Michael Kopech's hot streak: Perhaps it wasn't because he was traded

Given the White Sox track record over the past few seasons, it's easy to dump on them. I dump on them frequently on this blog.

Every player who puts on a Sox uniform seems to turn into mush. When a player leaves the Sox, he seems to find new life with another team. Maybe it's confirmation bias at times, but you hear fans say that a lot.

Case in point, Michael Kopech, who was recently traded from the Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of a three-team deal.

Kopech pitched in 43 games for the Sox this season. He was 2-8 with a 4.74 ERA. He was just 9 for 14 in save opportunities. While he struck out a robust 12.2 batters per nine innings pitched, that was canceled out by a high walk rate -- 4.9 batters per nine innings.

Then the trade happened, and Kopech made his first appearance with the Dodgers on July 31.

Here's his line with Los Angeles: 11 games pitched, 2-0 record, 0.79 ERA, two saves, five holds, 15 strikeouts and only two walks in 11.1 innings, and just one earned run and three hits allowed.

That's unquestionably outstanding. What many Sox fans don't realize, however, was that Kopech was pitching well BEFORE he was sent to the Dodgers.

The trade WAS NOT the turning point for him.

Kopech gave up a walk-off grand slam on a 99-mph fastball to Jake Burger of the Miami Marlins on July 7. After the game, he told MLB.com's Scott Merkin this:

“It’s coming down to what we talked about a lot lately in-house,” Kopech said. “I need to mix my pitches and not just rely on the fastball so much. It’s difficult to do that when I fall behind and my best pitch is my fastball. I have to get back in the count.

“The ninth has been my role this year, and those situations I have a job to do, and I haven’t been doing it well,” Kopech added. “There’s no easy way to say that. It’s tough for me to say, but it’s the truth. I’ve got work to do to get better.”

The Sox coaching staff had been trying all season to convince Kopech to use all of his pitches. Those pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears, until the disastrous outing in Miami.

Then Kopech made some changes. As he stated, he had "work to do." He started mixing in his cutter and slider more frequently, and he started to get better results.

In his final five outings as a member of the Sox, Kopech worked 5.1 innings. He did not allow a single run. Over that same span, he struck out eight, walked only one and allowed just one hit. Those five games included an immaculate inning in a save against the Minnesota Twins on July 10.

Was it the Dodgers' pitching acumen that allowed Kopech to accomplish that? Obviously not. 

Kopech had gotten his act together before he left the Sox. The brilliant performances as a member of the Dodgers are a continuation of a hot streak that began in Chicago.

Maybe, just maybe, Kopech's successes and failures are on him, more than anything that coaches in Chicago or Los Angeles have said to him.

He had great stuff with the Sox. He has great stuff with the Dodgers. When Kopech is right, he dominates. And he's been dominating for almost two months now, as a member of both the Sox and the Dodgers. Not a popular take, but just sayin'.

The next great White Sox hope: Hagen Smith

Left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith, who the White Sox selected fifth overall in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft, made his professional debut Saturday night as a member of the Class-A Winston-Salem Dash.

The outing went well.

The plan was for Smith to pitch three innings, and he did so successfully. He allowed no runs on two hits, with four strikeouts and no walks.

Smith retired the side in order in each of the first two innings before getting into a jam in the third. The Aberdeen IronBirds got both their hits off Smith in the third inning to place runners on second and third with only one out.

However, Smith rallied to strike out the final two batters of the inning to keep Aberdeen off the board.

The plan is for Smith to make two more starts for Winston-Salem. It sounds like he'll pitch on Saturdays and, once again, be scheduled to work three innings.

Smith is now the No. 32 prospect in baseball, according to MLB pipeline, so expect to see his highlights on Sox pre- and postgame shows. 

He will be sold as the next great White Sox hope amid an historically awful time for the franchise.

White Sox reach 100 losses ... on Aug. 25

Guaranteed Rate Field (Photo by Jason Bauman)

In their 124-year history, the White Sox have never won back-to-back anything. Not a back-to-back World Series. Not a back-to-back American League pennant. Not a back-to-back division title. Not even a back-to-back wild card berth.

But now the Sox (31-100) have lost 100 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in team history. They clinched that dubious milestone Sunday with a 9-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

What's remarkable about this is August isn't even over yet. We've still got a month of miserable baseball to go. The Sox reached 100 losses in only 131 games, which is the second fastest it's been done in the modern era. The 1916 Philadelphia Athletics were 29-100-1 after 130 games.

So, basically, what we're witnessing now is something no one still alive has ever seen. The Sox are chasing all sorts of history that nobody wants.

The American League record for losses in a season is 119, set by the 2003 Detroit Tigers. The Major League Baseball and National League record for losses in a season is 120, set by the 1962 New York Mets.

