White Sox fans want to make history as their team comes close to losing records – but instead see their team win

Zachary Piech and his friends were at Guaranteed Rate Field on Tuesday night to witness history.

There was no World Series or important playoff game at stake. The White Sox are on the verge of having the worst record in modern baseball history. Another loss would secure that embarrassing title and surpass the New York Mets’ 120 losses in 1962. The team wanted to avoid that record at home against the Los Angeles Angels.

And it was another strange night for the Sox. After a largely scoreless night, the Angels took the lead in the 7th inning and quickly made it 2-0 in the 8th. But the Sox caught up, scoring three runs in the 8th inning and winning 3-2.

For Piech and his three buddies, who traveled from northwest Indiana, Tuesday’s game was a chance to tell at least one positive story from a season that has turned out to be miserable by historical standards.

“Honestly, I’m ready to make history,” the 22-year-old said. “I think this will be something I can maybe tell my kids and grandkids about, so that would be pretty cool. There’s not going to be a World Series anytime soon, so we’re happy with this.”

The first pitch was delayed by over an hour due to rain.

Although it was drizzling over the ballpark on Tuesday, Piech and other loyal White Sox fans partied in the parking lot, grilling hot dogs and playing music for a chance to tell history together.

No matter what happened Tuesday, fans were not optimistic that the team would avoid a new record with five games left in the season. They hoped that the string of losses would at least lead to change within the organization.

That’s how 35-year-old Ryan Burns reflected on his team’s potentially record-breaking season. Burns, a lifelong Sox fan, attended the game with his fiancée and two of their young children.

“I hope it’s kind of a wake-up call for them,” he said of the losses, adding that the best part of the season was the time the family spent together at games. “We had a great time with the kids, that’s all. It’s always fun to get out there. Still, we just want a better team to cheer for.”

Other fans were visibly more frustrated with the team’s record, with 35-year-old David Chaves wearing a paper bag with the number 121 over his head to express how “heartbroken” he was over the White Sox’s loss this year.

“I’m obsessed with baseball and it just breaks my heart,” he said of the team’s performance this year. “Three years ago I came to the playoff series against the Astros when they won the division, and three years later I asked myself: How did we get to this point?”

Piech and Chaves, a Gilberts resident and lifelong Sox fan, both blamed owner Jerry Reinsdorf for the team’s problems and said he needed to spend more money to improve the team or sell it.

“I love this team, I will always love this team and I hope something changes soon, but I don’t think that will happen,” Chaves said.

Andy Kobler, 64, said he has had season tickets for the White Sox for the past four years. But Kobler, who has been a fan since 1970, said he will not renew his ticket for next year after this season. He was at Tuesday’s game to witness history, he said.

“I’m here to see the result, but I don’t have a good feeling about it,” Kobler said, adding that he doesn’t care if the team miraculously wins the remaining games. “I gave up on them two months ago, probably longer.”

Vaughn Roland, 35, who said he has been a Sox fan “since conception,” said this season has devastated him.

“Usually you start the season feeling good, right? And then, slowly but surely, you get into a losing streak and things start to change,” he said. “It sucks.”

He believes the team would benefit from a change of ownership to give new momentum to the fans and the organization.

Despite the embarrassing season, Kobler and other fans said they would never let the team down.

“I’ll be here no matter what happens,” Kobler said. “I love the White Sox.”