A melancholy feeling as White Sox begin home schedule

Rate Field (Photo by Jason Bauman)

The White Sox were supposed to open the home portion of their schedule Thursday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Somewhat fittingly after the team's 1-5 disaster of a road trip to start the year, the game was postponed until Friday because of the forecast of inclement weather.

When it rains, it pours.

For the fourth consecutive season, I am choosing not to attend Opening Day at Rate Field. In fact, I have not purchased tickets for one single game in Chicago, and I do not intend to do so this season.

It's a difficult decision, but the team the Sox are putting on the field and the lackluster ballpark experience are not worth my valuable time and money -- and it's been this way for a while now.

The first home game used to be one of my favorite days of the year. Now, it is one of my least favorite days. It brings me great sadness what has happened to my baseball team.

Here's what Opening Day means to me now: 

• It means once-great traditions that have turned sour. 
• It means friendships that are not being renewed because we can't in good conscious give Jerry Reinsdorf our money anymore. 
• It means a sense of dread for the coming year, wondering how many games the Sox are going to lose this time. 
• It means well-meaning people wishing us "Happy Opening Day," while not understanding that we are no longer excited about the possibilities of the baseball season.

It's terrible to feel this way, but that's how it is. We're reduced to dreaming of the day when the 90-year-old miser who hates his paying customers is no longer owner of the team. It's the only way this changes. 

White Sox trade Luis Robert Jr. to New York Mets

It's official: This bobblehead featuring Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert Jr. has been rendered obsolete.

That's because the White Sox on Tuesday cut ties with Robert, the last significant piece of the failed Rick Hahn rebuild, trading him to the New York Mets for all-purpose player Luisangel Acuna and pitcher Truman Pauley.

The Mets are taking on all $20 million of Robert's 2026 salary, in addition to the 2027 team option for $20 million that includes a $2 million buyout.

Some Sox fans seem unhappy with this light of a return, but the fact is Robert is often injured. He's also been unproductive in each of the past two seasons, and he's also expensive.

Injured, unproductive and expensive: Three strikes and you're out. 

Robert was marketed to fans, by Hahn and others, as a future superstar. But aside from the 2023 season, when Robert slugged 38 homers and made his only All-Star team, he was a disappointment.

In fact, that 2023 campaign looks like the outlier, a career year. Here's what Robert has done more recently:

• 2024: .224/.278/.379, 14 homers, 35 RBIs, 23 SBs, 100 games, 1.4 WAR, 86 OPS+
• 2025: .223/.297/.364, 14 homers, 53 RBIs, 33 SBs, 110 games, 1.4 WAR, 85 OPS+

These are not superstar numbers, friends. The most reliable Robert skill is his speed, and even that is fleeting given the amount of time he spends on the injured list with ailments in his legs. There were eight players on the 2025 Sox, a 102-loss team, that accumulated more WAR than Robert did last season.

Strangely, you still hear people talk of Robert's upside and "potential," but this is now a 28-year-old player with six years of experience in the league. He is who he is. Believe your eyes. Believe what you are seeing from this player, not what people have told you to expect from him.

Some people will say, why not keep Robert until the trade deadline? See what he does in the first half, and maybe he can rebuild some trade value. 

Well, for starters, that was tried last year. It didn't work. But just for the sake of argument, let's say the Sox keep Robert and he regains his 2023 form. Would that really increase his trade value dramatically? 

I say no.

Why? Because rival GMs would be reluctant to give up premium talent for a player with a long track record of injury. Think about it: Are you going to give up top prospects to acquire Robert for a playoff push, knowing full well that he usually finishes every season on the injured list? If you're a contending team, you're looking for someone more reliable, right? 

You see, the days of Robert as a premium trade asset are long since past, so Sox GM Chris Getz took what he could get.

I understand the fan frustration with hearing about how this trade creates "financial flexibility" for the Sox. The $20 million Robert contract should not be stopping the Sox from spending. Only in cheap owner Jerry Reinsdorf's world was Robert's money preventing the Sox from going out and improving their team. The anger with that is understandable.

But you cannot be angry with this trade return because, well, Robert isn't worth that much.

Acuna, 23. was once the third-rated prospect in the Mets' system, but he's never gotten a full-time opportunity because he's been blocked by veteran players.

He's played in 109 games over two years with New York, with pedestrian results. His career slash line is .248/.299/.341. He's played mostly infield with the Mets, but he's been playing center field with his team in the Venezuelan winter league.

The guess here is the Sox are going to give Acuna a full-time shot to stick in their outfield. He's only 5-foot-8, so he's undersized for an outfielder, but he does have speed and athleticism.

Pauley, 22, was New York's 12th round pick in the 2025 draft. He pitched 4.1 innings at Single-A last season after finishing his collegiate career at Harvard. I would expect him to begin 2026 in A-ball.

Bellinger back to Yankees

With Robert bound for the Mets, that made one less team in the hunt for free agent outfielder Cody Bellinger, who was the best remaining bat on the market coming into Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Bellinger went back to the Yankees on a five-year, $162 million contract. The deal includes opt-outs after the second and third seasons. 