The Sox would need to go 12-19 in their remaining 31 games to avoid tying that record held by the Mets. If I'm being honest, I think it is a given they will set this record at this point.

They've only managed 31 wins in the first five months of the season. That's roughly six per month. Why would we think they could double that total and win 12 over the season's final month? It doesn't seem reasonable.

Some will point to the firing of incomprehensibly bad manager Pedro Grifol as a reason for hope. And indeed, Grifol earned his walking papers by posting a 28-89 record with this bunch, and that was on the heels of a 61-101 campaign in 2023.

However, the Sox are only 3-11 under interim manager Grady Sizemore. From a won-loss perspective, that's not an improvement over the Grifol era.

Sure, Sizemore has made some good changes in the way the roster is being deployed. He's finally gotten Gavin Sheets the hell out of right field. Andrew Vaughn and Sheets are sharing first base and designated hitter duties, as they should be.

Dominic Fletcher and Corey Julks are now platooning in right field. Neither is a long-term answer at the position, but at least they are actual outfielders who can play competent defense. In Fletcher's case, he's an exceptional defensive right fielder. Unfortunately, his bat has not come around. That said, Sizemore is deploying him in the correct fashion.

Newly acquired Miguel Vargas was moving from position to position and hitting too high in the lineup under Grifol. Now, Vargas is getting an everyday look at his best position: third base. And he's hitting seventh or eighth in the batting order, which is where he belongs. It's not going well. Vargas is 6 for 62 since joining the Sox, but it isn't because he isn't getting a fair shake from the manager.

The lineup construction has been consistent and reasonable. Nicky Lopez and Lenyn Sosa are being used as a platoon in the leadoff spot. Luis Robert Jr. is batting second, with Andrew Benintendi third, Vaughn fourth and Sheets fifth most days.

Brooks Baldwin, the rookie middle infielder, is batting ninth every day, instead of second or sixth, or whatever other stupid idea Grifol was coming up with day to day. The No. 9 spot is appropriate for Baldwin, who had played only eight Triple-A games before joining the Sox.

All that said, Sizemore isn't working any miracles here. I've seen some fans call for him to get the full-time managerial job for next season. I disagree. I understand that Sizemore is more likable than Grifol. He's easier to root for than Grifol. People, including me, would like to see him succeed.

But the fact is, the proper course of action is for the Sox to conduct a full managerial search this offseason. They must cast a wide net, interviewing both external and internal candidates for the position. Grifol is gone, but the losses are still mounting. To me, that's a clear sign that fresh voices are badly needed.

White Sox (finally) fire manager Pedro Grifol

The White Sox on Thursday fired manager Pedro Grifol. The move is akin to shutting the barn door after the horse has left, but at least the decision was finally made.

Grifol could have been fired last winter after he went 61-101 in his first season as manager. He could have been fired after a horrendous 3-22 start this season. He could have been fired after a franchise record-tying 14-game losing streak that started in late May and spanned into early June. He could have been fired at any point during the recent franchise record 21-game losing streak, which finally came to an end Tuesday with a 5-1 win at Oakland.

The Sox started a new losing streak Wednesday, and Grifol was fired on an off day in advance of Friday's opener of the crosstown series against the Cubs.

Thank goodness. Why does the failure have to get to such catastrophic levels before the Sox make a move? Who knows? 

The case against Grifol is an easy one to make: His won-loss record is terrible. The Sox are 28-89 this season, so Grifol finishes his tenure at an astounding 101 games below .500. He's 89-190. That will pencil out to a .319 winning percentage, in a sport where even bad teams typically win about 40% of their games.

It's hard to pinpoint anything Grifol did well. His in-game strategy was clearly terrible. You don't achieve this sort of losing by making smart decisions. The atmosphere in the clubhouse didn't seem like it was the best. Everyone on the Sox roster seems to be playing to their absolute floor, and we've seen players who have left Chicago suddenly play better on new teams -- Kevin Pillar, Michael Kopech, Tommy Pham, even Eloy Jimenez.

Grifol was also terrible with the press, routinely coming up with laughable quotes. Just last week, in a lame attempt to save his job with cheap flattery, Grifol called Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf "a winner," an "incredible owner" and an "incredible man," who "loves Chicago" and "loves these fans."

The part about Reinsdorf being a "winner" is demonstrably false. The man has owned the Sox for 43 years, and during that time, they've won only three playoff series. All in the same year. The other 42 seasons have not been characterized by winning. If Reinsdorf wants to win so badly, as many of his minions say, then why does he win so little?

Quotes like those are insulting to Chicago fans (we'll include the Bulls fans in this too), who absolutely despise Reinsdorf with every fiber of their being.

Read the room for once, Pedro. Or better yet, just take a hike. Sox fans never want to hear your voice again.

