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As the sun sets on what has been a disastrous season, the Chicago White Sox have made history.
With their 4-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers, the White Sox picked up their 121st loss this season, breaking the modern MLB record for the most losses in a season previously held by the 1962 New York Mets, who lost 120 games.
Chicago won its last three games against the Los Angeles Angels as it seemed the White Sox might avoid breaking the record, but the Tigers, motivated by a late-season push to make the playoffs, were too much for them on Friday.
After officially making history, fans trolled Chicago for the historically bad season.
Chicago White Sox @whitesox
Vincent Louis @VincentCalucci
The World Record Holding @whitesox
Noah Phalen @Noahp245
What we’ve all been expecting all year is now official. The 2024 Chicago White Sox are officially the worst Major League Baseball team in modern history
Bobson Dugnutt @Wh1sk3r_B1scu1t
White Sox pic.twitter.com/eKZGgyXCVq
Jake Rosenberg @jacobrosenrosen
HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE! Let’s goooo. #WhiteSox #MLBHistory
kaleb @k_money__8
THE WHITE SOX ARE OFFICIALLY THE WORST TEAM IN MLB HISTORY 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Evan Johnson @thevoiceofevan
TIGERS MAKE THE PLAYOFFS!
WHITE SOX BREAK THE RECORD! pic.twitter.com/CtAJZKcSYX
Jacob Infante @jacobinfante24
The White Sox are history makers. pic.twitter.com/3hJm5pyrBx
bush doof @VIN3MORETIMES
no team will ever lose 123 games in a season again like we are about to see the white sox do what a time to be alive
When the Mets lost 120 games in 1962, it was their inaugural season as a franchise, so it makes sense why they struggled so much. The White Sox, who won the AL Central just three years ago, don’t have the same excuse.
Though New York was historically bad in 1962, it won the World Series just seven seasons later. Perhaps Chicago will have that same kind of turnaround, though it doesn’t seem likely at the moment.
The good news for the White Sox is they can only lose two more games as they’ll close out their season on Sunday. After that, it will be a long offseason of figuring out how they can avoid breaking their own record next year.
While it was an unfortunate night for Chicago, it was a celebratory one for the Tigers, who have won 15 of their last 18 games and clinched a postseason berth for the first time in 10 years with the win.
Detroit was previously tied for the longest active playoff drought, but the Los Angeles Angels now have sole ownership of that crown.