No surprise here. Bellinger was a top priority for the Yankees all offseason, and the two sides finally came to terms. 

Maybe White Sox know they need starting pitching

"We had a seat at the table."

The White Sox were reportedly one of the bidders for Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai, who recently signed a three-year contract with the Houston Astros that could be worth up to $54 million.

The deal includes player opt-outs after both the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

Imai, 27, is a three-time All-Star in the Nippon Professional Baseball League, and he had a career-best season with the Saitama Seibu Lions in 2025, going 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 163.2 innings.

The Astros are likely to lose left-hander Framber Valdez in free agency, so Imai fills a gap for them and joins Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier as the top options in the Houston starting rotation.

From a Sox perspective, I saw a whole bunch of fans on social media hopeful the team could land Imai, after the South Siders' surprise signing of Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami earlier this offseason.

Alas, there were a few reasons to be skeptical:

• Scott Boras is Imai's agent, and there's probably a fair chance the Sox were being used as leverage.
• Imai was obviously interested in player opt-outs, a concept that causes Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf to break out in hives.
• The Sox have a negative reputation that precedes them.

There was a report from Yahoo! Japan that said the Sox "are viewed internationally as a favorable destination barring one hurdle -- the delayed transition from owner Jerry Reinsdorf to Justin Ishbia."

Reinsdorf, the report continued, "represents a culture of shame misaligned with Japan's competitive integrity."

A culture of shame? That's an interesting way of saying it. We can't disagree with Japan on this point, can we? Reinsdorf's "culture of shame" and three consecutive seasons of 100 losses or more have prevented me from buying a season ticket package in each of the past two years.

But I digress. What can we take away from the Sox's failed bid to acquire Imai? At least they know they need to acquire another starting pitcher. They whiffed on this target. Let's hope they are now in contact with the next starter on their list, whomever that may be. 

Perfect gift for the angry White Sox fan in your life

My copy of "Sell the Team, Jerry!"

I realize it's a little late to buy Christmas gifts now, but if you've got an angry White Sox fan in your life who will be celebrating a birthday soon, you might consider giving them a copy of this book that I received for Christmas.

"Sell the Team, Jerry!" by Brian Jay Siebel offers a decade-by-decade review of Jerry Reinsdorf's reign of terror as White Sox owner.

The book is recently written and published, too, as it includes a recap of the laughable 121-loss season all Sox fans suffered through in 2024.

Through this book, we can experience all the highs and (mostly) lows of the Reinsdorf era, and learn the five hallmarks of Reinsdorf's mismanagement of the team.

Seems like good offseason reading. I look forward to diving in. I'll provide a book report when I finish.

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. 

Report: A.J. Pierzynski a candidate to manage White Sox in 2025

This is a long article from Bob Nightengale, so you'll have to scroll a little bit. But way down toward the bottom, this paragraph is enough to get the attention of any White Sox fan:

"Former All-Star catcher A.J. Pierzynski has quietly emerged as a serious candidate to manage the Chicago White Sox in 2025 if they dismiss manager Pedro Grifol after the season, as expected."

Oh boy.

You know somewhere in the offices at 35th and Shields, they are saying, "Let's hire one of the heroes of 2005 to manage the club and get the fans back on our side!" 

Indeed, Pierzynski is a beloved figure on the South Side. I have a No. 12 jersey hanging in my closet from back in the day, in fact.

The problem is, Sox fans have seen a movie like that before. Go back to Robin Ventura's managerial tenure from 2012 to 2016. Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf brings back a revered player, but doesn't give him much of a team to manage. The revered former player fails and weakens his legacy.

When Ventura's name comes up, we don't just describe him as the greatest third baseman in team history -- which he is. We also describe him as a bad manager. It's unfortunate that we have to add that footnote.

I'd prefer not to see something like that happen to Pierzynski.

I know what you're saying: Hiring former player Ozzie Guillen worked out OK for the Sox, right? That 2005 World Series banner will fly forever. True, but remember, Guillen was on the coaching staff of the 2003 Florida Marlins, also a world champion, right before the Sox hired him. 

Guillen was in the game, having success as a coach. Pierzynski has not been in the game since he retired as a player after the 2016 season. He's a broadcaster and a podcaster -- and a damn good one. He doesn't need to manage the Sox, and there's no indication he's ready for such a job.

With this ownership and this front office, can anyone succeed as Sox manager?

Just say tell them "no," A.J.

Futility marks in sight as White Sox hit halfway mark

The White Sox hit the halfway point of this miserable season Tuesday with a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

The loss leaves the Sox at 21-60. The great thing about the halfway point of the season is it becomes easy math to figure out what pace teams and players are on -- simply multiply by two.

That means the Sox are on pace to go 42-120 this season.

Old-timers will recall that the 1970 White Sox hold the franchise record for losses in a season. That team went 56-106.

That means the Sox would need to go 35-46 in the second half of the season just to equal the worst club in the 124-year history of the franchise.

Do you see that happening? Nope, me neither.

The worst team in modern baseball history was the 1962 New York Mets. They were an expansion team that went 40-120. 

