I have been trying to make sense about the nascent baseball season. It is nearing the end of April and I have very little clue about who is doing what and how sustainable that may be.
Exhibit number one is a very bad baseball team. That would be the 3-22 Chicago White Sox. One of the original teams in the American League, a franchise which won the World Series in 1906, 1917 and then 88 years after, in 2005. The team’s playoff history isn’t too great—seven appearances since 1983, the last two appearances in 2020 and 2021. Except for the outstanding 11-1 mark in the championship year of 2005, the Sox haven’t won a playoff series.
Understand that I have been a lifetime Yankees fan. The franchise with the most World Championships—by a mile. Rooting for their success is embedded in my rooting DNA. The 17-9 record compiled bytes edition of the Bronx Bombers may end the drought for a title which goes back to 2009. But their star players aren’t coming through and their games have been inconsistent, I am not convinced that another banner will be flying in the Bronx after the season ends.
Being the fan that I am, with a true appreciation of the history of the big leagues, I am not singling out the Chicago American League franchise. Look at the Cleveland Guardians nee Indians. Two titles since 1896—one in 1920 and the other in 1948. The team by Lake Erie has had considerably more wins recently, with 3 AL pennants since 1995, which included 11 AL Central crowns. Not sterling, but better than the White Sox.
Take a look at the Baltimore Orioles. When the team was sequestered in St. Louis, it was atrocious—one World Series appearance total. When I was young, the Browns and Orioles were synonymous with mediocrity. That changed in 1966 with the franchise’s first World Series win. Since landing in Baltimore, the O’s have had 3 World Series wins, won 7 AL pennants and 10 AL East titles, including last season. Sure, there have been some very bad Orioles teams, but the 2023-2024 models are looking mighty good.
Another team the Yankees beat up on was the Washington Senators. While the franchise has won 3 titles, two of them came once the team was in Minnesota. The last one was in 1991. Stuck in the same division as Chicago and Cleveland, the Twins have amassed 9 AL Central titles since 2002 (the team won 4 AL West titles from 1969 to 1991).
If you are thinking that the Detroit Tigers are any better, think again. In the team’s existence, they garnered 4 World Series wins, 11 AL pennants, 3 AL East crowns and ruled the AL Central from 2011-2014 in a mini dynasty—even if the team failed to win the big one.
The A’s are in reverse. In Philadelphia and Oakland combined, the franchise won 9 World Series, 15 AL pennants and 17 AL West titles. Plummeting down the standings and abandoning Oakland for Sacramento before ending up in Las Vegas (they believe), the team has not been to the Series since 1990 after winning in 1989, the year of the earthquake.
Oh yeah, the Red Sox. Not too shabby with 9 World Series wins, the last in 2018, along with 14 pennants and 10 AL East titles. Still, the Sox are still looking for another chance at the big prize, the last one was in 2018.
Look at the Angels. Another mediocre year with the departure of Shohei Ohtani to the Dodgers. Even with Mike Trout rebounding from some disappointing seasons, the Halos once more are not making the World Series, let alone the playoffs. 2002 was the breakthrough year in Anaheim, when Manager Mike Scioscia’s squad won it all. Nine AL West titles, none since 2014.
The team which entered baseball as the replacement in D.C. when the first Senators team left for Minnesota, which lasted 11 seasons in the District, won its first title last season in Arlington.
Two expansion teams from 1961 have won exactly 2 titles over 63 years. Heck, the Kansas City Royals have won as many World Series as the Angels and Rangers. In the AL, Houston and Toronto have won the Series twice. Seattle has yet to appear in a World Series.
Not that the American League has every bad team to itself. Phillies fans are liking their team now after years of losing. Yet Philadelphia can only boast of two crowns—1980 and 2008.
The Braves were very bad while in Boston. While winning in 1914, the team had losing records in 26 of 38 seasons in Beantown. The three other titles came in Milwaukee in 1957; one with the great teams in the 1990’s; and in 2021. Atlanta has won 5 out of the past 6 NL East titles—the franchise is in good standing this year too.
