Hiring Tony La Russa, then 76 years old, as manager to steer a team in the modern game was perhaps not the smartest executive decision for the Chicago White Sox. The move worried fans and raised doubts about the franchise’s future direction.
Things started well enough for the team and its backers at Illinois betting apps in 2021, the first season of La Russa’s second tenure in charge of the Southsiders. The White Sox went 93-61 and won the American League Central division before losing a Division Series showdown against the Astros. But his reign took a turn for the worse in 2022.
La Russa departed near the conclusion of the 2022 season, citing heart health problems. The White Sox could not overcome internal and external issues such as injuries, lack of consistency, poor quality of play, and questionable executive decision-making. All of this invited intense scrutiny by a passionate fanbase.
Last year was a foreshadowing of the current White Sox season. Similar frustration is affecting the team’s performance and Chicago has +1000 odds to win the AL Central at BetMGM Illinois Sportsbook. However, the silver lining is that they find themselves in the weakest division in baseball; going into Wednesday’s games, Minnesota was in first place despite being two games below .500 through nearly three months.
But returning to last year’s campaign at Guaranteed Rate Field, what factors led to Chicago’s disappointing season?
Criteria for Teams on Disappointment List
With several expected MLB contenders struggling nearly halfway through the season (Mets, Padres, Cardinals, Mariners), IllinoisBet.com took a look at the most disappointing teams for their fans and for Illinois sports betting backers over the past 10 years. We used data from SportsOddsHistory.com, MLB.com and SteveTheUmp.
We determined which teams were in the top half of the preseason World Series odds, had a win total over 85 with oddsmakers and were in the top 12 in payroll, yet missed the playoffs and finished 10 or more wins under their projected wagering preseason total.
Most Disappointing MLB Teams of Past 10 Years
Frustration and Foreshadowing For 2022 White Sox
With the fourth-shortest odds to win the World Series and owners of the seventh-highest payroll in all of baseball, the White Sox were expected to win at least 93 games in 2022.
Anybody using Illinois sports betting promos to wager on the home team (at least on the AL side) were let down. Chicago finished 81-81, which was 12 games under their anticipated preseason win total. The ChiSox missed the postseason for the eighth time in the past decade.
First, La Russa’s old-school managing style failed to make an impact on the clubhouse. And a large chunk of their core was out injured – including Eloy Jimenez, Tim Anderson, Luis Robert, Yasmani Grandal and Yoan Moncada – taking a profound impact on their offense. Moncada was the only one of the bunch to surpass 100 games, with 104.
The injury bug also affected their starting pitching rotation, with Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn combining for a 4.46 ERA. Lastly, the White Sox were among the worst defensive teams in 2022.
This year’s team headed into Wednesday with a 32-43 record. Customers using the Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code Illinois could get +15000 odds on the White Sox to win the 2023 World Series, but it hardly seems like a wiser bet than it was in 2022.