The worst team in my lifetime, which dates back to 1976, was the 2003 Detroit Tigers. They went 43-119.

Basically, the Sox are a mortal lock to become the worst team in franchise history, and they are right on pace to finish in the same ballpark with the 1962 Mets and the 2003 Tigers -- the two worst clubs that anyone alive has seen.

I've heard some Sox fans say they want the team to set these futility records, so that this level of losing becomes part of owner Jerry Reinsdorf's legacy.

I understand that perspective, but here's the thing: Reinsdorf doesn't care, and he'll be dead pretty soon. This isn't going to stick to him.

But if you're a Sox fan, if indeed this team loses 120 games or more, you'll be hearing about this for the rest of your life. 

I think it's going to happen, but I'd rather not see it. There's no particular benefit to setting a record for most losses. Would it humiliate Reinsdorf into running the franchise better? I don't believe so.

Pedro Grifol's presence is proof that Jerry Reinsdorf has given up

Does anyone have a good baseball reason why Pedro Grifol is still employed as White Sox manager? 

The Sox lost again Thursday afternoon, 5-3 to the Houston Astros at Guaranteed Rate Field. That drops their 2024 record to 20-56. 

This, on the heels of last year's 61-101 campaign. That leaves Grifol with a 81-157 record, which will pencil out to a less-than-robust .340 winning percentage. 

There's a temptation to say it can't get any worse, except it can, and it will -- because Grifol still has a job and will probably remain Sox manager for the remainder of this godawful season.

Bob Nightengale isn't necessarily my favorite national baseball writer, but we've seen through the years that his information on the Sox is pretty good. When it comes to the thinking in the front office on the South Side, you can trust Nightengale.

I've got the print edition of his recent column by my side, and here's what he wrote:

"The White Sox believe it would make no sense to bring in and pay another manager when the team’s fate isn’t going to change no matter who’s in the dugout. Grifol is in the second year of a three-year contract for about $3 million. The White Sox are expected to reassess this winter to determine whether a managerial change is needed."

"The team's fate isn't going to change no matter who's in the dugout."

OK, it is true that the roster is bad, trades are coming, and this team is going to lose more than it wins the rest of the season. That point is not in dispute.

But those of us who watch this team daily are tired of seeing the lethargic, sloppy play under Grifol. Defense was a huge point of emphasis this offseason. Guess what? The Sox rank last in baseball in defensive runs saved. The baserunning and situational hitting remain terrible. These are the things we were told would improve. If anything, they've gotten worse.

There are 86 games left in the season. That means there are 86 chances for the Sox to get better. No, the overall record isn't going to be good at the end of the year, but what sense does it make to squander this time playing under the direction of a "leader" who has proven that he cannot get the best out of his players? What exactly is Grifol going to improve?

What we're witnessing right now is not Major League Baseball, yet the Sox continue to charge the fans Major League prices for tickets. No wonder nobody is going. I haven't been to a game this season, and I have no intention of going. It's a waste of time and money.

And for the record, I've attended 366 Sox games over the past 19 years. So I don't want hear any shit about how "fair-weather" Sox fans supposedly are. I've sat through plenty of losing games and losing seasons, but the breaking point comes when the team stops trying.

Grifol's presence here is proof that owner Jerry Reinsdorf has given up. I'm not even blaming general manager Chris Getz for the lack of change on the bench. I think Getz wants to fire Grifol, but Reinsdorf won't let him because that would require "paying two managers" or whatever.

What fans want is an acknowledgement that team brass sees what we see, and that's an effort that is completely and utterly unacceptable on most days. 

This is a disgrace of a team, yet the Sox are sitting there saying, "No point in changing anything. We suck regardless. Oh well."

If the Sox don't care, why should you or I?

It feels like I should be doing something baseball-related this weekend

A welcome sign at SoxFest 2019.

The last weekend of January ... it used to be a highlight on the calendar, because it was SoxFest weekend.

Alas, the event isn't being held this year. It hasn't been held since 2020. COVID-19 hasn't been a valid excuse since 2021, but here we are.

I'm not a big autograph guy. In fact, I don't think I've gotten a single autograph in all the years I've attended SoxFest. But still, it's nice to gather in January with fellow Sox fans and talk baseball.

SoxFest was the only time you would ever be somewhere with a crowd of 100% Sox fans. For reasons never explained, it's gone away. And that is sorely disappointing.

Thanks for nothing, Jerry Reinsdorf.

White Sox 'in serious talks' about building stadium in South Loop

The White Sox are "in serious talks" to build a new ballpark in the South Loop on the site known as "The 78," according to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times.

You can read that report here.

The land in question runs from Roosevelt Road on the north, south to 16th Street. It's bordered by the Chicago River on the west, and Clark Street on the east. 

Picture, if you will, the Chicago skyline as the backdrop for Sox games. The stadium would be easily accessible from downtown. The site is close to the Kennedy and Eisenhower expressways. It's close to the Metra line -- as well as the Red, Orange and Green lines.

These renderings from NBC Sports Chicago are something else. If only we could count on this being true. I would love to see this plan come to fruition, but as always, there's the question, "Who pays for it?"

