All of the Chicago White Sox did final 12 months was end with the fashionable period MLB report for probably the most losses in a single season. The South Siders went 41-121 general in a season the place they scored practically 100 fewer runs than the subsequent worst offense in baseball. The White Sox responded to their historic ineptitude by doing a complete lot of nothing within the offseason aside from changing the supervisor. Chicago solely spent $15.2 million this winter, which shouldn’t be a shock for a franchise that has by no means given out a contract larger than Andrew Benintendi’s $75 million deal.
The White Sox are very dangerous once more this season, at the moment sitting with a 7-21 general report that’s as soon as extra the worst within the AL by a mile. The Sox have a powerful case as probably the most pathetic franchise in American skilled sports activities, and it will probably all be traced to their 89-year-old proprietor Jerry Reinsdorf. The Sox aren’t the one Chicago franchise Reinsdorf has ruined: he’s additionally pushed the Chicago Bulls into stale mediocrity with the identical absentee landlord possession fashion that has outlined his final 20 years in baseball.
Is there any hope for the Bulls and White Sox for the foreseeable future? Actually, no. Now Chicago sports activities followers have a reminder of how far each franchises have fallen with the brand new Metropolis Join uniforms from the White Sox that give an apparent nod to Reinsdorf’s different crew.
The Bulls-White Sox crossover that nobody requested for is right here. As somebody who grew up as a fan of each groups, I really sort of prefer it, but it surely additionally solely fuels my disdain for Reinsdorf.
Chicago sports activities scribes had a subject day with this uniform announcement:
The collar with the championship years for each franchises is a pleasant contact. The Bulls will in all probability get fats off their ‘90s dynasty eternally, however take away 1991-1998 and the group has a 47 p.c successful share all-time. The White Sox have achieved completely nothing since their outstanding run to the 2005 World Sequence championship. The Sox’s final rebuild failed miserably within the wake of the Chris Sale commerce, and it’s exhausting to present them the advantage of the doubt on the brand new rebuild they’re embarking on.
This isn’t the primary Bulls-White Sox crossover on the South Aspect this season. Derrick Rose additionally threw out the primary pitch within the dwelling opener. Chicago groups are so determined for a nostalgia attendance spike that the Bulls deliberate two separate nights to honor Rose, one this previous season to have fun his retirement, and one other subsequent season to retire his No. 1. It’s all a shameless money seize for franchises that haven’t been nationally related since Invoice Clinton and George W. Bush have been president.
Among the design touches listed below are fairly cool, but it surely’s exhausting to think about many individuals need to give Reinsdorf their cash. The one excellent news for the White Sox is that the Ishbia brothers now reportedly personal 35 p.c of the franchise. Mat Ishbia has pushed the Phoenix Suns into the bottom within the NBA, however at the very least he spends cash. Reinsdorf is so low-cost and so lazy together with his staffing that his groups by no means actually have an opportunity.
Chicago sports activities won’t ever have peace so long as Jerry Reinsdorf is round. This Bulls-White Sox crossover is simply one other instance of that.
