to reporters: “Can’t anybody here play this game?” It took them until 1969 to make the playoffs, and they shocked the world by upsetting the mighty (109-53) Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.
2003 Detroit Tigers: 43-119 (.265): They were worse than those old Mets until somehow winning five of their final six games. They hit .240 with a 5.40 ERA overall. They got lucky when San Diego took Matt Bush with the first pick in 2004. Detroit happily got Justin Verlander at No. 2. That, with several trades and free-agent signings put the Tigers into the 2006 World Series.
1916 Philadelphia Athletics: 36-117 (.235): After winning it all in 1910, 1911 and 1913, Connie Mack sold off his stars to pay bills. Elmer Myers (14-23) and Joe Bush (15-24) were the best pitchers left. Eighteen others went 7-60! It took Mack until 1929-31 to return to the World Series, loaded with Hall of Famers Lefty Grove, Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons. He sold them, too. The franchise didn’t get back to the Series until 1972. Not in Philly, then Kansas City, but Oakland.
1935 Boston Braves: 38-115 (.248): Wally Berger had 34 homers and 130 RBI. All others combined to hit 41 with 414 RBI. The Braves had not been in the World Series since 1914, didn’t get back until 1948, and didn’t win it again until 1957.
2018 Baltimore Orioles: 47-115 (.290): They were 32-75 at the trade deadline and dealt Manny Machado, Zach Britton, Kevin Gausman, Jonathan Schoop and others. They lost 108 the next year and 110 in 2021, but stockpiled draft picks. They zoomed to 101-61 last year and appear more powerful now.
Those 1899 Spiders
Books have been written about their plight. Briefly, they were the worst ever because their owner “traded” the best players to another club he owned in St. Louis to build a powerhouse. The joke was on him. That team finished fifth.
Meanwhile, the Spiders started 7-22 – then went 13-112. They played their final 36 games on the road, going 1-35. Their finale, a 19-3 loss in Cincinnati, was started by Eddie Kolb, an 18-year-old clerk in a cigar store who was asked to pitch by manager Joe Quinn. Kolb gave up 18 hits and all 19 runs, though only 9 were earned.
Frank Bates was the poster child for ineptness. The 22-year-old went 1-18 with a 7.24 ERA, giving up 239 hits and 105 walks while striking out 13 in 153 innings.
Even Little Miss Muffet couldn’t wait to stride up to the plate against that Spider.