White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker all will have a seat at the table in these negotiations. Do you trust a single one of them to get this done competently? 

Me neither. 

Reinsdorf's track record suggests he's going to want public money for this, and Pritzker's track record suggests he's not going to allow that. When negotiations stall because of that, where does that leave us? That's what I'm wondering when I'm thinking about this proposal.

The Sox have can renew their lease at Guaranteed Rate Field one more time for a period of four years, and that would take them through the 2029 season. Then what? I think the timing is correct to have this discussion, at least in terms of when that lease expires. The political timing and the current state of the economy in Illinois (it's not good) is another matter.

In modern society, a healthy dose of skepticism is often warranted. But when we're talking about the Chicago White Sox, Jerry Reinsdorf, and governance in the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois, skepticism is ALWAYS warranted.

There's no question this proposal is exciting one for fans. But remember, the Sox were "serious" about "competing for multiple championships" too, and we're still waiting for that to happen. 

I'll be delighted by this stadium if, and only if, shovels go in the ground.

'Winter with the White Sox' apparently replacing SoxFest

The White Sox haven't conducted SoxFest since 2020, and there won't be such an event this January either.

However, there will be a "Winter with the White Sox" gathering for season ticket holders on Jan. 26, 2024. I received a "save the date" email on Tuesday afternoon. 

This is a little surprising because I have not renewed my season tickets for the 2024 season, and frankly, I do not intend to renew. I do not expect to be included on emails such as this. 

Perhaps they are trying to entice me to renew by offering me access to this special event. That will not work.

It's bizarre for the Sox to send a "save the date" without telling potential attendees what the venue will be, or what the event will entail.

I mean, are they going to host this at Guaranteed Rate Field? It's a little cold there in January, right? Maybe they'll have the event in Nashville, since Jerry Reinsdorf wants to move the team there, LOL.

To be honest, even if I were invited, I don't think I want to go to this event. I'm not excited about the 2024 Sox. They haven't made any impact acquisitions this offseason, coming off a 61-101 season. And that, ultimately, is the reason I'm not renewing my season tickets. It isn't fun to be a fan of this organization anymore.

I will be interested to hear what type of activities they will be offering at this occasion. Here are a few guesses:

• Meet your ticket representative and discuss upgrading your seats!
• Purchase a spring training travel package now! See Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch (and the Sox too)!
• Buy discounted merchandise! You will never get a better deal on Ronald Belisario's game-worn pants from 2014!
• Enter a raffle to win a White Sox bobblehead! Multiple winners will be drawn! (We have to get rid of these damn Yasmani Grandal bobbles sometime.)
• Meet "White Sox legend" Ron Kittle! Sure his career WAR is like 4.7, but he won American League Rookie of the Year 40 years ago! Bring your kids for autographs, even though Ronny retired 20 to 25 years before they were born!

That's the kind of stuff the Sox generally come up with these days. They are simply out of ideas. I wish I had better things to say about the organization, but it's just a sorry state of affairs.

Notice how I managed to work Ohtani into this blog. The metrics show that mentioning him increases traffic by leaps and bounds. 

You don't think people are actually visiting this site because they enjoy reading about the Sox, do you?

Lazy, insular White Sox promote Chris Getz to lead baseball operations

Jerry Reinsdorf

For those who know me personally, you're well aware of how profoundly meaningful White Sox baseball is in my life. Being a Sox fan is a central part of my identity.

While I'm aware that there are more important things than baseball, there's no getting around the fact that the White Sox are part of the connective tissue of my existence. Some of the best friendships I have in my life were formed through a shared interest in Sox baseball, and the sense of community that exists within the fan base.

So, having said all that, it was a weird feeling earlier this week when I made the decision to opt out of the auto-renewal for the 2024 season ticket plan. The Sox invoiced us Tuesday, and I immediately filled out the form and effectively said, "No thanks, not now." 

Right now, I can't stomach what the Sox have become, on or off the field. We haven't enjoyed going to the ballpark for the past two years, and I don't have any hope that things are going to change anytime soon. Thus, it is time to reevaluate the decision on how to best spend those disposable dollars that typically go to the White Sox. I've been a season ticket holder for 19 seasons. 

I can't say for certain that I'm out for 2024, but at minimum, I'm delaying the decision until after the holidays, so I can see what direction the team goes this offseason.

The lazy, insular promotion of Chris Getz to lead baseball operations, a decision that owner Jerry Reinsdorf announced Thursday, is NOT a good start.

I commend Reinsdorf for finally moving on from former senior vice president Ken Williams and former GM Rick Hahn, both of whom were fired last week. That decision was welcome and overdue.

But whatever goodwill that came from that decision was lost when Reinsdorf simply promoted Getz, the team's player development director, who has been with the organization for seven years and is part of the problem.

There's a lot of stuff that could be said about this, but I'm going to offer you five takeaways:

1. Reinsdorf didn't conduct a legitimate search. This is the most galling part of the equation. During Thursday's press conference, Reinsdorf admitted that he didn't interview anyone else. This was an opportunity to reshape the future of the organization, and that opportunity has been kicked away because the owner was too lazy to conduct a thorough search.

