The Chicago White Sox are on a historic trajectory this season, but not a positive one. The 2024 ChiSox are in the running to be the worst MLB team of all time, with a 28-89 record through 117 games.
Thankfully, Chicago recently beat the A's to break one of MLB's longest losing streaks in history at 21 games. The 1961 Phillies dropped 23 straight games and the White Sox got back in the win column just in time to tie the 1988 Orioles with the longest American League losing streak in history.
On Aug. 8, the White Sox organization announced the dismissal of manager Pedro Grifol. They named Grady Sizemore, a former Boston Red Sox player, interim skipper.
Sizemore was a member of Chicago's coaching staff before he ascended to the interim manager job. He'll have his work cut out for him in the Southside, but the White Sox can only go up from here... right?
White Sox name former All-Star outfielder Grady Sizemore as interim manager. pic.twitter.com/nVu5sZmfJw
— MLB (@MLB) August 8, 2024
Sizemore is a 10-year MLB veteran and spent eight of those seasons in Cleveland. He was drafted by the Expos in the third round of the 2000 MLB Draft, but the organization traded him to Cleveland for Bartolo Colón and Tim Drew in 2002, two years before the club's relocation to Washington D.C.
The outfielder collected three All-Star nods, two Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger and many MVP votes during his tenure with Cleveland. A stark decrease in offensive production and two missed seasons due to injury stalled Sizemore's career.
Former Red Sox Grady Sizemore named interim manager of struggling White Sox
After the two lost seasons in 2012 and 2013, he signed a one-year deal with the Red Sox that featured incentives that could raise his pay from $750,000 to $6 million. He batted .216/.288/.324 over 52 games with Boston before he was released. He signed with the Phillies later that year, where he found more success and slashed .253/.313/.389 through 60 games.
He played another half a season with the Phillies in 2015 before he was released in June. Sizemore finished his MLB career with the Rays before he pursued coaching jobs in MLB in 2017.
Hopefully, the three-time All-Star can give the White Sox a boost as they try to push through the rest of the season. They need all the help they can get.