In the baseball world, there are seasons so disastrous that even the most optimistic fans struggle to find any silver linings whatsoever.
This year, the Chicago White Sox are enduring one such season, with the discussions on NBC Sports Chicago’s postgame show becoming more compelling than the actual games themselves.
On Sunday, the White Sox suffered a crushing 13-7 defeat to the Minnesota Twins, marking their 20th consecutive loss and bringing their record to a dismal 27-87.
Their insanely-poor record places them on track to surpass the infamy of the 1962 New York Mets, who hold the record for the most losses in a season.
Play-by-play announcer John Schriffen captured the despair of the streak, noting, “When you look back at this streak we’re on right now, 19 (now 20) losses in a row. Each one has been uniquely painful.”
In the aftermath, NBC Sports Chicago’s Chuck Garfien, Frank Thomas, and Ozzie Guillén delivered their usual unfiltered critique.
They pointed out a harsh reality: even without their 14-game and now 20-game losing streaks, the White Sox would still possess the worst record in baseball.
Guillén took aim at White Sox manager Pedro Grifol, highlighting a significant blemish on his record.
“That means Pedro is 100 games under .500 from the time he got the job,” Guillén said, referencing Grifol’s 88-188 managerial record.
He added, “I gotta go to a psychologist tomorrow… A few years ago, I was happy, man. Now, I’m bitter and weird… Because I don’t think I was a bad manager, but they picked Pedro in front of me… I was like, ‘God, I’m this bad?'”
Guillén expressed his lingering frustration at not being rehired as the White Sox manager in 2022 when the team opted for Grifol instead.
Despite his grievances, Guillén has found a form of vindication.
In his role as an analyst, he has not shied away from criticizing Grifol and the team’s horrific results, all while connecting with a fanbase desperate for a voice to echo their frustration.
Though he might be jeopardizing any chance of returning to a managerial role, Guillén has become one of the few reasons fans continue to tune in to White Sox broadcasts.
Always a polarizing figure, the one thing fans love about Guillén is that he always tells it like it is … Period.
Would the White Sox be better off with him as manager???