How 2016 has become a nightmare
Chicago fans were quick to relish in the utter collapse of the Minnesota Twins. The Twins had a streak so bad that their owner called the young season a “total system failure.” The same system failure has penetrated 35th and Shields. The 23-10 White Sox, holders of the second best record in Major League Baseball, are a distant memory.
The nightmare began when Matt “Cat” Albers lost the first of his nine lives, four of which are remaining. The May 10th bullpen blow-up against the Texas Rangers was the turning point in a helium-filled season.
The White Sox have a 10-26 record since May 10th. They haven’t had an ounce of fortitude since Robin Ventura took the reins as manager.
All it takes to understand the pure fragility of this team’s mental state is to remember Adam Eaton‘s comments after a disastrous 2015. He said the season died after an 0-4 showing in Kansas City to start the year.
It seems like it took one blown lead to eviscerate the complete confidence of a team that appeared on its way to a playoff spot. The weeks that immediately followed the Texas loss saw defeats supported by a positive run differential. The tide has turned as of late.
The most recent losses have been blowouts. Starters are getting shelled behind a shaky bullpen and an offense that has the approach of a bad single-A club.
The carnage has not ended. This tailspin is still very much alive. The White Sox had a six-game division lead on May 10th turn into a (as of June 20) 5.5 game deficit. This marks the first nail in the coffin of playoff aspirations.
It’s going to take a lot to unpack the deficiencies that permeate this organization and have been central to the collapse of an otherwise promising year. The overarching theme is that it starts at the top.
Next: You say half measures, I say White Sox.