Reinsdorf's reasoning: He "already knew" the candidates that were on his alleged list and didn't need to interview them. Here's my question for Jerry: "What about the people you DON'T know?" By failing to look outside the walls at 35th and Shields, Reinsdorf most likely missed a chance to meet the person most qualified for this position.

I understand Reinsdorf is 87 years old, and perhaps he doesn't have the energy to conduct such a search. Too bad. If that's true, then sell the team to someone who will care enough to put in the time and effort.

2. Getz wouldn't even have gotten an interview with 29 other franchises. What exactly is on Getz's resume? He's been in charge of player development for seven years. Can you name me one impact player the Sox have drafted and developed? Are there any mid- or late-round picks that have become surprise contributors? Have the Sox had any diamonds in the rough emerge? 

The Sox farm system has been ranked in the bottom half of the league for the past three or four years. There isn't a track record of success here. Are there teams out there that would clamor to add Getz to their organization? I don't believe so. I don't think he'd get an interview from any other team, if they had an opening to lead baseball operations. With the Sox, Getz gets the job without any interview process. This is ludicrous.

3. "Knowing" Sox players should not be considered a strength. Reinsdorf said Thursday, “Chris brings a wealth of knowledge and experience within our organization to this role. Most importantly, he knows our players, both at the major league level and in our system, knows our staff and is familiar with all aspects of our baseball operations department."

Actually, no, knowing the players is not the most important thing. The Sox are desperate for a fresh set of eyes to come in here and look at some old problems. Getz is not that. I wanted someone who has no personal relationship with any of the players, who won't have a problem getting rid of some entitled guys who are considered sacred cows in the organization.

The Sox don't need continuity. They need change.

4. The Sox are foolishly treating manager Pedro Grifol as an untouchable. During his introductory press conference, Getz contradicted himself. He said that no one is untouchable. Moments later, he declared that failing manager Grifol will be back for the 2024 season. Why? The guy is 53-81, and in case you haven't noticed, his team is getting blown out a lot lately. And if you haven't noticed, that means you're not watching, and I don't blame you for that.

The Sox have 28 games left in the season. What if they go 4-24? Reinsdorf spent time Thursday talking about how this has been the worst year during his time as owner of the Sox. Fair enough, but you know it's not over yet, right? The evaluation period isn't over yet. It continues for another month. Yet Getz has already declared Grifol safe, no matter how terrible of a job he does the rest of the way. 

5. Reinsdorf thinks the Sox can contend in 2024, LOL. Reinsdorf said he didn't want to go outside the organization because that person would need a full year to evaluate everything, and then 2024 would be lost. He claimed that Getz is the person best suited to author a quick turnaround and get the team back in contention next year.

All you can do is laugh.

Take a look at the roster, Jerry. Among position players, you have Luis Robert Jr. and a collection of overpaid scrubs. The projected 2024 starting rotation consists of Dylan Cease, who is having a rotten 2023, Michael Kopech, who has taken steps backward this season, and a host of replacement-level arms.

The Sox have almost nothing in place. Good luck fixing this by next March.

This Week in White Sox Baseball!!!! (7th Sector of Hell Edition)

Guaranteed Rate Field

One thing that I've learned being a White Sox fan: Don't ever say it can't get worse. It probably will.

Last year at this time, we were ready for the season to be over. The team was mired in mediocrity, on its way to an 81-81 finish in a year that was supposed to conclude with playoff baseball. 

Those were the good ole days in comparison to this, and it goes far beyond the team's 52-79 record on the field. Here's a log of some of the things we've endured in recent days:

Aug. 21: White Sox announce plans to explore relocation, either within the city of Chicago and its suburbs, or possibly even Nashville.

Aug. 22: Senior vice president of baseball operations Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn are fired, after years of underachievement.

Aug. 23: Rumors circulate that owner Jerry Reinsdorf will promote farm director Chris Getz to the GM spot, and hire failed former Kansas City Royals GM Dayton Moore in some sort of role to assist Getz.

Aug. 25: Two fans are shot in the left-field bleachers at Guaranteed Rate Field, while watching the Sox get blown out by the league-worst Oakland Athletics. 

Aug. 27: Rumors circulate that the Sox are considering three places for relocation: near the United Center on the West Side, Soldier Field, or the Arlington Heights location the Chicago Bears recently purchased.

Aug. 28: Reports indicate the gunshots Friday night most likely did not come from outside the stadium, meaning that someone managed to sneak a gun past security at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Good grief, this is all crazy. Any one of these topics could be a blog post. But I'd like to just make a few quick reactions. I don't think these problems are going away.

On the GM search: I really wish the Sox would conduct an external search for the best possible candidate, instead of just promoting Getz and hiring Moore, who worked with Getz and manager Pedro Grifol in Kansas City. This is just more cronyism. Sure, Moore has a 2015 World Series title on his resume. That cannot be taken from him, but he also presided over 13 losing seasons in 17 years in Kansas City. Why are the Sox trying to emulate the Royals anyway? Kansas City is the one team in the AL Central that's even worse (at least on the field) than the Sox.