Pittsburgh may have won 5 Series, but nothing since 1979, which was the last time the team won a pennant. The Pirates have no NL Central titles. None. And the team is plummeting towards another mediocre year.
The Reds aren’t much better. Also with 5 Series crowns, nothing since 1990. The days of The Big Red Machine are long gone.
While the Dodgers have won 7 World Series, they were moribund for much of the time while in Brooklyn. West Coast rival San Francisco may have won 8 Series, but not much has happened by The Bay since 2014.
St. Louis has the second most World Series titles, going 11-8 all-time in the Fall Classic. Cardinals haters must be enjoying the recent run of non-winning teams.
That is especially the case on the North Side of the Windy City. Another historically woeful franchise, the Cubbies have won 3 Series, the latest breaking the curse of The Bambino in 2016. Hope is always fervent for their fans. Those fans can identify with the losing going on on the South Side.
With the White Sox horrific start, we can look at other teams which began the season badly. The 2022 Reds went 3-22, ending the season at 62-100.Detroit had the same opening record in 2003 and ended at 43-119. Other teams with bad starts in their first 25 contests included the 2023 A’s; 2018 Reds; 2018 & 2006 Royals; 1995 Marlins; and the all-time leaders, the 1988 Orioles. The Birds went 2-23 en route to a 54-107 record. Those teams made the 1962 expansion New York Mets look good—New York finished at 62-100.
It’s not that the White Sox and Cubs have losing to themselves. The NFL Cardinals were bad before leaving; the Bears hope that QB Caleb Williams is the savior from repeated bad teams; and the Blackhawks have only 6 Stanley Cup titles in 98 years. Michael Jordan gave Chicago prosperity when he led the Bulls to 6 NBA titles.
This is a time of renewed beliefs by fans across the country that their team will win it all. Whether it is from great selections in the recent NFL Draft, or continued good fortune in the NBA and NHL Playoffs, so many teams are looking to improve their lowly standing.
Not every team has had long periods of success—the Yankees, New England Patriots, Boston Celtics and Montreal Canadiens are the front runners in that department, and the Canadiens and Patriots have been losing lately. Toronto fans are literally starving for a Stanley Cup win—the team last won in 1967. New York Rangers and Boston Bruins denizens are crossing their fingers that this is the year for them. Many NBA playoff teams haven’t smelled the roses in a long time—the series between the Knicks and 76’ers exemplifies how little both franchises have won—and neither will likely win it all this season.
Winning is hard to do. Winning it all is harder to do. I can’t say that any of the teams trying to reach the promised land will do just that. Especially in Chicago, where losing is too regular (Add in historically bad college teams like De Paul and Northwestern).
Nothing looks promising for the White Sox in 2024. The only question will be if this is a record-breaking performance—in a negative way.
Personally, I am glad I saw the Sox a few years ago when they were decent. For me, I will be seeing the Cardinals, Royals and maybe the Red Sox this year. All likely to have losing records.
I am joining the White Sox fans in solidarity. I understand bad, having played on a college team which won 4 games. I cheer for Rutgers, which has won 1 college football National Championship, triumphing over Princeton in the inaugural game. Not exactly Alabama on the gridiron, nor UCLA or Kentucky in basketball.
Then there is my NFL team, the New York Jets. A team which constantly redefines how to lose terribly. Awful describes a level above the way the Jets have played. Despite my allegiance to the Yankees, the best franchise in the history of sports, I know losing.
I think back to the Go Go Sox of 1959. The team was good that year. I saw them beat the Yankees one Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. Chicago may have lost to the Dodgers, but they forever were enshrined in the hearts of their fans. Ditto the champs of 2005.
Unfortunately, so will this team be negatively ingrained in the minds of Chicagoans. No Pale Hose hysteria this year. No exodus from Egypt.
Happy Passover.
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