Rox vs. Sox, Sox vs. Rox. A rock ’em, sock ’em showdown with infamous implications.
The Rockies entered the Fourth of July weekend series against the White Sox at Coors Field with a 20-67 record, on pace to lose 125 games.
Last season, the White Sox lost 121 games, setting baseball’s modern-era record for ineptitude, surpassing the 1962 Mets, led by “Marvelous Marv” Throneberry and Choo Choo Coleman, who lost 120 games.
The 2024 Sox were 24-63 after 87 games — four games better than the current Rockies — but the Sox’s worst was yet to come. Beginning with the second game of a doubleheader against the Twins on July 10, through an Aug. 5 loss to the Athletics, Chicago lost 21 consecutive games, tying the longest losing streak in American League history.
I asked several Rockies if they were aware of the historical implications of this weekend’s matchup. They didn’t bite. Their general theme was, “We let you guys in the media worry about that stuff. We’re just trying to win baseball games. We’ve got other things to think about.”
OK, then, I’ll think about it.
When all is said and done and the Rockies play their final game on Sept. 28 at San Francisco, I think the White Sox’s infamous record will be safe. The Rockies are not going to lose 122 games. Maybe 115, but not 122.
Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar will be back soon, second baseman Thairo Estrada is playing well, catcher Hunter Goodman is an All-Star, and left fielder Jordan Beck is coming into his own. Surging right fielder Tyler Freeman might be a real find.
Plus, interim manager Warren Schaeffer has the team playing hard and has the players’ attention and respect. The atmosphere in the Rockies’ clubhouse is not toxic, unlike Chicago’s, which reportedly was poisonous for much of last season.
So, the Rockies aren’t going to lose 122 games, unless …
… they trade third baseman Ryan McMahon, starters German Marquez and Austin Gomber, and possibly others, leaving the club to play in August and September with kids and journeymen. Then, 122 is back on the table.
Not that the Rockies should avoid making roster moves to save face. Three consecutive 100-loss seasons demand change. Does owner Dick Monfort truly see that? Will he act? Will he empower his son, Walker, who was recently promoted to executive vice president, to make significant changes to the front office?
One thing is sure: The Rockies can learn lessons from the debacle in Chicago.
For example, Dick Monfort needs to take a hard look at his tendency to promote from within the organization. Longtime White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf fell into the same trap and his team is still trying to crawl out of the abyss. The Sox entered the weekend with a 28-59 record, worst in the American League and 25 1/2 games behind Detroit in the AL Central.
In August 2023, Reinsdorf promoted assistant general manager Chris Getz to GM and senior vice president. Getz replaced GM Rick Hahn, whom Reinsdorf fired.
Needless to say, the in-house move did not go over well in the Windy City.
“Reinsdorf’s search for a new general manager began and ended at Sox Park,” wrote longtime Chicago Tribune baseball writer and columnist Paul Sullivan. “He ignored the advice of longtime front office personnel to go outside the organization and find an up-and-coming analytically bent executive who could bring the Sox into the modern age.
“Instead, he turned to assistant GM Chris Getz nine days into his ‘search,’ saying he didn’t want to ‘waste’ a year with someone new having to learn the organization.”
Sound familiar, Rockies fans?
This weekend’s star-spangled series is not a litmus test for Colorado, though getting swept at home by the lowly Sox would be an embarrassing low point in an already low season. We know that the Rockies are a bad team in need of a new identity and new direction.
The question is: Will the Rox learn from the Sox and do something about it?
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