Further, if things have gotten so bad (and they have) that you need to fire the top two men in your baseball operations, why would you just promote the guy who is either third or fourth in command? Wouldn't it be both obvious and imperative that a new voice is needed?

On stadium relocation: The Soldier Field idea is absolutely awful. That place is a dump, and there's a reason the Bears are looking to get the hell out of there. Because of its status as a historical landmark, there are limits on what you can do architecturally. Not to mention, that place is impossible to get to. The traffic sucks. The parking sucks. All of it sucks. Romanticize the lakefront all you want, but nobody is going to care about the "beautiful view" or the "Chicago skyline in the distance" when there's only 4,000 people in the stands on weeknights, because fans have decided that it's too big of a pain in the ass to drive to Soldier Field after they get off work.

I'm open to the United Center neighborhood idea. I love going to Blackhawks games. I'll go to Sox games in that area, too. Great!

I'm open to the team staying at 35th and Shields. I've been going there for years. Great!

I'm open to the team moving to Arlington Heights. That location is 4.5 miles from my house. Now I can come on weeknights after work. Great!

Soldier Field? Screw that, and screw anyone who thinks that's a good idea.

On the safety issue: I attended Saturday night's game. I was undeterred by the incident Friday, although I acknowledge it's a terrible look for the Sox. If they want folks to feel comfortable going to these games, they might want to think about upgrading those metal detectors -- immediately. Judging by the looks of them, I don't think the Sox have the latest technology.

Me personally, I don't spend my life worrying about what could go wrong. Gun violence, allegedly deadly viruses, domestic terrorism, whatever. I'm not afraid of any of it. Whenever one leaves the house, there's always a chance that something could go wrong. Hell, you could get in a fatal car wreck on your way to the grocery store. Does that stop you from buying food? Of course not. 

Our risk calculation has gotten way out of whack in this society over the past three years. I'm not going to stop my life because of various things that could potentially kill me. Yes, I'm aware there is a non-zero chance that I could be gunned down inside or outside the ballpark. I just don't care, because that chance is so small that it isn't worth thinking about it. 

My advice: Continue living your life. Don't give up the things you enjoy out of fear. One day it will be over for all of us. That's a fact, but don't sweat it.

See you at the ballpark on the next homestand.

White Sox fire Ken Williams, Rick Hahn

The announcement came during the dinner hour Tuesday night, and I almost spit out my pasta from the shock: The White Sox fired executive vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn. You can read the report from MLB.com's Scott Merkin here.

On the one hand, this needed to happen. I'm as pleased as I am surprised. That said, it's not a good sign when the highlight of your entire baseball season is seeing executives get fired, even though both Williams and Hahn have earned their dismissals.

The Sox were 49-76 going into Tuesday's play, and as Williams said in Merkin's story, "We have underachieved. This is what happens."

Thing is, this was the easy part for chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. The hard part is finding the right people to fix all the problems with the Sox. It's difficult not to be skeptical of this 87-year-old owner, who hasn't hired a baseball executive from outside of the organization in decades. 

How will he conduct the search? And who will help him with the search? Hopefully, it's someone other than his buddy Tony La Russa.

On the whole, this was a good day for Sox fans. The organization is crying out for new leadership. That, it will get. The question is whether it will get good leadership. That is the important part, and it remains to be seen.

White Sox reportedly conducting 'series of internal interviews'

I've mostly stayed away from discussing the 2023 White Sox here because, let's be honest, it isn't sane to care about the day-to-day results anymore. The team is 48-75 entering Sunday's game against the Colorado Rockies.

But it's worth noting when Bob Nightengale reports something on the Sox. Of all the national baseball reporters, he seems to have the most direct line to owner Jerry Reinsdorf and senior vice president of baseball operations Ken Williams.

Here's his Sunday notebook. Most of this story is about baseball movies, but if you scroll down to the "Around the basepaths" section, the top item deals with the Sox. It reads:

"The Chicago White Sox are conducting a series of internal interviews to determine whether dramatic changes are needed inside the front office or the coaching staff. This has been one of the most disappointing and painful seasons in chairman Jerry Reinsdorf’s tenure. 

"GM Rick Hahn has one year left on his contract while manager Pedro Grifol has two years remaining."

This is interesting on two fronts. First off, we rarely know contract lengths for non-players in the Sox organization. For whatever reason, somebody high up in the organization was OK with all of us finding out how many years Hahn and Grifol have left on their deals. 

What does that mean? We can only speculate.

Secondly, a "series of internal interviews"? What exactly does that mean? Are they all interviewing each other? How bizarre, but what do you expect from the Sox? 

This reminds me a little of asking politicians to vote for term limits. Good luck getting someone to say, "Yes, I deserve to lose my job." That doesn't happen often in the real world.

Here's the thing: The 2023 season started with Hahn outlining high expectations and talking about deep October runs. The Sox are light years away from that. As a matter of fact, they are now tied for the third-worst record in baseball -- they and the Rockies are both 48-75 entering Sunday's head-to-head matchup.

