The 2024 White Sox are the 1962 Mets, Without the Comedy

Mets president George Weiss’s strategy was to draft a few big names, including a few past-their-prime former Brooklyn Dodgers, to attract attendance. Thus, the average age of the team was 29.3. Among the old Dodgers drafted were Roger Craig, Gil Hodges, Clem Labine, Charlie Neal, Joe Pignatano, and Don Zimmer. Hodges was 38 years old. In his two previous seasons in Los Angeles, he hit a combined .221/.302/.371. Others in the twilight of their careers who the Mets drafted or acquired in 1962 included Richie Ashburn, Gus Bell, and “the original” Frank Thomas (not the future White Sox star). Their home games would be played in the Polo Grounds, where the New York Giants had played. (Stengel called it the “Polar Grounds.”) The Mets adopted Dodger blue and Giant orange as their colors. They were going all out to attract New York’s former NL fans.

Hot Rod, the Better Miller, and Chiti

The Mets didn’t win a game until their 10th game of 1962, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates, 9-1, at Forbes Field. The first home win after seven losses came on April 28 against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets roared back from a 6-1 deficit with a six-run sixth inning. The winning run was scored when pinch runner Rod Kanehl scored from second base on a wild pitch. Stengel was so happy he told “Hot Rod” he could stay in the game and play whatever position he wanted. Kanehl inserted himself at third base, moved third baseman Felix Mantilla to shortstop, and put the new pitcher in the shortstop’s spot in the batting order.

Marvelous Marv, the Almost Triple, and a Triple Play

However, the most famous 1962 Met moment occurred at the Polo Grounds on Father’s Day against the Chicago Cubs. In May, the Mets traded Landrith to the Baltimore Orioles for erstwhile Yankee Marv Throneberry. On this day, with the Cubs leading 4-1 in the bottom of the first, “Marvelous Marv” hit what appeared to be a one-out, two-run triple. On appeal, the umpire called him out for missing second base. As Stengel came out to argue, either the umpire or the first base coach – accounts differ – told Stengel not to bother. Throneberry had missed first base, too. Neal followed with a solo homer. The Mets lost, 8-7. Throneberry would achieve stardom in beer commercials.

By now the reader gets the picture, so we’ll skip all the way to the eighth inning of the season’s final game. At Wrigley Field, the Cubs were ahead of the Mets, 5-1. The Mets appeared to have the beginning of a rally. Sammy Drake and Ashburn started the inning with singles. Pignatano came up and blooped a fly ball into shallow right field. Cubs second baseman Ken Hubbs made a spectacular catch and turned it into a triple play when Drake and Ashburn ventured too far off base. It was a fitting end to the season.

“We’ve got to learn to stay out of triple plays,” lamented Stengel afterward.

How About Those White Sox?

What can one say about the 2024 White Sox that hasn’t already been said about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius? Their slow start morphed into the worst start in their history, at which time it became painfully obvious they were on their way to a 100-loss season. They rank at or near the bottom of the American League in most batting and pitching categories. Their team slash line is a putrid .189/.263/.292 with an OPS+ of 62. As a team, they have an ERA of 5.20 and a 1.471 WHIP. They are the first MLB team to be shut out in eight of their first 22 games. We needn’t run through their season in detail, but one recent loss stood out.

On Tuesday, the White Sox lost to the Minnesota Twins in a 1962 Mets-fashion. Carrying a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth at Target Field, Sox reliever Steven Wilson surrendered a leadoff homer to Byron Buxton. One out later, he walked Carlos Santana, he of the .149 batting average. Ryan Jeffers then blooped a catchable fly ball to left field that was misplayed into a double by left fielder Andrew Benintendi. Finally, with two outs, Alex Kirilloff singled to win the game for Minnesota.

So, Who’s Worse: the 2024 White Sox or the 1962 Mets?

It’s tough to compare teams of different eras. The Mets’ team slash line was .240/.318/.361, light years better than the White Sox, even with pitchers batting. The team OPS+ was 82. The Mets’ team ERA and WHIP were 5.04 and 1.502, respectively. The starting rotation for the Mets had two 20-game losers in Craig (10-24) and Al Jackson (8-20). Jay Hook at 8-19 came perilously close to giving them a third. The Chisox have a four-game loser in Garrett Crochet and two three-game losers in Michael Soroka and Chris Flexen, even though April isn’t over yet.

At bat, the White Sox lack power. Their 14-team homers are last in the AL. The Mets at least got 34 home runs from Thomas. Their team total of 139 ranked sixth among 10 NL teams. The Mets’ leading hitter was Ashburn at .306. Nobody on the White Sox is on track to approach either Thomas or Ashburn.

The Last Word

Somehow, New York loved its 1962 Mets. They were considered funny and charming in their ineptitude. Unfortunately for the 2024 White Sox, it’s a different time. Players change teams so often that they’re no longer people we feel like we know. It makes us less forgiving of mistakes and poor play, and less likely to embrace a team having a bad year. Players are under the microscope more than ever thanks to cable TV and social media. For many, they’re just pawns in fantasy leagues or on betting apps. These White Sox won’t be as beloved as those Mets. Their manager, Pedro Grifol, isn’t as funny and entertaining as Stengel. Even if he were, White Sox fans wouldn’t find him funny anyway. Hopefully, Grifol and the White Sox players and coaches weather what is likely to be a rough year.

So, let’s get to the point. Which team is better? Despite inferior overall stats, the 2024 White Sox would beat the 1962 Mets in head-to-head competition. Consider that all but 10 1962 Mets are dead, and the survivors are well into their 80s.