White Sox owner calls 2023 season a 'nightmare'

The Chicago White Sox are in the middle of an awful season, one that is so bad that it led to major changes in the team’s front office.

Team owner Jerry Reinsdorf spoke with the media on Thursday about his White Sox and described this season as a “nightmare.”

“It’s the worst year I’ve ever suffered through,” Reinsdorf said, via ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. “It was a horrible experience. I feel awful. I know how our fans feel. We’re going to put this behind us and go forward and get better. But this has really been a nightmare.”

The White Sox entered play on Friday holding a 53-81 record. The team had undergone rebuilding in 2017 and 2018, winning fewer than 70 games both seasons. But they won 93 games and the division in 2021 and they were supposed to be AL Central contenders this season. Instead, they have completely flamed out.

The White Sox became sellers at the trade deadline. One of the players they traded was critical of the team’s clubhouse culture. Ultimately, those comments, plus the poor season, led to the firings of team president Ken Williams and GM Rick Hahn, both of whom had been with the team for over two decades.

The White Sox used to be a consistent winner/contender in the 2000s, when they won the AL Central three times. However, they went through a stretch of 13 years between division titles (2008-2021), which has resulted in disappointment for the team’s owner, leadership, players and fans. Their new GM has not exactly inspired confidence among one of the organization's former players.