You don't need "internal interviews" to know dramatic changes are necessary for the Sox. You only need to know they fell way, way short of the bar they set for themselves.

White Sox closer Liam Hendriks undergoes Tommy John surgery

White Sox closer Liam Hendriks underwent successful Tommy John surgery Wednesday morning, according to a news release from the team. It's tough news for a pitcher who has been through a lot this year.

The 34-year-old right-hander announced in January that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. His status for the 2023 season was uncertain, but Hendriks beat the cancer by April and made a remarkably quick return to the mound.

After five appearances at Triple-A Charlotte, he made his season debut with the Sox on May 29 against the Los Angeles Angels. He ultimately appeared in five games, going 2-0 with one save and a 5.40 ERA. 

Hendriks last pitched June 9 and went on the 15-day injured list two days later with right elbow inflammation. That injury led to this surgery. I had heard reports of Hendriks throwing off a mound recently, but his velocity was reportedly at 93.8 mph. We know that's not ideal. When Hendriks is right, he can crank his fastball up to 97 or 98, no problem.

The recovery time for this injury and surgery is estimated at 12-14 months, meaning Hendriks likely will not pitch again until the 2025 season.

Will he still be with the Sox at that time? That's a tough question to answer because Hendriks has an unusually structured contract.

The team has a $15 million option on him for the 2024 season, which includes a $15 million buyout. If the Sox opt to buy Hendriks out, he would be owed 10 annual payments of $1.5 million until 2033.

So, Hendriks is getting another $15 million from the Sox one way or another. This comes down to how quickly owner Jerry Reinsdorf wants Hendriks' salary off the books.

Hendriks is a popular player in the clubhouse and in the city. He's among the more charitable players on the roster, and his victory over cancer has been an inspiration to many people. And he's been a damn good relief pitcher for the Sox.

Given those factors, my sense would say the right thing to do is to pick up Hendriks' option. Then, come 2025, offer him a minor-league deal with an invitation to big-league camp, and see if he is healthy enough to earn his way onto the 2025 Sox roster.

But I'm thinking about what's best for the player and the team. Reinsdorf often looks at just the business side, so it won't be a surprise if Hendriks' option is declined. If that's the case, he's thrown his last pitch in a Sox uniform, and he'll probably get a look elsewhere in 2025.

Jerry Reinsdorf's statement on Jose Abreu inadvertently summarizes history of White Sox baseball

White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf released a statement after longtime first baseman Jose Abreu signed a three-year contract with the Houston Astros:

Here's the part that stands out to me: "Unfortunately, hope is not always translated into reality."

Hmmm ... Doesn't that sum up what we've been looking at these past few years with the Rick Hahn rebuild? Heck, doesn't that inadvertently summarize the entire history of White Sox baseball?

There's been plenty of time spent selling hope, but not much of it has brought results in reality.

Oh, the irony.

3 things I don't want in a White Sox manager

Me with Ozzie Guillen in 2019

Who will be the next manager of the White Sox? Rumors were flying this weekend, and as you might expect, the situation is clear as mud.

There are reports out there that the Sox are poised to name Houston Astros bench coach Joe Espada their next manager. It's also been reported that Espada is a candidate to manage the Miami Marlins.

Then, of course, there's the gossip about Ozzie Guillen allegedly getting an interview. Depending on who you ask, Guillen has either a) already been interviewed, b) will be interviewed this week, or c) would be a candidate for the job only over Ken Williams' dead body.

I've been amazed by how many Sox fans want Guillen to return to the manager's office. That 2005 nostalgia runs deep for every South Side baseball fan, but we can't allow that to get in the way of our better judgment. The World Series title was 17 years ago. Guillen has been out of baseball since 2012, and let's not forget how his previous tenure with the Sox ended in 2011.

I'd rather not rehash the 2011 season, in fact, so I won't unless Guillen somehow gets the job.

I'll be honest and say none of the managerial candidates I've heard tied to the Sox thrill me. I'm more in the "Rick Hahn screwed this up" camp than the "Tony La Russa screwed this up" camp. Don't get me wrong: I'm glad La Russa is no longer the Sox manager, but I don't think any manager could have covered all the flaws in Hahn's roster construction.

So, I'm not sure what I'm looking for in a Sox manager. I just know these are the three things I do not want:

1. someone promoted from within (sorry, Miguel Cairo)
2. a recycling of an old guy who wore out his welcome somewhere else (sorry, Joe Maddon)
3. someone who is a friend of Jerry Reinsdorf (sorry, Ozzie)

There are lot of things getting in the way of Espada taking the job. First of all, he might want to manage in Miami. Second of all, if the Astros win the World Series, Dusty Baker could retire. That could put Espada in line for a promotion with his current club. Third, Espada used to work in the New York Yankees organization, and he could be a managerial candidate there if the Yankees decide to move on from Aaron Boone.

It's also possible that Espada is Hahn's guy, but Reinsdorf is going to intervene in the process and name Guillen manager.

Hey, that's happened before, right? In the past managerial search, Hahn wanted to hire A.J. Hinch. Then Reinsdorf intervened and appointed La Russa. 

