Sheets Family Connects White Sox, Orioles Historic Losing Streaks

The Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox have a family connection to each team’s epic losing streaks.

Jun 23, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Chicago White Sox right fielder Gavin Sheets (32) receives congratulations from teammates after scoring in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. | Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago White Sox tied the American League record for consecutive losses on Monday when it fell to the Oakland Athletics, 5-1.

It was Chicago’s 21st straight loss. The streak tied the Baltimore Orioles, who also lost 21 games in a row back in 1988.

While the 1988 Orioles — which included future Hall-of-Fame ironman Cal Ripken Jr. — probably appreciate the company, there is one family that has a unique, unfortunate connection to both streaks.

Gavin Sheets is a 28-year-old infielder and outfielder for the White Sox. He’s been in the Majors since he made his debut in 2021. In 101 games this season he’s slashed .213/.296/.344/.640 with seven home runs and 31 RBI.

Like most of the White Sox, it’s been a rough year for the Lutherville, Md., native.

Yes, he was born in the Baltimore suburb in 1996.

By that point, Gavin’s father, Larry, was retired. His job brought him to the Baltimore area in 1984 when the Orioles called him up from Triple-A to start his Major League career.

Yep, Sheets played six seasons for Baltimore, and he was part of that infamous streak.

Baltimore’s streak began when the 1988 season began, as the Orioles lost to Milwaukee, 12-0, on Opening Day on April 4. From there, the Orioles lost their next 20 games. Their run to futility finally ended on April 29, as they beat — ironically enough — the Chicago White Sox, 9-0, in Chicago.

Those Orioles went 54-107 for the season, as Ripken’s father, Cal Sr., started the season as the manager but was replaced by Frank Robinson six games into the campaign.

Larry Sheets played the vast majority of his MLB career with the Orioles. Like his son, he was a second-round pick. He slashed .268/.324/.445/.769 with 94 home runs and 339 RBI for his Orioles career. He just missed the O’s last World Series season in 1983, as he made his debut the next season.

His high point was on Aug. 6, 1986, when he hit a grand slam. Along with teammate Jim Dwyer and Texas’ Toby Harrah combined to make that game the first with three grand slams.

The Orioles traded Sheets to Detroit in early 1990 and he played that season with the Tigers. He spent 1991 out of baseball played 1992 with the Yokohama Taiyo Whales and returned to the Majors in 1993 to play 11 games with the Seattle Mariners before he retired.  

Gavin Sheets, meanwhile, has three more seasons before he can become a free agent.