Tag / White Sox

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Playoff Pitching Leaders

The Cubs dispatched the Padres yesterday to win their Wild Card series and will be heading to the NLDS against the Brewers this weekend.  While we wait, it’s time to take our updated look at the pitching leaders from the now 33 post-season games I’ve attended since the White Sox won the AL Central in 2000.

Wins

Name Total
Mark Buehrle 2
Jon Lester 2
Jake Arrieta 2
27 tied with 1

Losses

Name Total
Matt Clement 2
31 tied with 1

ERA (> 6 IP)

Name Total
Aroldis Chapman 0.00
Stephen Strasburg 0.00
Kyle Freeland 0.00
Johnny Cueto 1.13
Chad Billingsley 1.35

Strikeouts

Name Total
Jon Lester 25
Jake Arrieta 22
Mark Buehrle 13
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All Time Playoff Team Records

We’ve made it through 162 games and, for the first time since 2020, the Cubs are in the post-season as the top-seeded Wild Card in the National League.  In a rematch of the 1984 NLCS, they start a best of three series against the Padres at Wrigley Field today.  The winner of that series will advance to the NLDS and face the Brewers starting Saturday.

It’s time to take an updated look at the team records for the now 33 playoff contests I have attended. These contests come from the 2018 Wild Card game, the ALDS in 2000, 2005, 2008, and 2021, the NLDS in 2003, 2007, 2008, 2015, 2016, and 2017, the NLCS in 2003, 2015, 2016, and 2017, the ALCS in 2005, and, of course, the 2005 and 2016 World Series.

Post-Season Team Records

Team Name Won Loss Winning Pctg
Florida Marlins 3 0 1.000
Seattle Mariners 2 0 1.000
New York Mets 2 0 1.000
Colorado Rockies 1 0 1.000
Arizona Diamondbacks 1 0 1.000
Chicago White Sox 6 5 0.545
Los Angeles Dodgers 3 3 0.500
Atlanta Braves 1 1 0.500
Cleveland Indians 1 1 0.500
Los Angeles Angels 1 1 0.500
Washington Nationals 1 1 0.500
Tampa Bay Rays 1 1 0.500
Chicago Cubs 9 13 0.409
Houston Astros 1 2 0.333
San Francisco Giants 0 2 0.000
St. Louis Cardinals 0 1 0.000
Boston Red Sox 0 2 0.000
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Fitbit XI – Week 35

A nice week, courtesy of the final home games of the 2025 White Sox season, which extended my 30,000-step week streak to 19 weeks.  Things got off to a decent start on Sunday, needing 14 additional steps to reach 4300.  Monday was in the same ballpark, finishing with 4200 steps.  A small increase on Tuesday put me at 4400 steps.  An afternoon off work to take in some baseball on Wednesday left me a single step shy of 5800.  Thursday was the low point of the week, needing 21 steps just to reach 3500.  A trip back to Rate Field and parking in an unfavorable lot pushed me up over 7000 steps on Friday.  Another trip to that same lot on Saturday, my final White Sox game of the year, ended the week with 6800 steps.

Total steps: 36,025

Daily average: 5146.4

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Keeping It 100

After dropping last night’s game to the Yankees 8-1, the White Sox notched their 100th loss of the season.  While this is only the seventh time in the 125-year history of the franchise that they have lost 100 games, it is the third consecutive season and the fourth in the last eight.  Over 50% of the franchise’s 100-loss seasons have come in the last decade under the stewardship of Jerry Reinsdorf.

While there are some glimmers of hope heading into 2026, there does not appear to be any urgency to improve this offseason.  GM Chris Getz has already indicated they are hoping that incremental improvements from the young nucleus will be enough to push this team back to the winning side of the ledger.  That plan, on its own, seems unlikely to get the job done, but what else can you expect from a franchise that strives for mediocrity?

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Lonely At The Top

It took a while, but the Rockies finally won their 42nd game of the season last night, ensuring that the 2024 White Sox will continue to own the record for the most losses in a single season in the modern era of Major League Baseball.  Moving forward, I propose that MLB officially declare this day, the day the final team wins their 42nd game of the season, Jerry Reinsdorf day in honor of his not-so-glorious achievement.

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Still The Worst

With their 4-2 victory over the Padres last night, the Rockies won their 41st game of the season, ensuring that, at worst, they will tie the 2024 White Sox for the most losses in the modern era of Major League Baseball.  With two weeks to go in the season, it seems likely that they will win at least one additional game, leaving the 2024 White Sox to stand alone in disgrace.

