The White Sox – 81 games under .500! – collect breathtaking numbers for eternity

For weeks, and even months, to be honest, we've spent far an excessive amount of invaluable time comparing the 2024 White Sox to Casey Stengel's legendary, hapless 1962 Mets. But now we all know: That was actually the fallacious comparison.

It would take a miracle for these White Sox (current record: 33-114) to beat the 1962 Mets (40-120), so it's time to do something I never thought would occur: It's time to show our attention to the much more legendary 1899 Cleveland Spiders (attractive final record: 20-134).

I got here to this mind-blowing realization on Thursday morning when I spotted the fact of this crazy little number:

81 games under .500!!!

As a long-time chronicler of all things weird and wild, I've seen numerous stuff. But as I stared on the leaderboard, I believed to myself: Have I ever seen THAT before? Have I ever seen a team fall 81 games under .500?

Here's the reality: No. I didn't. And neither did you, unless you're a sprightly 108 years old. And even should you are, in reality, 108, your memory of the sooner 81-under-.500 story may be just a little fuzzy. So let me enlighten you.

The Mets of 1962? Sorry. I never made it to 81.

The Tigers of 2003? Sorry. You never made it either.

Both teams finished 80 under par. But it takes a very special group to get under 80 games under. So let's give these White Sox our respects because they're one in all those exceptional teams that took a fallacious turn and just kept going.

And who’re these exceptional teams? Here they’re – the one teams within the history of the nineteenth century American League/National League/American Association to ever rating 81 under par or worse (in chronological order):

Whitey Witt's 1916 A's — Fell to 81 under par at 33-114, identical to those White Sox, except that was September twenty seventh they usually only had six games left within the season… but by some means they won three of them! (Final rating: 36-117.)

Harry Colliflower's Spiders from 1899 — There's a reason the Spiders are the poster child for a season of failure. On August 31, they slumped to 81 under par (at 19-100) with 35 games left to play… they usually lost 34 of them! (Final rating: 20-134.)

Kirtley Baker's 1890 Alleghenys — Once upon a time, before the Spiders, these guys were the usual for nineteenth century ineptitude. On September 16, they fell to 81 under par (at 21-102). They had 14 games left… and won two! (Final rating: 23-113, plus two ties.)

Toad Ramsey's 1889 Colonels — The worst team in the fantastic history of the American Association, the Colonels slumped to 81 under par at 26-107. Luckily, it was October 8, so that they only had five games left… and won one! (Final rating: 27-111.)

And that's your entire 81-under club. But should you've been being attentive (in case we surprise you with a 2024 season-ending White Sox quiz), you may have noticed something. Only once in nearly a century and a half of major league history has a team woken up this early in September and been 81 games under .500 or worse. And it was… those 1899 Spiders, because after all they were!

But now the Spiders have company, namely the 2024 White Sox? What a time to be alive.

But within the meantime, there may be other vital news from the White Sox…

You can't go home again! Since the second game of their doubleheader against Minnesota on July 10, the White Sox have a 1-27 record when playing baseball at their home stadium. One and 27! According to Baseball Reference, just one other team in the fashionable era has ever posted a 1-27 (or worse) streak at home. And that was the 1916 A's (also 1-27, in a chaotic 28-game streak in July and August).

That is, for the reason that game against the Twins on July 10 nine Teams have more wins at Guaranteed Rate Field than the team that plays half its season there. There can be more teams, after all, but America's schedule makers have only allowed nine of them to play there.

Unsurpassed! This seems unimaginable, however the White Sox at the moment are 6-43 within the second half. Six and 43! Does that appear bad? Or moderately, historically bad? Since the invention of the All-Star break, only 15 games have been won by a team within the second half of a season and not using a strike, and that was Orie Arntzen's A's (15-61) in 1943. I'm beginning to think the White Sox won't catch them.

Late starter! In a related development, White Sox starters at the moment are 2-30 within the second half. Two and 30! The record for worst second-half winning percentage of any rotation is .167 (7-35), set by Paolo Espino's 2022 Nationals. I'm beginning to think the White Sox won't catch that group either.

No one will prevent! Once the White Sox get ahead, they often turn to their bullpen to guard the lead. Here's the way it went:

When they use their relievers in save situations, their bullpen record is now 3-17. Three and 17! Plus an ERA of seven.79, 31 blown saves and (by some means) more home runs allowed (26) than saves made (18).

I've spent far too long digging through the Baseball Reference files. How many other teams could I find for the reason that modern save rule was introduced in 1969 which have had more gopher balls than saves in such situations? That wouldn't be one in all them!

I could go on for hours. But did you already know…

• This White Sox team hasn't had a starting pitcher with a winning record in over a month? Not even an opener who was 1-0. It's now 36 straight games, the fourth-longest streak in franchise history.

• The White Sox have now lost their first game everyone Month – April, May, June, July, August and September? This consistency is just unbeatable.

• It is September thirteenth… and the White Sox have won 33 games! Do you already know when the Guardians won their thirty third game? How about May twenty second! That was three and a half months (and 111 days) ago!

• And finally, is it too late to wish Sister Jean, the Loyola of Chicago icon, a completely happy a hundred and fifth birthday? As a friend jogged my memory last month of Sister Jean's birthday, she has graced our planet for greater than a century. And she has seen the White Sox win a postseason series. in precisely one in all these 105 years (2005, obviously). I'm beginning to think their probabilities of seeing one other series win come October are slim.