It's the White Sox, so expect something weird to happen, until they prove otherwise.

Shut up, Rick Hahn!

Rick Hahn

Didn't it seem as though the White Sox were always destined for 81-81? 

By my count, they were at exactly .500 on 28 occasions during the 2022 season, so it's fitting that they ended up at, well, 81-81.

The Sox briefly pulled their record over the .500 mark by winning the first two games of their season-ending three-game series against the Minnesota Twins. Alas, the Twins won, 10-1, in Wednesday's series and season finale, sentencing the 2022 Sox to .500 for all eternity.

This team has earned that fate, because they arrogantly thought they could defend their 2021 AL Central title with minimal effort. The Sox always had that "No worries, we got this attitude," and it was to the point where I often thought, "I don't think they've got this. They just think they do." 

The "big run" was always said to be right around the corner, but it never came. There was always "time" to make a push until there wasn't time. The Sox were an arrogant, overconfident team, and that starts with general manager Rick Hahn.

I've lost track of how many times he's spoken of "competing for multiple championships." He's said it so many times that it's become a cliche. Other phrases such as "talk to me after the parade" and "World Series or bust" have been used time and again.

Here's my reaction to all that talk: Just shut up, Rick Hahn. 

The Sox are not the Houston Astros, the New York Yankees or the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Sox are not in the playoffs every year. They have never even won their division two seasons in a row in their 122-year history. You don't get to say "World Series or bust" unless you are a perennial power that knows it will be playing in October on a near-annual basis.

The Sox are simply not that team. They shouldn't be worried about anything other than trying to win their next game, and this whole strategy of "playing the long game" and "trying to have guys rested and ready for October" blew up in their faces this season. There is no October baseball to be played in Chicago. At least not playoff baseball.

It should be humbling, but Hahn's quotes from his end-of-year press conference Monday still projected arrogance. Here's a statement that caught my attention:

"Two years ago, our baseball operations department was getting nods for executive of the year. A year ago we won the division by whatever, 11 or 12 games, and this year we were picked for being in the World Series, and now we’re being asked if we should be in our jobs."

Guess what, Hahn? You're damn right we're asking whether you should be in your job!

You've been the general manager for 10 years, and you've had a grand total of two winning seasons. TWO!!! And one of them was a pandemic-shortened 60-game season where your team ran out of gas and blew the AL Central title in the last 10 days of the schedule.

Your regime has produced a grand total of two playoff appearances in 10 years, and two playoff wins -- one in 2020 and one in 2021. The Sox still haven't won a playoff series since 2005.

In your 10 years on the job, the Sox have gone 700-817. That's a .461 winning percentage. GMs who win at such a low level generally don't stay employed for a full decade. 

You have no idea how lucky you are that you work for Jerry Reinsdorf, who never fires anybody no matter how incompetent they are. And you sit there and smugly assert that you're above reproach because you've managed one division championship during your tenure -- and that one division championship team got its ass summarily kicked in the first round of the playoffs.

Nothing of substance has been accomplished here, and I'm tired of hearing about how awesome this team supposedly is going to be. Put up some results for once. That means getting to the playoffs AND winning once you get there.

Until then, shut up, Rick Hahn! 

My last game of the season at Guaranteed Rate Field

I made my 20th and final trip to Guaranteed Rate Field for the 2022 season Monday night. The White Sox came away with an inconsequential 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins.

In sharp contrast to last October -- when the stadium was filled with 40,000 people dressed in black, cheering on the AL Central champions -- there was plenty of legroom. The announced attendance was 22,891, but that's a joke. There weren't even half that many fans there. 

The Sox are 80-80 with two games to play. It has been a sorely disappointing season that began with postseason expectations. Fans want heads to roll, and while manager Tony La Russa has retired, we're stuck with owner Jerry Reinsdorf, general manager Rick Hahn and Ken Williams, whatever the hell he's doing these days. 

I was listening to the Sox Machine podcast before the game, and Jim Margalus noted that he roots for White Sox fans more than he roots for the White Sox. This comment resonated with me as a healthier way to look at the current situation on the South Side of Chicago.

It's impossible to cheer for oligarchs like Reinsdorf. It's very difficult to like the arrogant mopes who make up his front office. It's even difficult to root for these players, some of whom have been mailing it in for weeks, if not months.

However, it is very easy to like the fans who come to 35th and Shields every year -- sometimes against their better judgment -- to support the White Sox organization. Even if I can't cheer for Reinsdorf, Hahn and all these other idiots, I can root for the day when our White Sox fan community will finally have a baseball team that makes us proud. This hope is what keeps me going.

Fans have been coming to the street corner where I took the above photo since long before I was born, and they'll still be going there long after I am dead and buried. The bond we share as White Sox fans is one that endures through the generations.

That's something we should keep in mind, as this disastrous 2022 season turns into what will likely be an offseason of cost-cutting and discontent. We still have each other, and this storm of hell, too, shall pass.

See you at the ballpark in April.

Guaranteed Rate Field 20 minutes before the game Monday night. The seats filled in a little bit, but yeah, it was die-hards only.