Even when the White Sox have been a bad team fans could always hang their hat on Don Cooper developing the team's pitching staff. He's been the pitching coach for the White Sox since July 2002, has survived three manager changes and it doesn't appear as though his job will ever be in jeopardy.
Yet, it probably should.
Things could not have started more poorly for the White Sox pitching staff this season and after allowing 45 runs in their current five-game losing streak the White Sox have a 6.94 ERA, which is the worst in MLB.
It is only 11 games, but the struggles for White Sox pitching goes back to their last winning season. Since 2012, Cooper's pitching staff ranks in the bottom third of MLB.
And you can say that since 2016, the White Sox have traded away their best pitching talent, but from 2013-16 they still had Chris Sale and Jose Quintana.
So, when is it time for the White Sox to move on from Cooper as the pitching coach?
There hasn't been much development of the young pitchers, as Carlos Rodon, Reynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito haven't quite put it all together.
Maybe Cooper is past his prime. Yet, it is the White Sox and he was the pitching coach for the 2005 World Series winning team, so he probably has a job for life.
We discuss that and more on this week's episode of the Pinwheels and Ivy Podcast.
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