Shame on you Jerry Reinsdorf (Team owner), how could you have let it reach this level. With loss number 121 on the season, his Chicago White Sox surpassed the 1962 expansion New York Mets as the losingest team in modern MLB history.
They were tough to look away from after showing early just how bad this was going to get, winning only 3 of their first 25. They endured two incredible losing streaks. The first set a franchise record with 14 consecutive losses that finally ended on June 7.
Then 21 in a row, tying the 1988 Orioles for longest in American League history. At least they get to share the record and they did fall one short of the all time MLB mark set by the 1961 Philadelpia Phillies.
Sadly all this losing won’t even benefit the team with a lottery pick in the draft since large market teams can’t do that two years in a row and they already got one this season (Number 5 overall), they can pick only as high as 10th.
And more bad news for White Sox fans, It’s expected that GM Chris Getz will be forced to cut payroll for the 2025 season. The reason? Well the team lost money this year. Go figure.
MLB tanking nothing new
The Pale Hose are not the first to go this route, pocket a whole bunch of cash while skimping on payroll and losing more than 100 games, not even the first in the Windy City.
The Houston Astros lost 106, 107 and 111 games from 2011-2013 before rising back up to dominance. The Baltimore Orioles lost 115,108 and 110 from 2018-2021. They are now a world series contender. And the cross town Chicago Cubs took a 5 year nose dive before injecting cash and winning their first ever world series in 2016.
Now the 1962 Mets have lost their MLB record for losing, it still stands as the mark for National League teams and will always have a happier nostalgic view than current day losers.
They were after all an expansion team with glorious player names like ‘Marvelous’ Marv Throneberry, ‘Choo Choo’ Coleman and ‘Vinegar Bend’ Mizell. And the ‘Amazing’ Mets shocked the world 7 years later with a championship.
