The Chicago White Sox may end their season with a very dubious title: the worst major league baseball team in the modern era. While the 1899 Cleveland Spiders hold the title of worst team ever with a record of 20-134, the White Sox will most likely end the season with over 120 losses in a 164-game season.
During this historic moment, the White Sox have collected losing streaks of 21, 14 and 12 games. They have been outscored 799-479, giving them a -320 run differential.
Negative numbers like these have sent White Sox fans reeling. The team fired its coach after the 21-game losing streak, hoping the change might set them on a more positive path.
It did not.
“Just seeing losses every day, that affects you. If you are playing this game for the right reasons, it’s always going to affect you,” White Sox catcher Korey Lee said. “Play the game to win, don’t play to lose, and obviously that’s going to be on our record for years to come. But it’s just about how you react, how you carry yourself, how you go into the offseason, how you come into next season.”
While White Sox players and fans enter the offseason with their heads down, the end of the season also brings a sense of hope. For every team not making the playoffs (my Red Sox one of them), the end of the season provides a look forward to a more hopeful future.
Maybe “our teams” will sign the perfect players during free agency. Perhaps the wonder kid from the minors will finally achieve his potential.
Maybe the team will turn things around just in time for next year. Just maybe, everything will fall into place and the team will make it all the way to the World Series.
Yes, just wait until next season!
As I read about the lowly ending of the record-setting White Sox season, I could not help but think about all the people feeling like life sometimes mimics a losing streak. People are playing the game of life as hard as they can, but for whatever reason, life seems to be one loss after another.
Health concerns devolve.
Financial setbacks mount.
Relationships become more strident.
Work problems never cease.
Children’s education is not getting any better.
And, politics — oh sweet Jesus — politics.
As loss after loss offers more and more discouragement and heartache, life can feel overwhelming. The losing streaks pile up, leaving us with more despair and worry that build to panic attacks, emotional turmoil and irrational thoughts.
Like the White Sox, we need a reset. We need to find a way to put this season behind us and begin looking forward to next season. With each new season of life, new opportunities arise and optimism reemerges as hope.
The sun can shine again.
The grass can appear greener.
The crowd can get excited.
The feeling of hope can abound again.
Reflecting on losing streaks and looking forward to a new season in life, I am reminded of the words from the Apostle Paul. Writing to the church in Rome, Paul suffered some losing streaks himself.
Paul experienced serious setbacks after becoming a disciple of Jesus. Numerous relationships were fractured: family, friends, and colleagues. His church plants were doing well, but they were fighting among themselves and dividing over trivial matters.
The apostle wanted to offer encouragement to others and to himself.
He wrote: “And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).
If you find yourself in the middle of a losing streak right now, let these words fill your mind and speak to your heart. Losing-streaks are terrible but temporary.
When endured in the right spirit, they can produce perseverance, which produces character leading to hope. We cling to that eternal hope, a hope reminding us that there is a season for everything.
While there are losing seasons in life, as the White Sox demonstrated this baseball season, another season is always around the corner. And as long as we play the game, there is always the possibility of another winning season and becoming world champions.
So, keep playing, friends.
Keep swinging.
Keep running.
Keep pitching.
Keep catching.
The game of life can be challenging, which is why we play. We play because peace and joy come from the hard work we do and the community we keep.
And as your teammate, we can do this together! This terrible season is almost over, but just wait until next season.