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Fitbit XI – Week 33

A strong week of vacation helped extend my 30,000-step week streak to 17 weeks.  Things got off to a strong start on Sunday as I gathered 5600 steps thanks to a visit to Rate Field to see the White Sox battle the Yankees.  Labor Day saw me come within 23 steps of 4600 on Monday.  A small increase on Tuesday again left me 40 steps away from 4900.  A Cubs game Wednesday night left me just 27 steps shy of 7300.  Thursday saw a big drop-off, needing 13 more steps just to reach 4400.  A doctor’s appointment on Friday put me 27 steps short of 5700.  The week’s low point came on Saturday, ending the week just 24 steps shy of 3500.

Total steps: 35,857

Daily average: 5122.4

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Fitbit XI – Week 32

My 30,000-step week streak barely reaches sixteen weeks, thanks to a night out at the ballpark.  Things got off to a slow start on Sunday as I gathered just 3400 steps.  A walk around the block on Monday left me 15 steps shy of 5400.  A small decrease on Tuesday again left me 15 steps away from 5000.  Wednesday saw a big drop-off, going down to 3800 steps.  Things fell even further on Thursday, dropping down to 3100 steps.  Watching the White Sox do battle against the Yankees on Friday turned out to be my high point of the week, finishing 8 steps short of 6900.  The week’s low point came on Saturday, ending the week just 12 steps shy of 3100.

Total steps: 30,705

Daily average: 4386.4

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Looking Ahead To 2026

Eschewing their traditional day after the All-Star Game release, Major League Baseball released their tentative 2026 schedule on a random Tuesday at the end of August.  For the fourth year in a row, MLB is keeping with a balanced schedule, playing 52 games against division opponents, 64 games against non-division opponents in the same league, and 46 interleague games, with series against every team in the opposite league.  With a young and improving White Sox team already looking ahead to next year and the Cubs trying to lock down a Wild Card spot, the 2026 season looks like it could be an interesting one for the city of Chicago.  So, for one day, at least, let’s turn our attention to next summer for both teams.

The White Sox open their season on March 26, the earliest North American start in league history, under the dome in Milwaukee against the Brewers, followed by a trip to South Beach to face the Marlins.  They open up their home schedule against the Blue Jays on April 2.

Aside from the Brewers and Marlins, the interleague schedule sees the White Sox going on the road to face the Phillies, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, and Padres, while the Pirates, Reds, Dodgers, Braves, Mets, Rockies, and Nationals make their way to Rate Field.  The rivalry with their north side foes continues with a three-game weekend series at home Wrigley Field in mid-May followed by a weekday series at Wrigley Field in mid-August.

The White Sox wrap up the 2026 season in September with series against the Twins, Guardians, and Tigers, should it matter.  The season ends at home with a three-game series against the Rockies.

On the north side, the Cubs kick off their season at home against the Nationals and the Angels before heading out on the road in early April.  Aside from the Angels, the Cubs will host the Twins, A’s, Yankees, Blue Jays, and Tigers, while travelling to visit the Mariners, Orioles, Guardians, Red Sox, and Royals.

Twelve of their 24 games in September are against their NL Central rivals, with six coming against the Brewers, which could make a difference should the Cubs find themselves in contention once again.  They end the year with a three-game road trip to Boston to face the Red Sox.

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Reunited And It Feels So Good

The Savannah Bananas came to Rate Field last night for their first ever Chicago appearance.  The barnstorming team, playing a “game” called Banana Ball, sang and danced their way through nine innings of mostly uninspired ball while defeating their foes, the Firefighters.  Overall, it was two hours of continuous music and tomfoolery that works better as short Tik Tok clips than as a longer presentation.  That said, they did bring some excitement for the baseball fans in the house.

Former White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski entered the game as a pinch hitter to lead off a mid-game inning.  He then came out to catch the following half inning and, after handling the Bananas pitcher, who managed to hit and hurt a batter in what appeared to be a real incident, he was joined in the game by former teammate and fellow 2005 World Series champion Mark Buehrle.  Buehrle faced two hitters, giving up a soft single to right before inducing a groundout to end the frame.

Seeing these two take the field together on the south side for the first time since 2011 and, one can only assume, for the final time made the whole night and covered over a lot of the warts inherent in the concept.  I can’t see myself attending another one of their shows (they never actually call it a game), but this one left me with warm and fuzzy feelings.