Dismal record fits how White Sox are playing

What happens when every hitter who didn’t spend time on the disabled list has a subpar first half of the season?

What happens when 10 of your 25 players go down with injuries and spend time on the DL?

What happens when the defense falls apart and the baserunning drops to Little League level?

You check the history books, that’s what happens.

And, in the White Sox’ case, the record fits everything you’ve been seeing on and off the field.

Following yet another road loss Sunday, this one a 3-1 decision at Tampa Bay, the Sox are 34-51. They also have dropped at least 15 games under .500 before the all-star break for the first time since 1989, when they were 18-35 on June 3 and finished the season 69-92.

Trade rumors:It has been quiet on the trade front so far, which is just the way White Sox general manager Rick Hahn likes it.Hahn might have to wait closer to the July 31 nonwaiver deadline before making deals because three players with obvious value #151; Jesse Crain, Jake Peavy and Paul Konerko #151; are on the disabled list and not expected back until July 19, when play resumes after the all-star break.Alex Rios remains in play, but his value continues to decline. Over his last 21 games, the Sox#146; right fielder is batting .190 with no home runs and 5 RBI.Rios#146; last homer was on June 9, at U.S. Cellular Field against Oakland. His last road home run was on May 17, at Anaheim against the Angels.Catching on:Called up from Class AAA Charlotte on Friday, catcher Josh Phegley played two of the three games at Tampa Bay and drove in 3 of the White Sox#146; 4 total runs.It#146;ll be interesting to see how much of the workload Phegley gets over Tyler Flowers, who is 1-for-16 with 5 strikeouts over his last five games while batting .205 overall with an on-base percentage of .257.To his credit, Flowers said all the right things when Phegley joined the Sox in Tampa.#147;I#146;m happy for him,#148; Flowers told reporters. #147;It makes me think about the first time I came up. I know he#146;s probably really excited. I#146;m going to try and help him as much as I can, just like Hector (Gimenez) and I tried to work together. I#146;m going to do the same with him. We#146;ll see what happens.#148;Waiting game:For now, he is a special assistant to Hahn.That#146;s the title the White Sox gave Jim Thome when he rejoined the organization last week.Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said Thome would make a great major-league hitting coach and he#146;d also be a great manager.Thome is likely destined for one of those positions, but he was pretty adamant about sticking with his new job for the time being so he can spend time with his 10-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son.The quote:Crain on being named Saturday to the American League all-star team despite being on the DL with a strained right shoulder:#147;Hearing that, I#146;m speechless,#148; said Crain, who has a 0.74 ERA. #147;I play the game because I love it, and I try to take it day by day and pitch by pitch and just go out there and do my job. For everyone to vote that way, they obviously respect what I do out there and that means a lot.#147;You don#146;t get many opportunities. I had a little bit of everything. I had luck and put together a good year. It#146;s good for all the guys who pitch the innings I do, in the seventh and eighth; it gives everyone a chance to make it.#147;You could probably count on one hand the times in the last 10 years a non-closer made it.#148;sgregor@dailyherald.com