Chicago White Sox on the verge of worst MLB season since 1897, when players had names like Klondike and Cornelius

The Chicago White Sox will likely finish the 2024 season with the worst record in modern MLB history.

The MLB ranks its teams by winning percentage, and with a current record of 36-117 — a winning percentage of .235 — they are tied for the worst season since the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics.

The team has been mired in disappointment all season long, whether hitting its own players in the face with the ball or losing the game by forgetting how many outs there were.

A video uploaded to X claimed the White Sox had a combined 98 fans in attendance for a doubleheader in April. Whether that is true or not, the White Sox actually have the fourth-lowest average attendance in the league despite being the worst team by far.

While that accolade may be the lone bright spot for the team this season, the dark cloud has hovered over the franchise so long that even the team's official X account seems to be depressed.

"FINAL: the other team scored more runs than us," the team sadly wrote on X.

As mentioned, if the season stopped today, the White Sox would tie the 1916 Athletics for the fewest wins with 36 and worst winning percentage at .235.

Many who are reporting that the White Sox could have the worst record of all time are measuring the modern era as post-WWII, meaning the 1960 New York Mets are the marker for disaster. They finished with a 40-120 record, a .250 winning percentage.

With nine games remaining, the White Sox would need to win six of those to beat out the Mets at 41-121 and squeak past them with a .253 percentage.

With that near-impossible scenario, the White Sox can likely consider themselves the worst modern team already and strive for more historical records.

Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images

If they win just two more games and finish 38-124, the White Sox can have the fewest wins in a season since the 1935 Boston Braves.

With just one more win and 37 total victories, the White Sox would have the fewest wins since 1919 and, at a .228 winning percentage, become the worst team to play after 1901.

However, true glory could be achieved if the White Sox lose all their remaining nine games and finish 36-126.

Yes, they would finish with the fewest wins since 1901, but this abysmal record would result in a .222 winning percentage, putting them as the fifth-worst team of all time even when including the 1886-1900 era.

A White Sox team of such caliber would fall just after the 1897 St. Louis Browns, who finished 29-102, a .221 winning percentage.

A look at the Browns' roster and player names gives perspective on truly how long ago this era was.

Leading the team in average was catcher Klondike Douglass. Other stars included Tuck Turner in the outfield and shortstop Montford Montgomery Cross.

Pitchers included Cornelius Lucid, Red Donahue, and Kid Carsey.

Klondike Douglass in 1903 at West Side Grounds, ChicagoPhoto by Chicago Sun-Times/Chicago Daily News collection/Chicago History Museum/Getty Images

Catch the final historic games of the Chicago White Sox, which include three against the San Diego Padres, three against the Los Angeles Angels, and a final three against the Detroit Tigers.

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