Trying to perfect tanking: 2018 Chicago White Sox

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.