The White Sox had Labor Day off along with most of the rest of the United States, so we'll have to wait a day to see if September looks any different from August.
August looked different from any single month since 1948, but not for a good reason. It's not that the Sox went 9-19, because last year's Sox won fewer than 10 games in three different months. However, the 2013 didn't lose those games as badly as this year's edition did in August.
In between, the White Sox endured the seventh-worst month in club history in terms of run differential, one worse than anything they endured in the 99-loss campaign of 2013. With a minus-65 run differential, the White Sox, who went 9-19 in August 2014, posted their worst month on that front since May 1948.
That Dan Hayes article also includes how August 2014 fits in with the worst run-differential months in White Sox history:
1 | May 1948 | minus-93 | 6-20 |
2 | June 1934 | minus-90 | 7-24 |
3 | June 1931 | minus-80 | 6-21 |
4 | September 1933 | minus-73 | 6-15 |
5 | May 1921 | minus-69 | 13-17 |
6 | August 1932 | minus-67 | 6-23 |
7 | August 2014 | minus-65 | 9-19 |
8 | June 1949 | minus-64 | 8-22 |
9 (tied) | July 1947 | minus-60 | 10-21 |
9 (tied) | August 2007 | minus-60 | 9-20 |
The only benefit of a terrible August is that it made cleaning house -- trading Gordon Beckham, Alejandro De Aza and Adam Dunn -- more inevitable.
The call-ups will give the Sox a different look in September, even if they won't guarantee sensational results. Marcus Semien and Josh Phegley didn't play in Charlotte's finale on Monday, so they'll be on their way up with a couple other position players, like Jordan Danks and/or Jared Mitchell.
None of those players figure to change the win-loss record by themselves, although Semien has been the right-handed infielder that was sorely needed in pinch-hitting opportunities all year, so at least we can get a better idea of what Robin Ventura might have looked like with a full 25-man roster.
It's the new pitchers who stand a better chance of shaping games for the better. The recall of Chris Bassit and the potential addition of Carlos Rodon stand a chance of being more transformative, because we could see less of Scott Carroll. Carroll gave up 28 runs (23 earned) over 28⅔ August innings, allowing a .331/.386/.551 line as well.
A full-blown six-man rotation seems unnecessary, because nobody's on pace for an unprecedented workload:
- Chris Sale: 176
- Jose Quintana: 204
- John Danks: 194
- Hector Noesi: 158
Noesi's number represents a personal high in MLB innings, but he threw 171 innings between the majors and minors in 2012. Danks is the only starter whose second-half performance might encourage Robin Ventura to use him more gently, but he's rebounded from a major surge in home runs allowed by allowing just one over his last four starts.
If the White Sox's rotation gets sturdier, it stands to reason that the bullpen could be improve accidentally. If nothing else, Ventura will have more left-handed options, with Scott Snodgress joining likely call-up Eric Surkamp for the stretch run. Given everybody's luck, though, it's possible the only thing the September Sox bullpen will accomplish is making games longer.
Maybe it's all an effort to make Paul Konerko's career last as long as possible. With Dunn in Oakland, Konerko should see more of the field, and thus, more of the fans. That might not help the Sox win more games, because Konerko hit just .150/.209/.175 in August, with half of his hits coming on the first two days. He went 3-for-34 over the final 29 days of the month, so you'll have to look elsewhere for a secret to success.
I still don't understand the appeal of seeing Konerko a year further into a steep decline, but I understand that it was never for me, whatever that might be. He's playing in an acrylic case, free from being judged by personal statistics or team standings, and the farewell tour hampered the Sox when they could see the second wild card spot. Now that they're only playing for show, and his presence isn't blocking guys like Semien or Danks from starting their own careers, it's more appropriate. That final-series send-off better be special.