Unsurprisingly, the Chicago White Sox lost a baseball game on Saturday, dropping a 6-1 decision to the Houston Astros as the club fell to 30-94 on the season. This one loss out of dozens holds special significance, though, helping the Pale Hose make more history for the wrong reasons.
The loss eliminated the White Sox from playoff contention on Aug. 17, making them the fastest team to have their postseason dreams dashed in the wild-card or divisional era. According to Jessica Brand of Baseball Reference, the 2018 Baltimore Orioles held the previous mark (Aug. 20).
That year’s Orioles’ squad held a .290 winning percentage (47-115), which the White Sox (.242) would have to hustle to match during what’s been a historically poor year. What the South Siders should be worried about is whether they finish with the worst record in baseball history.
Throughout the years, baseball has added more teams and, thus, more games. So, depending on who asks, the worst record in the game’s storied history is debatable.
In the case of winning percentages, the Cleveland Spiders hold the most dubious distinction, finishing 20-134 (.130) in 1899. In the modern era (since 1901), the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics lay claim to the dishonor, ending the year 36-117 (.235).
But the answer changes again when it comes to teams that have played a 162-game season, like the White Sox are this summer. The 2003 Detroit Tigers finished 43-119 (.265).
The White Sox may clear the Spiders and A’s, but the Tigers could be tough to top. To avoid finishing with the worst 162-game record, Chicago would have to go 14-24 the rest of the way, matching nearly half their win total on the year over the last 38 games.