We all know how bad 2013 was for Chicago baseball.
Comcast SportsNet published just how bad this baseball season was in Chicago:
• The 195 losses are the most combined by both teams. The previous high was 191 in 1948.
• The .398 combined winning percentage trailed only that 1948 season (.376).
• Cubs and White Sox fans saw 94 home losses in 2013, which eclipsed the previous high of 90 in 1948.
• The Cubs set a new franchise record for home losses in a season with 50. They had 49 in 1962, 1966 and 1974.
• The White Sox set a new franchise record for road losses with 55. Their previous mark was 54 in 1969.
• The Cubs finished with a .238 team batting average that was their
lowest since 1981 (.236) and their lowest over a full season since 1965.
They scored 602 runs, their lowest total over a full season since 1992.
On a futility scale, Chicago baseball hit a 9.9 in badness. Only the Houston Astro's pitiful performance keeps Chicago from getting a perfect futility score.
But as bad as 2013 was, what does 2014 hold?
The Cubs continue to interchange spare baseball parts for bad baseball roster spots. There appears to be no change in operating plans for 2014, despite the rumor that the Cubs will win the Tanaka sweepstakes. The Cubs will more likely trade a few veterans at the deadline for more prospects, and waddle through another 90 plus loss season.
The White Sox have made several moves, via free agent signings and trades. The Sox have improved their offense if Eaton is healthy, Davidson can play at third and Abreu can adapt to American baseball. The Sox rotation is still one of the best in the AL so they could bounce back toward an 81-81 season.