Bench coach Charlie Montoyo, third-base coach Eddie Rodriguez and assistant hitting coach Mike Tosar were also fired Thursday.

Montoyo was hired by former GM Rick Hahn, and Rodriguez and Tosar are longtime friends of Grifol. So, it appears that current Sox GM Chris Getz cleared the clubhouse of all Grifol allies.

He's going with Grady Sizemore as interim manager, who has been on the coaching staff in a vague role all season. The former Cleveland outfielder joined the Sox organization from the Arizona Diamondbacks, on the recommendation of Sox assistant GM Josh Barfield.

Doug Sissone (bench coach), Justin Jirschele (third-base coach) and Mike Gellinger (assistant hitting coach) have been added to the Sox coaching staff for the rest of the season.

Getz indicated that Sizemore's position is, indeed, interim. The Sox will conduct an external search this offseason for a new manager. Or so they say. But there will be plenty of time to talk about that in the weeks ahead. 

2024 White Sox become 7th team to lose 20 games in a row

The White Sox lost their 20th game in a row Sunday, as the Minnesota Twins scored eight runs in the first two innings and went on to beat the South Siders, 13-7.

Perhaps it was fitting that 20 runs were scored in the 20th consecutive loss, and the final out was made by No. 20 on the Sox roster -- newly acquired Miguel Vargas.

Here is the list of teams to accomplish this dubious feat:

• 1961 Philadelphia Phillies -- 23 straight losses
• 1988 Baltimore Orioles -- 21 straight losses
• 2024 White Sox -- 20 straight losses (and counting!)
• 1969 Montreal Expos -- 20 straight losses
• 1943 Philadelphia Athletics -- 20 straight losses
• 1916 Philadelphia Athletics -- 20 straight losses
• 1906 Boston Americans -- 20 straight losses
  

With this defeat, the Sox finish the season series against Minnesota with a record of 1-12. They also went 1-12 against the Kansas City Royals.

Overall against the "weak" American League Central Division, the Sox are 8-34.

The Sox are 60 games below .500 at 27-87. They are the first team to be 60 games below .500 on Aug. 4 since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who were 15-75 on Aug. 1 of that season -- and 16-78 on Aug. 4.

Yes, this is the worst team since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders.

The Sox are 0-16 since the All-Star break. They have been swept in six consecutive series. They are 0-65 when trailing after seven innings, and 0-71 when trailing after eight innings.

Pedro Grifol's managerial record is now 100 games below .500 at 88-188, yet he's traveling with the team to Oakland for this week's series against the Athletics. How many in a row must Grifol lose in order to get fired? 

My sister is the head coach of my nephew's youth baseball team. She's coaching 11- and 12-year-old boys, but I'm pretty sure if she lost 20 games in a row, she'd be pushed aside and replaced by a different coach.

Somehow, that doesn't happen with the White Sox, who are supposed to be playing Major League Baseball, where you're judged on wins and losses.

Alas, there is no accountability here. There is also no hope.

Maybe it's time to revisit this book

With the White Sox on their way to perhaps the worst season in modern history, perhaps it's time to give this book a read:

"A Season to Forget: The Story of the 1988 Baltimore Orioles" by Ron Snyder. The book tells the story of a team that started the season 0-21, despite having two Hall of Fame players on its roster.

That's pretty much where we're living right now -- talking about historic losing streaks and other atrocious teams that we've seen over our lifetimes.

What a time to be alive!

Maybe Pedro Grifol gets fired soon?

The White Sox have lost a franchise-record 17 games in a row after they absorbed a 10-3 thumping at the hands of the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The Sox are now 27-74 (3-22 in July), and somehow, they have to get through the next 51 games without hurling themselves into a rip current in Lake Michigan.

Sox manager Pedro Grifol now has a record of 88-175 in his tenure with the team. That's a .335 winning percentage, and that's about as bad as it gets in the modern era.

I saw a tweet from beat reporter Vinnie Duber on Tuesday that caught my attention, and Duber later wrote this article about Grifol's job status.

During his trade deadline press availability, general manager Chris Getz was asked whether Grifol's job was safe for the rest of the season. Getz responded thusly:

“We just wrapped up the deadline. Just wanted to focus on that. We’ll get through tonight and kind of debrief and look through the players we acquired and move forward from there.”

Not exactly a ringing endorsement, is it? The Sox are introducing some younger players into the majors right now, and a reasonable person would expect that trend to continue for the rest of 2024.

Is the environment in the clubhouse conducive to player development? Is there any positive energy left amid this catastrophic, historic losing streak? 

Those are reasonable questions. If the answer to either is "no," then Grifol must go now. The Sox can't afford to wait until the end of the season. This is important development time for some players, and it cannot be wasted.