Stay or go? White Sox's historically bad start puts fans at crossroads
Heading into the season, the White Sox were not viewed as one of baseball's elite teams.
They were considered a viable playoff contender, assuming they stayed healthy for a change.
As they tumble into May, the Sox are a disaster.
Splitting a four-game series against the defending World Series champion Astros in Houston was a promising start to the season.
At that point, you would have thought the White Sox would have won two games in a row by now. You'd have thought they would have won a series by now.
You'd be wrong.
Rather, the Sox have been historically bad.
Before mounting a spirited rally and beating Tampa Bay 12-9 Sunday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field, the White Sox were tied for the worst start (7-21) in franchise history.
General manager Rick Hahn faced the music before the Sox were blown out by the Rays Thursday night.
"I assume there is understandably a fair amount of criticism of me personally, our department, all that," Hahn said. "I completely understand that for a number of reasons, including that there's probably nobody harder on me than myself. And as someone who has lived and breathed this for the better part of two decades and longer actually, no one feels that day-to-day more than I do.
"People feel it, maybe even as much. But in terms of living and dying with losses, wanting this thing to be right, devoting every moment you have to try to get it right, we feel that. We feel that and where we are at right now is not acceptable and we'll do everything in our power to get it right, as long as we have the ability to try to get it right."
There are still five months left in the season, but it already feels like the White Sox are out of it.
Should fans stay with it the rest of the year? Should they pull the plug?
Here's a guide for either option:
Stay
The White Sox are 3-15 since Tim Anderson went down with a sprained left knee.
There's little doubt the all-star shortstop is an igniter out of the leadoff spot, and Anderson could be back in the lineup Tuesday night against the Twins. He's been on a rehab assignment with Class AAA Charlotte.
Go
Even when Anderson returns, the Sox's offense is going to be hard to watch.
The White Sox's bats came alive with 18 hits Sunday, but they came into the game with a .227 team batting average and they drew 71 walks while striking out 244 times.
Over a 10-game stretch heading into Sunday, they were hitting .157 (11-for-70) with runners in scoring position.
For weeks, new manager Pedro Grifol has stressed the importance of plate discipline.
"Obviously, they've chased at a high rate," Grifol said. "It's a label that has stuck and that's the way (teams) game-plan against us. But they're putting the work in and I'm confident we're going to continue to get better at it.
"The only way for us to improve on it is to do the work and go out there and execute and trust the work we're putting in. That's the hardest thing to do."
Stay
Through Saturday, the Sox's bullpen had a 6.85 ERA. In MLB, only the woeful Athletics (6.95) were worse.
All-star closer Liam Hendriks is getting ready for a rehab assignment after battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma and being declared cancer free.
Garrett Crochet missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He begins a rehab assignment with Class AA Birmingham Sunday.
By June, Hendriks and Crochet are likely to be the top two arms in the bullpen.
Go
Dismal teams often bring up top prospects to provide a spark, but that's not an option for the White Sox.
Outside of third baseman Bryan Ramos, who has yet to play this season due to an oblique injury, there are no minor leaguers ready to jump to the majors and make an impact.
Shortstop Colson Montgomery, the Sox's No. 1 prospect, is at least a year away and he hasn't played this season due to a back issue.
Stay
The April schedule was brutal, with an opening series against the Astros and seven games against the Rays, baseball's best team. The Giants are the only team the White Sox played in April that has a losing record.
In May, the Sox get the Royals for six games and also play four against the Tigers and three vs. the Reds.
Go
With Hahn and Kenny Williams running the show the last 23 years, the White Sox did win the World Series in 2005.
That was a great moment, but the Sox have been to the playoffs only three times the past 17 seasons and won a grand total of three games.
Unless something drastically changes this year, Hahn and Williams are going to have a hard time keeping their jobs.
More and more White Sox fans seem willing to wait for the change before tuning back in.