Chicago sports top ten moments of 2015

Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago White Sox fail to live up to the hype

Some may not remember this, but when the 2015 season started, it was the Chicago White Sox who were supposed to be playoff contenders, while the Cubs would be content with just staying out of the cellar.

Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn made some moves before the season that elicited hope to White Sox fans. They signed Dave Robertson, Zach Duke, Melky Cabrera and Adam LaRoche, and they traded for Jeff Samardzija. They were to blend in with players like Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Avisail Garcia and the reigning American League Rookie of the Year Jose Abreu to make the team a formidable one in 2015.

Things did not work out as planned.

While Sale set the franchise record for strikeouts, he was not his usual dominant self. There were too many games in which he got bombed. Samardzija had an awful season. He had an ERA of 4.96, and a WHIP of 1.29.

Incredibly, all the offensive weapons were cold at the same time, except for Abreu. Cabrera ended the season strong to pad his stats, but for most of the season he could not get anything going. LaRoche barely hit over .200, and while Garcia has the physique similar to Miguel Cabrera that earned him the nickname “Baby Cabrera”, he just played like a baby among men. He did so bad the White Sox may be ready to cut ties with him.

The White Sox finished with a 76-86 record, finishing in fourth place, nineteen games behind the division winners, the Kansas City Royals. With all the attention the young Cubs garnered, the White Sox got lost in the shuffle, which was good, considering how bad they played.

The White Sox did acquire Brett Lawrie and Todd Frazier, and they are in on Alex Gordon and Yoenis Cespedes, so they are trying to capture some attention in the city. It may take a lot more for them to overtake the love the city is showing the Cubs, however.

Next: This Kid Is Worth The Hype